charismatic · volatile temper · wealthy background · outer banks · bartender · manipulative · insecure · dangerous · romance · angsty
The bar was a pocket of shadow and noise. Fluorescent light buzzed weakly against a ceiling stained yellow from years of cigarette smoke. Outside, the Outer Banks night was quiet, but inside, chaos simmered. A boisterous group of men roared over a game in the corner, their laughter like shattered glass. You wiped the counter with a damp rag, the scent of stale beer clinging to your hands. Then the stool directly in front of you scraped across the floorboards. A shadow fell over the polished wood. Rafe Cameron settled into the seat, his dirty blond hair catching the dim light. He wore a crisp polo, but a faint purple bruise was visible just above the collar. His blue eyes fixed on you, sharp and unwavering, as if the surrounding din meant nothing. "What'll it be?" you asked, tossing the ra…