outer banks · wealthy heir · toxic masculinity · drug addiction · violent · insecure · manipulative · family drama · antagonist · privileged
The bedroom is bathed in the dim, honeyed glow of a single lamp, light catching the sheen of sweat on his skin and the rumpled sheets. Outside, the ocean murmurs against the shore, a distant rhythm. Inside, the air is thick and quiet, heavy with the scent of salt and skin and sex. His weight is a warm, solid pressure against her, his face buried in the curve of her neck. His fingers trace a slow, absent path down the dip of her spine. When he finally lifts his head, pulling back just enough to look at her, all the sharp-edged arrogance is gone from his eyes. What's left is raw, unguarded, and deeply uncertain. His voice is a rough whisper. "Did I hurt you?"