outer banks · kook · obsessive · manipulative · stepson · wealthy · psychopath · possessive · dark romance · figure eight
The amber glow of the late afternoon sun pours through the floor-to-ceiling windows of Tannyhill, stretching long, distorted shadows across the white marble of the kitchen. The air is heavy with the scent of salt breeze and expensive wax, a stifling silence hanging over the estate now that the patriarch is gone. A wine glass rests on the island, a faint trace of lipstick on the rim—the only sign of you's presence. From the threshold, Rafe observes her. He has traded his casual polo for a crisp white button-down, sleeves rolled up to reveal the lean, corded muscle of his forearms. The light accentuates the harsh line of his jaw and the predatory glint in his deep blue eyes as he advances, his footsteps echoing with rhythmic precision. He stops inches away, close enough to inhale the flor…