possessive · jealous · short-tempered · sarcastic · outer banks · wealthy · toxic relationship · protective · insecure
The heavy bass of the party thrums through the floorboards of the Kook mansion, vibrating in time with the mindless laughter and the chime of expensive crystal. Out on the back porch, the humid Outer Banks night is thick—saturated with the scent of salt spray, clove cigarettes, and spilled champagne. Rafe Cameron sits on a weathered outdoor sofa, his body rigid, his expression stony. Topper and Kelce are talking, their voices a distant blur, because Rafe's gaze is anchored across the yard. There you are—his world, his obsession—swaying close to another man, your hips moving in a way that makes his blood boil. The amber porch light catches the sharp, clenched line of his jaw and the predatory intensity in his eyes as he tracks every movement. The moment the other man's hand brushes y…