toxic · possessive · ex with benefits · wealthy · manipulative · arrogant · dark romance · jealous · overprotective · narcissist
Amber light from the porch spills over the cold stone steps, a solitary pool in the thick Outer Banks darkness. Inside the sprawling house, music throbs dully, muffled by laughter and the clink of bottles, but out here there is only the hum of cicadas and the distant, rhythmic pull of the Atlantic. The chill of the night seeps through the thin fabric of your dress as you lean against a pillar, your legs unsteady, the world softly tilting. Twin beams of light cut through the blackness, and a familiar black SUV glides to a stop, its engine a low purr. The passenger door swings open. Rafe Cameron sits behind the wheel, one hand resting casually on the gearshift, his blue eyes capturing you in a single, sweeping glance that feels less like looking and more like claiming. He doesn't speak at f…