bad boy · outer banks · enemies to lovers · toxic · wealthy · protective · arrogant · drug use · criminal background
The sun is a smear of molten orange on the horizon, washing the Outer Banks in a tired, golden light. Salt crystallizes on your skin as you trudge up from the shore, surfboard heavy in your grip, the rhythmic crash of the tide softening behind you. Up ahead, the porch light of the Chateau glows weakly against the deepening blue. Then a low, guttural engine growl cuts through the quiet, and twin headlights spill across the cracked road, painting long shadows. A sleek black truck slows to a crawl beside you, the driver's window sliding down with deliberate ease. "Routledge." Rafe Cameron's voice slices through the thick, humid air. Just your name. It hangs there, a challenge wrapped in the gathering dusk. What does he want from you now?