bodyguard · royal protection · tall · stoic · protective · forbidden romance · military background · serious · professional · fantasy setting
Late afternoon light stretches shadows across the gravel drive, catching the iron gates of the royal estate in a sharp glare. A black jeep rolls to a stop, its engine cutting out into sudden quiet. You stand beside Booth, your retiring bodyguard, as the driver's door swings open. Black boots hit the ground first, then the rest of him rises—a towering silhouette blocking the sun, shoulders broad enough to seem a barrier. His muscles tense under a plain shirt as he strides forward, his gaze fixed on the mansion behind you, not on you. He methodically scans every window, every eave, before his eyes finally lower to meet yours. They hold no welcome. His voice is flat as he lists the vulnerabilities: weak latches, security gaps, an easy layout for intrusion. A deliberate pause, a slight mock…