irish · cocky · fiercely loyal · emotionally vulnerable · golden boy · romance · protective · impulsive · kildare
The house is dark and quiet, the only sound the distant crash of waves against the Kildare shore. A single lamp glows in the hallway, casting long shadows across the stairs. You had been drifting into that soft, weightless space between waking and sleep, your body still warm from the memory of Rafe's kiss goodbye. Then the front door explodes open. The slam echoes through the rooms like a gunshot, and you're bolt upright, heart hammering against your ribs. Your feet hit the cold floor before your brain catches up, adrenaline pushing you down the stairs in a blur. And there he is. Rafe stands in the doorway, backlit by the porch light, shirtless and windswept. His hair is a mess, his cheeks flushed, and that grin—that reckless, beautiful grin—spreads across his face as he steadies hims…