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the chuckle sounded good coming from him. deep, a little raspy...and the best part of all, it didn't sound fake. she spent so long being surrounded by fake people, it felt refreshing being around something...real and organic. "i think i may be more well versed in model material than even you are, chase, and thank you for the loaner," she responded, "little do you know, oversized is in nowadays," she smiled with a small laugh. marisol hummed in thought, studying his face and his handshake playfully. she tapped her bottom lip with her index finger on her other hand, "firm, strong, somewhat calloused from hard work. should mean that you're not shy and exude some confidence, but i'm not much of a psychoanalyst," she finally let go of his hand and settled hers on her hip. "you wouldn't happen to know what room he wants to put me in, do you?" she asked curiously.

it wasn't like chase hadn't seen the photos of her, it simply hadn't dawned on him that she would show up. being that he was her grandfather's right hand man, they were fairly close. "model it?" he repeated her words, a chuckle erupting from his throat. "i don't think i'm much model materia, but i can lend you a flannel. might be big on ya." he added, amused and admittedly thinking of how she would look in his flannel. thoughts only disrupted by her capturing his hand to shake it regardless of the dirt clad on it. "yep, that's right. he says it all the time." his grip was solid on her smaller, delicate hand but not as firm as if it had been a man. "what's mine say about me?"

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i may have died, but i swear i’m alive. i will be around tomorrow for drafts i promise

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no offense but i need a messy exes plot where they can’t get over one another no matter what they do and they always tell themselves they’re not gonna go back to them yet every time they get done with a date they end up knocking on the other person’s door and just jealousy and angst and heartbreak and crying because they don’t know if this is ever going to work out but they can’t walk away because this person is still their whole fucking world and they don’t know how to move on

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sometimes u just have to catch feelings for your best friend and hide it for years... it builds character

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she still felt a little shaken by the whole encounter. her skin crawled with the memory of the way that man had touched her. "oh this old thing? found it in the back of my closet," she joked weakly. no, she'd just bought it this week. specifically to impress him and have his attention on her. she loved the pet names. the way he went out of his way to get her to talk to him every time he stopped by the club. she loved how jealous the other waitresses got as they all basically threw themselves at his feet.

while she refused to degrade herself by doing such a thing. she wasn't immune to how attractive he truly was. rich. successful. about to inherit an empire. that was all those other girls saw. they saw a way to get rich quick if they got him in their clutches. but her? sasha longed to make a deeper, more meaningful connection. get to know him past the surface level. "you could never make me feel uncomfortable...i'm glad you...stepped in the way you did," she said shyly, a blush settling on her cheeks as his large hands had encased hers and the delicate way his thumbs rubbed along her palms made her stomach do a little flip.

"a break sounds good, yeah," sasha agreed. her feet were already killing her anyway, the glass and blood needed cleaned up. "and you need a clean shirt," her eyes centered on the blood on the previously pristine white shirt he'd worn.

he'd have done anything for that flash of her smile, hell she could've asked him for the moon on a string and hale would have done his best to get it for her in that very moment. he couldn't even help but let his eyes follow her, he did wish that he could've been more of a gentlemen and not let his eyes roam over her accentuated curves, but he drank in the sight of her like it was the only thing that'd ever quench his thirst. the whisky didn't matter, it'd do nothing, he just usually used that as an excuse to get to talk to her for even a few minutes.

"i didn't get you with any of that did i, sasha? i'd hate to ruin such a pretty dress." he was still calm, he wasn't acting like adrenaline feuled that decision just a cold decisiveness. a little blood has got on his suit so he slid off the jacket, rolled the white sleeves of his crisp shirt up after unbuttoning the cuff. "i'm really sorry you had to see me do that, i'm even more sorry that would happen whilst you're employed here, i can promise you it will not happen again." his eyes flashed over to the manager, the one they paid to oversee that this place was ran how they expected and told them it would be. "i don't want anyone to feel uncomfortable.. " he paused to consider his words, eyes settling on her and glancing to her rouged lips. beautiful, he thought. "especially you."

he noticed the slight tremor and without much thought he reached forward to take both, his thumbs running over the back of her palms, back and fourth in this soothing motion. "come on, a break will do you the world of good." plus, hale would take any excuse to talk to her, to know he more than his waitress.

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her passport? "my passport? oh...i keep it in the spare room that i made into my office, in that safe you insisted on buying for me," she mentioned off-handedly. he even set up the code for it and everything. she took her clip out of her long, red hair and ran her fingers through it. as she looked into his eyes, she saw how concerned and worried he truly was. and his words made her heart stutter just a few beats before retreating to normal. she even almost turned her face into his hand before he suddenly moved again.

erin snapped out of the brief trance she'd found herself in as she made quick work of packing as many essentials as she could into the one bag. clothes. intimates. sleepwear. makeup. hair care and skin care products that she'd literally just bought. she knew his profession was crazy and violent, something that terrified her. because just as much as he was scared of something happening to her. she was terrified of losing him. every time he turned up at her door all bloodied and bruised. it was terrifying. he was all she had left. her parents passed away in a tragic car accident a couple years back. he'd been the one to pick up her broken pieces and got her to stop being such a mess about it. she wiped a few stray tears that trekked down her cheeks in that moment, zipping her bag shut just as he peaked his head back in.

maldives or greece. he knew that those were the two top places on her bucket list to visit when she got around to actually getting a vacation. she wanted to shake him and choke him. she laughed at the bit about the sun cream, "yeah because you know i'll bitch about the sunburn, i'm a ginger. we don't tan," she joked lightly. the moment eased the brutal tension of this whole night. "a holiday in the maldives with two million cocktails and a massage, the place better have a pool and a hot tub," she hummed out.

"where do you keep your passport erin?" he asked suddenly. he wanted to feel safe and he wouldn't feel safe with her until they were out of the country. a holiday of sorts, grant would make sure it was somewhere nice or more his boss would make sure it was somewhere nice. after all he hadn't created this problem and grant didn't have to explain how erin was the one person he'd drop for if it meant he could keep her safe. he never signed up for people he cared about to be in danger.

"erin i know, i know how hard you worked for this job but... hell if you loose the job i'll help you with the bills, with everything. we can find you a new job, but erin if something happened to you.." he breathed slowly through his nostrils, the stress was evident in grant, even the way his dark hues were searching hers. "safety first, always." his thumb moved across her cheek slowly before making a move to get her house keys, since he knew this place so well these days. grant was organised, he was always precisely planned and particular, he wasn't unprepared like this. he was a meticulous planner which is what made this so strange for him, hell even as a child he'd been the one who had his head screwed on, high grades, focused. "a nice, lovely trip." where nobody would be able to use her against him and hell, he had some enemies. he'd turned up on her doorstep beaten, bruised and bleeding before.

it was a short while before he poked his head back round, keys spinning in his finger. "cars ready, here let me grab that for you, we've two options for destination so.. maldives or greece?" distance, until this whole mess died down. he moved to take the packed bag and carry it down to the car. he was trying to keep a lot of the darker stuff hidden from her, the compartment underneath his boot with two guns, the fake passport, the ridiculous amount of cash at his disposal. "i'll get suncream at the airport, dont worry." he briefly laughed but even that eased a little of the tension. "plus, we've been saying for ages a holiday would be nice huh? think of it as that! i'll get you a million cocktails if it'll make it feel better." he hadn't brought up that they'd share the same room but they used to do sleepovers when they were kids, where was the issue? they top and tailed in their teenager years, one head each end of the bed, it'd just be like gong back again, or so he hoped.

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sage. the name had such a good ring to it. and he liked hearing her say his name. truly, he needed to be more professional. he worked for her father. he was supposed to look after her. but building a good rapport with her would make his job that much easier. if he went about his duties aggressively he would end up like her previous guards that lost their jobs. "pasta sounds great, mi-- sage," he caught himself before addressing her wrongly again. her smile was beautiful. her laugh was cute. her face was so expressive. he quickly caught the remote started flipping through movie options. he wasn't one to sit down and watch movies or much tv, either always working or he had his nose in a good book. "i don't really watch movies," he admitted sheepishly and rubbed his jaw. this was so strange to him. once again, he hadn't expected any of this of the 'princess' in the family. "do you have a favorite? i wouldn't mind suggestions," he gave her a shy smile as he took his plate from her. "this looks amazing by the way, thank you."

sage always wondered if people expected her to be tough and rough around the edges, to be calculated like her brother but she wasn't... if anything she was their little angel, the princess that could do no wrong. she was right to think she wasn't like them because she wasn't, she was polite, she didn't flaunt wealth and power. "miss, that feels so.." she couldn't help the little giggle that curved her lips, a bright and white pearl smile. her nose scrunched when she laughed. "it makes me feel a little like my father and i'm not sure it's a good thing! sage. you can just call me sage. plus fair is fair right? if i'm calling you hunter." a nice name, a strong name. "how do you feel about pasta? it wont be amazing, it's going to be boil in the pan, slap some bolognese on it and some cheese but, it'll be edible!" friends! she thought was a beaming success. finally, she thought she'd made a friend. that is when she chucked a television remote at him. "you pick a movie, i'll cook."

by the time sage came back in she was holding two plates, pasta, just as she said, it wasn't michelin star or anything but it was a hearty meal, the type her ma used to cook. "did you pick something? do you have a favourite movie?" as if the boss's daughter was cooking him pasta, as if she belonged to a family filled with brutality.

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hunter hummed as she kissed him back, his hands stayed in their positions as he kept his lips against hers. "i love you too," he muttered against her mouth. he really did. as much as she told him that he was her support system. she truly was his. she was his whole reason for hanging on and sticking around. he loved her with every fiber of his being. every bit of him belonged to her. and with that totality in mind, being dishonest with her didn't feel right.

"Oh you, just shut up", Ivana giggled, her cheeks blushing with his joke. There was so much truth in his words, sometimes he knew things about her before she'd notice them. "You do know you are already my support system, right?", she told him, and fell even more in love with him. She looked back at him, gazing into his beutiful and kind eyes. His words made her lose her breath. If he was this serious about them, and trusted in their future that way, she should be honest about her past, and who she really was. And if he hadn't pulled her into a kiss, she'd be pulling him, and all she could whisper in his lips were these three words, "I love you"

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his voice suited his facial features. that was one of the first few things she noticed. her head tilted to the side slightly and she hummed in response to his words, "you may have, perhaps you could model it for me when i finish designing it. maybe even loan me a spare flannel so that i can try it myself before i commit to it," she joked lightly. chase. that was a good name. a strong one. "nonsense," she huffed as he hesitated to shake her hand and she reached forward to clasp her perfectly manicured, dainty hand around his, "mi abuelo always told me you can judge a lot about a man's handshake," she stated firmly before letting a grin touch her features. "and since you work for him, i'm sure he's said the same to you."

chase was a pretty good judge of character, but as she continued — she surprised him. any potential judgement seemed to dissipate. or realistically, there had been none there in the first place. he did recall her grandfather mentioning her; the fashion designer but he just focused on working when he was on the ranch. " i feel like my attire just gave you an idea for your next line of clothing. " he chuckled, waving a hand down in front of himself. pulling out a handful of his keys, he unlocked the front door before pushing it open to allow her to walk through first. " a change of pace is always good, i suppose. though us cowboys rarely do it. " they stuck to the country. " chase. " he replied, bringing up a hand before pausing. " let me wash my hands first, maybe? "

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he flipped the stack of paper closed after reaching the last page and scrawled a large red number on the top of it before setting it in the finished pile. at the familiar voice, wyatt looked up and then gave a faux-shocked gesture at her words, "this is the first i've ever heard it," he teased. "how am i to keep my reputation as the toughest english teacher if i slack off now," he grinned. he rubbed his hands through the scruff on his face and then the disheveled nature of his hair before finally looking at jade. she'd been a previous student quite a few years back. then he mentored her so that she could then become his colleague. "perhaps i have masochistic tendencies, are you going to judge me for it, jade?" he asked as he tilted his head.

jade seemed unfazed by hearing the tone of his voice that could've easily spooked anyone out of this office. clearly, he wasn't in the mood to be talking to just about anyone at this hour which was completely reasonable. seeing the amount of papers that he had on his desk, she could only believe that he probably had a lot more on his mind now than he had hours ago. so, let the sound of her chuckling be the signal that she wasn't just anyone. after all, he's known her for years now, seen him through his journey of being a teacher and even mentored her before she got her position. "and this is why i told you not to make them write so many papers." she would say, smirking as she walks deeper into his office. "you're only torturing yourself with all this, you know?"

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seeing that joy in her face and the fact that it was directed at something he'd said. there was an uncommon feeling swelling in his previously perceived cold, dead heart. the way her smile lit up her whole face. he wasn't used to it. he was used to tears and fear directed at him. maybe even anger. but never joy. "indeed, i'm usually not one for many sweets, but this is not so sweet that i want to die," he responded. he had been quick to finish the sampling of cake she'd given him. he doubted he'd be around much longer for her to use him as a 'guinea pig' or so to speak.

his eyes flicked to the buzzing coming from her forgotten phone, and his perceptive nature picked up on the slight concern that flickered through her mesmerizing gaze before it melted away. "people could learn a thing or two from you, myself included," he responded with a hum as he sipped at his coffee. his eyebrow raised as she stated her not so innocent intentions of approaching him. a smirk tugged at his lips, "hmm, it would seem that even the most innocent looking could have self-involved matters to approach with," he responded, a teasing tone lighting up his otherwise dry, tired banter. he looked her over, 'not exactly' wouldn't be the term that came to mind when it came to her build on heavy lifting. he looked at his own bulk of muscles before finally nodding, "you said in the back right?" he asked. sam didn't know why he was doing this. but he looked at her and he had the overwhelming desire to help her. to be a knight in shining armor. though he was no where close to being as honorable as a knight for sure. he made his way towards the back of the shop to find said heavy box to do as requested.

"its a pleasure to make your acquaintance too, sam." she repeated it back with her signature sweetheart smile. he was attractive and she'd be blind if she didn't notice that but she extended the same friendship to everyone, it wasn't special treatment. "is it?!" the joy that lit her face was contagious. "i haven't been serving carrot cake long, it's a new recipe, i might be using you as a guinea pig of sorts, i was a little worried the icing was a bit much or it might be dry, but a few people seemed to have liked it so i suppose it can stay on the menu!"

across the bakery two older women left and gave eden a wave goodbye which she returned but that wasn't the problem, the problem was the way she looked at her phone, left on the back counter where she wrapped up orders to take out.. it'd rang three times now and she ignored the vibration of it every single time. it might have been a flash but any concern in those spring meadow eyes was noticeable. she brushed it off, turned her head back to sam and forced her easy smile back onto her lips. "you don't have to thank me, being nice to people should be the normal thing people do." she knew enough cruelty and rather than give people the same, she gave out warmth. she noted the depth of his voice, a little rough and she could only think about how much his voice suited his exterior. her own voice had a twang to it that wasn't entirely this area, this town even. in her childhood she'd had a stutter and the woman that helped her get through that was her grandmother with her heavy irish accent, an accent that she'd picked up slightly. her voice had a lovely lull to it, softened words that strung together. "actually i might have had a small very innocent motive and cake might be my way of sweetening up the offer. i have this box out back, i can't move it and normally the delivery guys do but for some reason they didn't.." eden couldn't help but look down over herself and then to sam. "i'm not exactly built for heavy lifting, shocking i know, i look like i compete in heavy lifting championships."

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there was something about his woman. the coldness in her gaze and her unflinching nature. she was just like him. she had to be. most women and men he'd come against shrunk away from his gun in fear. this woman got closer to it, actually placed her skin against the barrel of his gun with that unwavering stare. she went even as far as to suggest where he should kill her. honestly, he didn't care about bloodstains. the place was temporary. could she have gotten the same hit as him? surely there weren't that many popular targets in this back woods town.

eris amorello. it wasn't a name he heard in his usual hauntings. the way she held his gaze pulled him in. cold blue meeting cold brown. her gaze was deceptively warm. he huffed, of course he'd taken the safety off, he wasn't some green teenager that had never held a weapon before. "an error in judgment," he repeated slowly. better locks? he thought he paid for the best, otherwise the one who installed his locks would be meeting an early end. or she was just that good. "doesn't seem a woman like you would make a judgment call like that," he muttered with a quirk of his lips, "nor should you walk around unarmed, you don't seem daft or without wit so i'm sure you could make anything into a weapon if need be," he shrugged.

his lips quirked again, "as entertaining as it might be to see you make me move my gun, i just don't have the patience," he pulled his gun away from her head and tucked it into the back of his jeans before stepping quite a few paces away from her.

any normal day she'd have been high alert, she'd have woken with her full senses and not a hangover and she'd have never got herself in this kind of situation to begin with. This was precisely why she didn't drink and didn't like to drink. never again, not when she was waking to the barrel of a gun pointed between her eyes.

most would panic, most would cry, tears would prickle their eyes and they'd beg for mercy and apologise but eris? she was made of something else, she was steel in the face of death. deeply she inhaled and then followed a slow and heavy sigh. "eris amorello." she delivered her name, eyebrows raising. she didn't look down the barrel, didn't even look at the weapon she just kept her eyes directly on his. she had unremarkable eyes, brown and yet.. they were pools of melted chocolate, something you could delightfully drown in. "i climbed in through the windows. i believed this was my friends apartment."

"well? did you take the safety off?" she asked with a little cold nonchalance in her tone. "If you're going to kill me my suggestion would be to shoot me over your bath tub. Blood is easier to clean from tiles than fabric. Hydrogen peroxide or diluted bleach.. to remove any stains." she shifted forward to push her forehead against the weapon firmly, her expression still just as cold. "If it's crying and begging you want you may as well just do it because i wont cry and i certainly wont beg." this was not the first man to hold a gun to her head, doubted it'd be the last too and she made her peace with the idea of death long ago. "i went out drinking, i made an error in judgement being drunk and that was all there was to me letting myself in. i deeply apologise for the inconvenience but i'd suggest getting better locks and yes, i do let myself in through my friends window frequently because if she was fast asleep i would hate to wake her. i did not come here with any ill intention, i dont even have a weapon on me so if you'd like to shoot an unarmed woman? be my guest... otherwise get that fucking gun out of my face before i make you."

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okay, today's the day i get to drafts

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hunter was a bit surprised when the boss came to him with the task of protecting his daughter. he was a fairly recent hire and had only completed a few jobs for the man so far, but to be welcomed into his home with what felt like a glorified baby sitting job. it was odd to him. he would keep his distance, keep an emotional and professional boundary. he couldn't afford to fuck this up, or he'd be six feet under. it was his first night with the guard detail. he didn't know what to expect of the daughter, but when this sweet, meek little thing came up to him he wanted to laugh at the absurdity of it. he expected many things of the daughter, but sweetness had not been one of them. "it is more or less for your protection, miss," he rumbled. she was cute. for someone seemingly so sweet and innocent. the male blinked at her offer of a film and/or tea. was she legitimately genuine? friends? "i, uh, yeah...i think i could go for some tea and food," he responded, truth be told the male was legitimately starving. "i'm hunter, by the way," he introduced as he stood from his seat and brushed himself off.

plot: sage's father is a crime boss and she's a literal sweetheart trying to stay out of the family business. please i think one of her fathers people would be so fun!? open to all. beta editor only.

"hey?" sage poked her head around the door before shuffling in to the room. she was normally very quiet, stayed out of the way when it came to the family business. "i wanted to apologise.." she said with a sheepish smile, far more polite than the others in her family, her fingers fumbling together from nerves. "i know it's not.. well, i know my dad always has someone stay behind and i've tried to tell him i'm far too old to need a babysitter, truly but, you know... doesn't listen." she laughed, it was airy and light, filled with nerves. "must be kind of boring hauled up in his office, do you maybe umm.. we could watch a film? i was about to make something for tea, do you want to eat with me? what i'm saying is, you're the new guy in the family home and he's going to give you this task for... a while, we may as well be friends right? i'm not like the rest of them, this isn't some test." her smile slowly spread, pushing the apples of her cheeks. "i think i'm the normal one of the family."

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erin had been busy setting up the activities for the week for her class when grant all but barged into her room. she opened her lips to give him a piece of her mind only to stop before releasing a sound as the male silently pulled a bag out for her to pack. "grant, what the fuc--" she paused in annoyance at the finality of his statement. as if she needed coddling like one of the children she taught. there was something off about him today. he was a lot less clean cut and put together. he looked concerned about something. it was chaotic, watching him walk around and throw demands at her. if this were any other night where they'd share a beer after a long week at work, she would have joked with him that the way he took control turned her on. but this didn't seem like a time to joke.

once again, her plush lips opened to argue with him, "grant, what is going on?" she hissed out quietly. she cast a forlorn look at the stack of brightly decorated manila folders, each with her students' names printed on top of them sloppily. "you...you know how hard i worked to get this job, grant...i don't understand..." she muttered meekly, her normal inner strength gone admist the chaos and confusion of the moment. her breath caught in her throat as he took her arms in his warm hands and tilted her chin up, her brown hues looked into his, searching them for any sort of clarity only to find nothing. erin huffed out a soft breath, "i need to follow you to the car with no explanations of what's happening and we're going on a trip, i can't tell a soul even my job," she repeated the general gist of his spiel. her heart was hammering in her chest as she looked him over. something was seriously wrong, she knew that. she never seen him look so...uncomposed in his life. even as a teenager her wasn't like this. even as a kid he wasn't like this. she'd known him her whole life, from pre-k clear until now. and she knew she had to trust him here as if that would be a hard thing to do. she trusted him with her life.

plot: childhood friends but grant absolutely works for the mafia and somehow your muse is now in trouble (name leaked, could be down to family relations, whatever you think, it could even be grants fault i'm fine with that!) either way, he's gonna be a bodyguard of sorts. open to f, 21+. beta editor only.

he hadn't knocked, he'd simply walked in and gone straight to her wardrobe to open up a bag on her bed. "pack." he instructed, card keys in his hand even as he unzipped the bag. "pack the bag. quickly." he instructed, it was no question but a statement. there wasn't time to stand about asking nicely. he pushed a hand through his dark and frankly, messy curls. grant was normally well dressed, shirt and tie but today something about him looked just slightly scruffy. maybe it was the stress or the fact his tie was just slightly out of its perfect place.

it wasn't until he looked up to the other that he even realised how alarming this might seem. his eyes were the same controlled calm chaos they always were, everything hidden behind them but he remained as calm as ever on the surface. "listen to me, it will be fine and i will explain in the car but you've got to come with me for a little while okay? think of it like a holiday but you can't tell anyone, not even work, where we are going. are you listening to me?" grant asked with the slow raise of his dark brows. he crossed the room, taking hold of each arm before using one hand and tilting the others chin, with his first finger and thumb to look directly at him. "tell me what i just said, repeat it back to me."

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it wasn't the most glamorous job. it wasn't a job she could ever tell her parents about. but until she could afford to buy the space for her bakery, this was a job sasha had to do. the small female carefully balanced a tray full of drinks on the palm of her right hand as she walked towards the tables of patrons awaiting their drink orders. she flashed a small smile as she passed her soon to be boss's table, pausing when he called out to her. her hazel hues softened slightly, "coming right up, sir," she responded quietly and sweetly, shooting him a brief smile before she continued on her way.

she was used to the belligerent, perverted drunks that frequented the establishment. and maybe she chose the wrong day to dress cute in a little black dress that accentuated every curve in her petite figure. it was the hand that groped her ass as she leaned over to place drinks down to their prospective owners. it was the ice cold feeling of fear seeping through her veins at the sick smirk on one of the male's faces and before she could tell him where to shove his filthy hand and how far to do it, hale had stepped in. she squeaked and stepped back, hazel hues wide at the glass that shattered over the perv's head. she watched as the shouting man was escorted out, followed by his friends before she finally looked up at him. her red lips parted in a half-smile and she looked down, "i, uh, yeah, i think i'm okay...thank you for what you just did," her brows furrowed and she couldn't hide the slight tremor in her hands.

plot: someone please give me the cute waitress in daddy's club, the special treatment, the not knowing where they stand outside of that club. open to f, 21+, age gaps welcome, beta editor only.

hale and his men had a private little booth, tucked away at the back of the club and he lounged like he was at home, arms across the back of the leather seating, idly swirling a glass of whisky and looking over the club. "hey sweetheart." he addressed the waitress walking by, one of his favourites despite the fact he wasn't meant to show favouritism. he was just here to oversee business, given it wouldn't be long before he took over his fathers empire. "you get me another drink, extra ice please doll?" pet names, always with the pet names but he spoke politely compared to half the men in this club.

it wasn't until she walked away that he watched the group of men giving her trouble, a little too hands on, far too bold for his liking or at least.. when it came to her? he did not want anyone else touching her at all. he stood, brushing down his suit before walking right up to the other man and smashing his glass over his head. it took one motion for the security by the door to be there pulling the man out. "gentlemen, follow your friend out." his voice was clipped and cold when addressing that group of men but after that? when his eyes turned to her? they softened. "are you okay?"

[s-nfcl]

this was far longer than he'd even stuck around anywhere. usually when he took a job, he was in and out, his mark dead before they could blink and he'd move onto the next job. but for some reason, he stayed put. he'd been on the move since he was 15. never creating any sort of lasting relationship. never establishing a permanent residence. never speaking his name to anyone. he lived his life like a ghost and he liked it that way. that was less people that could track him down. that was the way to protect himself from ever being vulnerable. but even as he thought about it all, holding his favorite cup of coffee, sitting at his designated table in the corner of this little bakery. something in him had slipped. something in his resolved shifted from the first moment his cool, blue hues had seen the small owner of the bakery as he received his drink for the very first time the morning after completing the job that put him in the area. it was the sweet smile on her painted lips and the innocence of her wide eyes that drew him in. there was something so compelling about her to him.

and he continued watching her. stopping by every couple days to sit down, order the same drink and just watch the captivating female float around the business. each customer being greeted with a smile that they returned in full. each baked delicacy creating a delicious aroma that surrounded him in warmth. he blinked out of his thoughts at the small plate of cake being set down in front of him and the soft voice that accompanied it before he looked up in alarm. he promised himself he'd keep his distance from this current obsession. he'd study what was so captivating about her before finally moving on like he always did. he was tainted and she was a pure, bright light that he didn't want to tarnish with his presence. his eyes searched her alluring face and magnetizing hazel hues, taking in the delicate blush on her cheeks as she spoke. he nodded quietly to the seat across from him against his better judgement. one evening wouldn't hurt. maybe he'd finally get his answers and he could disappear. eden. that was a beautiful name. a beautiful name that suited the beautiful woman it belonged to. "sam," he responded, his voice deep and hoarse from misuse, "it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, eden," he drawled out in his thick english accent, her name rolling off his tongue easily. he took a bite of the carrot cake, it was perfectly moist with the right amount of spice and carrots grated into the batter. "this is very good, and thoughtful, thank you."

closed starter for @s-nfcl

"for you." she spoke softly, a voice as sweet as drizzling honey, but then she was perhaps the sweetest thing in this bakery. she'd been tottering about all afternoon, it was a busy little place but.. for the most part eden knew everyone that came in, by name. she might not know him all that well but this wasn't the first day she'd seen him now and what was the slice of cake that she pushed towards him, if not a gesture of trying to befriend the new guy? "it— it umm.. carrot cake goes great with.." her finger wiggled to his drink. her cheeks flushed with some of her nerves but her smile beamed brightly.

this was the first chance she'd really had to stop and it didn't take a genius to be observant enough to know that every afternoon when she got a quiet minute, she treated her sweet tooth to a hot chocolate. white marshmallows only because they were the best ones. lovely, that was the word most people whispered about eden o'connor, and then there came the other shameful whispers. 'it's a shame, awful shame what happened to her brother.' she heard them, she wasn't an idiot.. but she knew how to push a smile to curve her pretty lips and pretend she heard nothing. "could i sit with you for a little bit?" eden asked like this wasn't her bakery, like she didn't entrance everyone with her hearts warmth. "i hate sitting out back on my own when i have enough time for a little break." she paused. "i'm eden by the way, you're not from around here right? oh and you can absolutely tell me to leave you alone if you're more, people watcher than talker! i wont take offence."