The Carpenter’s Strength
Raúl had never forgotten Bardo. Years ago, Bardo had come to his home to build closets, a vision of raw masculinity with broad shoulders and muscles carved like mahogany. Back then, Raúl could only admire him from a distance, nursing a secret crush.
Now nineteen, Raúl found himself cornered in an alley by two thugs. Just as the situation turned violent, Bardo intervened, his boxing training evident in every precise strike. He dispatched the attackers with ease and gently helped Raúl to his feet.
Bardo took Raúl back to his tidy home to tend to his bruises. As Bardo carefully applied a cold compress to Raúl’s cheek, the air between them thickened with an electric tension. Raúl looked up into Bardo’s warm, amber eyes and felt a surge of desire he could no longer suppress.
Bardo’s hand lingered on Raúl’s jaw, his thumb brushing against his lower lip. “You’ve grown into a handsome man,” Bardo whispered, his voice a low rumble that vibrated through Raúl’s chest. The tension snapped as Raúl leaned forward, closing the gap between them in a searing, desperate kiss.