Always Right Here: A Sapphic Bodyguard Dark Romance

by Cirrus Rae

Riah
After years in college, I was finally home. Finally surrounded by all of the people who loved me. With a new job, a new home and a fresh start, nothing could go wrong...until it all did. Already, somebody is watching me. Stalking me. Promising that I'll be theirs.
With no other choice, I accept the offer of protection from my brother's best friend, Korie, the tall, ripped, gorgeous woman who basically grew up at our home as kids.
As my fear grows, so do my feelings...things I shouldn't feel for Korie.
But does she feel the same or does she see me as a favor to my brother?

Korie
She's my best friend's little sister. I just wanted to help. I just wanted to keep her safe as a favor to the family who had basically raised me when my own family didn't care. But Riah has grown to be an intelligent, beautiful woman. Everything about her calls me in. Intrigues me. Begs me to claim her. My whole body and mind are screaming at me to break our professional relationship and take her as my own. But the real question is...does she want to be taken?

This story contains mature content, dark themes, intense psychological tension, and high‑heat sapphic dynamics and is intended for readers 18+. For a full list of trigger and content warnings, please see the opening pages of the book.

Great for readers who sapphic dark romance, bodyguard romance, brother's best friend trope, forced proximity, steamy, open-door romance, obsessive/possessive morally gray FMCs, intense psychological stories and a quick, lesbian read!

Genres: Lesbian, Queer, Romance

233 pages, Paperback

Published June 9, 2026

About the author

Cirrus Rae is a 30-year-old spicy, dark romance author based in California who focuses solely on thrilling, filthy, sapphic stories. Her debut series, Masked Mascs, was just the beginning of a growing world of lesbian chaos and obsession. From masked slashers to paranormal shape-shifters, you'll never be bored when picking up one of her books.

Her main goal is to make sure that sapphic dark romance gets the bookshelf space it deserves!

Reviews

[Chelles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Always Right Here

Stalker
Body Guard
Brother's BFF
Masc/Femme
Dark romance

I am quickly becoming a huge Cirrus Rae fan! Dark and unhinged romances with touch her and die vibes - Yes please! And I'm not even mad that they're short stories. You get everything you want in less than 200 pages!

Totally recommend if you want a quick, over-the-top, dark romance.

[Solely Sapphic Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Triple 1st Person POV. 5🌟 3🌶️. 167 pages
3 Spicy Scenes

After Little Lamb Cirrus Rae became an insta buy author for me and the books just keep getting better.

This book had me sat from page one! I may have started reading it at midnight and did not look up from my kindle again until 2 am, because I absolutely devoured it 😅. It’s fast paced, it’s dark and gods that tension between Kori and Riah will have you panting.

This book had me playing detective and then getting annoyed when my main suspect wasn’t the stalker and then the twist at the end had be audibly gasping (I’m lucky I didn’t wake my wife, or I’d be writing this review from the grave) 😂. Honestly another fantastic book from Cirrus Rae and I cannot wait for Poison within Her and Escape!

Do yourself a massive favour go read Cirrus’s entire catalogue of work. They’re all short and delectable, you could probably finish them in 2 days!

Things to LOVE:
📚Dark Romance
📖Standalone
⛓️Forced Proximity
🥵Insta Lust
👀Stalking
😈Obsession & Possession
🫪Plot Twist

[Lirissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

New to me author, was excited to dive into the book. Loved the concept, enjoyed the characters.

I unfortunately clocked the ending about 20 pages in and quickly got a bit frustrated. It was fairly obvious it was going to be them, and I didn’t feel the mystery/thriller side matched the ending.

The 3 person POV was a fun touch, but left me questioning several things especially with how the stalker POV was filled with lies to keep the mystery of who she was going. I feel this could have been executed a bit better. Like when the stalker ’hacks’ the security system? She installed it. It was literally on her phone.

Once I knew what was going to happen I stayed for the spice. But by that point, she had been stalked and drugged and kidnapped only to be ok with it all because she had the hots for her for years, I had more questions than love for the characters I couldn’t emotionally engage, only for the interesting sounding scene surrounding exploring kink to be off book and we are only very briefly told about it.

Again, new to me author so this might be their writing style and if so ignore this, I felt a lot of what was happening was spelt out for us, rather than us connecting the dots. Nothing wrong with the style of writing I just found it hard to connect to for this story.

[cloudy · Rating 5 out of 5]

at this point is well established that cirrus rae is the queen of sapphic stalker dark romance novellas, not that i needed any more convincing.

[LovesickJunkie · Rating 5 out of 5]

📖 AT A GLANCE
STARS 5 STAR
SPICE Medium/High
CHEMISTRY Great
ANGST Medium
SLOW BURN Medium
CLIFFHANGER No
CHARACTERS Riah & Korie


💬 LINES THAT LIVE RENT-FREE
...the safest place on Earth she could be was with me. -Korie

🖤 MY READING EXPERIENCE
For a minute, I thought, Wait...are we getting all green flags? Then Cirrus Rae reminded me exactly whose book I was reading. 😂 This is dark, addictive, and impossible to put down. I'm completely obsessed with Riah and Korie. They're absolute perfection together.

💭 CHARACTER THOUGHTS
Korie had me from page one. She's effortlessly charming, fiercely protective, and impossible not to fall for. The chemistry between these two is absolutely electric...and those spicy scenes? Whew. Prepare yourselves.

🔥 MOMENTS I’M STILL THINKING ABOUT
I don't even watch scary movies, but this book gave me that delicious I can't look away feeling. Creepy, intense, and ridiculously fun from beginning to end.

⚠️ ONE SMALL NOTE
As always, please check the trigger warnings! This is a dark sapphic romance.

📚 READ THIS IF YOU LOVE…
Dark sapphic romance, scorching chemistry, obsessive leading ladies, cat-and-mouse tension, and a romance with just enough horror vibes to keep your heart racing.

[Daniela Filipa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read a lot of dark romance books, they are my favourite genre, and I was loving this one so so much, but the actions after finding out who the stalker actually was ruined it for me.
It wasn’t believable, it felt so rushed. No one would react that way, like it was no big deal, like she wasn’t terrified and crying.
This story could have worked amazingly if there was more depth to it, to their reactions, more complex emotions, even of they did end up together, but it just felt too rushed and mechanic.

[_kenzie_ · Rating 5 out of 5]

4/5🌶️
•body guard
•stalker
•masc/femme
•sapphic
•dark romance
•brothers bestfriend
•cat and mouse moment
•forced proximity
•insta lust

i knew who the stalker was the entire time, lmao, but that didn’t make me love this book any less. i had such a good time with it. Korie and Riah were sexy as hell, and the tension between them was sizzling from the very beginning. i was hooked on them the whole way through. 🔥😍😍

[Karina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cirrus Rae, get it!!! While this story was very predictable it still had me hooked. Korie...hot damn!!! Mmm mmm mmmm mmm I can just see that beautiful ripped body 🥵. If i could climb into the pages of this one I would have the minute Korie made her first appearance. Riah was also adorable and a true testament to Korie's sanity.

Not to give much away but "I WILL ALWAYS BE RIGHT HERE"

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read all of Cirrus Rae’s books and she has not disappointed in the slightest. I am obsessed with each book and I always (impatiently) wait for the next book drop. When it comes to feeding my feral soul she checks each box perfectly.
Come join me in my obsession, you won’t be disappointed.
Dark romance ✅
Brothers BFF✅
Stalker✅
Body guard✅
Mascs/femme✅

[SJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cirrus Rae is seriously my favorite author!

This book had me in a chokehold from the very first page. The pacing is fast, the tension builds perfectly, and the spice? It absolutely delivers. That twist had me screaming, and Korie holy hell, she had me on my knees🥵

[brianna herrera · Rating 5 out of 5]

another hit!

read this while getting my tattoo done ( i did finish this in 2 hours) you just knew what was going to happen and finding out was absolutely delicious “finally mine” *ah swoon*

[Jade Marshall · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book, 10/10 recommend! I finished this book in one sitting, I just couldn’t put it down.

[A Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

loved it

I loved it , wish there was a bit more resistance after the reveal but it was really good. Beautiful writing

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good dark romance novel with a stalker topic and brothers best friend. Easy to read and read within a few hours.

[simmy؛ଓ · Rating 5 out of 5]

so i need a Korie

[Victoria Zehner · Rating 2 out of 5]

I realize this is a dark romance, but immediately forgiving her stalker and ending up with them is a no-go for me. The story is giving Gossip Girl, which is not my cup of tea

[Alyssa (Cozy.Soul.Reads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

So spicy and a great quick sapphic unhinged read! Will be reading more from this author soon

[Erica]

🩶Brothers best friend
🩶 Bodyguard
🩶 Forced proximity
🩶 Dark romance

I was hooked on this book 🤭 Brothers best friend? I was sold immediately.

Korie did Riah dirty by making her think it was someone else but I forgive her🙂‍↕️ This was a dark romance, which is one of my favorite genres so I ended up loving it.

The story starts with Riah coming home from college, moving into her own place, and dealing with a stalker. Korie owns a security company and ends up protecting her. It was intense, suspenseful, and hot asf 😮‍💨

I love Cirrus books, so I already had high hopes for this one and it definitely delivered. I’m ready for more and would definitely recommend it!