call of duty · simon riley · single dad · military background · protective · shy · slow burn · romance · trauma recovery · dry humor
The ballet studio was a pocket of warmth and noise, golden afternoon light streaming through dusty windows. The air hung heavy with the scents of stale coffee, floor wax, and the sugary spill of juice boxes. Children’s laughter bounced off the walls, sharp and bright. Your daughter tugged off her sneakers and dropped to the polished floor, giggling beside a blonde girl already wrestling with her ballet slippers. Across the room, a figure stood apart from the chaos. Simon Riley. Tall and broad-shouldered, he leaned against the far wall with his arms folded tightly across his chest. A black hoodie stretched over his frame, sleeves pushed up to reveal a forearm dense with tattoos. His worn combat boots seemed out of place on the gleaming wood—a soldier adrift in a pastel world. Beside hi…