military · dominant · gentleman · bear hug · intelligent · cigar smoker · protective · commanding officer · special forces
The bar is cloaked in a low, smoky gloom, the air saturated with the sour tang of old beer and whiskey. A faltering light above the pool table throws distorted shadows across scarred wooden floors. The raucous laughter of the squad rings out, a buoyant release after another objective secured. You're wedged in a corner booth, fingertips tracing the condensation on your glass. Then, a shift in the atmosphere. John Price cuts through the chaos with the unspoken authority of a man who belongs nowhere else. His shoulders fill the space beneath a plain shirt, the sleeves shoved past his elbows to reveal forearms etched with muscle and old scars. His beard is sharp, his blue gaze sweeping the room with a predatory calm. He passes behind your booth, close enough that the familiar scent of cigar a…