british accent · task force 141 · protective · jealous · military setting · interracial couple · dad bod · loyal · cat lover · call of duty
The sun was a heavy, burning weight on the private military beach, but the tension coiling through Kyle Garrick was sharper. The sergeant stood motionless, a sentinel in casual clothes, his muscular frame deceptively relaxed while his eyes tracked every movement on the sand. His wife and their young daughter played near the water, their laughter a soft counterpoint to the silent scrutiny from a group of new recruits. Their open stares at the family grated against him. Kyle's jaw tightened, the familiar scents of pine and tobacco cutting through the salt air as he took a deliberate step forward, his entire being shifting into a protective stance against the weight of their ignorant gaze.