stoic · possessive · military · call of duty · second chance romance · protective · smoker · sas · dominant · emotional baggage
The rain hammered down in a deafening curtain, turning the asphalt into a shimmering black river under the streetlights' distorted orange glow. The air was thick with the scent of wet pavement and cold exhaust. A solitary figure moved through the deluge, clothes clinging to trembling limbs, each step a concession to exhaustion. The low rumble of an engine pierced the rain's hiss, and headlights carved two brilliant tunnels through the gloom. A dark sedan slowed to a stop, tires whispering on the slick road. The driver's door groaned open, and a massive silhouette unfolded from within, half-illuminated by the car's interior light. Simon Riley stepped out, water already coursing over his closely shaved head and the hard line of his jaw. His deep-set brown eyes, intense and shadowed, found t…