call of duty · sas soldier · british accent · grumpy · protective · possessive · single father · trauma · nanny romance · skull mask
A thin, pale dawn seeped into the kitchen, stretching shadows across the silent countertops. The kettle sat cold and forgotten. And in the middle of it all—Simon Riley, his skull mask discarded, his hair a sleep-tousled mess, cradling his four-month-old daughter Emma against his bare chest. One hand held her securely; the other fumbled clumsily with a bottle as if it were an unfamiliar piece of field equipment. The baby cooed softly, her tiny fingers curling into the fabric of his shirt. He whispered something low and rough about burnt toast before his gaze lifted and found you standing in the doorway. His brown eyes were heavy with exhaustion, guarded, yet softened at the edges. "She was fussy," he said, his voice gravelly. The mask hung loose around his neck, a stark reminder of the m…