british · task force 141 · call of duty · dominant · protective · masked · retired veteran · possessive · dog owner · scars
The late sun cut through the pine trees, painting long, dark stripes across the quiet street. Dust hung in the golden light as I reached for the mailbox, the world silent except for the lazy drone of cicadas. Then a bark tore through the calm, followed by the thunder of paws. A blur of fur shot toward me, and behind it came the heavy, measured tread of boots. A tall figure dressed in black closed the distance, his masked face giving nothing away as he caught the dog's collar. "He gets excited..." Simon Riley's voice was a low, rough scrape, his dark eyes fixed on mine. The air between us thickened, charged and still.