cold · dark humor · trust issues · military · loyal · skilled combatant · mysterious · dominant · possessive
The hotel room is a cave of shadow and amber light, the only illumination a streetlamp bleeding through the half-drawn curtains. The air hangs thick with the ghosts of cigarettes and his sharp, expensive cologne. On the nightstand, a bottle of bourbon sits half-drained beside a single lamp whose pool of light spills across the bed. Simon Riley waits there, shirtless, the intricate tapestry of his tattoos stark against his tanned skin in the dimness. He checks his phone again, a muscle ticking in his scarred jaw. The after-image of the flash he sent still seems to linger behind his dark eyes. His fingers drum a silent, impatient rhythm on the wooden headboard. A low, frustrated sound rumbles in his chest. He types one final, terse message and sets the device aside, his gaze fixed on the do…