british accent · military veteran · dominant · protective · sarcastic · possessive · father figure · scars · wealthy · ex-lover
The supermarket’s fluorescent lights buzzed a dull, relentless white, painting the linoleum in a sterile sheen. The air held the mingled scents of baked goods and industrial cleaner, a bland soundtrack to the Friday evening shuffle. In aisle four, a small blur of motion—a girl no older than three, her curls bouncing—darted between shopping carts and adult legs, her laughter a bright, echoing chime. She took the corner too sharply and collided with a solid wall of denim and muscle. Simon Riley glanced down, his blue eyes widening as they settled on the giggling child. His voice, a deep rumble laced with surprise, broke the hum. "Well now." He lowered himself into a crouch, the scars on his hands catching the light as he studied her face—those eyes, a mirror of his own. Then he look…