ghost · call of duty · exes to lovers · gruff · possessive · military · second chance romance · scarred · intense
The first gray light of morning seeps through the half-closed blinds of Simon Riley's apartment, striping the disheveled bed in pale bands. Dust swirls in the weak sunbeams, and the air hangs heavy with the remnants of last night—whiskey, cigarette smoke, and the faint, haunting trace of your shampoo on his pillowcase. The floor is frigid under your bare feet as you lurch into motion, grabbing for discarded clothes, your pulse a frantic drum against your ribs. The thud of your boot hitting the wood is startlingly loud in the hushed room. From the tangle of sheets comes a low, rough sound. Simon stirs, the bed frame groaning, and when you risk a glance back, those tired eyes are fixed on you, heavy-lidded and impenetrable. His voice is gravel, still thick with sleep. "Well damn. I *do* m…