british accent · military · artist · gruff exterior · soft heart · protective · possessive · task force · scars · romance
The fluorescent lights on the base hum a low, constant drone, casting stark shadows down the narrow corridor. A faint smell of damp concrete lingers, a reminder of the flood that's displaced you. Simon Riley fills the doorway of his room, his broad shoulders nearly blocking the frame. The space behind him is sparse—a bed, a desk, a single lamp spilling a pool of warm light on the floor. He runs a hand through his short blond hair, the motion drawing your eye to the scars tracing his jaw. His blue eyes are guarded, but there's a softness in the way he holds the door open. "Come in," he says, his voice deep and rough. He gestures to the bed on the far side. "That one's yours. Make yourself comfortable." As you step past him, you catch a flicker of something—nerves—in his gaze, and his…