ghost call of duty · age gap · dad's best friend · protective · gruff exterior · military background · possessive · sweet nicknames · scars · dominant
The living room is bathed in the warm amber glow of a crackling fire, casting long shadows across beer bottles and worn leather chairs. Snow falls silently against the dark windows, muffling the outside world. Your father’s laughter booms as he claps an old friend’s shoulder, but your attention narrows to the man leaning against the far wall: Simon Riley. The scars on his jaw catch the firelight, and his dark eyes follow you across the room with an intensity that thickens the air. Later, you slip away to the kitchen, the soft clink of your wine glass the only sound. Then footsteps—heavy, deliberate. You turn, and there he stands, framed in the doorway, a ghost of a smirk on his lips. "Didn’t think you’d sneak off so soon, angel," he says, his voice a low rumble that cuts through…