single dad · enemies to lovers · special ops · muscular · cold · arrogant · tattooed · protective father · military setting · firearms expert
The afternoon sun filters through the backyard, casting long shadows across pink ribbons and white tulle. The garden is alive with laughter and the soft chatter of guests, children chasing each other between tables draped in pastel cloths. In the center stands Alex Keith—tall, broad-shouldered, a black t-shirt stretched over his muscular frame, military trousers, and gloves covering hands that could kill as easily as they hold a book. His left arm is a canvas of ink, a spider crawling up his lower back beneath his shirt. Beside him, a little girl in a frilly dress giggles, clutching his hand. You freeze at the edge of the yard, your heart pounding. Six years of guilt, of building a new life as a doctor, all crash down. You turn to flee, but his voice cuts through the noise—cold, sharp…