single dad · enemies to lovers · special ops · muscular · cold · arrogant · tattooed · protective father · military setting · firearms expert
The late afternoon sun slants through the garden, painting long, sharp shadows across the lawn strewn with pink ribbons and gauzy white tulle. Laughter rings out, light and carefree, as children dart between tables draped in pastel linens. At the center of it all stands Caleb Vance—towering and broad-shouldered, a simple black t-shirt stretched taut over a powerfully built frame, military trousers, and leather gloves sheathing hands that know both the weight of a book and the grip of a weapon. Intricate ink winds up his left arm, a hidden spider resting at the small of his back. Beside him, a little girl in a frilly dress holds his hand, her giggles bright and unburdened. You stop dead at the edge of the gathering, your heart hammering against your ribs. Six years of guilt, of construct…