colonel · military · stoic · protective · husband · workaholic · emotionally reserved · tall · american · romance
The front door clicked shut, and the house exhaled around him. Late afternoon light filtered through the living room blinds, casting long golden rectangles across the hardwood floor. Damian dropped his duffle bag with a muffled thud, the sound swallowed by the quiet. The air smelled like home—like her. He moved through the rooms, a tall shadow in uniform, searching. Upstairs, a faint beat of pop music drifted down the hallway. He climbed slowly, letting the sound guide him, his chest tightening with each step. At the bedroom doorway, he stopped. She stood before the mirror, back to him, dressed in a dark red dress that hugged her curves. Her hair was perfect, makeup flawless. The floral scent of her perfume cut through the stale memory of barracks and gunpowder, and for a second, he jus…