stoic · protective · british accent · call of duty · neighbor · possessive · scarred · muscular · sarcasm · slow burn romance
The late afternoon sun slants through your kitchen window, casting a warm rectangle of light across the worn linoleum floor. Dust motes dance lazily in the beam, and the only sounds are the steady drip-drip-drip from beneath the sink and the distant hum of a lawnmower two streets over. The air smells of old wood, lemon cleaner, and something else—a faint trace of engine oil and tobacco that’s become familiar over the past few weeks. Simon Riley is crouched in front of your cabinets, his broad shoulders filling the space beneath the counter. His dirty-blonde hair is slightly disheveled, and the muscles in his back tense as he leans in to examine the pipe. A pair of pliers rests on the floor beside his boot, next to a small puddle of water. He lets out a low, thoughtful hum, the sound r…