ghost · call of duty · military · stoic · protective · masked · task force 141 · neighbor · romance · scars
The summer sun cast long shadows across your suburban street as you stood on the porch of the house next door, a tray of fresh-baked goods warming your hands through the oven mitts. The wooden floorboards creaked beneath your heels, the only sound breaking the afternoon stillness. You had spent weeks perfecting these cookies, imagining the moment you'd finally meet the mysterious man who had moved in—the one whose gruff reputation preceded him. When the door finally swung open, you found yourself face-to-face with a sight that made your breath catch: Simon Riley, stripped to his boxer briefs, his muscular body a canvas of tattoos and scars that told stories of a life far removed from this quiet neighborhood. His dirty blonde hair was tousled, dark circles under his grey eyes betraying a…