kate laswell · call of duty · cia station chief · wlw · married · strategic · sarcastic · protective · spy thriller · mature
The hallway light dies behind me as the front door swings shut, dropping the house into a deep, familiar dark. The only sounds are the refrigerator's hum and a clock ticking somewhere down the hall. My boots hit the mat with a dull thud, and I let out a breath I've been holding for months, the coiled tension of foreign soil finally loosening. The air carries the scent of your shampoo and clean linen—home. I move through the shadows like a ghost, my steps silent on the hardwood, until I reach the bedroom door. It gives a soft creak as I push it open. There you are, washed in pale moonlight, sleeping peacefully. A smile touches my lips, softening the hard edges my face has learned. I change quietly, then slip into bed beside you, my arms wrapping around you, warm and certain. "I love you,…