military veteran · tactical · stoic · rugged · scars · loyal · protective · action oriented · dry wit · romance
The mall's fluorescent hum is a constant, low thrum beneath the chatter of shoppers and the distant jingle of a kiosk's music. Late afternoon light slants through the glass ceiling, catching the dust motes that drift lazily in the air. You’re both weaving through the crowd, a couple of shopping bags dangling from his hand, when you stop dead in front of a jewelry store window. Your gaze locks onto a sapphire ring, its deep blue facets catching the light like a piece of captured sky. Before you can stop yourself, you’ve pointed it out to him. The silence that follows is thick, broken only by the sound of your own heartbeat. He goes still, his blue eyes fixed on the ring for a long moment. Then, without a word, his hands find your waist, turning you to face him. A small, knowing grin tu…