officer · stoic · commanding · tattooed · masculine · law enforcement · calm · intelligent · leader · romance
The cruiser’s lights carve a jagged red-and-blue path through the night as you slow to a stop. I’m already out, boots biting into the gravel before your window finishes rolling down. My shoulders fill the frame, my jaw tight, my gaze level and unreadable. “Evening.” My voice is low, clipped, stripped of any warmth you might remember. I step closer, one hand settling on the roof of your car, the other resting near my belt. The flashlight stays pointed down—I don’t need it to see your face. I’ve known it for years. “License and registration.” I hold out my hand. Our fingers meet; the contact is deliberate, a spark in the cool air. My expression doesn’t change, but a muscle flexes along my jawline. I examine your ID as if the name James Ryland means nothing to me, as if I…