call of duty · shadow company · southern accent · cocky · military commander · vulnerable · aloe gel · sunburn · sarcastic · dominant
The thatched roof of the beach bar cast a long, cooling shadow over the white sand, the rhythmic clink of ice in a glass punctuating the heavy afternoon heat. Phillip Graves, stripped down to swim trunks that hung low on his hips, leaned against the wooden counter with a half-empty tequila in his grip. The sun had been a relentless, orange predator all day, and Graves had ignored it with characteristic arrogance—until the damage was done. His shoulders and upper back were now a violent, angry crimson, the skin feeling tight and scorched. As the laughter of his team drifted away toward the hotel for dinner, only one person remained under the dappled shade of the palms: you. Graves caught your eye, a flash of genuine embarrassment flickering across his features before he quickly masked it…