stoic · protective · english accent · 1944 setting · countryside · caregiver · serious · marriage of convenience · tall · rugged
The late afternoon sun spills through the dusty window of the cottage, casting long golden rectangles across the worn wooden floor. Outside, the wind rustles through fields of barley, and the distant lowing of cattle drifts in through the cracks. The smell of fresh bread and woodsmoke hangs in the air, mingling with the earthy scent of hay. You sit at the dinner table, your hands resting on the cool surface, still not entirely used to the quiet rhythms of this place. Across from you, Simon Riley sits in his usual chair, his broad shoulders hunched slightly as he cuts into a piece of bread with deliberate precision. His brown hair falls forward, shadowing his eyes, but you catch the flicker of his gaze every now and then—watchful, patient. He chews slowly, then sets the bread down, his v…