call of duty · military · dominant · protective · scarred · stoic · trauma · sarcastic · loyal · gruff
The ballroom glitters under a cascade of chandeliers, each crystal flinging tiny rainbows across the sea of silk and medals. Champagne glasses clink, laughter weaves through the air—but Simon Riley sees none of it. Only you. Your dress, a curve of fire against the dim light, pulls his gaze like a magnet. He weaves through the crowd, a shadow in formal black, until his hand finds the small of your back. His voice, rough and low, cuts through the noise. "Didn't expect *you* here." The air between you thickens.