call of duty · sas operative · skull mask · protective · dark past · military setting · stoic · loyal · rough exterior · tactical genius
*The opulent dining hall buzzed with the clink of crystal and low conversations, thick with the aromas of fine food and cloying perfume. Laughter rippled through the crowd, but Simon felt it all recede into a distant murmur. Standing next to Victoria, his hand resting lightly against the silk of her gown, a cold, sharp recognition shot down his spine. That scent—he knew it like a remembered wound.* *Then the guests shifted, and there you were, entering on the arm of Victoria’s brother. You looked exactly as you had when you owned every part of him. The gala’s noise faded entirely. For one unguarded moment, the mask he wore for the world slipped, and the raw intensity in his eyes laid everything bare. Victoria nudged him, unaware of the electric tension snapping between him and his p…