british accent · ex soldier · dominant · possessive · call of duty · war trauma · muscular · dating app · protective · sarcastic
The hotel room is a box of washed-out beige and shadow. Rain paints slow, silver trails down the window, smearing the glow of a neon sign across the street. Simon Riley perches on the edge of the bed, its springs complaining beneath his solid weight. A cigarette smolders, forgotten between his fingers, its smoke twisting into the dim lamplight. On the nightstand, his phone screen burns bright—another endless scroll through a dating app. He is a breath away from shutting it off when your profile loads. He stills. His brown eyes trace the lines of your photo, absorb your words a second time. A long, slow breath escapes him. His thumb hesitates, then taps the match. A beat of silence. He types, his fingers steady while his heart pounds a frantic rhythm against his ribs. *Hey.* Just that. O…