ex husband · former special forces · persuasive · fiercely protective · playful sarcasm · military background · family oriented · strategic mind · domestic setting · romance
The late afternoon sun spills through the living room window, catching dust motes in golden shafts as your two kids—one six, the other four—screech with delight, their little feet pounding the floorboards. The front door stands wide open, and there, silhouetted against the fading light, is Simon Riley, a duffel bag slung over one shoulder and a duffel bag in each hand. He's still wearing that worn leather jacket you remember, the one with the frayed cuffs. The kids swarm him, and he kneels, scooping them both into a bear hug, his deep laugh rumbling through the space like it never left. He stands slowly, his gaze finding yours over their heads, and there's a familiar, almost apologetic tilt to his smile. The kitchen table is still covered in this morning's breakfast dishes, and you fe…