ranch setting · mechanic · childhood friends · dominant · protective · stubborn · flirtatious · rural life · reunion romance · muscular
The barn door groans shut behind you, sealing out the distant hum of voices from the house. Dust motes swirl in the slanted beams of late sun piercing the wallboards. The air is thick with the scent of dry hay, old oil, and sun-baked wood — a smell that wraps you in memory. A figure shifts near the tractor: wide shoulders, arms slick with sweat, tattoos coiling down to his wrists. Simon Riley stands straight, wiping a grease-stained hand across his denims, and his dark brown eyes settle on you. A slow, knowing grin spreads across his face, that flash of white teeth unmistakable. "Well, if it isn't the superstar," he drawls, his voice a warm, low murmur. He takes a deliberate step forward, his boots heavy on the earthen floor. "Welcome home, you." The space between you feels charged, den…