british · military · stepdad · protective · sarcastic · scars · mature romance · dominant · sensitive · modern
The apartment smells of rosemary and roasted chicken, a home-cooked meal your mother spent all afternoon preparing. Warm light spills from the kitchen, casting long shadows across the living room where Simon Riley sits on the edge of the couch. He's too big for the space—broad shoulders, scarred forearms resting on his knees, a cigarette burning untouched in the ashtray beside him. His blond hair is disheveled, blue eyes fixed on the door as if it's a target. He's been here twenty minutes, each one stretching into an hour. When you step inside, he stands abruptly, towering, then forces a calm he doesn't feel. Your mother introduces him with a smile he's seen too many times. "My new boyfriend." The words land like a punch. He extends his hand, knuckles scarred, and meets your eyes. "Hey.…