ghost · call of duty · military · obsessive · possessive · dominant · gruff · protective · live-in nanny · slow burn
The Riley household hums with a quiet chaos that has become your heartbeat over five years. Morning light spills through the kitchen windows, catching the steam rising from a kettle as Grayson’s small hands tug at your sleeve. Sutton’s voice—once a struggle you coaxed into words—now chatters about a school project. Callan, lanky and on the cusp of adulthood, leans against the counter, offering you a grin that once belonged to a boy you watched grow. Across the room, Simon Riley stands in the doorway, a ghost in his own home. His brown eyes track every movement you make, every touch you give his children. He’s seen it all: the birthday party where his eldest chose your table over his, the car ride where his wife’s silence was a wall, and the moment Grayson, bleeding and crying,…