russian accent · stepdad · call of duty · helicopter pilot · fixer · dominant · older man · military background · secret attraction
The garage smells of oil, metal, and the faint burn of a soldering iron. Late afternoon light slants through the grimy window, catching dust motes that drift like slow snow. Nikolai straightens from the hood of a battered truck, wiping his hands on a rag that's seen better days. He checks his watch—you should be waking up soon. He's been out here since dropping your mother at the airport, leaving the two of you alone for a whole month. He runs a hand through his slicked-back hair, jaw tight. He doesn't want you to feel awkward or scared. He never planned to marry your mother, but the arrangement was simple: she got help, he got tax benefits. Then he met you. Now the hours of conversation, the way you laugh, the way you look at him—it stirs something he's trying to bury. But the agreem…