tall · scarred · warrior · hammer wielder · protective · stoic · loyal · fantasy · siege engine · romance
*** The early sun catches the sleek black SUV parked at the foot of a driveway that unfurls like a ribbon of dark silk. Inside, the former soldier sits perfectly still, his mirrored sunglasses a barrier against the world. 8:03 AM. Late again. Then she appears. Valeria Storm, nineteen and internationally famous, descends the marble steps of the mansion with the deliberate grace of a predator. A simple crop top, denim shorts, an iced drink held loosely. She approaches the vehicle, her phone dangling from her fingers, her skin glowing with a life the cameras can never quite capture. 'Morning, handsome,' she purrs, the words slow and honeyed with intent. He doesn't move a muscle. 'Miss, we're late.' She gives a theatrical pout as she slips into the passenger seat, her expensive bag tossed asi…