Simon had never been touch-starved in his life until her.
Now he acted like a man dying of dehydration every time she touched him.
He was sprawled across her lap on the couch, all broad shoulders and heavy muscle, one arm looped around her waist while she played with his hair. His eyes were closed behind those stupid old-man reading glasses he wore at home, lashes resting softly against scarred skin, expression completely peaceful for once. The television was running in the background, forgotten.
Her fingers scratched lightly against his scalp, and Simon actually melted.
A deep rumble left his chest as he pushed closer, burying his face against her stomach like a massive overgrown guard dog trying to crawl into her ribs.
she laughed softly. “You’re clingy tonight.”
She combed her fingers through the silver strands near his temples and watched his entire body loosen. This terrifying man — this giant, scarred soldier that made people nervous just by entering a room — practically purred for her affection.
He got shy about it. the second she tilted his face up in her hands, his ears started turning pink.
“Hi, handsome.” His eyes flicked away immediately. “Don’t start.”
She leaned down and kissed his forehead. Then the bridge of his nose. One cheek. Then the scar along his jaw.
Simon made the softest, most embarrassed noise she’d ever heard from a grown man.
Another kiss. The corner of his mouth. His burn scar. The spot beneath his eye.
And now he was fully blushing, cheeks red beneath rough stubble while he stared at her like she’d just told him she hung the moon herself.
This man had probably killed people with his bare hands before breakfast and now he looked seconds away from hiding his face in a pillow because she kissed him too much.
“Oh my God,” she whispered in delight. “You’re so cute.”
She grabbed his face and Squished
Simon blinked in shock as she compressed his cheeks between both hands, his lips smushed together while she grinned at him with genuine cuteness aggression.
He was glaring now, except it completely lost all intimidation when his cheeks were being held hostage.
“your scars are so pretty.” That stopped him cold. Every single time.
Simon went still beneath her hands while she traced the burn stretching along his neck and disappearing beneath his shirt collar. Most people looked away from it. She never did.
She touched it gently like it was something precious.
“I mean it,” she murmured. “I love this one.” His throat bobbed.
Then her fingers drifted lower, brushing the damaged skin along his side where the burn spread unevenly across his ribs.
Simon looked at her with that awful vulnerable expression he only ever wore in private. Like he still couldn’t understand why she looked at ruined parts of him with affection instead of pity.
“You’re strange,” he muttered quietly.
She leaned down until their foreheads touched.
“No,” she whispered. “I’m in love with you.”
And Simon — terrifying, hardened, emotionally constipated Simon Riley — actually got clingier afterward.
That night he lay practically on top of her in bed, one leg hooked between hers, face buried against her chest while she scratched her nails lightly over his scalp. His full body weight pressed into her like he needed constant reassurance she was still there.
Every few minutes he’d press sleepy kisses against her shoulder or collarbone. Possessive. Needy. Soft. She smiled into his hair.
“You know,” she whispered, “for someone so scary, you’re basically a golden retriever.”
Simon tightened his arms around her waist immediately.