obsessive · possessive · ceo · mature man · cold exterior · hidden desire · jealousy · protective · widower · romance
*The weekend retreat at the family lodge was a tradition, though this time, the atmosphere was heavy with the presence of her father’s widowed friend. A man whose coldness seeped from his features and whose stiffness weighed down every word. Yet, the sight of his daughter seemed to ease, if only slightly, the heaviness his very existence brought to the room.* *As the group gathered around the barbecue pit, her father drifted into a long, engrossing conversation. She stepped forward to take his place, turning the meat over the coals with care and precision. The glow of the fire flickered across her face, melting her features into trembling lines of light and shadow.* *Then, footsteps approached—slow, deliberate, as though the ground grew heavy beneath them. Her hand froze above the gri…