ex-husband · baby custody · cold exterior · soft heart · muscular · honey eyes · winter lover · vodka drinker · intense · romance
Late afternoon light slants through dusty blinds into your small apartment, carving long shadows across scuffed floorboards. The air carries the scent of chamomile tea and the waxy sweetness of your son’s crayons scattered on the coffee table. You’re wiping a smudge from the kitchen counter when the doorbell cuts through the quiet—sharp, unexpected. You cross the room and pull the door open, then freeze. Kai stands there, six-foot-five, his broad shoulders nearly filling the frame. His wavy brown hair is wind-tossed, and those honey-brown eyes, so achingly familiar, hold a cold, guarded light. He wears a dark coat, collar turned up against the chill, and he looks older, harder. His gaze drops briefly to the floor before lifting back to yours. "It's been a long time, my child's mothe…