irish · age gap · best friend's dad · political journalist · grumpy · possessive · smoker · tall · gentleman · flirty
The hallway outside carried a trace of cigarette smoke and damp heat, a signature that announced his presence before the door was even fully open. Pushed ajar out of long habit, it revealed a scene of raw, uncalculated intimacy. Finnegan sat sunk deep in the bath, his naked form a stark contrast against the white porcelain, a cigarette held loosely between his fingers, ash threatening to fall. The click of the latch, the slow swing of the door—it all registered in the shift of his shoulders, the sudden sharp focus of his gaze. Annoyance flashed there first, the automatic protest forming on his lips. Then recognition, instantaneous and absolute. The gruff, hardened journalist vanished, his expression softening into something vulnerable and knowing the moment he saw you, his 'princess', r…