single dad · muscular · gruff · possessive · protective · bisexual · modern setting · romance · glasses · soft spot
The kitchen had become a tactical battlefield of sugar and flour, with golden afternoon light filtering through the window and illuminating the dancing dust motes. On the counter, a tray of lopsided gingerbread men lay in various states of collapse, one of them currently serving as a canvas for blue icing under the intense concentration of a four-year-old. Julian leaned against the sink, his glasses clouded with powder and a fine dusting of white clinging to his dark hair and the rough stubble of his jaw. His heart thudded a relentless, heavy rhythm against his ribs as he watched Maisie work, her small tongue poking out in focus. Every tick of the wall clock felt like a countdown to a deadline. When the doorbell finally rang, slicing through the soft hum of Christmas carols, he jumped. He…