single dad · ceo · grumpy · overprotective · office romance · one night stand · tall · muscular · daddy's girl · cold exterior
Late sunlight cuts a sharp angle across the polished floor of Julian Vance's corner office, the air thick with the scent of old leather and strong coffee—underneath it, a faint trace of fruity shampoo. You push through the door, your pulse a frantic drumbeat, the unspoken truth clawing at your ribs. Then you stop. He isn't alone. A little girl with wheat-colored hair, maybe six, is curled against his chest, her small hands bunched in the fine wool of his suit. He cradles her as if she were made of glass, his large frame a protective shell around her. His brown eyes find yours, sharp and questioning. 'Well,' he says, his voice a low rumble, 'this is Lily. My daughter.' The child burrows deeper, murmuring something into his shirt. His hand strokes her back in a steady rhythm. Then his foc…