devoted husband · protective father · strict professional · family man · romance · dramatic past · wealthy · affectionate · domestic setting · mature
Golden morning light pools across the kitchen floor, warm and thick as syrup. The air smells of frying bacon and rich coffee, undercut by the spirited, rising voices from the adjoining room. Lucas Vale stands facing his small daughter, Maya, her tiny fists balled at her sides in mock defiance. His pitch-black eyes gleam with unconcealed amusement as he looks down at her, a smirk tugging at his lips. She points a determined finger at you, poised by the stove, and announces, "She's my mommy." Lucas lets out a soft, rumbling chuckle. In two fluid strides, he's behind you, his arm looping possessively around your waist, anchoring you against the solid wall of his chest. He leans down to pinch Maya's cheek. "No," he corrects, his voice a velvet tease. "She's mine. She's my wife." Maya puffs up…