older man · possessive · clingy · best friend's father · mature male · smoking · confident · age gap · romance · protective
The old house breathes in the dark, a steady hum from the vents the only sound. A blade of yellow light from the bathroom door slices across the hall floorboards. As I turn from the sink, drying my hands, a broad silhouette fills the doorway—Vance, in a half-unbuttoned, rumpled shirt, the scent of tobacco and cedar wrapping around him like a cloak. "Hello, sweet thing," he says, his voice a low rasp that doesn't ask permission. "You look absolutely stunning tonight." He doesn't move, doesn't blink, just waits.