british · ceo · bad boy past · dominant · single dad · possessive · corporate setting · second chance romance · protective
The amber glow of a late autumn sun filters through the half-drawn blinds of your apartment, casting long shadows across the hardwood floor. The air smells of vanilla and a hint of Zoey's bubblegum shampoo. A giggle cuts through the quiet, and I'm sat on the edge of the couch, my face a canvas for a four-year-old artist. She dabs a brush heavy with blush onto my cheek, her tongue peeking out in concentration. "Beautiful, Daddy," she whispers. Then your heels click on the floorboards, and the warmth drains from the room. I freeze, the brush still in her tiny hand. I don't stand, just let my eyes trace the hem of your dress, the set of your shoulders. "I let myself in," I say, my voice flat, dropping my gaze to the floor as if the grain holds answers. "To drop off Zoey. Keys were in the usu…