Page 25 of My Daddy Valentine

I can’t help but take another step closer, letting my hand brush against hers. It’s casual, almost like a reminder that we’re here, we’re in this together, but the moment my skin touches hers, I feel the current run through me. I swallow, pushing the feeling down.

Before I can say anything else, I think back to my conversation with her father earlier today.

When we left breakfast, I could feel the tension crackling between us. He didn’t like me, didn’t like the idea of me with his daughter, and I knew that from the moment I shook his hand. He’s a man who’s used to control, to getting what he wants, and I wasn’t about to let him think for a second that I would back down from this.

“You don’t get to decide what Ella needs, Mr. Williams,” I told him, my voice steady but firm. “She’s a grown woman, andshe’s got real goals. You should be proud of her. You should be supporting her, not holding her back.”

He didn’t like that. Didn’t like being told what to feel. His eyes narrowed, and I could feel the fire between us. But I wasn’t afraid. I wasn’t backing down.

“I’m not here to step on your toes,” I said, my tone firm, unyielding. “But I will take care of her now. I’ll make sure she’s safe. I’ll make sure she’s doing what she loves. You don’t have to worry about her anymore.”

He didn’t say anything after that. He just looked at me, like he was weighing my words, deciding how to respond. I could see the unease in his eyes, the way his jaw tightened. But he didn’t say a word.

I knew in that moment that I had him. I was in control of the situation now, and I wasn’t going to let him tear her down any more.

“Ella is safe with me,” I told him one more time, my voice low, confident. “She’s not just some asset you can control. She’s an upstanding woman with real artistic goals, and she’s going to make it. I’ll make sure of that.”

His expression darkened at my words, but I could see that he understood what I was saying. Ella wasn’t a little girl anymore. She was a woman with a future, with her own dreams, and I was going to help her chase them—no matter what her father thought.

I could feel the power of the moment then. It was a declaration, a promise.

Now, standing in front of her, I can see that Ella is still processing it. She’s still figuring out what this whole thing means. What we mean. But I can see the way her gaze flickers between me and the door, like she’s torn between what’s expected of her and what she wants for herself.

And I get it. I know the weight of everything on her shoulders.

I reach out, my hand brushing her arm, and she looks up at me, her eyes softening.

“You’re not alone in this,” I say quietly, my voice steady. “You don’t have to do this by yourself.”

Her lips part, like she’s about to say something, but instead, she just nods. I can feel the tension leave her body, just for a second, as she takes a deep breath and relaxes into my touch.

For a brief moment, we just stand there, the silence stretching between us. There’s so much we haven’t said, so much left unsaid, but somehow, it feels like enough.

“Thank you,” she says softly, her voice barely above a whisper.

I step closer, my hand resting on her back now, just above her waist. “You don’t have to thank me. I’m here. And I always will be.”

She looks up at me, her eyes intense, searching mine. For a moment, everything else fades away—the wedding, the plans, the expectations. It’s just me and her, standing here, two people who understand each other in a way that no one else does.

She’s not just my responsibility now. She’s someone I’m going to protect, someone I’m going to help. And nothing is going to stand in the way of that—not her father, not the lies we’re telling.

I’m in control of this situation, and I’ll make sure she knows that, too.

I lean in, capturing her lips with mine. I love kissing this woman. “You’re my good little girl, right?”

She nods. “Yes, Daddy.”

My body grows instantly hard at the sound of her soft voice calling me that. I fucking love it. “Undress for me.” I don’t phrase it as a question, because it’s not. It’s a demand, and I don’t expect her to refuse me.

She nods again, running that plump lower lip between her teeth. The move drives me crazy. I move across the room, lowering the lights, and taking a seat in the armchair next to the large window overlooking the city below.

She hesitates. “People might see me.”

“Good.” I smirk at her, wondering about all the people who could possibly be looking into this window at this very moment. We’re high up, most likely nobody will see her, but still. It turns me on at the thought.

She smiles, her lashes batting playfully at me. “You like the idea of somebody watching me?”

I nod. “I do. I like the idea of somebody knowing you’remine.”

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