Daisy’s P.O.V.As Luke stands beside me, holding out his hand, I am just about to rise from the sofa, ignoring him, but Hope places my hand in his, giggling.A smile flashes on his face as he clasps my hand, sending a shiver down my spine. Yes, his mere touch still affects me like this, and I hate it.“Go, go, Mommy and Daddy!” Hope squeals, standing on the sofa and bouncing on it.I take a deep breath before standing up. Luke leads me to the dance floor after passing me a small smile. Five years ago, I yearned for his affection. Now, when Luke is finally treating me with kindness and care, I feel baffled.Part of me wants to push him away, to maintain the walls I’ve built around my heart to protect myself from getting hurt again. But another part of me, a part I’ve tried to bury deep inside, yearns for love from him.As we stand in front of each other on the dance floor, I look everywhere except at him. He grabs my waist with one hand and entwines my fingers with his other, drawing m
Luke’s P.O.V.“Wow! You both look so good together,” Eva compliments when Hope shows her the dance video of Daisy and me.We’re at Eva’s apartment. I brought Hope here from school.“You know, Granny, Mommy and Daddy kissed each other on the lips,” Hope tells her, giggling as she sits in her lap.I rub the back of my neck, blushing, as Eva stares at me in surprise. “Your relationship with Daisy is progressing so fast. I’m quite surprised.”Before I can say anything, Hope clarifies, “When Mommy and Daddy were about to kiss my cheeks, I moved away. And then…”Hope and Eva’s laughter fills the room, while I recall our last night kiss. Anyway, it wasn’t a kiss; it was just a quick peck which intensified my desire to taste her lips. Only I knew last night how I controlled myself from grabbing her hair and devouring her luscious lips.***“Daddy, let’s video call Mommy. Hope is missing her.” Hope requests, sitting in my lap, munching on her chocolate cookies while watching her rhymes on TV.
Daisy’s P.O.V.As I pack the bags for the trip, Hope goes to the washroom to pee. She made me pack all the dresses she had purchased with her father a few days ago.“Mommy, come!” As I hear Hope’s shout, I immediately rush to the bathroom, worried about her.“What—” As I enter, my words trail off, seeing the sight in front of me. Hope has spilt shampoo all over the clothes.I march towards her, scolding, “Hope, what did you do?”“Mommy, I was just washing my hands,” she says, giving me an innocent look.“But, Hope, it’s shampoo,” I explain. “We wash our hair with this.”“Oopsie-Topsy, Mommy. Hope forgot.” She giggles, and I shake my head in disbelief at her condition.“Now I have to bathe you.” I kneel and take off her dress.“Yippee… I’ll bathe again.” She claps her hands with delight because she loves to play with water in her little pink bathtub.“Hopi, don’t tell me you did this deliberately to take a bath.” I give her a wary look, placing my hands on my waist.She shakes her head
Luke’s P.O.V.I admire my little princess who sleeps soundly on the bed in the private jet. Daisy has gone to the restroom. I can’t believe I’m going on my first vacation with my family. It feels unreal.I never thought that after coming to New York, my life would change like this. Meeting Hope, feeling a strong connection with her, meeting Daisy, then learning Hope is my daughter—everything seems so surreal. And now, here we are, flying together in my private jet.Despite all the mistakes I’ve made in the past, I’m grateful for the second chance to be a part of their lives, to be Hope’s father.My trance breaks as the plane suddenly shakes, and Daisy falls onto my lap. My hands automatically grab her bare waist to steady her. She clutches my blazer, and our gazes lock. Our heartbeats quicken, and our breathing becomes heavy because of our proximity.She looks even more beautiful up close. I can sense her body shivering because of my touch on her waist, and I’m getting hard beneath he
Daisy’s P.O.V.Luke was right last night. It’s true that his touch still affects me, but I hate it. This time, I can’t let my feelings overpower me. I can’t afford to let myself get swept away by his charm again. I came on this trip for Hope, not to reconcile with my ex-husband.I’ve worked so hard to rebuild my life without him, to find happiness and fulfilment on my terms. I can’t let myself be drawn back into the cycle of heartache and disappointment.And how can I forgive him after the way he cheated on me? I lost myself because of him.I lie on a lounger chair in the backyard, dressed in a two-piece white swimsuit beneath a white shirt. Hope and Luke are enjoying in the infinity pool. She is sitting on a flamingo float and splashing water on her father while giggling.It’s getting difficult for me to resist Luke. The water cascading down his chest and the sunlight make his muscles look even more defined. Seeing his brown wet hair, I feel an urge to run my hands through it.Contro
Luke’s P.O.V.“Luke…” Listening to Daisy’s voice, I wake up with a jerk and find her standing beside me, her expression tense, while Hope sleeps soundly next to me.“What happened, Daisy?” I ask, concerned. “Is everything alright?”“I…” she hesitates, making me even more anxious.I take her hand in mine and give it a slight squeeze. “Just calm down first and then tell me.”She lets out a deep breath before saying in one go, “Ineedasanitarypad.”“What?” My brows furrow in confusion.What’s happening with her so early in the morning? Why is she acting so strangely? Am I dreaming? Because her behaviour isn't making any sense.She closes her eyes and finally tells me, “My period came early. I need a sanitary pad.”Oh! Thank God. It’s not something serious.I sigh with relief.“Daisy, you scared me.” Listening to my words, she opens her eyes, a hint of embarrassment colouring her cheeks.“Could you please arrange it urgently?” she requests, still worried.I rise from the bed, pulling off t
Daisy’s P.O.V.“Daisy, why did you come? You should rest.”“Alright, but don’t overexert yourself. If you need to rest, just let me know.”Luke’s words echo in my ears even three days after the trip to his private island. Those two days were surreal. The family time we spent there was something I never thought would happen. I can’t stop thinking about how Luke treated me during my periods.Five years ago, I longed for his affection, and now that I’m finally getting it, my heart is melting. It’s urging me to give him another chance. However, it’s not so easy. I can’t forget what he did to me five years ago.I’m afraid that he might change again and start behaving like a monster after a few months or years. Although I want to, I still can’t give my heart to him again just yet.“Hey…” I’m pulled out of my thoughts by the voice of my co-worker, Martin, from the marketing and sales team. Since I joined this office, he’s been trying to get me to go out for coffee with him.I look at him, si
Daisy’s P.O.V. A Week Later“Hello, Daisy,” Luke answers my call. My heart flutters every time I hear his voice like old times.No matter how hard I try to distance myself from this man, an invisible thread keeps drawing me back to him. But I can’t let myself fall back into that toxic cycle again.“Hey, Luke.” I sit on the bed. “I called you to inform you I have taken an off today, so I’ll pick up Hope from the school.”“So I’m coming over to your apartment.”Coming over to my apartment? Why?“Why?”“Actually, I have planned a surprise for Hope,” he begins. “She told me about her dream yesterday that she has a Barbie doll house. So, I bought one for her. I thought it would be nice if we could set it up together and surprise her when she gets home.”I request, “Luke, please stop spoiling her.”“She is my daughter, Daisy. I—”“Luke, I know you want to fulfil her every demand and need, but I’m afraid the day you decide to leave her, then what will happen? I can’t afford the life which y