บททั้งหมดของ Hooking Up With Her Ex's Alpha Dad: บทที่ 21 - บทที่ 30

Theo's POVThe moment her lips touched mine, every rational thought I'd maintained for weeks collapsed. All my carefully constructed boundaries, all my noble intentions—gone in an instant, reduced to ash by the overwhelming need to claim her, to erase any trace of another man's touch from her skin.I had intended to remain in control, to be gentle with her after the trauma she'd just experienced. But the soft moan that escaped her as she pressed herself against me ignited something primal that had been simmering since that first night at the club."Claire," I murmured against her lips, still giving her one last chance to retreat. "Are you certain this is what you want? I won't be gentle with you.""I don't care. I've never been more certain," she whispered, her fingers threading through my hair with surprising strength. "I need you, Theo.""Claire, I... Rrhgh.." I groaned as she caressed my huge bulge which shattered the last of my restraint. I gathered her closer, one hand cradling t

Theo's POVI hung up the phone and set it on my desk, exhaling slowly. My office felt unusually confining this morning, the familiar space somehow inadequate to contain the turmoil within me.Claire. I couldn't stop thinking about her. My fingers moved unconsciously to my lips, still able to feel the warmth of her kiss, the softness of her skin beneath my hands. The memory of her scent—honeysuckle and rain, now inextricably mingled with my own—lingered in my senses despite the hours and miles between us.But reason screamed that last night never should have happened. I shouldn't have kissed her. I shouldn't have let things go that far. I certainly shouldn't have lost control the way I did.My actions contradicted everything I've stood for all these years—the principles I've built my life around. Professional boundaries. Emotional restraint. Complete control. I've maintained these walls for years, and in one night, Claire had somehow bypassed them all, leaving me exposed in ways I hadn

Claire's POVI lay perfectly still under Adrian's weight, rage and humiliation burning through me as he changed completely the moment he answered the phone. His voice transformed from the growling threat he'd used with me to a sweet, gentle tone."I'm just at a friend's house," he said smoothly, his forearm still pressed against my throat. "Yeah, I'll pick up dinner on the way home. Don't worry about it."I stared up at him, hatred crystallizing in my chest as I watched this performance. How had I ever loved this man? How had I spent three years believing he was something other than the monster pinning me to my childhood bed?He laughed at something she said, the sound so normal, so ordinary, as if he weren't in the middle of assaulting his ex-girlfriend. "I shouldn't be more than an hour. See you soon, baby."After ending the call, he slowly removed his arm from my throat but remained looming over me, his weight still heavy on my legs. I could feel the bruises forming on my wrists an

Claire's POVI woke with a start, my eyes swollen and sore from crying myself to sleep. Sunlight streamed through the curtains I'd forgotten to close, illuminating my childhood bedroom with a brightness that felt at odds with my mood. I reached for my phone to check the time and froze.There it was: a missed call from Theo, timestamped just minutes after I had hung up on the woman who'd answered his phone last night.My heart skipped a beat. Had he somehow realized it was me who called? Did the woman tell him? Or was it mere coincidence—a business matter he needed to discuss?I stared at the notification for a long time, my finger hovering over the call back button. Part of me desperately wanted to hear his voice, to know why he'd called. Maybe there was an explanation for the woman answering his phone. Maybe it wasn't what I thought.But the rational part of me knew better. Theo had been clear about his intentions—or lack thereof—that morning on the phone after our night together. He

Theo's POVIf it hadn't been for my mother's insistence, I never would have wasted my weekend meeting Daisy again. She had called earlier that morning, claiming there were urgent details about the Eclipse Syndrome project that required immediate discussion. When I suggested we handle it over the phone or schedule a meeting during business hours, she'd mentioned that my mother had specifically recommended we meet this evening to "properly discuss the partnership."I should have refused. Should have recognized the manipulation for what it was. But the project genuinely could help Claire's father, and despite my better judgment, that possibility kept me from hanging up.From the moment I arrived at the restaurant, I made my boundaries crystal clear. "This is strictly about the medical project, Daisy. Nothing more."She smiled that practiced smile of hers, the one that never quite reached her eyes. "Of course, Theo. Though it's nice to see you in something other than a business suit for o