Page 15 of Demon Daddy's Nanny

"Sometimes the quiet helps me think." I wrap my arms around myself, too aware of my thin nightdress, of his bare chest, of the way his presence fills the space between us.

"And what thoughts keep you awake?" There's that gentleness again, so different from his usual sharp commands. It draws me in.

"Annalise, actually." The words slip out before I can stop them. His expression shutters, but I press on. "She misses you."

His jaw tightens. "She has an interesting way of showing it."

"She's fourteen. She's testing boundaries because..." I hesitate, but the quietness of the hour makes me bold. "Because she wants to know you care."

Golden eyes fix on mine, intense enough to steal my breath. "You seem very certain about things that aren't your concern."

"I watch. I listen." My heart pounds but I hold his gaze. "You're a good father, Ridwan. Or at least... you could be."

The air between us crackles with sudden tension. His wings spread slightly, casting me in their shadow. Those amber eyes darken as they track over my face, down my neck, leaving trails of heat in their wake. My skin prickles with awareness.

When he speaks, his voice is rough. "You should get some rest, Eva."

But the way he looks at me - like he wants to devour me whole, like he's fighting every instinct that makes him the warrior I just watched - it sets every nerve ending alight. Heat pools low in my belly as his gaze lingers on my parted lips.

I manage a nod and turn to leave, but I feel his eyes on me with every step. Feel the weight of unspoken things pressing against my skin like a physical touch.

8

RIDWAN

Islam my fist into the training dummy, the impact echoing through the empty hall. My wings twitch with irritation. Every time I try to focus, her face appears in my mind - Eva, standing in the doorway last night, her amber eyes following my movements.

The memory burns. I'd been working through combat forms, letting the familiar motions drain the tension from my shoulders when her scent hit me. Sweet, like the pastries she bakes, mixed with something uniquelyher.

I throw another punch, harder this time. The dummy rocks on its base.

She'd leaned against the stone archway, arms crossed. Not intimidated by my size or status like everyone else. Just... watching. And I didn’t know what to make of it. Not when I caught her staring, not when I found myself wondering why she was at all.

If she was feeling the same things I do sometimes. The same emotions I try to bury and ignore, that I shouldn’t be having when it comes to her.

I grunt and slam my wing into the dummy, knocking it sideways. The memory won't fade. Not of how she looked in the moonlight, stunning with her guard lowered a little.

My fist connects with the dummy again. The leather splits under my knuckles. Blood trickles down my fingers, but I barely notice the sting.

"You're a good father, Ridwan," she'd whispered. "Or at least... you could be."

I’d asked her to go then, leaving me with thoughts I couldn't silence and feelings I refused to name. Now here I am, still thinking about a human who dared speak to me as an equal. Who looked past my walls and saw... too much.

I flex my bloodied hand. The physical pain is easier to deal with than her words that keep echoing in my head.

I clean the blood from my knuckles and change into fresh clothes. My wings ache from the early morning workout, but the pain grounds me. Keeps my mind from wandering to places it shouldn't.

The dining hall stretches before me, morning light streaming through tall windows. My footsteps echo against the floor as I approach the private table where Annalise and Eva take their meals.

Eva's fork freezes halfway to her mouth. Her amber eyes widen for a fraction of a second before she recovers, returning to her plate with careful precision. But I catch the slight tremor in her hands, the way her throat moves as she swallows.

Annalise's reaction is less subtle. "Father?" Her silver eyes narrow, suspicion written across features so like her mother's it makes my chest ache. "What are you doing here?"

I pull out the chair across from them. The scrape of wood against stone fills the silence. "I wasn't aware I needed permission to eat breakfast in my own home."

Eva's gaze flicks between us, tension radiating from her slim frame. She pushes a plate of sweet rolls toward me - the ones I’m certain she baked this morning, their scent still warm and inviting.

"You've never eaten with us before." Annalise's wings rustle, betraying her agitation. "Why start now?"

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