Chapter 5 First Night, First Bond
Darcy's POV
I tried not to stare. Really, I did. But the second I stepped into the penthouse, my eyes betrayed me. Adrian was standing there, towel draped carelessly over one shoulder, hair damp and curling slightly at the nape of his neck. His chest… Well, it looked like it had been carved from marble. And judging by the faint sheen of water on his skin, the sculptor clearly had way too much time on his hands.
I quickly look away, cheeks heating, trying to focus on Hazel. But of course, Hazel has other plans. The moment she stirred in her crib, her tiny cries pierces the room like a warning siren. Adrian’s face shifts instantly, the towel slipping further as his hands instinctively goes to cradle her. And then he freezes.
Helpless.
Absolutely helpless.
I couldn't help the small, almost amused sigh that escapes me. “Need some help?” I ask gently, moving toward them.
He blinks, as if realizing for the first time that yes, actually, he did need help. “I… uh… I... she just woke up. I thought ” He looks down at Hazel, his jaw tightening. “I can do this.”
Hazel wriggles in his arms, small fists batting at the towel. “Yeah… you can,” I murmur, stepping closer. “If you want to survive the night, hand her over.”
The corner of his mouth twitches like he wants to argue but knows better. And then he does what I suspected he might: he hands Hazel to me.
Instant calm. Instant peace. She snuggles into my arms like I am her entire universe, tiny eyes fluttering closes again. Adrian just stands there, hands lingering in the air, looking… stranded.
I smile down at Hazel, brushing a curl from her forehead. “She’s a little bossy, isn’t she?”
Adrian’s lips parts slightly. “You… you handle her well,” he says, voice quiet, awed. He sinks onto the edge of the couch, leaning back as if trying to gather strength. His gaze doesn’t leave us. “I… I didn’t know it could be… this easy.”
I smile sheepishly, rocking Hazel gently. “Most people panic. But she’s smart. She knows when someone can calm her.”
He rubs the back of his neck, gaze flicking to the floor, then back to me. “Right. Makes sense.” His tone is a little off, like he isn’t used to admitting anything remotely human about himself.
I set Hazel on the couch, carefully tucking a small blanket around her. Adrian’s eyes follows every move, watching like he is learning a foreign language.
“Do you… do you want to try the bedtime routine?” I ask cautiously, not wanting to overstep, but knowing he needs guidance more than advice.
He nods, stiff and hesitant, and I try to demonstrate the small rituals: changing the diaper, reading a short story, singing a lullaby. He mimicks my movements, awkward at first, but improving with every step. There's something endearing about him fumbling through instructions, clearly unused to this kind of closeness.
“You… you’re good at this,” he murmurs, voice low, almost reverent. “I didn’t… I didn’t think anyone could—”
“Calm her?” I supply softly, smiling. Hazel gurgles as if confirming my words.
He chuckles nervously, scratching the back of his neck. “Yes. Exactly that.”
By this time, Hazel has been tucked in, the room feels lighter somehow. Even the faint scent of cologne on Adrian’s skin is less intimidating, more human. I catch myself lingering in the room, brushing toys into a small basket.
“Darcy,” he says quietly, voice low and careful, “are you… comfortable living here… temporarily?”
I freeze for a moment. His question was casual enough, but I could hear the undertone. He is trying to protect Hazel, protect her from forming attachments too quickly. And maybe, I thought, to protect himself from being affected too deeply as well.
I set down a stuffed giraffe and met his eyes. “I… I think I’ll manage,” I say lightly, but my chest betrays me. Because the truth is, I already feel… something shift. Something warm and dangerous curling in my chest. Something I'm not ready to name.
Adrian looked relieved at my answer, though his shoulders tensed slightly. He probably didn’t know that whatever he was trying to guard against had already happened. Hazel had chosen me. And, against my own sense of caution, I felt like I had chosen her too.
I hum softly as I tidy up Hazel’s toys, stacking blocks, lining up her miniature cars. My movements are careful, almost ritualistic, because I want the room to feel safe, calm, like Hazel had just experienced.
Then I hear it.
A low voice from across the room. Not raised, not commanding but deliberate. Firm. Private.
“No, I don't want another woman around Hazel. Darcy stays. That’s final.”
I freeze mid-motion, a small block slipping from my hand. My stomach drops. My heart races. I recognize the voice immediately. Adrian.
The words weren’t loud, but they carried the weight of absolute conviction, the kind that could move mountains or defy reason entirely. The tone wasn’t just protective. It was possessive. Personal. Determined.
I look up, pretending to adjust a toy, pretending not to feel the sudden rush of… something unfamiliar and magnetic. But my mind races. He’s serious. He doesn’t want anyone else around Hazel. Me. Only me.
And the warmth in my chest was the same dangerous warmth that had begun to stir twisted, mingling with a thrill I didn’t dare acknowledge.
I try to steady my breathing, to act casual, but Hazel stirs again, hands reaching for me instinctively. I catch her hand, smiling softly, because no matter what Adrian feels, what I feel ,the truth was simple: Hazel has picked me.
I glance toward the doorway where Adrian is probably still standing, towel long forgotten, muscles tense, mind undoubtedly calculating.
The penthouse suddenly feels impossibly small, intimate, alive. Every shadow, every flicker of light seems charged with a tension I couldn’t ignore. I am here. Hazel is here. And Adrian… Well, he has made his position clear.
But what does that mean for me? For Hazel? For this… connection that had only begun to weave itself between us?
I don’t answer the question, because I couldn’t. All I could do is hold Hazel, finish tidying, and let the weight of his words settle in my chest like a storm waiting to break.
Somehow, I knew life here is going to be far more complicated than I had imagined. And I was already falling for Hazel, falling for Adrian, and falling into a world I wasn’t ready to navigate.
But there was no turning back. Not now.