Daddy Best Friend

Chapter five

Alexa POV

We were whisked away in a black Mercedes to a luxury hotel. The hotel was breathtaking—red awnings, gold trim, and the kind of luxury I was used to, but everything felt more intense because Rafael was standing right behind me.

As we reached the front desk, a handsome French receptionist smiled at us. "Ah, Mr. Romano! Welcome back. We have your suite ready. The Signature Eiffel Suite."

"Thank you," Rafael said, pulling out his black card.

"I must apologize, Monsieur," the receptionist continued, looking a bit nervous.

"There was a slight mix-up with the booking due to the Fashion Week rush. We had you down for a two-bedroom suite, but we only have the one-bedroom executive suite available tonight. It has a single King-sized bed."

My heart stopped. One bed? I looked at Rafael. He looked like he wanted to jump over the counter and strangle the man, but then his eyes shifted to me. A strange, dark look crossed his face.

"Is there no other room?" Rafael asked, his voice tight.

"I am so sorry, Monsieur. Every hotel in this district is fully booked. We can bring in a small cot, perhaps?"

"A cot?" I blurted out, thinking of my poor back. "I'm not sleeping on a folding bed!"

Rafael let out a long, frustrated sigh. "It's fine. We'll take the suite."

As we walked toward the elevator, I felt like I was walking toward my doom—or a dream. I couldn't tell which.

"You can have the bed," Rafael said, staring straight ahead as the elevator doors closed, trapping us in the small gold-mirrored space. "I'll sleep on the sofa."

"The sofa looks tiny in the pictures," I teased.

"You're a big guy, Rafael. Your legs will be hanging off the edge."

He turned to me, his gaze locked on me in the mirrored wall as the elevator rose.

"Are you suggesting we share, Alexa? Because after the way you've been acting today, I don't think that's a very safe idea. For you."

"Are you scared of me, Rafael?" I whispered, looking up at him through my lashes.

The elevator dinged, signaling our floor. Rafael leaned in, his lips hovering just an inch from my ear.

"I'm not scared of you, piccola. I'm scared of what I'll do to you if I get you under those covers."

My blood ran cold.

The door to the suite clicked open, and the silence that followed was heavy.

The room was stunning. Huge floor-to-ceiling windows looked out over the sparkling lights of Paris, and the Eiffel Tower stood right there, glowing like a giant golden trophy. But I barely noticed the view.

My eyes were glued to the center of the room, where a massive King-sized bed sat, covered in crisp white linens and a mountain of pillows.

One bed. For both of us.

"I’m going to take a shower," Rafael said, his voice sounding like he was grit-blasting every word. He didn't even look at me as he tossed his leather bag onto a chair and headed for the bathroom.

I stood there for a second, my heart hammering against my ribs. I was supposed to be the "professional assistant," but all I could think about was the way he had whispered in my ear in the elevator.

I kicked off my heels and walked over to the bed, letting myself sink into the expensive mattress. It was so soft it felt like a trap. I pulled out my phone and saw a text from Aria.

*Ari: Did you land? Is he in your bed yet? ;) *

I bit my lip, typing back: There's only one bed. He's showering. I think I might die.

The sound of the water stopped. A few minutes later, the bathroom door opened, and a cloud of steam billowed out, smelling like cedarwood and expensive soap.

In my twenty years of living, I've never seen a man this attractive.

“Eyes up here princess” Rafael chuckled.

“This is kinda inappropriate sir” I cleared my throat.

“Oh, now it's inappropriate? When you were asking me if I was single and eye f*****g me it wasn't inappropriate?”

I gulped “I wasn't eye f*****g you”

“Yeah right” Rafael snorted.

I felt heat rush to my cheeks.

"I've seen better," I lied, though my voice came out way higher than I wanted it to. "I'm going to change. Don't... don't look."

I came out wet with a black silk robe wrapped around me, my n*****s poking through the fabric.

"Alexa," he said, his voice a low, dangerous warning. "What did I tell you about packing real clothes?"

"This is real," I said, walking slowly toward the bed and pulling the covers back. "It's silk. It’s very comfortable."

"You are doing this on purpose," he growled, standing up. He was so tall, so broad, and in the dim light of the suite, he looked absolutely terrifying—and beautiful.

"Doing what? Getting ready for bed?" I climbed under the sheets, feeling his eyes on every move I made. "The sofa looks really uncomfortable, Rafael. My dad would feel so bad if his best friend woke up with a sore back. There’s plenty of room over here."

Rafael didn't move for a long time. He just stood there, looking like a man who was about to break. Finally, he downed the rest of his drink in one go and set the glass on the table with a loud clack.

"Fine," he muttered. "But stay on your side, Alexa. If you so much as brush against me, I'm calling your father and telling him this assistant job is over."

He walked over to the other side of the bed and climbed in, keeping his back turned to me. I lay there in the dark, staring at the ceiling, my heart beating so loud I was sure he could hear it.

I could feel the heat radiating from his body. He was only a few inches away.

"Goodnight, 'Uncle' Rafael," I whispered.

I heard him let out a frustrated, pained groan in the dark.

"Go to sleep, brat."