Daddy Best Friend

Chapter six

Rafael’s POV

I woke up and realized I had failed.

I had spent the last twenty years being the most disciplined man in Los Angeles, but one night in Paris with Alexa Dante had ruined everything. I could feel her. She was warm and soft, pressed so close to me that I couldn't tell where I ended and she began.

My arm was wrapped around her waist, pulling her into my chest like she belonged there. My chin was resting on top of her head, and her hair smelled like that expensive vanilla shampoo she always used.

I should have pushed her away the moment she drifted toward my side of the bed. But I hadn't. In my sleep, I had pulled her closer. I was holding my best friend’s daughter as if she were mine to keep.

God, I’m in trouble, I thought.

I looked down at her face. She looked so innocent while she was sleeping—not like the little brat who had been teasing me all day. I knew I had to get up before she woke up and saw the way I was looking at her. I had to go back to being the cold boss.

I started to move my arm slowly, trying to slide away without waking her. But then she shifted. She let out a tiny sigh and hugged my waist tighter, her leg sliding up between mine.

My breath hitched. My body reacted instantly, and I cursed myself. I was thirty-eight. I was a CEO. I shouldn't be losing my mind because of a twenty-year-old girl in a silk robe.

"Brat," I whispered, my voice sounding like gravel. "You have no idea what you're doing to me."

Alexa’s POV

The bed was so comfortable I never wanted to move. But then I felt something hard and warm against me. I felt a heartbeat.

I opened my eyes and my heart skipped a beat. I was staring right at Rafael’s chest. He wasn't wearing a shirt, and his skin was hot. I realized I was basically tangled up in him like a vine.

I looked up and saw him staring down at me. He didn't look happy. He looked frustrated—and maybe a little bit hungry.

"Good morning," I said. My voice was low and sleepy. I didn't pull away. I wanted to see if he would be the one to break first.

"You're on my side, Alexa," he said. His voice was deep and low. "I thought I told you to stay over there."

I grinned, feeling bold. "I’m a heavy sleeper, Rafael. Maybe you should have pushed me off." I moved my hand slightly, letting my fingers brush the skin of his stomach. "Unless you liked it?"

He grabbed my wrist immediately, his grip firm but not hurting. He sat up, dragging me with him until we were sitting face-to-face. The air between us felt like it was about to catch fire.

"Don't play with me," he warned. "I’m not one of those boys you go to school with. I don't play games."

"I'm not playing," I whispered, looking right into his dark eyes.

He stared at my lips for a long second, and for a moment, I thought he was finally going to kiss me. But then he let go of my arm and stood up. He looked back at me, his face turning into that cold "CEO mask" again.

"Get up. We have a meeting in an hour. Dress like a professional, not a distraction."

He walked into the bathroom and slammed the door. I sat there, breathing hard, a small smile on my face. I was getting under his skin, and I loved it.

After a few minutes, Rafael came out of the shower, the steam from the shower, along with the way his hair was dripping wet, made everything hotter. I didn’t miss a single drop of water that ran down his chest to his V-line, disappearing into the towel wrapped around his waist.

“Eyes up here princess“ F*ck this is the second time he has caught me staring at him.

“I‘ve seen better” I rolled my eyes.

“yeah right, apart from those guys your age you’re just an inexperienced little girl” He shrugged.

My face flushed red, and I was short of words at how he could say that. I was also embarrassed because he is kind of right. I’ve only ever been with two guys and both have never made me have an orgasm let alone seeing a better build than his.

“You are eye f*ck*ng me again” he chuckled stepping closer to me.

I backed away I backed away until my heels hit the edge of the bed. Rafael didn't stop. He kept walking until he was inches from me, smelling like expensive soap and raw masculinity.

"What's the matter, Alexa?" he asked, his voice dropping an octave. "You were so bold a second ago. Now you're shaking."

"I'm not shaking," I lied, though my heart was hammering against my ribs so hard I was sure he could see it.

He leaned down, his damp skin radiating heat. He placed one hand on the bed beside my hip and the other on the wall behind my head, effectively trapping me. He was so close I could see the golden flecks in his dark eyes.

"You think because you're twenty, you can handle a man like me?" He let his gaze drop to my lips, then slowly back up to my eyes. "You're playing with a fire that will burn you alive, princess. You aren't ready for what I would do to you if I actually stopped being 'the nice family friend.'"

I swallowed hard. My mouth was dry, but the rest of my body felt liquid. I wanted to tell him to prove it. I wanted to pull that towel off his waist and see if he was all talk. But for the first time in my life, I was actually intimidated.

"Go get dressed," he whispered, his breath hot against my ear. "Before I forget who your father is."

He straightened up and walked toward his suitcase as if he hadn't just turned my world upside down. I scrambled off the bed and bolted into the bathroom, locking the door behind me.

I leaned against the cool tile wall, my legs feeling like jelly. My reflection in the mirror showed a girl with blown-out pupils and flushed cheeks. He was right. I was inexperienced. But I was a fast learner.

I took a quick, cold shower to settle my nerves. By the time I walked back out, Rafael was fully dressed in a sharp, charcoal-grey suit. He looked every bit the powerful CEO again—cold, distant, and untouchable. The man in the towel from ten minutes ago was gone.

"Ready?" he asked, not even looking up from his phone.

"Ready," I said, smoothing down my professional black dress.

We headed down to the lobby in silence. The tension followed us into the back of the black town car. Every time his leg brushed against mine on the leather seat, I felt a jolt of electricity.

As the car pulled away from the hotel, a strange chill crawled up my spine. It was a beautiful, sunny morning in Paris, but I felt a heavy weight on the back of my neck. I looked out the tinted rear window.

"What is it?" Rafael asked, his eyes still on his tablet, though I could tell he was paying attention to my every move.

"I... I don't know," I whispered, scanning the sidewalk. "I just have this weird feeling. Like someone is staring at us."

Rafael finally looked up, his brows furrowing. He glanced at the side mirror and then back at me. His protective streak was starting to show, his posture tightening.

"Paris is crowded, Alexa. Everyone is staring at something," he said, his voice firm, trying to ground me. But he didn't look back at his tablet. Instead, he reached out and rested his hand near mine on the seat. He didn't touch me, but the proximity felt like a shield.

I tried to shake it off, but as we stopped at a red light, I saw a black sedan three cars back. It stayed there, perfectly still, behind the tinted glass. When our driver turned the corner, the sedan turned too.

My hands felt clammy. I wasn't just imagining it. The feeling of being watched wasn't going away—it was getting stronger. Every shadow in the Parisian alleys felt like it was hiding a camera or a pair of eyes.

"Rafael," I said softly, my voice trembling just a little. "I think someone is following us."

He didn't dismiss me this time. He looked out the window, his eyes turning cold and sharp. "Stay low," he commanded, his voice changing into the tone he used when he was about to handle a major crisis. "And don't look back again."