My Father’s Best Friend Wants Me

I hated airports. The noise, the fake smiles, the painful goodbyes that people pretended were only temporary. My parents stood near the boarding gate dressed like the perfect wealthy couple from a magazine cover. My mother adjusted her designer sunglasses while my father checked his watch for the tenth time in two minutes. Neither of them noticed I was barely holding myself together. "You'll be fine with Damian," my father said casually. "It's only for a few months." A few months. As if leaving your only daughter behind in another man's mansion was completely normal. I forced a smile anyway. "Right." My mother kissed my cheek without really looking at me. "Try not to give Damian any trouble, Aurora." Trouble. If only she knew the thoughts I had about Damian Cross, she would never leave me alone with him. Not even for one night. My father's phone rang, cutting through the awkward silence. He answered it right away, already distracted. I looked away before the guilt showed on my face. The truth was horrible. I had been in love with Damian Cross since I was sixteen years old. And tonight, I was moving into his house. My father gave me a quick hug before following my mother toward the gate. "Call me if you need anything." I nodded. Then they were gone. Just like that. No dramatic goodbye. No emotional moment. Nothing. I stood there alone in the middle of the airport, clutching my suitcase while strangers rushed past me. A message appeared on my phone. Outside. Black car. — Damian My stomach tightened. Even after all these years, just seeing his name affected me. Pathetic. I took a deep breath and walked outside. The black Bentley waited near the curb exactly where he said it would. Rain poured heavily across the city, making the windows foggy. The driver stepped out first and opened the back door for me. And then I saw him. Damian Cross sat inside wearing a black suit with the top buttons of his shirt open. One arm rested lazily against the seat while his sharp gray eyes lifted toward me. God. Somehow he looked even better than I remembered. Older. More dangerous. The soft silver strands near his dark hair only made him more attractive. I hated that my heart reacted instantly. "Hello, Aurora," he said calmly. That deep voice nearly ruined me. I slid into the seat carefully, suddenly aware of every inch between us. "Hi." The door closed behind me. The air inside smelled like expensive cologne and rain. Damian studied me quietly for a second too long. "You've grown up." My pulse jumped. I looked out the window quickly. "It's been three years." "Yes," he said softly. "I noticed." That answer sent heat rushing into my cheeks. The car started moving. Silence filled the space between us, heavy and uncomfortable. Or maybe it was uncomfortable only for me. Damian looked perfectly calm, focused on his phone while the city lights reflected against his sharp features. I should not stare at him. I knew that. But I did anyway. Everything about him fascinated me. The expensive watch around his wrist. The veins visible beneath his skin. The calm confidence in every movement he made. This man had ruined every younger guy for me without even trying. "You're staring," he said suddenly. My entire body froze. "I'm not." One dark eyebrow lifted. Heat flooded my face. I turned toward the window again, embarrassed. A low chuckle left his throat. Damian Cross almost never laughed. Hearing it felt strangely intimate. "How was the flight?" he asked. "Long." "You hate flying." I blinked in surprise. "You remember that?" His eyes met mine briefly. "I remember everything about you, Aurora." My breath caught. I was not supposed to react to simple sentences like that. But with Damian, every word sounded dangerous. The rain became heavier outside. Thunder echoed through the city while the car moved through familiar streets toward the richest part of town. I remembered visiting Damian's mansion years ago during family parties. Back then, I was just Ethan Hayes' awkward teenage daughter secretly crushing on a man far too old for her. Now things felt different. And somehow worse. Because I was not a teenager anymore. I was twenty-two years old. Old enough to know better. Old enough to understand exactly what I wanted. The car finally stopped in front of the massive mansion gates. The place looked more intimidating at night. Tall walls. Black iron gates. White lights glowing through enormous windows. Beautiful. Cold. The driver carried my luggage inside while Damian loosened his tie slightly. "You'll stay in the east wing," he said. "The staff already prepared everything." "Okay." "There are a few rules." Of course there were. I crossed my arms. "Rules?" Damian finally looked directly at me again. And suddenly the inside of the car felt too small. "You tell security before leaving the property." I rolled my eyes. "I'm not twelve." "You come home before midnight." "Seriously?" "You don't bring strangers into my house." His tone hardened slightly. Something about that annoyed me immediately. "Your house?" I repeated. "My father practically begged you to let me stay here." A dangerous calm entered his expression. "And I said yes." The tension between us thickened instantly. I looked away first. Damian sighed quietly before opening the car door. "Come inside, Aurora." Rain hit my skin as I stepped out behind him. And unfortunately, seeing Damian walk ahead of me in the storm should probably be illegal. His broad shoulders stretched beneath the wet black fabric while rain slid down the side of his neck. I forced myself to stop staring. Inside, the mansion felt warm and elegant. Marble floors. Soft golden lights. Expensive art everywhere. A female housekeeper greeted me politely before disappearing upstairs with my bags. Damian loosened his cuffs slowly. "You must be tired." "I'm fine." "You're lying." I smiled slightly. "You still read people too easily." "And you still hide your feelings badly." The way he looked at me while saying it made my chest tighten. Like he saw too much. Like he noticed things he should not notice. A loud crack of thunder shook the windows suddenly. Without thinking, I flinched. Damian noticed immediately. "You're still afraid of storms?" I frowned. "No." Another thunderclap echoed. I moved closer to him automatically. His eyes dropped briefly to the small distance between us. Then very slowly, his jaw tightened. The air changed. I felt it immediately. So did he. Neither of us moved. Neither of us spoke. And for one terrifying second, I imagined Damian pulling me into his arms right there in the middle of his mansion. Instead, he stepped back first. "Alice will show you to your room." Coldness returned to his voice instantly. The rejection stung more than it should have. I swallowed hard. "Right." As I turned toward the staircase, Damian suddenly spoke again. "Aurora." I looked back. His gray eyes held mine in a way that made my heartbeat painfully slow. "Welcome home, little troublemaker."