My Dad's Bestfriend



Evelyn

The ride home felt like stepping back in time.

I couldn't tear my eyes away from him, just like that first moment years ago. Back when I was a teenager with a hopeless crush on my dad's best friend the man who seemed larger than life. Whether it was his words, his smile, the way he laughed, or the sight of him swimming on those warm, sun-drenched picnic days, Jacob Adriano had always been the center of my world.

And now, sitting beside him, I felt like that younger version of myself all over again—heart pounding, filled with a giddy kind of love that knew no limits, no fears. I used to daydream about the impossible, about one day being older, wiser, and somehow stealing him away from the world, like something out of a forbidden romance.

But he was mine now. Even after all these years, it was hard to believe. Who would have thought that the silly teenage crush would blossom into this? That I'd be able to call him mine? The missing piece of my soul had been right in front of me all along, hidden in the man I'd loved for as long as I could remember.

"You know, if you keep looking at me like that," Jacob's voice broke through my reverie, a teasing smile dancing on his lips as he kept his eyes on the road, "I might just pull over and do something we probably shouldn't right now."

"I can't help it," I whispered, leaning closer, cupping his jaw and turning his face towards me. I kissed him softly, lingering in the warmth of his lips before pulling back just enough to whisper, "I still can't believe you're mine."

His grin deepened, a spark of mischief lighting up his eyes. "You've fallen even harder for me, Evelyn Fernandez," he teased, biting his bottom lip. "Be careful."

"Why's that?" I chuckled, raising a brow. "Why should I be careful?"

"Because I know how it feels," he said, his voice softer now as his hand reached over to caress my cheek. His touch sent a wave of shivers down my spine. "Every second they're not in your arms, it's torture. Like pieces of yourself are being carved away."

For a moment, I just stared at him, and then leaning in, I pressed another quick kiss to his lips. "Don't worry, I'm not going to fuck things up like you did. I am not stupid ike you," I said with a playful glint in my eyes.

His brows shot up before realization dawned, a low chuckle escaping him. "Outrageous little vixen," he laughed, before pressing a soft kiss to my forehead and turning his focus back to the road. Just then, a double-decker bus zoomed past us.

I smiled, glancing at him. "You do realize we could've just died if you were a second late getting back to driving, right?"

He shot me a knowing look, a slow smile spreading across his face. "To die by your side would be such a heavenly way to die."

As the words left his mouth, I knew it wasn't just the song, he meant those words, just as I did. I could die by his side and have no regrets.

Unable to resist, I leaned in once more and kissed him-harder this time, with a wild, reckless abandon that didn't care if we'd crash and burn.

***

As we stepped out of the car and Jacob handed the keys to the caretaker, I impulsively grabbed his sleeve.

"How about this?" I said, voice low and teasing. "You and me... a little moment in the car?"

He glanced down at his sleeve, then back at me, one eyebrow lifting in amusement. "A quickie?" he asked, his grin widening, his eyes sparkling with playful challenge.

Heat flooded my face. Before I could even think of a retort, he stepped closer, closing the space between us. The warmth of his body, the nearness of him, made it impossible to breathe. Suddenly, I felt like teenage Evelyn again, flushed with excitement, overwhelmed by the man who'd once been nothing more than an untouchable fantasy. Maybe it was because we had been distant for too long. Maybe it was the realization that this was it-the man I'd be spending the rest of my life with.

Yes, that had to be it.

"Since when," Jacob drawled, his hands sliding to my waist as he pulled me against him, our bodies aligning, "have you become a fan of quickies? As far as I know, you prefer sleepless nights and entire days of doing nothing but fucking, just as much as I do."

My cheeks flamed in embarrassment. This man had no shame-none.

"You're... impossible." I tried to glare at him, but failed miserably. The way he smiled at me, smug and impossibly charming, made my anger dissolve into nothing. "Forget it. Let's just go inside."

I made a move toward the house,

but he wasn't letting me go that easily. His hand shot out, pulling me back with swift, deliberate strength until my back pressed into his chest. His breath was hot and heavy on my neck as he traced the line where my shoulder met my neck with his nose, sending shivers racing down my spine.

I sucked in a breath, my skin tingling with the contact. His fingers trailed from my arm to my fingertips, igniting sparks everywhere they touched. "After you explain things to Samuel and Clara," he whispered, his lips brushing against my ear, "come to my room." His smirk deepened, his hand tightening around me possessively. "And trust me, it won't be a quickie."

His voice dropped an octave, and every last thread of control I had unraveled. I couldn't bear another second without having him. The need to feel him-every inch of him-was overwhelming.

Barely managing to control my breath, I turned, opened the door, and looked back at him, a wicked smile on my lips. He had no idea what I was about to do, but that was all part of the thrill.

"You know," I began slowly, my voice low and teasing as I stood in the doorway, "I can explain later."

"What do you mean "

nenoveldrama

Before he could finish, I grabbed him by the collar, pulling him into a fierce kiss. Dragging him inside the house, I kicked the door shut behind us, pressing him against the cold wood. His warmth enveloped me, and the delicious contrast between his heat and the cool surface sent me spiraling.

The house was dark. Completely dark. Clara and Dad were probably upstairs.

We were alone. Safe. And I could do whatever I wanted to him.

For a few blissful seconds, Jacob lost control too. His hands roamed my back, his lips moving against mine with equal hunger. But then, he pulled away, his face inches from mine, his breathing ragged.

"Don't make this harder for me, Evie," he panted, his forehead resting against mine. "We're in your house. America. Not Italy. Samuel and Clara could catch us "

"I don't care," I rasped, breathless. My fingers were already working on the buttons of his shirt, sliding against the smooth planes of his chest. "I want you now."

His chuckle was hoarse as he tried to pull back again. "Evelyn, your parents could see us—"

"I don't care," I whispered, tugging him back down into a kiss, my fingers tracing the lines of his muscles. His skin felt like heaven under my touch- warm, firm, intoxicating.

"Evie " His voice was a mixture of desperation and amusement, but he couldn't finish. I moved to his neck, kissing, biting, tasting him. His scent and the heat of his body consumed me.

I was lost in him—completely. Nothing mattered but him. Not logic, not caution. Just Jacob and the way I craved him.

Until the lights flicked on.

Suddenly, the dark hall wasn't dark

anymore. I froze, heart leaping into | my throat as I saw Dad and Clara standing on the stairway. Dad's

expression was a mix of Dad's et

and mild horror, while Clara

there, grinning with clear

stood

amusement.

A wave of cold realization crashed over me, like ice water being poured down my back.

Oh, fuck...