"Tessa, meet my dad, Julian Anderson, and dad, meet Tessa, the best friend I wouldn't stop blabbering about." She smiled, gesturing between her best friend and her father.

Her dad?

Tessa's brows pulled together in confusion. A million questions swarmed her thoughts. There was no way this Greek god in front of her was Maribel's father. No way. She was still wallowing in doubt when the myth about him struck her, and she instantly believed it.

Julian was indeed her best friend's dad.

She extended a hand forward, feigning a smile that faltered before forming fully. "Nice meeting you, sir."

She was silently begging her body not to betray her as Julian gave her a lazy look with those sharp, observant eyes. A jolt of something electrifying tingled her skin when he slid his hand into hers and shook it lightly.

The heat was so intense she feared her skin might burst into flames if she didn't let go of his hand. Oh, she needed to be focused. She was losing it already.

He watched her faintly as if to determine if she would be a good addition to the household. He confirmed her soft aura with a smile. "Welcome here, Tessaline." He said, letting go of her hand.

Tessa's insides mourned from the disconnection. Even his smile was as beautiful as he was. She prayed Maribel hadn't noticed anything strange about her reactions since she set eyes on her dad. And did he just call her by her full name? That was rare. No one did except for her late parents and grandparents.

"I told him your full name, and I think he prefers that," Maribel said, winking at her best friend as she slid next to her.

When Julian's eyes dropped to his wristwatch, Tessa took a secret moment to scrutinize him.

Neatly trimmed brown hair. Perfectly chiseled jawline. Tall and impossibly handsome. A commanding presence so loud without even trying. He was in his mid-forties, but looked decades younger. His lean structure was elegantly enhanced by the well-tailored three-piece suit he donned. Every inch of him screamed perfection.

Now, she knew where Maribel got her good genes. For a second, she imagined what his body would look like without that suit. Hot. Tempting. Damn, she needed to focus. This wasn't the reason she came to Velmark, but it wasn't her fault that this man was hot. Too hot not to be noticed. Too hot for her not to harbor nasty, dirty thoughts about him, even though she was meeting him for the first time.

"Show your friend to her room." Julian lifted his eyes to glance at his daughter. "You two should explore the mansion. I have a meeting to attend now." His eyes were back on the wristwatch.

"Dad," Maribel was back to her father's side, her lips curved in a cute pout that melted hearts. She lulled in his arms for a few seconds before looking him in the eyes. "Rowan wants me to come stay with him for a while."

Tessa's eyes darted across the room and rested on her best friend. They had been together on a journey for hours, and she didn't tell her she was planning to stay with her fiancé. There was no way she was leaving her alone to stay in that house with her father.

"What do you mean?" Julian asked his daughter, his voice a little bit edgy, but Tessa didn't mind. He needed to stop her.

Maribel looked towards Tessa with pleading eyes. "I am sorry I didn't let you two know about this before now. I just wanted Tessa to leave Bally to start afresh here. If I had told her, she wouldn't have come over."

"And me?" Julian looked hurt.

"Oh, come on, Dad. Tessa is here, and she is as much your daughter as I am."

Tessa shifted her gaze away from her friend, taking her time to feed her eyes with the interiors of the grand living room. Sunlight poured in through the floor-to-ceiling windows. There were leather sofas, a sleek glass coffee table, and monochrome artworks sprawled at every corner.

"You've barely had my time since you got engaged to that boy." Julian was checking his watch again, and Tessa assumed he must be running late for the meeting. "But what do I have to say? I was that way with your mother, too." A sad smile touched his lips. "I wanted her around even before I engaged her."

Tessa smiled. Maribel had told her about how deeply her father adored her late mother, and had chosen to stay single ever since she died ten years ago. Something like pity crossed her face, but it faded when she knew that someone like Julian didn't need pity in his life.

"When are you leaving?" He asked her.

"Right after Tessa settles in. I miss him already." Maribel said, whining and flapping her arms in the air. "I don't have to pack, I have enough clothes in his house." She moved closer to her father, offering him an apologetic smile.

He nodded, kissing her. Turning to Tessa, he said, "I will see you when I get back from work."

Tessa nodded, but he wouldn't see her because she would have already hidden away in her room long before he got back.

"Tell Annie to prepare something special for dinner. We have a guest." With that, Julian kissed his daughter again and dashed out of the living room.

Tessa watched his back, his strides fast and calculated. She smiled. This was going to be so much more than she anticipated.

"What was that, Bel?" Tessa grabbed her friend's arm the moment her father stepped out of the house. "What do you mean you are leaving the house when I have just arrived today?" She shouldn't be upset that her friend was trying to help her, but she couldn't get the thought of being home alone with her friend's father out of her head.

To worsen it. He was hot, and merely staring at him gave her nasty ideas. She didn't want to be caught up in that weird web.

"Maybe I should just go with you to Rowan's house. I don't know."

Maribel chuckled. Turning to her friend, she said. "Rowan loves me too much to entertain the idea of a threesome. So, that's a big NO." Her lips emphasized the word so Tessa could understand clearly.

"Gosh, you are nasty," Tessa said, shoving her away with her hand.

"He's my man, you know?" She grabbed Tessa and led her upstairs. "Come, let me show you to my room, and then, your room. I prepared something nice for you."

Tessa trusted Maribel to always look after her. "Thank you," she said when they got to the doorpost that led to Maribel's room. "Thank you so much for everything, Bel. I owe you one."

"No, you do not." She said dismissively. "Oh, maybe you do owe me something." A nasty smile parted her lips into two. Winking at Tessa, she said. "You owe me a hot man in Velmark. Find him quickly, and your debt will be cleared."

Tessa chuckled. Her friend just knew how to make her feel better in every situation.

Maribel opened the door that led to her huge, beige-themed room, and all that filled Tessa's head as they explored the room was her friend's last words, but then, that wasn't what she was all about now.

She had more important things to achieve.