Aurora's POV

A new week had begun. Things remained practically the same at the office regarding work, although one thing I didn't consider the same as before was my strange "boss-employee" relationship with Rafael. Everything was so strange, there was such a strong tension between us, a strange feeling of suffocation that made me want to take a step and try something with him.

Honestly, I liked him, I liked him a lot. Aside from the obvious fact that he's damn handsome, he has a very... interesting personality. He's very imposing, so masculine, yet very self-assured. I like what I've seen when we're alone together. He's kinder to me, more gentlemanly, and has shown himself open to conversation and not sitting in silent silence for hours, and I dare say he's even fun.

But it seems to me that despite all that, I think that my liking for him is merely physical and carnal, despite my way of being somewhat flirtatious and insinuating sometimes, I did not have much experience in matters related to sex, obviously I have kissed someone and had fleeting moments of passion, but I have never really slept with someone, no one had awakened that spark of desire in me that would lead me to long for that, not until I met Rafael, he awakens things in me that I never thought anyone would do, although I insist, it is only physical attraction.

It couldn't be any other way. I'd been in this place long enough to know Rafael's thoughts. He wasn't open to accepting any kind of feelings, much less for me. I was just doing an internship at his company; I wasn't anything more than that, I wasn't even really his employee. And I don't think he'd even try anything casual with me because of his rule of never mixing work with fun. He knew everything was against me, so I just accepted living and seeing him daily with the desire for him consuming me.

As usual, I was in the building, at this moment I was in my office finishing some documents that Sebastian asked me , so I spent part of my morning until I finished what was requested, I got up from my seat and took the documents to Sebastian .

-Excuse me Mr. Stan, the documents are ready here- I said with a smile as I entered his office.

-Thank you very much, darling, remember that you can call me Sebastian ...- He corrected me kindly.

-Sure, sorry- I replied handing him the folder. -Do you need anything else?- I asked before leaving.

"Taking advantage of your kindness, would you help me by taking this list of instructions to David?" she asked somewhat shyly. I smiled and went over to take the paper.

-Of course, I'll give it to you-

-Thanks again, darling-

I walked with the list in my hands down the hallway to the private investigation area where David worked. It was on this same floor, so I only had to walk until I got there and look for him with my eyes to give him what Sebastian asked me for . As soon as I saw him, I approached him and touched his shoulder to get his attention.

-Oh, hello Aurora- He said with a big smile when he saw me. -Do you need anything, princess?- He asked getting up from his chair and standing next to me.

Typical of David, I consider that we were friends, or at least we got along well and of course I noticed his constant insinuations towards me but honestly I didn't care at all, he called me by affectionate nicknames or things like that but I just ignored him.

"I just came to bring you this list of instructions, Mr. Stan sent it to you," I replied kindly, handing him the sheet of paper.

-Thanks, sweetie... Hey, one thing before you go...- He added, taking my wrist, stopping my step.

"Yes?" I asked curiously.

"Would you like to, I don't know... go to dinner with me this weekend or whenever you're free?" He asked, tucking a strand of my hair behind my ear.

That took me a little by surprise, I didn't want to hurt his feelings but I didn't want to go out with him, how could I say no without seeming like a bad person?

-Ah...I- He said hesitantly, his face close to mine looking at me with curiosity, still thinking what to answer exactly when someone mentions my name.

-Aurora!- I heard my name, I immediately moved a few steps away from David, the bell saved me.

But when I turned to see who was calling me, I was startled to see Rafael walking toward us. SHIT! I hope he doesn't scold me for thinking I was flirting with someone at work. I better not misinterpret things or I'll be in trouble. Rafael walked over to where we were both, his face serious, very, very serious, his jaw tense, and he looked at David as if he wanted to kill him.

-Get back to work Allen, now- She said sharply in a very unfriendly way.

He went back behind his desk without a word, I turned my head slowly until I saw Rafael again, he looked at me deeply, I looked at him the same way for a few seconds, he didn't say anything, I would love to know what is going on in that mysterious mind of his.

-Come with me- He said simply using that same tone.

Shit... I'm scared.

I followed him to his office, feeling the nerves completely invade me.

"Is something wrong, Mr. Rafael?" I asked in a low voice, watching him lean on his desk, cross his arms, and stare at me.

"Did Allen bother you?" he asks bluntly.

-Ah... I don't know, he... I think it's his way of being friendly, but I don't really care, did I do something wrong?- I returned the question with fear, I didn't know exactly where the conversation was going.

-No, darling, of course not...- He said softly.

WHAT DID HE CALL ME???!!!

-I just wanted to know that you were okay, tell me if it bothers you or does anything- He finished saying, returning behind his desk. I guess he didn't realize what he said. I was stunned.

-Don't worry, Mr. Rafael, I'm fine, thank you very much-

-By the way, grab your things. You'll come with me to a meeting at the law firm on the other side of town.

Did he want me to accompany him? This is new. How exciting! Sharing Sebastian last week was way too fun, entertaining, and educational for my work experience... Although I would appreciate some kind words from Rafael, like a "Please," but hey, I'm getting used to it. I gave him a warm smile and nodded.

-Sure, sir, I'll be right back-

I did exactly as he asked. I grabbed my things and we headed to the parking lot, where we got into his gorgeous car and headed across town to the law firm, which, by the way, was Rafael's direct "competition." It wasn't as good as Novoa's, but it was the one I'd always have a problem with. We were going at a relatively normal speed on the highway. God! I didn't know if I liked Rafael or his car more...

"And how fast did you go with the car?" I asked, interested, seeing that he didn't raise the speed limit much, considering that it was a car designed for racing, the road was practically empty, and it was precisely designed for driving at high speeds.

-Honestly, not much. I don't usually go very fast in it.- He answered gently, looking at me for a couple of seconds.

WHAT?! How is that possible?! I turned around in my seat in disbelief to stare at him.

-WHAT?!! You have a super car and you haven't driven it at the speed limit!?- I asked without measuring my tone or my words.

I was instantly embarrassed when I realized I had used the familiar form with him, I covered my mouth with my hand and opened my eyes in shock.

"Excuse me, Mr. Novoa, I didn't mean to talk to you like that. It's just that I was a little surprised..." I quickly corrected myself before he could get upset for taking me for granted.

To my surprise, he started laughing. He looked so handsome in that relaxed, carefree way. He looked at me for a few seconds again and then fixed his gaze on the road.

-Don't worry Aurora, don't worry, it's just that I don't feel capable enough to go at such high speeds, I don't know if I would be able to control it- He replied with a small smile.

-May I ask then, why did you buy a car like that?- I questioned with some shame.

-I guess just for the luxury of having it, it's a nice car...- He answered my questions, that made me feel happy, he was being more open with me.

-Wow, it is, it's beautiful...- I admitted, looking at Rafael's profile.

We continued making small talk until we reached the building, which happened after about another 20 minutes of walking. Upon arriving, I noticed the building wasn't as impressive as " The New Age "; it didn't scream power like that wonderful place did. Rafael opened the car door and helped me out. He walked beside me, guiding me with his hand placed on my lower back. I felt my skin burn at that simple touch.

We walked until we reached the interior of the building. I followed Rafael's steps. I was a little nervous but very excited. I wasn't sure what this meeting would involve or exactly what Rafael would need my help with, but I was thrilled to be here by his side. After a couple of minutes, we finally arrived at a meeting room. There were at least five people there, who stood up as soon as we entered.

I was the only woman in that room, everyone fixed their eyes on me, Rafael still kept his hand on my back guiding me at all times, we walked to where those men were who did not hide their gazes towards me at all.

"Good afternoon," I said politely as we approached them.

-Good afternoon- One of them answered, who was at the head of the table, I suppose he was the boss of the place –We were already expecting you Rafaeltopher-

"Let's begin then," Rafael said, simply moving a chair so I could sit down. I greatly appreciated that gesture.

They all sat down, still with uneasy glances on both of us. They didn't speak at all, they seemed to want to say something. They seemed uncomfortable with my presence, which made me feel somewhat nervous and with the feeling of being in a place where I shouldn't be.

-Well Novoa, before we begin, I can't help but ask about your beautiful companion, who is she?- asked the man whom I assumed was the boss.

-Aurora West works with me at the firm, she joined the team a couple of months ago- He informed without giving much detail, omitting the fact that I am just an intern. What the hell was going on here?

-Nice to meet you, Aurora, I'm Patrick Stewart, owner and head of this law firm- He introduced himself, extending his hand towards me. I took it somewhat uncomfortably. He ran his thumb over my knuckles, and I immediately withdrew my hand.

"She's not allowed to be here, she has to leave, this is a confidential meeting," added a man younger than Patrick, looking at me contemptuously.

"I'm aware of the confidentiality of this, but Miss West is part of my legal team and is someone I completely trust. She's staying with me, and I don't want to hear another word," Rafael said sharply, his jaw clenched, surprising me.

That man just looked at him with annoyance, just like he did at me, but he didn't say anything else. Mr. Stewart tried to lighten the atmosphere, seeing the situation that arose. I think it was a bad idea to come here. Rafael noticed that I tensed instantly. I felt his hand intertwine with mine under the table, trying to calm me down. It really helped, a very nice gesture, in my opinion. What was wrong with Rafael? What was changing in him?

-Okay, okay, calm down, there's no need for the girl to leave... Let's get to the point... I know you rejected Richards' case, he came to ask for my help, but I heard you're going to represent the person who accused him- He said seriously.

"So what about that?" Rafael asked indifferently, still not letting go of my hand.

"Why did you drop the Richards case? The fact that you're representing the accuser is a problem for me, Novoa. I want you to drop that case..." the man demanded threateningly.

Oh my God! What have I gotten myself into?!

Rafael seemed to observe the man for a couple of seconds; he knew that look, his confidence, his imposing manner. He wasn't going to give in. I could even say he was having fun listening to that man's demands.

-Richards is guilty, I would never represent someone guilty, representing his accuser is really because I want to have the satisfaction of seeing him behind bars, and if you think that I will drop the case just because you say so, you are very wrong, you have no chance of winning, so, you have two options... I can give you the privilege of teaming up and winning together, or you can compete with me and watch me win- He finished by saying in such a precise and severe way, that even I felt sorry for the poor idiot in front of us.

"Are you not willing to negotiate?" he asked with a crooked smile, then gave me a very... disturbing look. He looked at me in a very strange way, as if he were the hunter and I were his prey.

Rafael seemed to notice this as I saw him frown slightly and tighten his grip on my hand a little.

-No, so if that's all you wanted to tell me, we're leaving now- He informed us, getting up from his seat and walking to the exit, still holding our hands.

I was nervous, confused, and very surprised; there were so many emotions inside me. While I was in the elevator, I saw him still with a serious expression. I looked at our intertwined hands and then I saw him.

"Are you okay, Mr. Novoa?" I asked, gently touching his arm with my free hand. He reacted to my touch, looking at his arm and then back at me.

"Yes, calm down, everything's fine," he replied gently. He seemed to realize the situation and slowly let go of my hand. We walked slowly toward where his car had been parked.

"Thanks for defending me up there, sir. I really appreciate that," I thanked him, remembering what had happened. He looked at me for a few seconds and smiled a little.

-Don't be thankful, darling- He replied simply, I didn't say anything, I was just treasuring every moment by his side and every nice and gentle gesture he was having towards me.

We got to the car, he approached the passenger door and grabbed the handle but didn't open the door, I saw him hesitate for a few seconds making me look at him in confusion, suddenly he extended the keys towards me, What is this?

"You drive," he said, putting the keys in my hands.

ARE YOU REALLY?!

"Are you kidding, sir?" I asked, trying to contain my excitement.

-I never joke, come on get in- He invited me with a smile, I couldn't contain my excitement any longer and I let out a cry of happiness, I quickly turned around and got in on the passenger side.

I started the car and felt a rush of adrenaline rush through me. I'd never driven this particular car before, and it filled me with excitement. Rafael watched my every move closely. I looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"How do you even know I know how to drive a car?" I playfully asked before starting the car.

-Something tells me you do know- He responded in the same way, I smiled widely, put on my seatbelt and started the car maintaining a normal speed for now.

It was a delight to drive this car, simply fantastic. Driving this car made me feel at home. I missed that feeling. I'd basically grown up with high speeds, and without the desire to show off, I was more than good at it. I drove for about five minutes until Rafael was the one who tried to break the ice... This day was turning out to be crazy.

Rafael's POV

How much longer am I going to endure this torture? Exactly everything I didn't want was happening. I'm getting to know Aurora better and better, and with each passing moment, I like her more. I'm feeling things I shouldn't be feeling, like jealousy. When the hell did I become a jealous man?! Watching that stupid Allen try to flirt with her made me so furious. I wasn't going to take her to the meeting, but I wanted her away from him, at least for that moment.

She managed to bring out this very unknown version of me. Why did I care so much? I had the need to know everything about her, to ask about her interests, and I was also letting her know so many things about me. I answered any of her questions without even thinking twice about whether I should or not. This was so wrong, but something inside me felt right letting her know everything about me. I was burning with desire for this woman; she was consuming me completely.

My anger soared when I saw how she was treated at Patrick's law firm, first by the bastard who wanted her to leave and then by Patrick himself looking at her as if he wanted to devour her, he won't touch a single hair on her head as long as he's with me, he'll never have the privilege of touching her... Never. On the other hand, seeing Aurora's excited face when I told her to drive the car made my heart beat wildly, I had a lot of doubt about how she was so involved in this, it made her a fascinating woman without a doubt.

"Answer me something, Aurora. How do you know so much about cars?" I asked, staring at her. She kept her eyes on the road, even though we were traveling at a fairly reasonable speed. It took her a few seconds before she answered.

-Because of my father... My father works as a race car mechanic, I basically grew up in that world, since I was very little I have been very involved in it, at some point I thought about being a racer but I think my true love is in the law, racing cars became just a hobby that I practiced every time I went with dad to work- She said with a beautiful smile, I felt the emotion in each of her words, her eyes shone when she talked about it, she is wonderful.

"So, you race cars?" I asked, impressed, very impressed.

-Yes, it's just a hobby. Dad, being the workshop manager, had some freedom to let me use the tracks before events.

-It's surprising- I admitted, still looking at her. -I imagine the boys must go crazy over it- I said without thinking much about what I said, his smile dissipated a little, well done Rafael.

-Well, something like that, not the way I would like- He commented with a somewhat nostalgic tone.

-What are you talking about?-

-Well... My last partner was with me just to be able to have access to everything related to these events, enter the tracks, meet the runners, etc. He used me very cynically just for those benefits and when he decided that I was no longer of use to him, he cheated on me with the one who at that time was my best friend and who knows with how many more people, there always has to be something bad in good things- He told me without hesitation just letting that out.

Knowing that made me feel so angry. How could anyone be capable of doing that to such a fantastic woman? He was crazy; he didn't know how to appreciate what she was. And now I'm saying this cheesy nonsense. I'm going to go crazy.

-I'm so sorry Aurora, if it helps, I think that people who cheat are those who feel insecure and pathetic enough that they need the approval and "love" of more than one person, they don't know what the word "loyalty" means and they have so little respect for themselves that they are incapable of giving it to someone else- I said trying to make her feel a little better, she remained silent for a few seconds before speaking again.

"Have you fallen in love, Mr. Novoa?" she asked in a shy whisper. Her question shocked me a little, and even though I had nothing to say to her about it and it went against everything I thought, I decided to answer her honestly.

-I... I don't think so... I really loved a woman, but I guess I never really loved her... It was when I had just finished college and was hired at a small law firm. I was dating a colleague at the office and she also decided that I wasn't what she needed and cheated on me with a "better prospect" - I said, feeling disgusted by remembering that.

That's why I became a heartless bastard, the fact that I wasn't in love with that woman doesn't mean it didn't hurt, of course it did, I was loyal to her and she played with what I gave her, from that moment on I promised myself that no one would play with me that way again, that's also why I never mix feelings and work, it doesn't turn out well at all, although these last few weeks I haven't been known for following that rule one hundred percent, I don't know what was happening to me.

Aurora listened to what I told her, she seemed very surprised by my story, and even more surprised that I decided to tell it to her, she drove for a couple of minutes without saying a single word until she stopped in a rest area, parked, turned off the car and looked at me fixedly taking my hand that was resting on my leg... Don't do that, darling, I don't know how much longer I can hold out.

-Sir, I haven't known you for too long, but I admit that both you and Mr. Stan have earned my affection, you are good people, even if you want to pretend otherwise, do not allow the bad actions of a bad person to continue affecting and withering your life, you deserve to be happy and find someone who gives you that spark and makes you feel how beautiful it is to love and be loved- She said in such a sweet way making me feel strange, she makes me feel so... special.

I looked at her for a couple of seconds and got lost in her beautiful eyes, I caressed her cheek and arranged her hair, but before letting this continue I stopped and tried to control myself... No! You're not going to fall, you can't allow something to happen, I just have to look after my work, BUT IT WAS SO DIFFICULT! I removed my hand from her face and just looked at her with gratitude.

-I appreciate your words Aurora, it's very sweet- She just nodded with a smile and started the car again, before going straight out onto the road she turned to look at me with a mischievous smile.

"Are you afraid of speed, Mr. Novoa?" she asked in a fucking sexy way.

-Surprise me... and by the way, you can call me Rafael- I responded in the same way while fastening my seatbelt, she turned to see the road and sped the car like I've never done before.

She was doing it perfectly, we were going too fast, she was an expert at what she was doing, the road was completely empty so she wasn't a danger to us or other people, I was really ecstatic about everything that had happened, I'm really screwed.

What am I going to do with you, precious?