Page 17 of Dangerous Men

Oh dear. I feel a blush creep over my cheeks. He probably thinks I’m some sort of pervert now.

“So—and I want to make sure I’m understanding this, Sydney—you’re saying Phaedra can be with Malachi, and also be with?—”

“Zayden,” I finish, nodding. “Yes.”

His face is still unreadable as he regards me. “I didn’t know that was a thing in these books,” he admits, voice husky.

“Some of them,” I say. “Certainly not all. It’s more accepted in certain genres.”

“And is this common in the books thatyouenjoy, Sydney?”

His gaze is so focused, so dark, and I know I’ve ruined it. He, officially, thinks I’m some sort of deviant. Great.

“Well, I read a lot of books,” I tell him, noncommittally, fighting the urge to fidget. I’m not going to admit to him that… yes, actually. It has quickly become one of my favorite tropes. The idea of being shared between two men? Or maybe even… more?

It’s thrilling in a way I can’t quite explain. Sinful and selfish, sure, butthrilling.And there’s a part of me—a small part, sure, it’s there—that wants to know what that would be like. That wants to experience that outside of the pages of a book.

“I see.” Alec licks his bottom lip. “Thank you, Sydney. That was… very informative.”

“Anytime,” I answer, my voice a little small.

Informative. Yeah.

He definitely thinks I’m a pervert now.

8

ASHTON

I could have swornSebastian said she was a brunette.

The woman behind the counter is cute, sure, but…

That’s definitely somebrightpurple hair she’s sporting, isn’t it? But I haven’t seen another woman working here so far, so just in case, I give her my biggest, sweetest smile. The smile that’s dropped a thousand panties. The smile that’s practically an invitation to sit on my face and stay there as long as they want.

“I’ll have a chocolate chip blended ice coffee,” I tell the woman behind the counter. “Extra pump of syrup. The biggest size you’ve got.”

I watch her make the drink, careful not to stare too intently or in a way that might make her uncomfortable. Honestly, Sebastian must be going crazy, because she doesn’t really look like Alec’s usual type at all. And, yeah, she’s gorgeous, in an alternative punk rocker kind of way, but I can’t imagine she’s the woman he’s been coming here to see every day. She’s just not very… him.

Not veryus.

When she hands me the drink, I slip a twenty in the tip jar, just in case I’m wrong and she is the girl Alec is spending time with. Hell, even if I’m right, it always pays to overtip when you can afford it. And we can definitely afford it. The pretty grin she gives me as I saunter away with my treat is well worth the cash.

I take a big gulp of the sugary drink as I wander through the rest of the shop, stopping now and then to check out some books and make it look like I’m a real, honest-to-goodness bibliophile just popping in to sample the wares. Nothing suspicious here, folks. Just your regular run-of-the-mill bookworm.

The place is cute. Every aisle is clean and tidy, with fun displays on the ends advertising new releases and highlighting local authors. Some even have merchandise for the store itself, and I stop to admire a collection ofBook Boutique and Bakerymugs and tote bags, grinning at the logo. There are a few different styles, some featuring adorable cartoon baked goods, with massive, animated eyes.

Cute.

I slurp more of my drink noisily through the straw and wander down another aisle. I still haven’t seen any other employees. Maybe Sebastian was wrong. Maybe there is a girl Alec has been coming here to see, but she’s a customer. Maybe?—

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” a familiar voice stops me.

I grin. Busted.

“Shopping for books,” I answer, not turning around to acknowledge Alec at all. I pull a book from the shelf at random and make a show of reading the blurb on the back before putting it back where it came from. “What does it look like I’m doing?”

“Cut the shit, Ashton,” Alec snaps.