Page 46 of Dangerous Men

Curious, I open the text thread. There are no other messages from this number. Just a single text at 5:30 this morning, wishing me a good morning.

Before I can decide to ignore it, another comes in.

The Boss: Are you sore?

I look away from the message for a moment to spit my toothpaste in the sink and rinse.

Who is this?

The phone comes with me back into my bedroom as I pick out my clothing for the day. The weather is still warm, and I’m itching to wear one of my sundresses, but they’re buried somewhere in the back of my closet, boxed up and forgotten in a storage bin.

I can’t remember the last time I wore one, or why I stopped. But I’ve always felt so wonderfully free in a sundress. Alive and uninhibited.

I think it’s time I started wearing them again.

The Boss: Guess. And I asked you a question, Sydney. I expect you to give me an answer.

I think I have a pretty good idea who it is, based on the bossy tone alone. My only question is how Ash and Alec managed to get into my phone to enter their contact information. But I shrug that question aside and coyly ask.

Why would I be sore?

The answer comes almost instantly.

The Boss: Because I felt how hard you came on my fingers last night, darling. And I felt how much having three inside you stretched you. Now answer the question.

Yep. That answers that. I grin as I type my response.

A little sore. Not… bad. A good sore.

The Boss: That’s my good girl.

I bite down on my bottom lip, not understanding how two simple words could get me so worked up. Reluctantly, I put thephone down and pull on a simple T-shirt and jeans, trying to focus on getting ready for my day.

I don’t check my phone again until I’ve gone downstairs, greeted Jade, and started drinking my morning latte. I have a new text message already, but this time, the sender has an actual name saved.

Ashton: Good morning, babygirl!

His message makes my skin heat and my heart flutter, but I swallow those feelings down and don’t text him back right away. They’re both coming on a little strong, and even though I loved what we did last night, this morning I’m not sure how to feel about it. In the bright light of a new day, thinking back on our night together, I feel conflicted.

Because I’m not that girl.

I’m not the girl who goes to fancy parties and gets too drunk. I don’t pull attention. I’m perfectly plain, always. Practically invisible. I’m certainly not the girl who finds herself flirting with not one, buttwogorgeous men.

And I’m not the girl who lets someone bring her to a screaming orgasm after just a few hours of flirting. Definitely not.

I waited a full three weeks after our first date before I slept with Chase. That felt like an appropriate (and, according to Jade, downrightpious) amount of time. I’d felt good about that decision, happy with it.

Later, I overheard him joking with his friends that he couldn’t believe how easy it was, how quickly I gave it up. He thought he’d have to put in more work, he’d said. I learned my lesson quickly after that. While we were together, I perfected the skill of being coquettish, butnevereasy. It didn’t take melong to realize Chase enjoyed the hunt. He wanted me to be available, but nevertooavailable. Eager, but never wanting it too much. And I was good at it. I wasperfect.

I knew exactly how to be just what he wanted.

And now one evening filled with a few compliments and I’m naked in their bed? Willing to besharedby two men? It’s like everything I ever learned about sex went flying out the window—along with my sanity, apparently. I’m officially everything that Chase accused me of when he’d get in one of his “moods”—a slut, an easy woman, a whore…

Not to mention, Alec and Ash are both reasonably famous, at least here in Fortune City. And I’m just not made for the spotlight. I need some time to adjust to the idea of being with both of them. Some time to think hard about whether that is even something I want.

Satisfied that I’m making the mature, rational decision—despite my body practically begging for more of whatever they’d do to me—I put my thoughts of them both aside and throw myself into my work for the day. I spend most of the morning putting up our displays for the new month. I like to set up end caps for any new releases and refresh our Staff Picks every few weeks. Though, truthfully, Jade’s books rarely change, so it’s mostly just shuffling hers around and picking out a fresh batch for mine.

The store hosts a book club on the second Friday of every month, so I spend a few hours finalizing the orders for that, to make sure everyone’s books for the next month arrive on time. I might be too busy to participate, but I love The Book Boutique’s book club and all its members. They always put in extra effort to support the shop, each member ordering a copy of their monthly books here at our store instead of online. Our book club has become something I rely on, both emotionallyand financially. And I do what I can to make sure they know that and feel appreciated.