I don't.
My fingers are shaking slightly as I type in my contact information. I hand the phone back, and he glances at the screen, his mouth quirking slightly at whatever name I saved myself under.
“Madison Grace Summers,” he reads aloud.
“That's my name.”
“I know and your friends call you Madi,” He sends me a quick text with his number and pockets his phone. “I'll be in touch.”
He stands, dropping a twenty on the table even though his coffee probably costs four dollars. “Finish your work, turn off your location and stay in public places. And, Madison?”
I look up at him, my heart in my throat.
“Behave,” he says, and the word lands like a physical touch.
Before I can respond—before I can even process the heat flooding through me—he's gone.
Leaving me with cold coffee, hot skin from the blush penetrating my cheeks, and the absolute certainty that I am in way over my head.
And that I don't want to surface.
CHAPTER 3
Imake it exactly twelve minutes before I cave.
Twelve minutes. That might be a personal record for impulse control.
I don't even try to ease into it. I drop straight into the group chat labeled NAUGHTY LITTLE GIRLS BOOK CLUB and type.
Me: I accidentally flirted with a government man today.
The typing bubbles explode instantly.
Lily: Define government man.
Amber: Like accountant government or don't ask questions government?
I type back: Tall. Broody. Bossy. Definitely the don't ask questions variety.
Maya: Oh no. Your CIA man again?
I groan and flop back onto my couch. CIA man. Like he's mine. Like I have any claim whatsoever to Ty Garcia beyond two chance encounters and a phone number I haven't worked up thenerve to use. I don’t even know if he is CIA. CIA, FBI, Secret Service… any number of alphabet soup agencies would fit.
Me: He told me to behave.
A full three seconds pass.
Emily: Oh. Oh no. Oh yes.
Lily: DID HE SOUND LIKE A DADDY?
Me: I hate all of you.
Holly: Do you, though?
I can practically hear Holly's smug little laugh through the screen. She's the only one among us who has actually locked down a Daddy Dom. Justin, who owns an amusement company that just built a new one not even an hour from here, and who apparently has absolutely no problem telling her what to do. She wears that fact like a crown. One of the reasons I drove down was to meet with Holly and Chloe in person. The other littles are all talking about moving here, since their jobs are mobile and can be done from anywhere.
Holly: Because when Justin first told me to behave I pretended to be offended. I was not offended.
