"What?" I ask.
"Nothing," Madison says innocently. "Continue."
"He cooked me dinner. We talked for hours. Then he insisted I stay because it was late and I'd had wine."
"Gentleman," Chloe says approvingly.
"Or strategist," Amber counters. "Get you comfortable in his space. Smart move."
"It wasn't like that." Although even as I say it, I'm not entirely sure. "He gave me space. Didn't push."
"But you wanted him to," Holly says. It's not a question.
Heat crawls up my neck. "Maybe."
The table erupts in reactions. Madison claps her hands together. Maya grins. Emily looks concerned but intrigued.
"Okay, timeout." Chloe makes a T with her hands. "Before we get ahead of ourselves, let's address the elephant in the room. You're working for him, Lily. That's a power dynamic."
"I know."
"Do you?" Emily's voice is kind but serious. "Because mixing business with pleasure can get messy really fast."
"We haven't mixed anything," I protest weakly.
"Yet," Amber says.
"He's sixteen years older than you," Maya adds, though she doesn't sound judgmental. Just factual.
"I'm aware."
"Are you, though?" Madison tilts her head. "Because age gap relationships come with their own challenges. Trust me. Ty and I?—"
"Are literally perfect together," I interrupt. "You two are disgustingly happy."
Madison's smile softens. "We are. But it took work to get here. Communication. Boundaries. Being honest about what we needed."
"Speaking of needs." Holly's grin turns wicked. "I’m assuming since one of your Daddy books fell into his groceries, he knows about what you like?"
I bury my face in my hands. "I knew that would come back to haunt me."
"Did he say anything about it?" Chloe asks.
"He asked if I enjoyed it last night."
The table goes silent.
"He what now?" Madison's eyes are huge.
"He asked if I enjoyed thebook, notthe dynamic. And I said yes. And then we talked about what I found compelling about both."
"Lily," Holly's voice is filled with awe. "You talked about Daddy Dom dynamics with your ridiculously hot employer?"
"When you say it like that, it sounds bad."
"Or incredibly brave," Emily offers.
"Or incredibly stupid," I mutter.
