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“Sure. Whatever. Tell me about your meeting,” she corrected to appease me.

“It was nice,” I said.

“Come on, Krys. You have to give me more than that. What did he say about the job?”

“Oh, he—” I started but came up short. “Actually, we never talked about job details.”

“Because it was a date,” she concluded.

“It wasn’t a date, Ally. Alexander isn’t the dating kind. He told me as much himself. But you were right about one thing,” I admitted, plopping down in the overstuffed chair across from her. “He does want me. And not just as an employee.”

“Told you so!” Allyson exclaimed with a smug look of satisfaction. However, her face turned serious almost immediately. “What are you going to do about it, Krys? Do you want him?”

“No…well, yes, sort of. It’s really complicated. I can’t get a read on him. The guy talks in riddles. I let him kiss me, though.”

“Well, that’s progress at least,” she said with a laugh. “But back it up. Tell me how everything happened from the beginning. Maybe I can help you solve some of the mysterious Stone’s riddles.”

I told her everything from the cellphone delivery, his surprise visit at the coffee shop, to our dinner conversations. Even after repeating it all, I was still confused.

“I don’t know what to do with this, Ally.”

“There’s nothing to do. Just go with it. It’s time, Krys. Accept the job. Go out with Stone. Let yourself be wined and dined for heaven’s sake. Don’t overthink it and just enjoy it.”

“Maybe you’re right, but I’m scared, you know? Sometimes I feel like Trevor was only yesterday. Other times, it feels like it was a lifetime ago. I don’t know if I can put myself out there again. Every time I think I’m ready, I panic.”

“Come here, doll,” she said, patting the couch cushion next to her. I moved to sit beside her, and she pulled my head down to her shoulder, rubbing her hand over my hair. “I know you went through hell, but not everything has to have a nightmarish ending. So, what if your picket fence went up in flames? You’ll build a new one someday. But until that day comes, let yourself have a little fun. You’re never going to get over what happened with Trevor until you take the next step. At the very least, Stone is loaded. He’s sure to show you a good time. Take advantage of the V.I.P. treatment. I mean, come on! The guy sent a car for you!”

“Hmm…Alexander would definitely be able to keep things interesting,” I said. I looked up at her and debated whether or not I should tell her exactly how interesting Alexander could keep things. “I need to get over how much he intimidates me.”

“Why? He didn’t do anything to hurt you, did he?” she asked, pulling away and sounding alarmed.

“Oh, no. It’s nothing like that. In fact, it might not be him at all and more about my fear of the unknown. At the end of dinner, he said he was a Dominant—whatever that means. All I know is I got all panicky and made for a quick exit. That’s when he kissed me, and now, I don’t know what to think,” I finished.

“Whoa! He said he’s a what?”

“A Dominant.”

“Oh, no. This isn’t good, Krys,” she warned, her eyes as wide as a deer in headlights. She shook her head rapidly. “I mean, I’m all for you getting out there and dating again. Hell, I wouldn’t care if you made the rounds with the entire Yankees team. But you can’t go jumping in headfirst with someone like⁠—”

A knock at the door interrupted her.

“Hold that thought,” I said as I got up from the couch to answer the door.

I found a very distraught Jeremy on our doorstep.

“Is Allyson here? I really need to talk to her,” he pleaded.

I looked at the man and immediately felt sympathy for him. He seemed genuinely upset. But Allyson had been extremely irritated when I had come home. Letting Jeremy in the house now would be disastrous.

“I’m not so sure that’s a good—” I started.

“I don’t think there’s anything to talk about,” Allyson barked from behind me. When I turned to look at her, her face was awash with fury. “Besides, Krys and I were in the middle of something. You’re interrupting.”

“Allyson, I’m really sorry. Please talk to me.”

“I think we did enough talking earlier, Jeremy.”

“You misunderstood me. You cut me off before I could explain. Please, just give me five minutes,” he begged.