Perfectly Inappropriate

Paige turned to the women next to them. “I’m sorry to have eavesdropped on your conversation. I know that’s way rude and all, but I’ve gotta ask. I’ve heard about SiR before. Is it really legit?”

“Yup, the app is completely legit,” Pink Lips said with a soft nod. “It’s the best way to meet dominants, really.”

Olivia begged for the floor to open and swallow her up. Paige was lying through her teeth. Olivia had never heard of this app and knew Paige hadn’t either because they had never talked about it. Trying to pretend she wasn’t there, she sipped her martini, looking straight ahead at the rows of liquor bottles behind the bar.

“Cool,” said Paige. “So the app is safe?”

“Beyond safe.”

Oliva dared to look to her right as the redhead placed her champagne flute back onto the bar. “Everything about SiR is all very hush hush because the dominants are usually men in high-powered jobs.” She paused and waggled her eyebrows. “Every single dom I’ve met has been experienced to say the least.”

“Oh wow. They’re highly trained dominants then?” Paige asked, as if she knew what she was talking about.

She didn’t.

Pink Lips nodded, obviously unaware of that fact. “You have to sign a nondisclosure and get tested for STIs and HIV. But on the flip side, you are promised that same security too. Do you two go to the public sex clubs here?”

“Yup, for a few years now,” Paige said without a hitch to her breath.

Olivia’s face burned as the bartender strode by them to serve a couple sitting a few stools away. He had to have overheard this conversation. Though she couldn’t help but note how frighteningly good of a liar Paige was. But maybe that was just Olivia’s insecurities popping up, reminding her that she had very good reasons not to trust people. But Paige was good people.

Pink Lips finished off her drink then reached into her Versace clutch and handed Paige a business card. “I suppose it’s my time to pay it forward, since someone once threw me a bone and gave me this card. Signing up to SiR changed my life in the best kind of way. You’d be wise to join.”

“I’ll happily accept your kindness.” Paige smiled. She waited until the women were out of earshot before she turned to Olivia. “You have to do this. It’s a sign. You need to take it.” She handed her the card. “What are the chances that we were just talking the other night about how much you wished your sex life was as exciting as that movie we watched. Then we show up here and bam!”

Olivia took the card. Paige was a huge believer in fate. She made big decisions based on the belief that if she followed the signs fate left for her, she’d always be on the right path. So far, Paige had a job she loved and an amazing sex life, even though she preferred fleeting relationships.

Oliva had gone on a different path and made all her decisions based on logic. She had a job as a graphic designer that she hated, a nonexistent sex life, and a broken heart. She slid her fingers over the black business card. The SiR’s white font was raised, making that single word seem more important than the app’s private password to join.

“You deserve this,” Paige said softly, nudging Olivia with her shoulder. “There is no harm in trying something new. For once, Olivia, don’t be the good girl. Do something perfectly inappropriate, all because you can.”

Olivia glanced down at the card again, running her fingers across the textured letters. Timing had once ruined her life. Was this the universe’s way of making amends?

Chapter 1

The next afternoon, between one meeting and prior to another beginning in a half hour, Senator Noah Grant sat at the private table at The NYC Bean Café. It was a restaurant he came to often because the staff offered him the privacy he required. But the privacy came at a price: a yearly donation of ten thousand dollars to the owner’s charity. Noah never minded, it was money well spent. Not only was the children’s charity a fantastic cause, but he could use this space whenever he wanted, which also gave him the option to leave through the back door. All necessary requirements for his life, considering he was a member of SiR. Because SiR wasn’t a swipe-right type of dating app. It was a service for dominants, created by dominants who required a certain level of privacy to find submissives for play.

Noah needed that privacy.

The space around him was small, with no windows in sight of the half-circular booth with dark gray velvet fabric and a gold light fixture hanging above the table where he sat. He reached for his black coffee as dishes clattered in the kitchen off in distance and the scent of fresh bread infused the air. He had just taken a sip of the piping hot brew when a loud beep pierced the air. He grabbed his cell off the table and discovered a text from Jared Griggs, a private investigator he kept on the payroll.

Olivia has a friend with her. She’s waiting at the bar.

Noah inwardly sighed.

Of course he understood why women brought backup on a blind date—he had Jared, his private investigator, there for that reason—but it also complicated an already complicated situation. Last night, after he’d seen Olivia’s profile on SiR and had claimed her as his submissive for the week, he had contacted Jared. Being a premium user of the app—which came with a high annual price tag—meant he was notified of new submissives first before most. The picture on Olivia’s profile had immediately caught his eye. The photograph had obviously been a candid shot. Her smile wasn’t for the photograph, but for whatever had made her laugh. There had been something uniquely beautiful about her that he couldn’t quite put his finger on. Something that feverishly drew him in.

Jared had completed a quick search of Olivia’s background last night and hadn’t found any cause for concern. If this meeting went well, he’d dig deeper, ensuring Noah wasn’t walking into a trap.

Though that thought was soon thwarted when Olivia entered the private room. Everything faded then. Noah’s gaze narrowed on her.

Olivia’s beauty wasn’t in her looks alone, it was in something far more powerful. She possessed an innate ability to render Noah hopelessly intrigued. Her brows began to gather as she approached, obviously giving him a closer look. She wore a black dress that touched her knees and strappy sandals. A good few inches shorter than him from what he could tell, she had olive-toned skin and a great body. Her beauty was subtle, and maybe that was because she didn’t need anyone to see her as beautiful. She was comfortable with herself and that was his favorite type of woman. Her beauty was meant for his eyes alone and he liked that.

Before she could reach his table, he rose and met her halfway, offering his hand. “Olivia?”

She gave him a dazed look, her hands resting at her sides. “Noah?”

“Yes.” He smiled gently, hoping to reassure her, and gestured with his hand. “You’re beginning to make me feel unwanted.”