Chapter 11

Maddy

When Colin's relief showed up, a big guy who kept making eyes at the doorman, Colin left to get his things. He told me not to move from my chair.

I wasn't about to move. I wanted this date more than anything now.

Finally, we were on our way.

Colin drove a brand-new BMW. Black, of course. I still held tightly to Kornie as I seat-belted myself in.

But Colin didn't start the car right away. Instead, he stared at his phone.

I wasn't sure what was going on, but I said nothing.

Colin looked at me. "I'm sorry, but I need to make a phone call."

"Okay. Do you want me to get out so I don't hear?"

"No. It's fine. But anything you do hear is between us, okay? I have a little problem, that's all. It's going to be taken care of."

This sounded exciting. Not only was Colin big, handsome and sexy, and someone who made me feel little and yet protected, he had problems and I was going to hear one of them. He was including me in his personal life already.

"All right. Thank you for being patient."

"I'm patient," I quickly replied. It might have been a little fib. I wasn't sure I was all that patient, not when I was angry or feeling unseen. When I was feeling little, I could stomp my foot a lot. But that was always in private. I hid a lot of myself from the world. Until—maybe—tonight.

Colin tapped his phone a few times. I heard it ringing. He had it on speaker?

Then a live picture of a handsome guy with slicked back dark hair filled his phone screen. He looked like he was wearing a suit. I could only see from the side, but the guy exuded charisma even from the other side of the screen.

I didn't want to listen or intrude, but of course I heard every word. I wondered why Colin was including me in this.

"Hey, Mr. Winterbourne. Thanks for taking my call so late," Colin said.

"Mr. Greenleaf. I got your message and updated file. You're still being harassed, I see. I want you to know this is of no small concern to me."

"Yes. I wondered if there were any updates on the investigation."

"Not so far, but I have my people on it. I know a lot of time has passed and I'm sorry for that. Do you feel you need security outside the job?"

"No, sir. I'm okay."

"I'm sorry I can't tell you better news. Keep up the files. I've read some. I don't like what I'm seeing. You need to feel one hundred percent safe working for me. I want you to know I'm treating this as if it were happening to me. You're family. All right?"

"Thank you, sir."

"Report anything suspicious and cc everything new to me as well. I'll be back in the city in a day. Maybe I'll have better news."

"Thank you, sir."

"Keep vigilant. Do not hesitate to call me if you need anything. No need to go through my assistant. He knows to send your calls straight to me. I'm making this top priority."

"Yes, sir."

"All right, then. I'll let you go."

Colin tapped the red button, then turned to me. "Thanks for being patient. I needed to make that call."

I nodded, not sure what to say. I was worried about what I'd heard, but it wasn't my business, either. Finally, I burst out, "Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine." He actually smiled. "That was Trent Winterbourne, the owner of the club. He's trying to help me solve a little mystery."

"But it's a secret?"

"Yes."

"Then why did you let me hear?"

Colin's face turned into itself, almost a frown. "Because if we see each other again, maybe, well, ah I don't know."

See each other again?

He seemed frustrated for the first time. Did he like me? Maybe he wanted me in his life. It was too soon to ask, but he'd already revealed a deep secret to me he wanted no one else to know. It was something he wanted me to understand if we did end up seeing each other again.

I wanted to erase that unsettled look from him. "It's okay," I said, happy that he might want more from me. "I'll keep your secret."

"You're a good boy, I'll bet."

I smiled and grabbed Kornie's horn, squeezing tight. I whispered. "I want to be."

As Colin pulled out of the lot, he asked, "How old are you?"

"Twenty-one. You have to be to get into the club."

He nodded. "I'm thirty-five. It's almost illegal to take you to get coffee."

"No, it's not. I'm not a baby."

He laughed. "Okay, not-a-baby."

"Why are you laughing?" I asked.

"Because that's really too bad. I love being a daddy to sweet things like you."

Now the truth was starting to come out.

"Wh—what?" He was a daddy? I'd wished for that, but hadn't really expected it. I'd just felt him to be a big, strong protector type, but not a real daddy. He had grimaced at me so fiercely at first that it was hard to get that image out of my mind.

He glanced at me, then back at the road. "It's not obvious? I mean, I was staring at you when you first walked in."

I shook my head. "You glared."

"I did?"

I nodded.

"Well, I'm sorry you interpreted it that way. I figured you knew since you stuck that tongue out at me. Careful there, or other daddies might take that as flirting."

I was totally embarrassed now. "Ss-sorry?"

He laughed. "And now I've asked you out for coffee, all while you were holding a unicorn stuffie. If I wasn't a daddy, what else could it be?"

He was right and I suppose I was pretty clueless in the moment. "I guess I thought you felt obligated to make sure I didn't have a serious injury from that fight."

"Well, sure, I wanted to make sure you were okay. But you also seemed really alone. Your coloring book page looked exceptional, though. You had some fun with it, I'd guess."

I wasn't sure what to say. He'd noticed my coloring? Little chills went up and down my spine in a good way.

Colin was also right that I had felt alone. Even a little lost. I loved coloring but that space tonight at the table with the strange boys did not feel comfortable for me. I didn't know anyone, and Dan had abandoned me.

I sat back in the comfy seat of the BMW feeling anything but abandoned now.

The coffee "date" ended up being a meal at a 24-hour diner. Colin bought me a late-late dinner of fries, a burger and chocolate milk. I hadn't realized how hungry I was until I looked down at my empty plate.

Colin talked to me softly, asking questions as if he was actually interested in the answers. I still couldn't quite wrap my mind around someone like him being interested in someone like me. I worried about our age difference, but I secretly loved older men. Something about the control and maturity really turned me on.

We lingered and he ordered a hot fudge sundae for me, but I was too full to eat most of it.

It seemed like Colin was delaying because he didn't want our conversation to end. At least, I hoped that was why. But finally, the time came when we were done.

"Okay, not-a-baby. It's getting late. Probably past your bedtime. Let's get you home."

I was surprised he wasn't suggesting I go home with him. Most guys had one thing on their minds when they took off with another guy late at night. At least, the ones I had met. But Colin behaved like the perfect gentleman, leading straight into my private fantasies of what I wanted a daddy to be like.

On the way home, he said, "I'd love to take you out again some time."

I was shaking with nervous excitement at his statement. "I'd like that."

"I was hoping you'd say that."

"You were?"

"Yes, not-a-baby. Don't you know when someone is attracted to you?"

My breath caught in my throat.

"And now you know why I let you stay in the car for that phone call earlier. It was hope."

"What do you mean?"

"I wanted to take you out. Like a real date. I was already planning to ask to see you again. But if we do see each other, you should know some things. Like what that conversation was about."

"Someone is harassing you," I said quickly.

"Yes. It's through texts. Nothing more. But the texts are often and they are annoying."

"And the owner of the club is helping to stop it."

"Yes."

"He sounded concerned."

"It is concerning. And anyone I date should know it's happening. Just as a precautionary measure. If you want to change your mind about seeing me, I'll fully understand."

"I'm not changing my mind." I looked at Kornie, petting his head nervously. "I feel safe with you."

"That's a nice thing to say, but my job can be a little dicey at times."

"Because you have to kick people out of the club?"

"Yes. No one likes it."

"Sure, but why are they mean to you when you're just doing your job?"

"It's the nature of the job, baby. You bounce people out of their favorite club, they tend to get mad. A small percentage want to get even."

"That's not nice."

"No. It isn't. Have you changed your mind?"

"About seeing you again?"

Colin nodded.

I grinned up at him, shaking Kornie in his face. "Not one bit. Daddy."

He chuckled. "I'm glad to hear it. You're a brave boy."

When he dropped me off, he didn't even try for a sweetheart, cornball kiss. Instead, he turned on the inside light and said, "Let me take one more look at that forehead."

I leaned toward him.

He ran his fingers lightly along the bump and I couldn't breathe because it felt so intimate and good.

"Good news," he said. "The swelling has already gone down." Then he ruffled my hair. "You'll live."

"Thank you for the meal and, well, for everything."

"You're very welcome."

Eagerly, I took out my phone. "We need to exchange numbers."

Colin lightly punched his own forehead. He was so tough-looking on the surface it was funny to see. "I almost forgot."

After numbers were exchanged, Colin said, "Is it okay if I text you tomorrow?"

"Yes."

"I work nights, and weekend nights are especially busy, but lunch, maybe?"

"Late night is okay." I felt that needed an explanation. "I work noon to six five days a week at Coffee Haus, so I'm free at night."

"Good to know," Colin said.

"But you're probably working by then, right?"

"Some nights earlier, some later. We'll work it out." Colin gave me a small smile and a wink under the BMW's bright overhead light. He still looked fierce, but now it was in a way I really liked. Stern, maybe, but not scary anymore. He left me with no questions about whether or not he wanted me.

I was still a little worried about who might be harassing him. How horrible that he had to go through that.

As I got out of the car, Colin reached out and touched my hand, slowly letting his fingers slide over my wrist and slip away.

"I promise I'll be texting you, Maddy. Tomorrow. I sleep during part of the day, but it will be tomorrow."

"I know," I said.

I grinned all the way to my front door.