Chapter 1

Chapter

One

brIAR

"Heads up, birthday boy!"

A shot glass whizzes across the bar and slides to a halt right in front of me.

"Oh," I stutter, my cheeks burning. I have no idea what alcohol's in there, but it's bright pink—and definitely a bad idea.

But then, I'm the motherfucking queen of the Realm of Bad Ideas.

"How'd you know?" I look up at the tall, blond, shirtless bartender.

He just winks. "Let's call it magic. Happy twenty-first, sweetheart."

There's a little smattering of applause at that, and even a few catcalls. I blush and clear my throat, glancing around while trying to avoid catching the gaze of anyone in particular.

It suddenly feels like I'm the special of the night... and I don't know how I feel about that.

"Hey, Em!" calls out a gray-haired guy sitting at the other end of the bar, waving down the bartender. He and his friends are all dressed up in leather, obviously going to the party at Vibes after this. "How much will you charge me to tell everyone I'm turning twenty-one, too?"

The bartender props a hand on his hip and turns to him. "My integrity is worth a small fortune, darling."

"But Em's OnlyFans is reasonably priced," one of his friends heckles. Even Em joins in the laughter, and the feeling of being watched dissipates as conversations resume around me.

Phew , I breathe a sigh of relief. I'm glad the attention isn't on me anymore.

That gives me a chance to raise my birthday shot to my lips for a cautious taste. To my relief, it slides sweetly past my lips, and it tastes like bubblegum.

Not bad, actually.

I sip slowly to make it last while I stare openly around, checking the place out. My friends and roommates are supposed to be showing up any time now, but obviously they aren't here yet. They're allergic to arriving on time.

That just means I get a chance to soak up all the magic I've only ever seen from through the windows. The promise of a long, thrilling night, the smell of cologne and beer and possibility…

It's almost enough to make me reconsider my decision.

My friends don't know that I'm not coming to Vibes. But I swear, I really am happy just to have birthday drinks, and then make up an excuse to head home. There's no class tomorrow. I can take the whole night to indulge in my favorite fantasies… and maybe even get to the finish line this time.

Right now, I could sure use a mind-blowing orgasm or ten.

"Well, well, well," says an unfamiliar voice. The warm purr drips into my ear, making heat rise to my cheeks. "Someone's going to be the belle of the ball tonight."

"Yeah. Just call me Beauty," I snort, turning to see who it is.

Oh, shit.

This guy is older than me—probably by a good fifteen years—but he's hot . He's holding himself just a little further away than he has to, casually leaning one elbow against the counter. Like he could walk off at any moment.

And I'm surprised at how much I don't want him to.

The stubble across his jaw is dotted with silver hairs. His bleach-blond hair is close-cropped, and he's wearing a simple black leather jacket. His eyes are this intense, smoky gray, but there's something light and mischievous about them. His full lips are framed by laugh lines, and his jaw is sharp and stubborn.

He's the definition of a Daddy… and he's winking right at me.

"I sure will, Beauty. Which is it?"

"Which… is what?" A nervous giggle escapes me as I fidget with the empty shot glass, blushing furiously.

"A sleeping beauty, seeking the right prince to kiss him and wake him at last?" he purrs, leaning his whole weight on the bar. His forearm is on the countertop, leaving his hand just an inch or two away from mine. "Or the kind of beauty who invites a beast into his bed?"

He raises an eyebrow, but I'm still just staring at him, my jaw hanging open.

I can't believe he stumbled on my greatest fantasy within thirty seconds.

Where did he come from, anyway? I should have noticed a face like his—especially those eyes. Stormy dark gray, fine lines around them that hint at a big heart and soul… yet carefully guarded, giving nothing away.

And now I'm way too turned on to think straight.

Heat crawls up the back of my neck. My pants suddenly feel a whole lot tighter. The tingle on my skin is like a building electric charge. Sparks are gathering at my fingertips, ready to leap from my bare skin to his… the moment he touches me.

Fuck. I want him to touch me.

"Um…" My voice squeaks and I clear my throat, my tongue darting nervously across my lips.

"Uh huh?" This mysterious Daddy tilts his head, his eyes sparkling. He's got this beautiful, wise, quiet confidence—the kind that doesn't need to name itself out loud in order to be felt. I can feel it filling the whole damn bar right now as he watches me like he knows every thought crossing my mind.

And every desire tucked away in the back of my thoughts, where nobody can see them.

"I don't know what I want," I murmur, frustration rising in my chest. The words spill out before I can stop them. "And the only things I know I want… I don't think I'm supposed to. Out of the two of them, I guess that makes me Sleeping Beauty. Just waiting around for someone else to want me first. Dumb, right?"

I duck my head with mortification, bracing myself.

But he isn't laughing at me. "Beauty," he says softly instead, and I look up at him. He's smiling so gently at me that I can't help but slowly relax. "It's not an either-or. You get to try both… and the right man can be both."

Holy shit. I've never met anyone who can calm me down and turn me on at the exact same moment.

The silence between us stretches out, and he's still holding my gaze. I'm squirming on the bar stool, but he won't let me look away. I can barely remember how to breathe. The only thing I can focus on anymore—besides the depths of his eyes—are his pale pink lips.

It takes all my bravery to murmur, "You're right. Thanks, Daddy."

Maybe that'll make him kiss me.

The stranger's eyes flash with amusement, and then he winks at me. "Anytime, Beauty." But instead of leaning down and kissing me, he just raps the counter softly with his knuckles. "Now, go ahead."

I squint with confusion. "Go ahead and…?" Kiss him? Is he actually reading my mind?

His eyes glimmer with amusement. "Try another sip," he tells me, pointing at the shot glass I'm still clutching between my thumb and forefinger. "That's the only way to figure out if you like it."

" Oh ," I breathe out suddenly, and another nervous giggle slips free. "Oh, yeah."

Shit. I only meant to sip it. But I'm so eager to obey him that I threw the whole glass back until the shot pours across my tongue, sticky-sweet.

It burns my throat and I stifle my cough with a fist, trying desperately to play it cool despite the tears gathering in the corners of my eyes. I set the empty glass back on the counter and muffle another cough, then gulp a few times.

"Well?" He raises an eyebrow.

"Um…" I weakly cough again. "I don't know. It's okay?" He sighs at me like he's disappointed, and I frown at him. "What?"

"How very twenty-one," he sighs, raising his eyes to the ceiling.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I don't even have to feign indignation.

He glances over and pauses for a moment, like he's about to say something else entirely. Then he changes his mind, and all of a sudden he wryly smiles at me. "Your tastebuds haven't developed yet. Give it a decade, you won't be able to drink that stuff."

I fold my arms and stare up my nose at him. "Apparently some men are both. They talk like a prince, and they've got the manners of a beast."

The Daddy stares at me—and then he laughs, loud and genuine, while I grin like the cat who got the cream. "Touché. I'm just a grumpy old fairy who's tried it all before. You're only young once, Beauty. Figure out what you want by kissing them all—the princes and the beasts."

My friends still aren't here—there's no sign of them when I turn and glance over my shoulder—and somehow, it gives me a little more confidence. Maybe… just maybe, I can transform myself from shy, nervous Briar into a brave Beauty.

What would Beauty do? I already know the answer to that, so I clear my throat.

"I've never told anyone this... but there is one thing I know I want."

This could go well—or very, very badly.