Chapter 1

1

My husband got a flirty text from my "BFF."

She totally underestimated the bond Mark and I have.

Little does she know, every text she's sent Mark? It's been me replying the whole time.

...

Mark was in the shower, his phone chilling on the couch.

Ding! A notification lit up the screen.

Curiosity got the better of me, so I unlocked his phone and peeked.

Friend request.

The sender? This chick who's suddenly been all over me the last few weeks, pretending to be my new bestie.

The request note was short and sweet, too.

"Hey! I work with Ashley and we're super close. It's Carol."

Huh? I never gave Carol Mark's handle. How did she even find him?

Curiosity officially piqued, I hit "Accept."

A message popped up instantly.

Carol: Hey Mark! Ashley's told me so much about you. I think we met when you picked her up after work the other day?

And an emoji wink, just for good measure.

I don't know what came over me, but instead of outing myself, I played along, answering her as Mark.

Mark: Vaguely. What's up?

Carol: Lol, nothing much. Just playing Truth or Dare with the girls and I lost! Had to add you, haha. Hope you don't mind ??

Then, a selfie. Her cheeks were flushed, eyes glazed over �C definitely tipsy. A few other blurry girls were visible in the background, along with booze and dice on a table.

I frowned. Was Carol being shady, or was it just harmless fun?

We chatted a bit more, and something felt...off.

She was way too comfortable, like she was trying to reel him in on purpose.

Suddenly, the bathroom door swung open.

Mark strolled out, toweling off his hair.

Just a towel wrapped around his waist, all steamy and fresh from the shower.

Even though I'm used to it, I can't help but think my man is fine.

He flashed me a grin, and I had to admit, my husband's a hottie.

He came over, leaned down, all innocent puppy-dog eyes. He knows that's my weakness.

"Hey babe, all clean. So, are we heading to bed?"

I playfully turned away, dodging his breath, and waved his phone at him.

"Explain this."

He grabbed the phone, read through the texts, and looked completely lost.

"Who is this person? I wouldn't recognize her if she bit me! Baby, you gotta trust me. My wife is a ten, why would I look at anyone else? If she's bugging you, I'll block her right now."

He reached for the phone, ready to delete her.

When I shook my head, he didn't push it, just snuggled up to me like a big teddy bear.

I couldn't help but giggle.

Seeing me smile, he got even more bold, wrapping his arms around me. Classic Mark.

But this wasn't over yet, and I wasn't letting it go that easily.

I couldn't decide if Carol was deliberately trying to stir something up, or if she really was just playing a silly game.

But adding someone's husband on a dare? That wasn't exactly normal behavior.

If she was innocent, deleting her would make me look insecure.

And if she was up to something, she'd just find another way to get to him. Better to keep her close and see what her game was.

After a bit more back-and-forth, Mark came up with a plan.

He had two numbers anyway �C one for work, one for friends and family.

Carol had added his personal number, so he'd just stop using it for a few days. I could log in on my phone and handle any legit messages.

Seeing how open he was, I agreed.

Problem solved, he gave me that pleading look again.

If he had a tail, it would be wagging like crazy. Loyal husband material, right there.

"So, can I tempt you back to the bedroom now?"

I pretended to think it over, and when he started to look worried, I finally smiled.

"Okay, you twisted my arm."