Page 60 of Strange Seduction


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He grinned shamelessly. “That’s on you.”

Fair.

I stood, adjusting my dress as he helped me put my panties back on, and I leaned against the sink, legs still jelly. He tucked another lock of hair behind my ear, his voice softening. “You looked like you needed a reset.”

I stared at him, quiet now. “Yeah… I did.”

He pressed his forehead to mine. “Come on, Sweetness. Let’s get back before someone notices we’re missing.”

I caught his wrist before he could pull away.

“Before we go,” I said quietly, “can I ask you something?”

He paused. “What is it?”

I hesitated, eyes locked on the tiny gold button of his collar, suddenly unsure if I even wanted the answer. But the question had been clawing at the back of my throat since the moment he said it.

“What did you mean when you said I should behave?” I asked, forcing my voice to stay even. “Do I embarrass you or something?”

He flinched—just a little. But I caught it.

“No,” he said quickly. “God, no. Carmen.”

I folded my arms, waiting.

He sighed, raking a hand through his hair. “That’s not what I meant. It’s not you. You don’t embarrass me, not even a little. I just—I told you to behave because I didn’t trust myself not to murder someone if they disrespected you.”

That got a laugh out of me.

“You’re an idiot,” I whispered.

He grinned. “Yeah.”

I rested my chin on his chest, letting myself soften into him. “Don’t tell me to behave again.”

“I won’t.”

We stood like that for a moment. Finally, I sighed and stepped back. “Alright. Let’s go pretend we weren’t just desecrating their bathroom.”

Theo smirked. “You mean elevate it.”

I rolled my eyes and opened the door. “Uh-huh. Come on, Mr. Palate Cleanser. Let’s get you another glass of overpriced champagne.”

You Know Wassup.

Day Three.

I was still half-asleep when I rolled over, landed half on top of him, and immediately got tangled in a mess of warm limbs and sheets. The light bleeding through the curtains was rude. So was the fact that he was already awake and staring at me.

“Creep,” I mumbled, my voice scratchy with sleep, eyes barely open.

“You drool in your sleep,” He didn’t miss a beat. “It’s cute.”

“Aww. You still into me even though I drool?”

“Unfortunately.”

I smacked his chest, but it lacked commitment. Stretching like a cat, I flopped onto my back and blinked at the ceiling. “Why are you still in bed, anyway? Don’t you have work today?”