Page 17 of Savage Seduction

“I’m very confident I passed… but I was hoping to maintain an A in this class so the museum will reimburse me for the tuition.”

“Oh, honey.” She slides her arm around my waist and pulls me tight. “You’re the most amazing man I know. You can simultaneously save lives and kick ass. There’s no way you didn’t get an A.”

I sigh. “There’s nothing I can do about it but wait for our grades to be posted. If you see they’re up before I do, text me.”

“Will do,” she says. “Are you going to be okay tonight? Should we go get some drinks?”

“I’ll be fine. I’m hoping to hear from Ben.” I cross my fingers on both hands and wave them at London.

“Boy, you got it bad.” She hugs me again. “I love this for you.”

“Thanks… me too.”

“Okay, get home safe. Text if you need me.”

“Talk to you tomorrow?”

“Only if you promise me details. All. The. Details.” She claps between each word.

“I’ll write them all down if I have to,” I say as London starts toward her car.

“That’s my boy.” She turns, waves, and blows me a kiss. “Bye. Love you.”

“Bye. Love you too.” I square the backpack on my shoulders and hurry toward my car. If I make good time, I can beat the worst of the traffic and have time to sleep and take a shower in case I have a date tonight.

I fish my key fob from my pocket and push the unlock button. The familiar beep comes from the right, and I follow the sound when something catches my eye.

A sick feeling lurches in the pit of my stomach. I see a man standing at the end of the row of cars. He's far enough away that I can't make out his face, but the way he stands watching me sends all the red alerts going off at once. Fight or flight? The age-old question never changes.

I look back at my car, mentally calculating the distance and time it would take to get there. Refocusing on the imminent threat, I turn back to the man, but he's gone. The image of the ankh flashes into my mind. My palms grow sweaty, and I clench my fists. Where did he go? Why had he been watching me?

Hustling to my car, I unlock the door, get in, and slam it behind me. I start the car and put on the seatbelt. The metal latch scrapes against my side as I try to place it without taking my eyes off my surroundings. My sensitive scar burns where I’d scraped it. “Damn you.” I flip the car into gear and speed from the parking lot.

CHAPTER 7

Ben

Ileave the university campus with a swirl of emotions clouding my thoughts. Max… there’s something about him that tugs at me, a mix of intrigue and a strange familiarity that I can’t quite place. Just like the night of the accident, this feeling just won’t go away. Doing my best to shrug it off, I slide behind the wheel of my car. The image of his smile lingers in my mind, sparking a warmth that contrasts sharply with the clinical detachment I usually maintain, even at the detriment of most of my relationships.

I start the car and close my eyes, a Whitney Houston song from the early 1990’s is playing. Closing my eyes, I listen and smile at her perfect pitch, beautifully held notes that suck me into the feelings of love. Overcome by the feeling that there’s something more between Max and I, goosebumps spread across my arms making me smile. No way was this simply a fledgling attraction, physical and nothing else.

Again, Max’s smile pops into my mind and I think about how his biceps bulged as he pulled that girl to safety. There’s now an uncomfortable tightness in the crotch of my pants.Reaching between my legs, I adjust my raging boner and shift in the seat until I’m comfortable once again.

I’m sure he feels for me the same as I do for him; the electricity in the air whenever we’re together can't just be my imagination. Yet, there’s this nagging sensation at the back of my mind, a piece of the puzzle that’s missing, something important about him that I should remember, but can’t. Fuck this is driving me crazy. Is it a red flag I should be aware of?

With a sigh, I pull away from the parking area and onto the chaotic streets of the city. Now, driving away from the campus, I decide on a detour to the mall. Maybe getting him a small gift for our next meet-up will help me clarify my feelings, make sense of this undefined connection. Would that be weird?

Nah, I can always simply say I was thinking about him when I came across it. The mall comes up quickly on the left, and I pull into the congested parking lot. As I find an empty space and park, my mind drifts back to one of my patients I worked on last evening. She had a strange scar on her abdomen, looked very well-healed, but it also appeared like it was carved into her. I get out of the car and shut the door, locking it with my keyfob.

A honk behind me makes me jump. I turn and see an older gentleman in his white Mercedes mere inches from my back. He’s waving and agitated. Looking down, I realize I’d walked right in front of him, in the middle of the lane. Damn, I’m distracted. I offer him a pained expression and mouth, ‘sorry’, before moving over to the right so he can pass.

I enter the mall, the hum of busy shoppers a stark contrast to the solitude of my car. I try to focus on the task at hand, but my senses are inexplicably heightened. I keep looking over my shoulder, a prickling sensation on the back of my neck making me feel like I’m being watched. I scan the crowd, trying tocatch a glimpse of anyone who might be following me, but there’s nothing concrete—just fleeting shadows and faces that blend into the sea of people.

I wander through several stores, picking up various items only to put them back. Nothing seems right. What do you buy for someone who has just entered your life? I barely know the guy, after all. A book? A piece of art? Each option feels too personal for this undefined stage of our acquaintance.

I place the latest Maegan Beaumont thriller back onto the shelf, making a mental note to buy a copy for myself once I finish her other book. Then, that feeling of being watched grows stronger as I move deeper into the mall. I stop, close my eyes, and take a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart. When I open them, I catch a reflection in a store window—a figure lurking a few shops back. I focus, trying to make out details, but when I turn, they’re gone. My heart starts to race, adrenaline coursing through my veins.

I decide to leave the mall, the gift forgotten. Maybe next time. As I make my way to the exit, I check my reflection in the glass doors, scanning the background for the mysterious follower. Nothing. Still, I can’t shake off the unease that clings to me like a second skin.

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