Page 48 of Savage Seduction

Lisa is saying something, but I don’t catch it. I shake my head slightly, offering a quick apology. “Sorry, long day.”

She laughs softly. “It’s okay. You seem a little… distracted.”

Understatement of the century.

I rub the back of my neck. “Yeah. I guess I’ve just had a lot on my mind.”

She studies me for a moment, then sets her silverware down. “Can I be honest with you?”

“Of course.”

Her lips curve into something gentle, something knowing. “You’re not ready for this.”

My stomach tightens. “I?—”

“It’s okay,” she says quickly, holding up a hand. “I’m not offended. I’ve been on enough of these to recognize when someone’s heart isn’t in it. And yours isn’t.”

I exhale slowly, pressing my palms against my thighs. “I thought I could do this. I thought maybe…”

She nods. “You lost someone.”

I look away. “Yeah.”

“And there’s someone else on your mind, isn’t there?”

My gaze snaps back to her, my pulse jumping. “What makes you say that?”

Lisa tilts her head, her smile turning a little wry. “Women have intuition, you know. It’s written all over your face.”

I let out a shaky breath, feeling a rush of something between relief and terror. She knows. A stranger, someone I’ve just met, can see what I’m trying so damn hard to deny.

“It’s complicated,” I admit.

She reaches across the table, resting a hand over mine. “Bretton, it’s okay to feel again. It’s okay to be confused. But don’t force yourself into something just because you think you should. You deserve more than that. And so does the person who’s really on your mind.”

I swallow hard, nodding slowly. “You’re right.”

She squeezes my hand once before pulling back, then gestures for the waiter. “Let’s split the bill. We’ll call this a nice evening between two people who needed to get out for a while.”

I chuckle softly. “That sounds perfect.”

As we settle the check and walk outside, Lisa gives me one last smile. “I hope you figure it out, Bretton. Whoever he is… he’s lucky to have you thinking about him.”

I freeze, the air knocked from my lungs. She knows. She doesn’t just suspect—sheknows.

I should deny it. I should say she’s wrong. But I don’t.Because maybe, for the first time, I don’t want to pretend anymore.

“Take care, Lisa,” I say instead.

She nods, and then she’s gone.

I stand there for a long moment, staring up at the city lights, feeling something shift inside me. It’s terrifying. It’s liberating. And for the first time in a long time, I let myself wonder.

Maybe I don’t have all the answers. Maybe I don’t need them yet.

But one thing is certain. Even if nothing ever happens between us, I need to see Max again.

I need to keep Max safe so he can live the life he was meant to.

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