Page 161 of Strange Seduction
That got his attention. He squinted, suspicious.
“No bullshit?”
“None.” I stepped back, my voice calm. “I care about Carmen’s happiness at the end of the day. If being with you makes her happy, I won’t stand in the way.”
He studied me like he couldn’t tell if I was bluffing.
“Right.”
“Grande! Just keep your phone close by, I don’t want you to miss the call.”
And with that, I turned and walked out of the boardroom.
?????
After work, I felt strangely calm.
The kind of calm that made no damn sense. Maybe because I’d already decided—whatever happened next, I wasn’t losing sleep over it. I knew exactly how I’d handle this. Now it was Carmen’s move.
I basically floated home with the cocky grin on my face of a man who’d already won.
When I got to the bedroom, she was in the bathroom, wrapping her freshly blow-dried hair with a million bobby-pins, barefoot in one of her moomoos.
That little domestic vision would’ve wrecked a lesser man.
“Hey, baby,” she greeted without looking away, arms still fighting with her thick, long hair to be smoothed. “How was work?”
I didn’t answer.
Just walked straight in, took the Bobby pins gently out of her hands, and set them aside. She looked up at me, confused, brows drawn tight, but I stepped in close until her back hit the counter, and she had nowhere to look but up.
“Theo…” she murmured, eyes narrowing slightly. “What’s wrong?”
“You’re in trouble.”
“In trouble?” She tilted her head, her voice laced with curiosity. “For what?”
I leaned in until my mouth brushed her ear. “Why didn’t you tell me Vince said he wanted you at the investment ball?”
She blinked. “It slipped my mind.”
I pulled back just enough to see her face.
“Slipped your mind, huh?” I echoed, brow raised.
She swallowed. “Yes. Sorry.”
I turned her gently, guiding her to brace herself against the cool marble of the counter. My hands skimmed down her thighs as I leaned in behind her.
“Do you haveanyidea how upset I was?” I whispered against the back of her neck. “Thinking of him, picturing you in that dress. That dress you wore for me…”
She shivered, but didn’t move away. Her fingers curled against the countertop.
“I said I was sorry,” she whispered.
“Shh. You’re about to make it up to me.”
Her breath hitched as I yanked her moomoo up, dragging it over her waist.
