Page 30 of Undeniable

I wondered if Alyssa—like the rest of my coworkers—had overheard most of my conversation with Seth. Which only made it that much worse.So much for doing things on my own merits.

So much for playing by the rules. For bottling everything up, letting everyone walk all over me. Seth, my mom… Enough.

Emboldened and enraged, I deleted my earlier response to Connor and typed out a new one. I was done playing it safe. And at the moment, I was so pissed, I didn’t care if agreeing to a phone call with Connor got me fired. Hell, it might even be worth it.

I forwarded a copy ofInsatiableto his e-reader and then returned to the email. My response was simple and to the point: Let’s do it.

The rest of the afternoon dragged. I felt completely uninspired and demoralized after my chat with Seth, and I didn’t know what to do. I also didn’t know when or if I’d hear from Connor. I half expected him to wait to call until after he’d read the book.

I returned home and made sure Luna had fresh food and water before pulling some leftovers from the fridge. As I heated them up, I opened my copy ofInsatiableand started reading. I was hooked from the first page, and I admired how brazen and bold the main character was. She was the type of woman I wanted to be—unabashed about what she wanted both in and out of the bedroom.

I typically didn’t read many romance novels, but this book was making me rethink that. And I understood why Alyssa had recommended the book. Not only was the writing superb, but the characters were so…inspiring. Empowering.

I got up to refill my glass of wine and rinse my plate, eager to return to the story and maybe take a bubble bath. That sounded pretty perfect after the day I’d had.

My phone buzzed on the counter, and I answered without looking, figuring it was my dad calling to say hi as he often did.

“Hey.” I cradled the phone between my shoulder and my ear as I carried my wine and Kindle over to the couch.

“Hello?” There was a deep voice on the other end, one I didn’t recognize, though it vibrated through me like a tuning rod. “Olivia?”

I stilled.Sonot my dad. “Yes?”

“Hey.” I could hear the smile in his voice. “This is Connor. Connor James.”

My eyes went wide.Oh my god.

CHAPTEREIGHT

“Connor?” Olivia’s voice was sweet, cute even, and she sounded young. Younger than twenty-six.

I could hear the surprise in her voice. Hell, I was surprised I’d pushed to take this leap myself. But I couldn’t stop thinking about her. Clearly, I’d been longing for some connection. And I’d found something fun and genuine with Olivia.

Not with Tatum. Not with the guys at work. But with a stranger I’d met online.

“Yeah.” I cleared my throat, trying to shake away the nerves that plagued me. “You know, from the Spines for Soldiers program.”

How many guys did she know named Connor? I shook my head. I didn’t want to think about it. Didn’t want to think about there being any other men in her life.

Whoa. Hold up there.

I’d barely known this girl a month, and I was already getting possessive? That wasn’t like me.

I didn’t do relationships. The SEALs—and now my job at Hudson—made them impractical, if not impossible. But even if it hadn’t, I wasn’t interested in commitment. Emotional entanglements, liabilities. Or at least, I hadn’t been in the past.

And yet, I’d never felt more like myself than when I was talking with Olivia. And letting myself be vulnerable with her—and allowing her to be vulnerable with me—didn’t feel like a liability. It felt good.

“Hey. I, um,” she faltered, and I wondered if this was a mistake. I was feeling too much. Too fast. “I wasn’t expecting to hear from you so soon. Did you already finish the book?”

I chuckled. “No. I’m a fast reader, but I’m not that fast. Besides, I spent most of the day at therapy or watching training videos.”

“How was it?” she asked, and I was surprised by how comfortable I already felt talking to her, though I didn’t know why. Everything with Olivia always felt so organic. The switch from emails to texting had been seamless. And talking on the phone felt that way too.

“Which one?” I asked.

“Both. Either.” She laughed but it sounded nervous, and it only endeared her to me.

“Training was fine, though I’d rather be in the field.”

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