Page 44 of Strange Seduction (Strange #2)

Never Again.

Day Fourteen.

It was the first time that Carmen had left the bed without me having to coax her.

She was in a sundress. Something light blue that floated just above her knees and made her look almost like herself again. Her curls were loose, a little messy—she hadn’t styled them, just letting them do what they wanted.

But her skin had color again.

Her eyes weren’t as glassy.

She kissed Marcus on the cheek when he arrived, and I tried not to grit my teeth.

Marcus stepped back to look at her. “Italy agrees with you.”

She smiled, smoothing her curls back. “It’s the sun.”

No mention of me.

I wasn’t petty enough to point it out, but I noticed.

We took a table under the awning of a cafe she picked out. The little café overlooked the cobbled square, sunlight filtering through the trees, dappling the tablecloths with soft gold.

Marcus sat across from me. Carmen slid in between us like she belonged to neither.

The waiter brought a bottle of red. Marcus poured for her before I could.

I clocked it.

She laughed at something Marcus said.

Not a polite chuckle. Not one of those broken exhales she’d been offering me over the last few days. But a real laugh—head tilted, eyes lit, that low, warm sound I hadn’t realized I’d been starving for.

I should’ve been grateful.

Instead, I was restless.

I sat across from them, trying to remind myself that I’d called him.

I let Marcus come.

But watching Carmen smile like that, the way she tucked her legs up on the chair like she used to, the way she picked at her salad while listening to him go on about some new case they were going to be working together back in New York—it made something in my chest twist.

She hadn’t looked like this in days, now that I thought about it. Not after the investment ball and not until he showed up.

I stirred my espresso with unnecessary force, watching the cream swirl into the dark center of the cup. Every part of me wanted to be happy that she was smiling again.

But I wasn’t.

Not entirely.

Because it hadn’t been me who pulled her out of it, it had been him .

I clenched my jaw and sat back.

It wasn’t jealousy. Not exactly. I trusted Carmen. I trusted her enough to let Marcus into our space when she needed him most. But there was something about how quickly she returned to herself in his presence that unsettled me.

I watched her laugh again and lean toward him slightly.

And I made up my mind.

She wasn’t going back to New York.

I wasn’t ready to let her out of my sight. Not after this. Not when I knew that if I hadn’t made that call—if he hadn’t shown up—she might still be curled in a ball in the dark.

She needed time. And I needed to be the one who gave that to her.

I cleared my throat, finally joining the conversation.

“I’ve been thinking,” I said, eyes on her. “You should stay in Italy a little longer.”

Carmen blinked at me. “What?”

“Work can wait. And I’m sure Marcus can handle whatever is needed at the firm. You’re not ready to go back. You need time to grieve properly. And I want to give that to you.”

Her brows furrowed, but she didn’t say no.

Marcus glanced at me, his expression unreadable.

I leaned forward slightly. “You don’t owe anyone anything, Carmen. Not me. Not Marcus. You can stay here as long as you need.”

“Actually, she does owe something. A part of our agreement was that she’d work at my firm after she graduated.”

I cocked an eyebrow. “You forcing her back to work after she lost her Dad, Marcus?”

“No,” he said evenly. “But knowing Carmen, she probably wants to work through this. It’ll help take her mind off it.”

I scoffed. “Tuh. What the fuck do you know about Carmen?”

“Theodore!” she warned, and I ignored it.

“She needs a break, man. That’s what’s best for her.”

“Does she?” Marcus cocked an eyebrow. “Or is that controlling attitude you’ve developed rearing its ugly head again?”

I sat up. “What?”

She placed a hand on my chest and looked between us. For once, unsure.

And that was fine. Because I was sure enough for both of us.

She wasn’t leaving me.

“I don’t know, Theo. I have a lot waiting for me back home.”

I didn’t look at her. I looked at Marcus.

And I smiled.

“Nothing that can’t wait, right?” I said smoothly. “The firm’s still standing. Marcus is handling everything so well, he had time to fly across the world and take you to lunch.”

Marcus gave a tight laugh. “This isn’t a vacation, Clayton. Carmen’s a friend who needed me, so I came.”

“Friend,” I echoed, sipping my coffee. “Right.”

Carmen’s eyes narrowed at me.

“Theo—”

“I’m just saying,” I continued casually, still watching Marcus over the rim of my cup, “you must have a pretty light caseload to be in Rome making sure someone else’s girlfriend is emotionally okay.”

Marcus leaned back, arm slung over the back of his chair.

“I care about her,” he explained, and the thought of Vince’s words echoed in my head. Every man in her life was so invested in her all of a sudden.

“You called me, remember?” Marcus continued. “If you didn’t want me here—”

“I didn’t say that,” I cut in. “I appreciate you showing up—” I don’t. “—I really do. But you’re not needed anymore. I’ve got her now.”

Carmen turned sharply. “Theodore.”

But I didn’t take my eyes off Marcus. That corporate, polished lawyer look on his face was like he was waiting for me to slip up and hand him something he could use in court.

But I wasn’t bluffing.

He leaned forward, elbows on the table now. “She’s not property, you know. You don’t ‘have’ her.”

I smiled again, slow and sharp. “She’s still here. With me.”

Carmen pushed her chair back. “Okay, enough. Both of you. What is the—”

Her phone rang.

When she saw the name of the contact, she stood up, brushing her hands on her dress. “My mother is calling, probably about the funeral. I’ll be right back, but please act like y’all have sense while I handle this.”

Marcus made a move to stand, but I beat him to it.

“No,” I said quietly. “Let her go.”

I watched her disappear around the corner before turning back to Marcus. He met my eyes, and for a second, neither of us said anything.

He wanted her.

That much was obvious. Maybe not openly. Not yet. But I’d seen the way his eyes lingered. The way he talked to her. He was already halfway inside her life, just waiting for the right moment to slip fully in.

Just like Vince.

But I wasn’t giving him that moment. He’d never be close enough. I’d never let any man get that close again.

“She’s not ready to go back,” I said coolly. “And I don’t think she needs your help to figure that out.”

“I’m not the one manipulating her into staying.”

My jaw tightened.

“Carmen will stay with me in Italy,” I stated. “She needs me right now.”

Marcus lifted his wine to his lips, calm as ever. “Did you discuss that with Carmen?”

“I will. When the time is right. But for now, I want her here.”

He let out a short laugh.

I frowned. “What’s funny?”

“You,” he said simply. “Thinking you can control Carmen. You’re about to learn a hard lesson trying to pull that off with her. But because I see the controlling, insecure man it’s making you, I’m gonna save the ending for myself. Maybe it’ll teach you something. ”

My jaw flexed. “Ain’t shit you can teach me about Carmen. I know everything I need to know— inside and out.”

He scoffed, leaning back in his chair. “Right. Look, man, I’m not interested in playing into whatever twisted fantasy you’ve built in your head. Carmen’s not a trophy. I’m not trying to win her.”

I raised an eyebrow, skeptical.

“I’m not attracted to her,” he said plainly. “I’m investing in her career because I believe she’ll make a damn good lawyer. Has our friendship deepened over time? Yeah. But she’s more of a student to me than anything else.”

I didn’t respond. Just kept my gaze locked on his, not believing a damn word.

“You’re only hurting yourself,” he continued, “cooking shit up in your head about us.”

“She’s. Staying. Here,” I repeated. “With me.”

Marcus smirked, like he knew something I didn’t. “Okay. We’ll see how this plays out.”

Carmen returned to the table.

“Okay! I’m back. Should we get more drinks?” she asked, brushing a lock of hair from her cheek.

Marcus stood, grabbing his jacket from the back of the chair. “Actually, I’m gonna take off, kiddo. Got a flight to catch.”

Her smile faltered. “Already? You only just got here.”

“Yeah. Could only spare the day.” He looked at her carefully, then added, “But it looks like you’re doing better. That’s what I needed to see.”

“Oh.” She looked a little disappointed. “Well… Today is my last day here, so I guess I’ll see you Monday, then?”

Marcus shifted his gaze to me, the smirk still in place.

“Actually,” he said, “maybe taking a few extra days to grieve isn’t such a bad idea. This kind of loss takes time to process, and I’m sure Theodore can help you through it.”

Her eyes flicked to mine, then back to him. “Really?”

He nodded. “Of course, Kiddo. I knew how close you and your father were, so I know how much this hurts you. Let me know when you’re ready to start. Okay?”

She got quiet, and I could see her transforming into the ghost she was a few hours ago, before we met up with him.

“Okay,” she said in a small voice. He hugged her one last time. With that, Marcus turned and walked away, disappearing down the street.

Carmen watched him go, standing there a moment longer than she needed to, lips parted like she wanted to call him back. Like she had more to say.

I reached for her hand, anchoring her back to me.

“Hey,” I said softly. “You okay?”

She blinked up at me, her smile returning, dimmed now, but polite. “Yeah. I just wasn’t expecting him to leave so soon.”

The silence between us stretched taut. She sipped her drink, gaze fixed somewhere past my shoulder. I let her hand go and I watched her—how she traced the rim of her glass with her finger, how her shoulders curled in slightly, like she was trying to fold herself into something smaller.

I hated that. I hated watching her try to dim herself.

So, I signaled the waiter for the check.

“Come on,” I said, standing and offering my hand again. “Let’s get out of here.”

She nodded and slipped her fingers into mine.

We walked back to the car in silence. I opened the door for her, watched her slide in without a word, and then I got in on the driver’s side.

As I pulled away from the curb, she finally spoke.

“He didn’t mean anything by that. Marcus knows we’re together and he knows how serious I am about you,” she murmured, staring out the window.

I didn’t answer right away. My fingers tightened slightly on the wheel.

“I know,” I said eventually. “It’s not him I’m worried about.”

She turned to look at me, brow creased.

“I’m worried about you,” I continued, not taking my eyes off the road. “How you’re doing. What you need. And if you’re getting it here with me.”

She was quiet for a beat.

“I don’t know what I need yet.”

“I do,” I said. “You need space. Rest. Time. And you’re not going to get that if you throw yourself right back into work.”

She didn’t respond.

I glanced over at her again. “Stay, Carmen. Stay in Italy. With me. Just for a while.”

She met my gaze. Her lips parted, like she was about to protest, but nothing came out.

I slowed to a stop at a light. Turned to face her completely.

“I’m not asking forever,” I lied. “I’m just asking for right now.”

She sighed. “I’ll think about it.”