Page 10 of An Illicit Seduction

“I know, I know! I’m sorry. I’m just having a crisis right now and prefer to be alone.”

As soon as Seraph heard Joyce’s sharp intake of breath, she silently cursed herself for her poor choice of words.

“A…crisis? What’s going on?”

The good-natured fussing in her tone had been replaced by stern concern, and Seraph rushed to reassure her.

“It’s not a crisis, Mama. That’s not the right word. I’m…dealing with a situation that I need to work through. It’s not a crisis,” she reiterated, “but there is a moral aspect that I need to figure out.”

“Moral?” Joyce asked, confusion radiating through the phone lines. “Did you commit a crime?”

Seraph dropped the rabbit opener onto the counter and carried the now-open bottle of wine with her into her bedroom.

“No, Mama. I did not commit a crime.”

“You sleeping with your boss?”

Chuckling, she put the phone on speaker and placed it on her nightstand as she began removing her jewelry and putting it in the velvet-lined box on her dresser.

“As much as I adore Gina, no, ma’am. I’m not sleeping with her.”

“You rob somebody?”

“Well,” Seraph began wryly, “since robbing someone is definitely a crime, I’m going to have to say no, ma’am.”

“Did you—”

“Mama, come on!”

Joyce’s laughter brought a smile to Seraph’s face, even as she rolled her eyes.

“Well, shit. If you won’t tell me, I have to guess.”

Seraph grabbed her phone and carried it with her into her closet as she disrobed.

“I’m not ready to tell you just yet. I thought I was but…I just need you to exercise a little patience. Remember how you used to tell me it was a virtue when I was growing up? Well, I need you to remember that right now.”

“Seraph Soleil.”

At the use of her first and middle names, Seraph groaned. “Yes, ma’am?”

“You know you can talk to me about anything, right?”

“Yes, ma’am. I know.” It was something Joyce had said to her dozens of times during her childhood and well into her teenage years. Having come from a home where freedom of expression was a punishable offense, Joyce made sure that her daughter never felt as if she had to censor herself.

“And even though I can’t promise I’ll understand, I can promise not to judge you too harshly or put undue pressure on you.”

The earnestness in her mother’s voice made a lump form in Seraph’s throat. “I know, Mama. I love you.”

“I love you more, baby. Never forget that. Now, I’ll let you go. I can hear an echo, so I’m assuming you’re in your bathroom.”

Seraph nodded, even though the other woman couldn’t see her. “Yes, ma’am. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

“You’d better.”

Then the call disconnected and Seraph sat her phone on the counter while she started the water for her shower. She needed to clean away all evidence of what Damon had done to her then she planned to climb into her bed and binge on some feel-good shows and put all thoughts of him out of her head.

CHAPTER SEVEN