New York, Actually

by Sarah Morgan

  * * *

  Daniel hammered on the door of his sisters’ apartment. He should have felt tired, but instead he felt energized. The stress he’d felt, the anger, the hurt—it had all vanished when Molly had opened up to him. She’d told him everything. Trusted him with everything. And she was a person who didn’t trust easily. There were no more secrets between them.

  He was seeing her later that night. Dinner, he thought. And then bed. No more deep conversations.

  Maybe he’d text her and tell her to wear the same dress she’d worn the other night. And the lacy underwear he’d been in too much of a hurry to remove.

  Harriet opened the door with three tiny kittens under her arm.

  Brutus strained toward her and Daniel looked down at him sternly.

  “Sit.”

  Brutus sat and gave Daniel a dopey look.

  Harriet’s jaw dropped. “You trained him?”

  “Molly made some suggestions. She knows a lot about dogs.” And she knew a lot about other things, too, like how to make the perfect cup of coffee, how to salsa dance and how to use her mouth to drive him wild. Knowing that thinking about that would compromise his ability to walk, he wiped the image from his mind and strolled into the apartment.

  Brutus was quivering with expectation and Daniel snapped his fingers.

  Brutus charged into the apartment, almost flattening Harriet.

  Steadying herself, she closed the door. “I made coffee. Help yourself while I settle these little ones.”

  “You’re fostering kittens?”

  “Just for a couple of days.” She put them down and tucked a blanket around them. “I’m so glad Valentine is better. And it’s going well with Molly? Has she forgiven you for borrowing Brutus and not telling her?”

  Yes, because it turned out there were plenty of things she hadn’t told him, which made them equal in his book. “She seems to have come to terms with it.”

  “Good.” Always generous, Harriet smiled. “I like her a lot. I was worried she’d be mad with us.”

  “I’m the one responsible, not you. Where’s Fliss?”

  “In her bedroom. She’s about to leave to see a new client.”

  “I need to talk to her.” And it wasn’t a conversation he was looking forward to. He’d pondered on it, run some checks and come to the conclusion he had no choice but to talk to Fliss himself. Better that she heard the news from him than from someone else.

  “I’ll give her a shout. I suppose Molly was ready to forgive you anything after what you did for Valentine.”

  “He was sick and she was scared.” He’d witnessed a lot of anguish in his career and handled it with a detached empathy, but Molly’s agony had been almost painful to watch. “That’s why she stayed at my place. Because it was closer.”

  Fliss emerged from her bedroom in her socks. “Molly stayed at your place? Overnight? The whole night?”

  “It was a matter of convenience. She slept in the spare room. Fliss, I need to talk to you about something.” He wondered how best to break the news to her. Straight-out? Should he prepare her first? Drop some hints?

  The last thing he wanted to do was hurt his sister, but what choice did he have? If she found out that he’d known and hadn’t told her, she’d never forgive him.

  “You had a woman stay the night? Damn right you need to talk to us.” Fliss picked up her running shoes and grinned at him. “You are in deep trouble. We’re here to save you. That’s what we do, isn’t it Harry?”

  Daniel felt a prickly discomfort in his skin. “I am not in trouble.”

  “Has a woman ever slept over at your place before?”

  “No, but—”

  “And—let’s be honest here because we’re all grown-ups— when you’ve seen women in the past, it’s always been just for sex.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I have invited plenty of women out for dinner.”

  “Fueling them up as a precursor to sex.”

  “Could you two stop talking about sex?” Exasperated, Harriet checked on the basket of kittens. “It’s a good job they’re asleep. I don’t want them corrupted.”

  “All I’m saying is that this whole scenario is different.” Fliss grabbed her backpack and a light sweater. “He had a woman sleep over. That means something.”

  “Molly was worried about her dog.”

  “Yeah.” Fliss tugged on the sweater, her gaze sharp and questioning. “And it’s normal to offer overnight accommodation to women who are worried about their pets. Hey, maybe we could offer that as an extension of the Bark Rangers. Fur B and B.”

  “I think you’re reading too much into this.”

  “And I think you really like this woman.”

  “Which is great,” Harriet said quickly. “Really great. I never thought I’d see you so interested in a woman.”

  “We’re just having fun. It’s not serious.”

  Harriet looked at him expectantly. “You wanted to talk to us about something?”

  “Not you. Fliss.” He paused, wishing he didn’t have to do this. His sister seemed so happy. So strong. She was running her own business. She was confident. Sure of herself. And what he was about to tell her was probably going to set her back ten years to a time none of them wanted to remember. “Sit down, honey.”

  Fliss froze, her weight on her toes like a deer about to run. “I’m not sure which part of that sentence freaks me out the most. The fact that you’re calling me ‘honey,’ or the fact that you want me to sit down. That’s what cops say in movies before they break bad news. If something bad has happened just tell me straight-out.”

  “Seth Carlyle has joined the Animal Hospital.” He watched the color drain from his sister’s cheeks and heard Harry’s murmur of alarm and horror.

  “My Seth?” Fliss sat, so hard and fast that it was like a stone dropping from the sky. “Is that a bad joke? No. I know it can’t be. You’re annoying but you’re never cruel, and making that up would be—” Her breathing was shallow and she pressed her hand to her chest. “I don’t feel so good. Can’t breathe—”

  Harriet sat down next to her twin and wrapped her arms around her. “Breathe slowly. In through your nose, out through your mouth. That’s it.” She looked at Daniel. “Are you sure? How do you know?”

  “I saw him the night I was there with Molly and Valentine. Steven, the vet, introduced us. Obviously he didn’t know Seth and I had a prior connection and I didn’t say anything.”

  Fliss gave a wan smile. “Then you’re more restrained than you used to be. I suppose I should be grateful you didn’t punch him.”

  “I already did that.”

  “I know. I remember.” She sucked in a shuddering breath. “Did he say anything?”

  “About you? No. But it wasn’t exactly the time or place.”

  She lifted her gaze to his. “How did he seem?” The anguish in her eyes made him feel helpless, and he hated feeling helpless.

  He dropped to his haunches in front of Fliss and took her hands in his. It said a lot about her state of mind that she didn’t immediately pull them away and slap him. “He looked okay to me. It’s you I’m worried about. What can I do? Tell me what I can do.”

  “Nothing. It’s—” She breathed deeply. “This is my problem.”

  “We share problems.” Harriet was glued to her side. “Always have. Always will. I can do all the vet visits if you like, then you’ll never bump into him.”

  “If he’s working here on the Upper East Side, then I’m bound to bump into him. And anyway, it would be cowardly of me to avoid him. Why would he be here? Is it a coincidence? Yes, of course it’s a coincidence. We haven’t seen each other for ten years—” Her eyes filled and Harry hugged her, exchanging a helpless glance with Daniel.

  “Don’t give me sympathy. The whole thing was my stupid fault, all of it.” Fliss saw her brother’s eyes darken and glared at him. “Don’t start.”

  He let go of her hands and stood up. “I haven’t said
a word.”

  “I can handle this. A decade is a long time. Water under the bridge, right? We’re both adults. I’ll get my head around this. I just need some time. And a boyfriend.”

  Harriet looked bemused. “A boyfriend?”

  “Of course. If he realizes I’m single he might think I never sorted my life out, and I absolutely wouldn’t want him to ever think that.” She caught Harriet’s eye. “Because it wouldn’t be true. I’ve moved on.”

  “Of course you have,” Harriet said stoutly. “You haven’t talked about him for a couple of years. I don’t suppose you’ve even given him a thought.”

  “Not a thought,” Fliss echoed.

  Daniel said nothing, but he hoped she could up her acting game before she met Seth.

  “Did he mention me? Did he ask how I was?”

  “We didn’t have a conversation. We acknowledged each other and didn’t cause each other physical harm. That was the extent of our joyous reunion.”

  “So as far as he knows I could be married or anything.” Fliss stood up and paced across the apartment. “I definitely need to date someone. Fast. Who do we know who might help?”

  “Don’t look at me.” Daniel raised his hands in a gesture of surrender. “I don’t know anyone who would date you unless they were medicated first.”

  “Thanks.” But some of Fliss’s spirit had returned and when she glanced at him he was relieved to see the usual spark in her eyes. “I’m late. I have to go. But thanks for the heads-up. I appreciate it.” She scooped up her keys and flew out of the door, leaving Harriet and Daniel alone.

  “Shit,” Harriet muttered and Daniel lifted an eyebrow.

  “That’s the first time I’ve ever heard you swear.”

  “Seth coming back into Fliss’s life is a reason to swear. She was broken, Daniel.”

  “Yeah, but it was a long time ago. She was vulnerable, and now she’s not.”

  “I’m not so sure.” Harriet looked unhappy. “Where Seth is concerned I think a part of her will always be broken. I’ve often wondered—”

  “What?”

  “Nothing.” Harriet avoided his gaze and he frowned.

  “What? Is there something you’re not telling me?”

  “No. I’m worried, that’s all.”

  “Me, too, but she’ll be fine. She always is.” Daniel finished his coffee. “I’m late. Call me if you need anything, but otherwise we can finish this conversation tomorrow when I pick up Brutus.”

  Harriet was distracted. “You can’t have him tomorrow. The people who want to adopt him are coming to take him.”

  Daniel was surprised by how much that news bothered him. “I thought they didn’t like his temperament.”

  “These are different people. They’re specifically looking for a German shepherd. I think they’ll be the perfect family for him.”

  Daniel felt as if he’d been kicked in the gut. He told himself it was seeing his sister upset that was responsible for the hollow feeling.

  Harriet peered at him. “You look upset, but it’s not as if you need a dog to walk anymore. Now Molly knows the truth you can just walk because you enjoy walking. Or jog. Or whatever it is you do.”

  “Two families have rejected Brutus already. I want him to have a good home, that’s all.”

  “The people in the adoption center know what they’re doing.”

  “Are you sure? Because it’s not as if what they’ve done so far has been particularly impressive. They should talk to Molly. She’s good at knowing what people and personalities would work together.”

  “Her expertise is humans.”

  “Brutus is smarter than many of the humans I know.”

  Harriet’s gaze softened. “You really like him. You’re attached.”

  “He’s a dog, and I’m never attached.” Feeling like a traitor, he gave Brutus a final back rub and walked to the door. “Make sure they know he has a problem coming back when he is called. They need to be careful where they let him off the lead. And don’t let them call him Ruffles.”

  Seventeen

  Dear Aggie, I’m married but I’m attracted to another woman. I love my wife, but life with her is predictable. Should I stay or should I go? Yours, Bored.

  “He’s going to need a divorce attorney.” Daniel leaned over her shoulder. “Do you want to give him my number?”

  Laughing, Molly shoved him away. She was working at Daniel’s desk. Valentine lay sprawled by the window, asleep. “As surprising as you might find this, I don’t generally start by recommending divorce.”

  “Why not? If he goes through with the torrid affair he’s obviously considering, that will be the eventual outcome. Might as well save himself, and his wife, years of anguish and file for divorce now. Cut out the middle man. Or the middle woman, in this case.” He bent to kiss the back of her neck and Molly felt heat consume her.

  She closed her laptop. “I’ll answer this later.”

  “No.” His lips moved to her shoulder. “You have to answer it now. We’re having dinner with Eva and Lucas, remember? We’re due there in an hour. Carry on and work. Ignore me.”

  Ignore him? How?

  Molly opened the laptop again and tried to focus, but it was impossible with Daniel’s mouth on her skin. His touch felt so insanely good she closed her eyes, forgetting the computer screen in front of her. Right now she didn’t care what Bored did with his life. The only thing on her mind was what Daniel was doing to her.

  She hadn’t ever felt like this before. Not with Rupert. Not with anyone. For the first time in her life she wasn’t hiding anything and it was surprisingly liberating. Daniel knew about her mother. He knew about Rupert. He knew all of it. It was the simplest, easiest relationship she’d ever had and as a result she felt relaxed and uninhibited.

  She turned and stood up, winding her arms around his neck. She felt his fingers tug at her ponytail until her hair came loose and tumbled over her shoulders. He gave an appreciative groan and speared it with his fingers.

  “What about Bored? You owe him an answer.”

  “I think he needs to ponder on his problem a little longer. It’s not good to rush these big decisions.” She grabbed the hem of his shirt, jerking it upward, and he ripped at her top, his movements frantic. Everything about it was unsteady and uneven, from his breathing to the urgency of his hands as he stripped her to her underwear. It turned her on to see him so out of control because she felt the same way herself.

  “I don’t want to go out.” His tone was rough and raw, his mouth fused to the smooth flesh he’d just exposed. “I want to stay in and feast on you instead. I’ll cancel.”

  “No! We have to go. I love Eva and I want to meet Lucas.” She slid her fingers into his hair and then his mouth collided with hers and talking plummeted right to the bottom of her list of priorities.

  She glided her hands over his shoulders and he lifted her onto the desk as if she weighed nothing. She felt a delicious shiver of shock and wrapped her thighs around him. And still they kissed, as if it was something it wasn’t possible to stop doing.

  She felt the powerful thrust of him against her and instinctively moved her hips to be closer.

  His hands stroked down her thighs and then she felt the skilled, gentle slide of his fingers as he explored her intimately.

  She wanted him desperately, frantically, and she reached down, fumbling with his zip and the fabric of his jeans. He covered her hand with his, forced her to pause while he reached for a condom and then slid into her with a smooth possessive thrust that sent electric excitement shooting through her. For a moment she stayed still, allowing her body time to accommodate the thickened thrust of him, and then he moved and there was only the perfect driving rhythm, the bite of his fingers on her thighs and the heat of his mouth on hers. They kissed all the way through it, through the frantic, sweaty coupling, through the shuddering excitement, through the explosive orgasm that gripped both of them.

  It was so intense, so shocking, that afterward Mol
ly didn’t move. She stayed with her head on his chest, feeling the strength of his arms holding her, locked together in the most intimate way possible.

  “Dear Aggie,” he murmured, scooping her hair back from her face, “there’s this woman, and I’m so crazy about her that if she walks past me I want to grab her and strip her naked. What can I do? Yours, No Self-control.”

  She eased away and looked up at him, still trying to process what had just happened. They were both out of breath and his shoulders were slick with sweat. “Dear No Self-control,” she said, her voice husky, “sexual attraction that intense can be exciting, but no relationship can flourish if one party is arrested for performing a sex act in a public place. I suggest you make sure the woman in question only ever walks past you when you’re in private. And I’m sure that intense chemistry will soon wear off.”

  “You think so? For the sake of my sanity and physical comfort, I’m banking on it.” He eased away from her. “Just in case it doesn’t, you’ll need to sit on the other side of the table tonight.”

  “Good plan.” She slid off the desk and grabbed her clothes from the floor.

  She just hoped being on the other side of the table would be enough.

  * * *

  “So your next book is out in July?” Daniel reached for some of Eva’s delicious homemade walnut bread. “When do I get my advance copy?”

  “They came in yesterday.” Lucas poured the wine. “I can get you one if you’re interested.”

  Eva shuddered. “Take my advice and refuse. The cover alone is enough to make me want to sleep with the lights on.”

  Molly smiled. “You don’t read Lucas’s books?”

  “I don’t let her,” Lucas drawled. “The only time she did, she woke me up with screaming nightmares.” He glanced at Daniel. “Remember that time she answered the door to you with a knife in her hand?”

  “I assumed it was your special brand of hospitality.”

  “It was the night he made me watch Hitchcock.” Eva was laughing so hard she could hardly speak. Turning to Lucas, she said, “I blame you totally. If you choose to scare me, you have to live with the consequences.”