by Sarah Morgan
“I don’t.” He turned to her and pulled her into his arms. “Instead, I think you should take me to bed and cure me of my wicked ways.”
They fell into an easy routine. Sometimes they stayed at Daniel’s apartment, and sometimes at hers. As the evenings grew warmer they strolled along the tree-lined blocks of the Upper East Side. They discovered wine shops, bakeries bursting with sugary temptation, and little boutiques tucked away off the beaten track. They ate steak tacos and sipped frozen margaritas in a romantic restaurant in Lenox Hill and strolled along the East River Promenade. He took her to a performance of Tosca at the Lincoln Center, and showed her his favorite parts of the Met and the Guggenheim. Together they explored the northern end of Central Park, an area often overlooked by tourists.
They were both busy, but he sent her texts during the day, and she texted him back. She worked with her phone next to her laptop so that she didn’t miss a message from him.
When they stayed in they took it in turns to cook, and sometimes they ate with friends.
The dinner they’d enjoyed with Eva and Lucas had been the first of many evenings they spent with the couple. The four of them got on well together, and one day when Eva called her, not to speak to Daniel but to ask her advice on something, she realized that his friends were becoming her friends. She’d slotted into his circle. Trusted who he trusted. Her group of friends was smaller of course, but she’d introduced him to Gabe and Mark, and even Mrs. Winchester had declared him very handsome when she’d met him on the stairs.
She still went to her spin class, but she dropped salsa because she enjoyed getting up close and personal with Daniel more than she enjoyed doing it with a stranger.
As spring tipped over into summer, the borders grew lush with color, the air was thickened with scent and the evenings grew longer. When Daniel worked late, they walked in darkness, breathing in the scents and sounds of New York.
They talked about everything, from politics to people. They discussed books, wine, art, dogs.
“It’s so much more than incredible sex,” she told Gabe one night over dinner when Daniel was working late. “I look forward to seeing him. When I’m not with him, I think about him. I find myself sending him emails when something funny happens and I really need to share it. And he listens. I’ve never met a man who listens the way he does. Sometimes I think he knows what I want before I do. I’ve never had a relationship like this before. It’s so uncomplicated. I don’t even know what that’s called. There’s no name for it.”
Gabe raised his eyebrows. “I think it’s called l—”
“Life,” Mark said quickly. “It’s life. Sometimes relationships just work. Why do we have to label it?”
Gabe opened his mouth and closed it again. “Sure. Life. And you’re right. We don’t have to label it. If it works, it works. It can take any shape or form that works for you.”
“Do you know the best part? That he knows who I am. He knows it all. With him, I’m not hiding.”
“That’s great.” Mark stood up and grabbed dessert. “So this party he’s taking you to—”
“It’s a summer party that his law firm has every year. Fancy. What should I wear? I’m thinking a short dress. Maybe black?”
“Not black. Wear color. Red looks great with your hair.”
They debated the options for a while and she decided she probably needed something new. “How’s the champagne ad campaign going, Gabe?”
“Fizzing away. The client loves what we’ve proposed.” Gabe stood up and started clearing the table. “Which is a relief, because I’m enjoying the spoils. This is one account I don’t ever intend to lose.”
Mark grinned. “It’s champagne for breakfast, lunch and dinner.”
Molly helped clear the rest of the plates. “Don’t even talk to me about champagne. I’m never drinking again after that night at the Met.”
Mark made coffee while she and Gabe finished clearing. Then she called Valentine and said good-night to them both.
Gabe closed the door behind her and looked at Mark. “What’s going to happen when she realizes what she’s feeling is love?”
“I don’t know. But I have a feeling it’s not going to be pretty.”
“Maybe you should see if you can switch classes from Italian cooking to Serious Comfort Food.”
Nineteen
It was the first time Daniel had ever taken a date to the annual summer party, so their arrival immediately attracted attention.
“Is my skirt too short?” Molly paused, aware that everyone had turned to look at them. “Do I have spinach stuck in my teeth? Why is everyone staring?”
“They’re staring because this is the first time I’ve brought a date to this event. It was bound to attract some curiosity and interest. And then there’s that red dress.” It fell to midthigh from tiny shoestring straps. It was perfectly decent, so maybe it was simply that he knew what lay underneath that made him find the dress sexy.
She gave him a wicked smile. The same smile she’d given him when she’d joined him in the shower earlier that evening. Her smile was the reason they’d arrived late.
“Want me to tell them that our relationship is physical and that’s all?”
He thought about the hours they spent talking, arguing, exchanging views. The number of times they’d laughed until neither of them could speak, and eaten from each other’s plates in restaurants. “Sure.” He managed to keep his voice normal. “Tell them it’s just incredible sex.”
It’s what he would have said himself a month ago. But now?
He knew what he felt went far deeper than that.
He’d never fallen in love before. But he was sure, he knew, that he was in love now. With Molly. That discovery hadn’t come to him in an instant. It had been a gradual realization and at first he’d rejected it. Love? No way. He’d searched for other words to describe the way he felt about her. Friendship? Definitely. Sexual attraction? That went without saying. But neither of those labels explained the depth or breadth of his feelings. The truth had hit him when he’d heard a married colleague describe him in tones of deep envy as a free agent. Daniel had realized he didn’t want to be free. Not if free meant being without Molly. To him that sounded like being given the choice between a life in a barren desert or a life in a lush rain forest.
His state of mind bothered him less than he would have expected.
What bothered him was her state of mind. Molly was a woman who never wanted a man to fall in love with her. It was her worst-case scenario. Which gave him a problem for which, right now, he had no solution.
She’d made him promise that he wouldn’t fall in love. He couldn’t change the way he was feeling, but he could keep those feelings to himself.
“I need to circulate.” For him, this event was all about work. He and the other partners were expected to mingle, say a few motivational words and then tactfully leave before the rest of the staff drank too much and danced on the tables. “Let me introduce you to a few people.” Resolving to keep the evening as short as possible, he did the rounds, introducing Molly to various members of the team.
The weather was perfect for an outdoor summer party and the event struck exactly the right balance between sophisticated and casual. The terrace was illuminated by discreet lighting and outdoor furniture was arranged in a way that encouraged people to come together in small groups and enjoy the food and the company. Candles flickered in Mason jars and bunches of flowers added a sweet, heady aroma to the night air.
The band was good and knew what to play to draw people to the dance floor. There was a hum of conversation, a ripple of laughter and interspersed between the sounds of revelry were the sounds of New York. Sounds that were part of the rich tapestry of the city. The blare of cab horns, the wail of sirens, helicopters, garbage trucks, barking dogs.
Across the terrace he saw Eva talking to someone serving food. She caught his eye, gave him a little wave and turned her attention back to work.
“Now
that you’ve spoken to what felt like a hundred people, are we allowed to dance?” Molly finished her drink and slid her arm into his.
“I have a reputation to maintain.”
“You’ll be safe with me, I promise. I won’t let you make a fool of yourself in public.”
“You’ve never seen me dance.”
“People are staring at us anyway. We might as well give them something worth looking at.”
“I thought you said you wouldn’t let me make a fool of myself?” But he took her hand and walked her to the dance floor before pulling her into his arms. Her hair brushed against his chin and he breathed in the scent of it and was instantly transported back a few hours to their steamy encounter in the shower.
The moment her body brushed against his, he knew it was a mistake. Their connection was too intense, too alive and real to ever be concealed from those watching curiously.
He couldn’t remember the last time he’d danced, but what they were doing now didn’t feel like dancing. It felt like an extension of what they did in the bedroom. And the hallway. And his office. And any other place where there was a door separating them from the outside world.
He heard her breathing change and felt her hand rest on the front of his chest.
Then she lifted her head and looked at him with those green eyes that made him think of fields and forests. What did she see when she looked into his eyes? Did she see the change in his feelings? He hoped not, because he had yet to come up with a strategy.
He wasn’t the first man to fall in love with her, but he intended to be the last.
“Let’s go.” He forced himself to step back to a safe distance and pulled her to the edge of the dance floor, only to find the way blocked by Max.
Tension rippled through him. If there was one person he wouldn’t have wanted to introduce to Molly, it was Max.
“Daniel! And with the best-looking woman in the room, as usual.” He winked at Molly and gave what he probably thought was a charming smile. “I’m Max. I’m here to lighten the tone of the place. You must be Molly. And before you ask how I know that, I should tell you that you are the first woman Daniel has ever brought to this event so you’re already famous. Congratulations.”
Daniel saw a tiny frown appear between Molly’s brows, as if she didn’t quite know what to make of Max.
“We’re on our way out,” he said bluntly, but Max had drunk just enough to ensure that his reactions were blunted.
“You can’t leave yet. What do you do for a living, Molly? Your face looks familiar. Have we met?”
Daniel ran his hand over the back of his neck. “Max—”
“I’m a psychologist.”
“Whoa!” Max’s reaction was exaggerated drama. “Is this the point where you tell me what you think of me? Because I’m not sure I want to know.”
Daniel was more than ready to tell his colleague what he thought of him but he bit his tongue.
Molly tipped her head to one side. “I think you’re drunk. But it’s a party, so why not.”
Max was clearly enchanted. “I like her. I like her a lot.” He slapped Daniel on the shoulder. “So you now have your own personal psychologist, whereas the rest of us still have to write to Aggie.”
The amusement in Molly’s eyes faded. “You’ve written to Aggie?”
“Of course. We all think she’s brilliant. Except Daniel, of course. He thinks he knows better. In fact her advice has driven him so mad he made us track her down and find out her real identity. Can’t give you details, of course. All confidential,” he said, and winked at Molly, “but between you and me I can tell you she isn’t fifty people working in a call center. She’s a real person. And I’m guessing she’s a babe.”
“We need to go,” Daniel said smoothly. “And you need to lay off the champagne, Max, or you’ll be the subject of a lawsuit, not the solution.”
“Wait! You tracked her down? You did a background check?” Molly turned her head to look at Daniel and now her eyes weren’t field or forest, they were fire and fury.
He felt her anger like a punch to the gut, but he also felt something else that worried him far more. He felt her panic and her anxiety. He could almost see her mind racing forward, trying to work out what this meant.
Max was oblivious to the destruction he’d wrought. “Don’t be shocked,” he said. “It’s the reason Daniel never loses a case. He’s a detail man. He doesn’t just look at the surface, he X-rays everything underneath it until there’s nothing he doesn’t know. It’s the reason he’s so fearsome in court. Nothing gets past him. He and ‘Aggie’ would actually make a great couple. Can you imagine that? The guy who knows everything about relationships dating the woman who knows everything. Now that’s something I’d like to see.”
“I doubt you’re ever going to see that.” Molly’s voice was so cold it was like being dipped naked in an ice bucket, and then she turned and left the party without looking back.
Max stared after her, bemused. “Did I say the wrong thing?”
“You said a thousand wrong things.” Daniel followed Molly and caught her at the elevator. “Wait. Wait! Please.” He caught the doors before they could close. As he strode into the elevator he expected her to back away but instead she stepped forward and jabbed him in the chest with her finger.
“You had me investigated?”
“Molly—”
“You had me investigated, and you didn’t think that was worth mentioning?”
“Hear me out.” He was the one with his back against the wall. As the doors closed, Daniel loosened his tie and undid his top button.
Her eyes sparked. “Nervous?”
There was no sign of tears. Instead there were shards of anger. He decided he could be the object of her anger more easily than he could be the cause of her tears.
“Neither. Just hot.”
“Don’t flatter yourself.” The doors opened and she stalked away from him, her balance impressive given the height and spindle-thin delicacy of her heels.
He could have let her go, but he knew that would be a mistake.
“I did not investigate you. I investigated Aggie, who was, if you remember, giving what I considered to be unhelpful advice to my clients. I had no idea it was you.”
“And you didn’t think to mention it? It slipped your mind? I don’t think so. You’re not a man who has lapses in memory. So how long have you known? Wait a minute—” She narrowed her eyes as she calculated. “That night of the Phoenix Publishing party—you didn’t seem surprised when Brett introduced us. You already knew.”
“Yes.”
“You had sex with me, knowing who I was?”
“No. I found out the day of the party.” Although if he’d known before, it wouldn’t have stopped him. Nothing would have stopped what happened that night. From the moment she’d walked through his door wearing that stretchy blue dress, the outcome had been inevitable.
“That was why you came to the party?”
“Yes. I wanted to talk to you.”
“You were so angry.” She lifted her hand to her throat, trying to slow her breathing. “But you didn’t tell me you’d had me investigated.”
“How I found out wasn’t at the top of my mind.”
“So you were angry with me because I’d been hiding something from you, even though the method by which you discovered that information was something you chose to conceal from me. Do you see the irony of that?” There was no warmth in her tone. It was as if she’d hauled all her emotions back behind a wall. Gone was the girl who had exposed her emotions when Valentine had been ill. Gone was the girl who had laughed with him and confided in him. This was the Molly who protected herself. “You could have told me you knew.”
“After Brett introduced us, there didn’t seem any point.”
“You mean you wanted to stay safely on the moral high ground where you wouldn’t get your feet wet.”
“If I didn’t already know I would have found out at that party.”
“No, you wouldn’t, because you wouldn’t have gone. You weren’t planning on going anywhere that night. You asked me out. If you’d already been busy, you would have said so. You accused me of hiding myself from you, but you were hiding plenty yourself.”
“Put yourself in my position. Aggie’s name kept coming up. Her—your—advice contradicted mine. You don’t use your qualifications, or even a photo. I was suspicious. I wanted to protect my clients. That was professional. When I found out you were Aggie, I was angry that you hadn’t shared the information. That was personal.”
“I understand the conflict, but at the very least you should have told me what you’d done!”
He hailed a cab. This wasn’t a conversation to have on the street. “Let’s go back to my place and we can talk there.” Within the security and familiarity of his apartment, hopefully she’d relax and listen.
“I’m not going back to your place, Daniel.”
“Fine, we’ll go to yours.”
“No. I—” She rubbed her fingers across her forehead. “I’m not going anywhere with you. You’re the first man I’ve ever trusted, do you know that? I told you everything. And now I discover that—” She broke off, her breathing unsteady. “I don’t understand why you didn’t tell me.”
“Because I was afraid.” The confession was dragged from him. “Because there is no good way to tell a woman you really like that you accidentally had her investigated.” It was more than like, a lot more, but timing was everything when breaking unexpected and possibly unwanted news, and this wasn’t the time.
She stood, poised on the sidewalk, oblivious to the flow of people around them.
This was Manhattan, and life carried on. Through love, marriage, divorce, sickness, friendship, loss, the city kept moving. It didn’t sleep, nor did it rest.
“I can’t think.” She sounded dazed. “I need time to think.”
“Come home with me and think about it there.” He reached out to her but she lifted her hands to ward him off.
“No. You think you know everything about women,” she said, her breathing shallow and uneven, “but let me tell you, Daniel, you don’t know anything at all.”