Stranger in My Arms

by Madeline Harper

  “That sounds good for starters,” he murmured as he raised her hand to his lips and kissed her palm. “But I have other ideas about the way we can spend a rainy morning in New York.”

  Kasey gave him a kiss on the cheek and finished lacing her shoes. “Not exactly rainy, but very cloudy. And I want to spend the morning the same way.”

  “Oh? And what way is that?”

  She laughed. “What were you thinking?”

  “You tell me first.”

  “Something like last night,” she said, blushing in spite of herself as she got up and went to the window. “Yes, it’s definitely cloudy out there.”

  Will stretched his arms above his head. “You’re all the sunshine I need. Hurry back, Kasey.”

  * * *

  THERE WAS A SMILE on her face when she breezed past Tim, out the door and down the street. She liked the image behind Will’s words. She was the sunshine of his life. Bringing light to dark corners.

  She slowed down as she approached Broadway, confused by her own thoughts, wondering why she would assume that Will had dark corners in his life. Just because he was a little secretive... Well, more than a little. But in time, she’d learn everything about him, dark corners and all.

  She stopped to buy the morning paper from Mike.

  “Glad to get a little rain last night. Hope it’ll cool things off,” Mike offered, spouting his usual early-morning weather commentary. “But I’m afraid today’s just gonna be another hot and steamy one soon’s the sun comes out.”

  Kasey crossed the street, trying to hide her grin. The weather outside couldn’t compare to the situation in her apartment, which was really hot and steamy.

  Gina Fenelli stood behind the counter of the bakery, which was momentarily empty, and greeted Kasey with a smile. “We have a break, and I can’t think of anything better than filling it with you. Thought you’d deserted us, Kasey.”

  “Never,” Kasey vowed. “I’ve just been busy the last few mornings. But today I’m going to make up for all the treats I’ve missed. I’d like half a dozen pastries, all of them wonderful, of course.”

  Gina rolled her eyes knowingly. “So. Sharing with your neighbor again. It’s a man, right? A boyfriend? How’d he like the special raspberry hazelnut torte I gave you last time?”

  “Actually he’s more of a chocolate man. So could you be sure to include a chocolate croissant.” Kasey thought about Will’s seemingly incompatible tastes. Chocolate pastries and hot dogs. Silk shirts and the best wines. He was never predictable and never boring.

  “You like this man, eh? I can tell by the look in your eyes when you talk about him,” Gina said as she chose a variety of pastries, deftly removing them from the glass case and assembling them in a pink bakery box.

  “He’s very nice.” Kasey tried to remain cool but failed. “In fact, he’s wonderful, Gina. So good-looking and smart and funny.” It wasn’t like her to go on and on about a man. But then Will wasn’t just any man.

  Gina wrapped string around the box, cut it and looked up at Kasey, her eyes twinkling. “So, when do I meet Mr. Wonderful? Bring him in. I’ll give him a treat right from the oven.”

  “I will, very soon. He lives at—” Kasey broke off in midsentence. Will was so reticent about his life, so protective of his privacy, that she felt guilty gossiping about him. “How much do I owe you?” she asked quickly, digging into her pockets.

  Gina gave Kasey the total and, busy with the sale, didn’t seem to notice the unfinished sentence.

  “You bring him by so the Fenelli family can pass approval on him.”

  “I will,” Kasey promised, scooting out the door as another customer entered.

  * * *

  “I WILL,” she repeated to herself, “when he and I adjust to...” Adjust to what, she wondered. Being in love? Being a couple? Maybe they needed to talk; there was so much she didn’t know, but Will had a way of changing the subject whenever she wanted to talk about him—his family, his work...his past.

  Kasey breezed through the lobby of Bartow Tower, trying to figure out a way to get Will to open up to her.

  Maybe being direct was best.

  She pushed the elevator button and looked around for Tim. His post was empty. “So much for the security of Bartow Tower,” she muttered to herself.

  As she stepped off the elevator on the nineteenth floor, Tim was standing in the hall.

  “I was hoping I’d see you, Ms. Halliday. I rang your buzzer. I was sure I heard someone inside and thought maybe Mr. Eastman...” He let that remark hang in the air. “But no one answered.”

  “No,” Kasey repeated. Will must have had his own reason for not responding.

  “I wanted to tell you that there’s a new tenant on your floor.” Tim stepped aside and Kasey caught her first view of an elderly woman in a wheelchair.

  “This is Mrs. Janek. She’s renting 1901.” Tim’s eyes sought out Kasey’s pleadingly. “I need to get back to the lobby. Would you mind getting her settled in?”

  “Well, I—” Kasey couldn’t give away Will’s presence and she didn’t have another excuse handy. “Sure, I’ll help.”

  “How nice of you, dear.” Mrs. Janek’s voice was soft but steady. “It’s so difficult getting moved in, isn’t it? Now, what did Tim call you? Holiday, was it?”

  “Halliday, but call me Kasey.”

  “I’m Freya Janek.” The woman held out her hand as Tim stepped onto the elevator with a wave.

  Kasey shook hands, trying not to stare at Mrs. Janek’s attire. Gloves in August? Her dress was long-sleeved, full and flowing, and she wore a big hat. Kasey couldn’t get a handle on her exact age, but she seemed to be a spectre from another century.

  “I can usually manage by myself, but I do need help with these bags.” She gestured to the overnight cases at her feet. “My cosmetics. I wouldn’t entrust them to movers.”

  Kasey sighed and picked up the luggage, hoping to get this episode over quickly. She wished that she’d never gained a reputation as the building housemother. But she had. And there was nothing she could do about it except help the poor woman.

  Mrs. Janek struggled with her key and finally unlocked the door to 1901. Her motorized wheelchair made a soft whirring sound as Kasey followed her down the hall, past the closed bedroom door to the living room, which was almost empty. A table, a chair, a telephone. The place was depressingly bare, four freshly painted white walls and curtainless balcony doors revealing gray skies outside.

  Mrs. Janek waved a gloved hand at the room. “My furniture is being reupholstered. It seemed the perfect time. New apartment, fresh start in life. You know, my dear, one is never too old to begin again.”

  “I like that attitude.” Kasey noticed that the elderly woman had a slight accent. European, she surmised, imagining that Mrs. Janek had once lived grandly. Eccentric but interesting, she’d be a nice addition to the floor, Kasey realized. She probably had fascinating stories to tell.

  “Shall I put your luggage in the bedroom?” she asked.

  “No, just leave everything here. I’ll unpack gradually. I’m used to taking care of myself and I try not to let this wheelchair slow me down. I’ve had hip surgery, you see, but I’m healing very nicely,” she confided. “I’ll be out of this chair soon.”

  “If there’s anything I can do to help you until then, just let me know. I realize moving in can be a hassle.” Kasey edged toward the hall, eager to get back to Will.

  “You’re so kind. Have you lived here long?”

  “One year.”

  “And do you like Bartow Tower? Now be honest, please.”

  Kasey chose her words carefully. “The building has a lot of nice features. Storage facilities, laundry room, parking garage. And when the weather’s sunny, these balconies are lovely.” She skipped the stories about stalled elevators and power outages. No point in upsetting Mrs. Janek unnecessarily. Besides, if she got into all that, she’d never get out of here.

  “What about security? A singl
e woman has to be so careful. Are you alone, too, dear?”

  Kasey nodded and thought about last night when she hadn’t been alone at all. She’d been with Will, sleeping next to him all night, her body curled into his. Actually, although she didn’t let Mrs. Janek know it, she’d never felt less alone in her life.

  “Security is pretty good. There’s always a doorman on duty. As far as I know, we’ve never had a break-in here.” In spite of all the other problems, that much was true.

  “I feel much safer hearing that, although I plan to keep my door double-locked just in case. What about these balconies?”

  “The only intruder you’ll have is the neighbor’s cat. Lo Mein will probably be checking you out soon. He’s a nosy Siamese who prowls the balconies.”

  “How charming. I love animals. Perhaps I’ll get a cat of my own.” She peered up at Kasey through tinted glasses. “But here I am talking away as if we had all day. I’m probably holding you up.”

  There was her break, Kasey thought. “Yes, I—”

  “But if you could just do me one favor.”

  “Of course.” Kasey tried not to grimace.

  “In the kitchen. My coffeepot is plugged in and ready to start brewing my favorite blend. But I simply can’t open the coffee can. My hands, you know,” she added without revealing the exact problem.

  Kasey assumed it was arthritis. “I’ll open it for you.” She headed for the kitchen. Start the coffee brewing and then you’re out of here, she told herself.

  In a matter of minutes, Kasey had the coffeepot perking away and as an exit line decided to offer Mrs. Janek a bakery treat. “I have some pastries here. Shall I leave you one?”

  “Oh, my dear, that would be lovely. You don’t have anything chocolate, do you? I’m addicted, I must admit.”

  Kasey only hesitated a moment before lying expertly. “No, I’m sorry. But I do have a wonderful almond torte. Would you like that?”

  “Yes, thank you very much. I’m lucky to have such a thoughtful neighbor. Lucky but not surprised. Tim said I’d like you. You’ll have to come over sometime and tell me all about the rest of the people on this floor. I bet you know everyone.”

  “That’s my reputation. I’ll be glad to introduce you around.”

  “When you have the time, my dear. I’m sure you’re very busy. You work during the day?”

  “Well, no. Actually I’m with Walk-by-Windows down on Columbus Circle. I don’t go in until midafternoon, so anytime you need anything, just let me know.” Kasey bit her lip, wondering what it was about her personality that made her reveal herself completely to total strangers. Judy would be giving her a warning about now. Well, she thought, at least the woman wasn’t a threat.

  “I’ll remember your kind offer,” Mrs. Janek told her. “You don’t know how good it makes me feel.”

  As Kasey managed her exit, the elderly woman called after her, “You’ll be hearing from me, my dear.”

  * * *

  KASEY TRIED not to think of what Mrs. Janek had in mind as she let herself into her apartment. One of these days, she’d stop being everyone’s friend.

  Will was in the kitchen pouring a cup of coffee. He’d pulled on his trousers, but his chest was bare, and his hair was still tousled from the night before.

  “I was about to go out and look for you. Where did you go for the pastries, Paris?”

  Kasey laughed. “I got tied up.” She stood for a moment gazing at him, feeling a warm glow of contentment. He looked so different without his beard. More vulnerable, less mysterious, but just as handsome. She and Will were characters in a very intimate scene, she thought. Two lovers, the morning after, sharing coffee.

  She took the cup he offered, gave him a quick kiss and handed him the box of pastries. “Your chocolate pastry was almost stolen away, but I managed to hand over an almond one, instead.”

  “Don’t tell me you were held up, and the thief only got away with an almond croissant.”

  “It was a torte, actually, and I gave it away.”

  Will opened the box. “Ah-ha. Here’s the chocolate. All safe and sound.” He took a bite. “And delicious. Now, let’s see... How about a cinnamon twist for you?”

  She accepted the pastry.

  “So tell me about your adventure. Who almost stole my croissant?”

  “Our neighbor. Freya Janek. I helped her move in.”

  “Another new tenant. What’s she like?”

  Kasey leaned against the kitchen counter, trying to analyze his curious look. “Could that be interest I see in your eyes? I’m not sure I like that.”

  “Don’t tell me you’re jealous.”

  “You’d be surprised,” Kasey replied. “The other day when Glenna came over and told me you’d been to her apartment—”

  Will stopped in midbite. “Wait a minute. I was never in Glenna’s apartment.”

  “I know. But I thought you were. You returned Lo Mein to her, and when she told me about it, I got a little jealous. That isn’t like me at all,” she added. “I’m not the obsessive type. Or at least I never have been. But that stab of jealousy almost scared me.”

  She couldn’t quite read the look that passed over his face before he spoke, quickly and decisively. “You’re not obsessive, Kasey. You’re the most open and honest person I know. And I’m flattered that you were jealous. Even a little bit.”

  “Glenna is a great-looking woman,” Kasey ventured.

  “Sure, if you like long-legged brunettes.” He pulled Kasey close and kissed her. “I prefer petite blondes with nice firm bodies and wild imaginations.”

  “Good, I’m relieved.” She smiled at him. “So let’s finish the pastries and then—”

  “And then? Let our imaginations run wild?”

  “I don’t have to be at work until four o’clock. That gives us a whole morning and part of the afternoon. I, um, thought we might talk for a while.”

  “Talk? We talk all the time, Kasey. Even in bed.”

  She looked up at him through lowered lashes.

  He smiled. “Sure we do, a suggestive word here and there.” He let his fingers drift provocatively along her cheek.

  “That’s not what I mean, Will. I mean, really talk,” Kasey persisted. “I know so little about you, and I want to know more.”

  “It’s a long story. Are you sure you have time to hear it? Or will you be running errands for the new gal down the the hall—what did you say she was like?”

  Distracted, Kasey chuckled. “Well, first of all, she’s no gal, although she might like the description. She’s an older woman, exactly how old, I can’t say. Her face was pretty wrinkled, but her eyes looked unusually young behind very thick, tinted glasses.”

  “So she’s elderly?”

  “Definitely a senior citizen.”

  Kasey thought she saw a look of relief pass over Will’s face. “Oh, and she’s temporarily wheelchair-bound, which was why I had to give her a hand.”

  “That’s too bad,” Will responded.

  “She seems to handle it pretty well. And she’s very cultivated. A European background, I think. I’ll introduce you.”

  Will gave her a hug. “Nope. I know everyone on the nineteenth floor I want to know. You’re the woman for me.”

  “Prove it,” Kasey challenged, wrapping her arms around his waist.

  “Are you trying to seduce me, Kasey Halliday?”

  “I might be.” She insinuated herself against him. “And I won’t tell Tim if you don’t.”

  Will stiffened. “What in the world does that mean?”

  “It means Tim is back at his post.”

  He was silent.

  “And leaving us alone,” she added. “He rang the buzzer a while ago, looking for me.”

  “That was Tim?”

  “Yes. I thought you probably saw him through the peephole in the door...”

  “No,” he said quickly. “I didn’t bother to go to the door. Figured it was one of your nineteenth-floor fans.”

&nb
sp; “It might have been me,” she teased.

  “Oh, no.” He gave her another hug, relaxed and easy. “You aren’t the type to forget your keys. You’re much too focused.”

  “Is that good?” she asked, forgetting about Tim and the problem he seemed to present to Will.

  “Of course. All of your traits are good. Especially the tendency you have to talk about one thing while doing another.”

  She frowned at him. “Explain, please.”

  “Well, you’re talking about the doorman and making love to me.”

  “Making love?”

  “Yes, everything you do to me and with me is a kind of lovemaking. Like right now. You’re slipping your hands around my hips. I’m not even sure you realize you’re doing it, but you’re driving me crazy.”

  “You have nice hips,” she said. “Tight and trim but very accessible.”

  Will pulled up her T-shirt. “Just as you’re accessible to me. Mmm,” he added, “no bra. That makes undressing you a lot easier.” He reached for her zipper just as she reached for his—or started to.

  “What about your life story?” she asked, pulling a little away from him.

  He took a firm grip on her hand and moved it back to his zipper.

  “You’re doing it again,” she murmured. “Changing the subject.”

  “This is the subject, Kasey,” he told her.

  “I think you’re right,” she answered, giving herself over to her feelings as they slipped their hands inside each other’s jeans, stroking warm, eager flesh, causing a delicious heat, slow and thick as honey, to flood through both of them.

  Will’s breath was moist against her ear. “We’ll talk soon. I swear. But for now...”

  Kasey was already lost in a haze of need. How could it be possible, she wondered, to want him so much, to need him all of the time? She kept wondering that as they worked their way out of their jeans and he pulled off her shirt.