New York, Actually (From Manhattan with Love 4)

“No.” Molly discovered she was desperate to talk to someone. “He said he’d be round with dinner tonight.”

“I’m starting to like the guy.”

So was she. That was the problem.

“That’s the other thing I haven’t told you. Did you know Fliss and Harry have a brother?”

“Yes, although I’ve never met him. Superstar attorney. The sort of guy you’d want

on your side if your relationship was falling apart.”

“Yeah, well that’s him. Daniel. Daniel is their brother.”

“Wait a minute, you’re telling me that your Daniel is their Daniel?” Mark dragged his hand through his hair. “Dog-loving fit guy from the park is the twins’ brother?”

“Turns out he’s not dog-loving. He borrowed the dog to get my attention.”

Mark sat down at the table. “I’m starting to understand why you can’t concentrate. That’s—”

“Dishonest?”

“I was going to say flattering.”

“It’s flattering to have someone prepared to kidnap and deceive for you? What am I missing?”

“Did he tell you it was his dog?”

“No. But when someone has a dog it’s natural to assume it’s theirs.”

“Not in New York City. In New York City half the people in Central Park are walking dogs belonging to someone else.”

“But he borrowed the dog to make him seem like a dog-loving person. What kind of guy does that?” She frowned, thinking back to how he was with Brutus. “In fact he might be a dog-loving person, but I don’t think he discovered that until recently.”

“From what I know about him, the guy doesn’t have to try too hard to get a woman’s attention. The fact that he was willing to go to those lengths to attract yours, means something.”

“It means he thinks my butt looks good in running pants.”

Mark grinned. “Or maybe he’s fallen for Valentine. So did he kidnap this dog?”

“No. Fliss and Harriet lent it to him, and I still haven’t really had time to process that part.”

“He didn’t know the dog at all?”

“He did. He was the one who rescued it from a nasty divorce case. They dumped the dog and—” She caught Mark’s eye. “Don’t look at me like that.”

“Like what? I was thinking he’s obviously cruel and heartless.”

“I need sympathy, not sarcasm. And I didn’t say he was heartless, exactly. Just that he pretended to own a dog.”

“Did the dog object? Did they ignore each other?”

Molly thought about the way Brutus had almost tugged her hand off to get to Daniel when she’d taken him to the office. “No. They were great together. Will you stop looking at me like that.”

“Like what?”

“Like I’m crazy for caring that he borrowed a dog. That is not a normal thing to do.”

“This is New York City. There is no normal, that’s why I love it. Do you know what I think? I think you’re looking for reasons to push the guy away.”