New York, Actually (From Manhattan with Love 4)

“Yes, but don’t read anything into it. I’m just helping my sisters.”

“Because you’re not a dog person.” She watched as Brutus charged back to Daniel, checking he wasn’t leaving. She felt like doing the same thing. She watched as he gently scratched the back of Brutus’s neck, reassuring him. “I don’t think you used Brutus to get close to me. I think you’re using me to get closer to Brutus. Do you know that some people call you the Rottweiler?”

“You’ve been reading my press again.”

“Seemed only fair as you read mine. Is that coffee?”

“It is.” Daniel thrust a cup into her hand and followed Brutus into the apartment.

“I was planning on going back to bed.”

“Forget it. We’re going for a run. It’ll wake you up.”

“Run? Do you know how hard it was to walk from the bed to the door? I couldn’t run if you threatened my naked body with a cactus.” She glanced at the sofa and saw a pillow. “What’s that doing there?”

“I slept there. You need a bigger sofa.”

“You slept on my sofa?” She looked at his running gear and the coffee in his hand. “But—”

“I went home an hour ago. Took a shower, changed, bought coffee and then picked up Brutus.”

He hadn’t left her? He’d been here almost the whole time she’d been asleep?

“Why would you sleep on my sofa? And why didn’t I know?”

“I put you to bed and you passed out. Valentine was so worried about you he didn’t want me to leave. Every time I walked to the door he blocked it and dragged me back. Generally I’m good at arguing, but I have no idea how to argue with a dog, so in the end it seemed easier to stay. But that was before I knew how uncomfortable your sofa is.”

“It’s comfortable.” The knowledge that he’d stayed the night made her feel strange. Vulnerable, yes, because she had no secrets left from him, but also a little touched that he’d cared enough to sleep on her sofa.

“Maybe it’s comfortable for people under six foot two.” He seemed supremely energetic for someone who had been up for most of the night.

“About last night—I apologize.”

“For what?”

“For all of it. For drowning you in the floodwaters of my very messy past. It was the champagne.” She told herself it was definitely that, and not the fact that Daniel Knight was an exceptionally good listener. “Let’s go to the park. I can’t promise to run, but I can crawl behind you and moan.”

In the end she managed a gentle jog and being in the park made her feel better. The air was fresh and cool, and seeing Valentine back with his friend made her smile.

“I don’t understand why that family didn’t snap Brutus up.”

“I don’t understand either.” He threw the ball for Brutus, who charged after it, grabbing it with a tumble and a roll.

It was all so normal, he was so normal, that she gradually stopped feeling self-conscious.

“So are you going to write a book for Phoenix?”

“I don’t know. They first approached me two years ago. They wanted a book on divorce written by a lawyer. They wanted it to be the equivalent of a free consultation, giving you just enough information to understand the process. At the time I was too busy.”

“But now?”

“I’m considering it. I have another meeting with Brett in a few weeks. How about you? You’re working on something new?”

“Mate for Life sold really well, but it’s mostly about choosing a partner, evaluating what makes you happy in a relationship, identifying what you won’t compromise on so you don’t make a mistake. My next book tackles how to maintain a relationship. How to keep it going when life gets tough.” Still sensitive, she sent him a glance. “That’s your cue to laugh.”

“Why would I laugh?”

“Perhaps because I’ve never maintained a relationship of my own? I don’t exactly speak from personal experience.”