Intrigue Me (8 page)

She hesitated and the look in her eyes seemed to point inward, as if the question had been somehow out of line. Daniel hoped like hell she hadn’t changed her mind.

“I used to be a cop,” she said. “In another life.”

Now it was his turn to pause. “Really?” He let that digest. She didn’t fit his notion of what a cop should look like, but after seeing her in action, it made sense. “When was that?”

“As I said, in another life,” she murmured, her lashes sweeping her cheeks. “It’s not something I like to talk about.”

God, how he understood. There were certainly conversations he never wanted to have. His curiosity wasn’t going to go away anytime soon, but he wasn’t about to push. “The first time I came to this restaurant, I was seven, I think. It had just opened. My dad ordered oysters on the half shell, so naturally, I did, too, although I only had the vaguest idea what they were.”

“Oh, no,” she said.

“To say the least.” Their dishes were collected, more wine was poured, but he barely noticed anything that wasn’t Lisa.

“I waited until I saw how he prepared the horrible things with a shake of hot sauce and a squirt of lemon. He carefully loosened the slimy beasts with his spoon, then leaned back and boom, down the hatch.”

“Did you...?”

“Of course I did. I wasn’t about to let him or my brother think I was a chicken. It was the worst idea, and I was sick later that night, but I finished all six. I’ve never eaten oysters again.”

“I don’t blame you. You were only seven. Why didn’t your dad stop you?”

He shrugged. “I suppose it was some kind of lesson, but I will never do that to my kids. Anyway, your turn.”

She started a tale of getting mixed up in her big brother’s treasure-hunting adventure and how that had led to his ultimate career.

Daniel was still floating through the evening. He was with the most beautiful woman in Manhattan, who also was easy to talk to, laughed in all the right places and told a great story.

Time flew. He barely remembered eating his entrée. All he could think about was how much he’d needed this. Needed someone like Lisa to remind him life still had joy in it.

Too soon their dinner was almost over, and so was the bottle of wine. Maybe that was why he said, “I used to think I knew what I wanted. I’m not sure anymore.”

Lisa’s hand paused with her drink halfway to her mouth. She blinked several times. He looked away, wishing he’d never said that. He’d put her in an awkward position. They barely knew each other and she’d ducked out of saying anything too personal to him.

“I don’t know. Zombie hunting is a burgeoning field. I see those documentaries all the time. Like
Supernatural
and
True Blood
. I think you’d do really well.”

He laughed, thankful as hell she’d saved the conversation. He’d like to blame the wine for his loose tongue, but... No. He definitely blamed the wine.

* * *

L
ISA
APPRECIATED
THE
owner and chef of the restaurant coming over to speak to Daniel, but she still resented the intrusion. This coffee substitute was turning out to be the best. She’d never seen Daniel more relaxed. It looked good on him.

Chef Earnhardt was all smiles as he paid particular attention to Lisa. “Enjoying your meal?”

“Very much,” she said. “Everything’s been outstanding. Thank you.”

“My pleasure.” The chef turned to Daniel. “And you. My friend. I was so sorry to hear about your father. He was a brilliant and unique man. I’ll miss him.”

“Thank you, Terrance,” Daniel replied in his Dr. Cassidy voice.

“I imagine it helps that you’re working with Warren at the Center. Family is so important.”

Lisa stiffened. She knew this was a hot-button issue for Daniel. He wasn’t working there for a reason. What that was, she had no idea, but his hand had left hers as quickly as Daniel had left her standing in the lounge the day they’d met.

“Family,” he said with a broken smile. “Family
is
important.”

Earnhardt took a step back. “If I may be so bold,” he said to Lisa alone, “I would like to bring you a dessert. Something off the menu.”

“I’d love that,” she said in between quick glances at Daniel. “Thank you.”

The chef went back to his kitchen, but he’d left an air of embarrassment and sadness behind. Maybe if she understood why Daniel had been triggered she could say something that would help. “Are you okay?”

He nodded, even though he wasn’t. He barely looked at her. Although he’d seemed utterly lost while the chef had spoken to her, he now looked angry. He clenched his jaw, relaxed and then did it again. Lisa was sorry she’d agreed to the dessert. Daniel wanted to leave; she could see it in his face.

“My father died three months ago,” he stated, as if for the record. “It was a shock. He was a neurologist. Brilliant as advertised. He’s why I became a neurologist.”

“I heard from one of the nurses that your specialty is needed quite often at the clinic.”

He gave her a crooked grin and seemed to relax a little at her attempt to change the subject. “My brother, Warren, works at the Madison Avenue Neurological Center. I’ll be working there, too, at some point.”

“That’ll be quite a change from Moss Street.”

“It will,” he said and downed the rest of his wine.

Dessert arrived, a light concoction that tasted like honey and spring. She offered some to Daniel, but he told her to eat up. She only finished it not to be rude. He did smile a lot as she ate, but the mood had shifted.

Dinner ended on a melancholy note when he walked her to a taxi. She hadn’t even tried to argue that she could catch the subway home. “I’m sorry,” he said, after paying the driver. “It’s something I don’t like to talk about.”

“No need to apologize. I really get it. More than most people, I imagine,” she said and met his eyes. “I’m still glad we did this. It was a lot better than coffee.”

“I’ll see you...?”

She started to shrug. The look on his face stopped her.

She knew that look. It came from drowning without any water nearby. It was feeling sick at the thought of being alone. A look that she wouldn’t wish on anyone. Yet she couldn’t see how to offer help or comfort. Not without getting pulled in too deep herself.

She cleared her throat. “I’ll probably be at the clinic in the next day or so.”

“I’ll see you then.” He hesitated, staring into her eyes for a long moment, and then opened the cab door.

After sliding in, she looked at him. “Don’t you want to ride?”

He shook his head. “I’m two blocks away. The walk will do me good.”

She smiled and nodded. As soon as the driver pulled away, she looked back at Daniel. He just stood there, his hands in his pockets.

Lisa wished she’d at least kissed him.

8

D
ANIEL
HAD
PUT
her in
a cab an hour ago. But he wasn’t tired. He thought about going for a walk.
Exhausting himself. He sure as hell shouldn’t have another drink.

The night had started out so well. Why had he let her go? He’d
seen the possibility for more in Lisa’s eyes. They could have been naked by now.
Or not. Maybe they would have just talked.

The way they’d left things was certainly open for
interpretation. Aside from his mood swing, he was certain that sex was the thing
they both agreed on.

Damn it, he really hated that he’d let her see him like that.
Terrance was only an acquaintance, for God’s sake. Why the hell was an
acquaintance invested in him going to the Center? It was bad enough with Warren
calling and Eve giving him lectures. Now he had to be careful where he ate?

He got up, anxious, fidgety. Practically did a whole tour of
the brownstone. It was clean as a whistle. Nothing out of place. He’d had a
pleasant relationship as a child with Uncle Frank. He’d been a plane fanatic.
Who wouldn’t have liked that? That had been it, though. But Uncle Frank had
still left the brownstone to him. Because Warren was the oldest. He got the
family home.

Daniel had inherited the place four years ago, moved in after
he returned from his residency at Johns Hopkins, but he hadn’t done much to make
it his own. Instead he’d jumped into his fellowship at Mount Sinai. He’d managed
to buy a new bed, but mostly, Daniel had ignored everything else.

The last woman he’d had in here had told him how iconic it was.
What she meant was old-fashioned. Daniel didn’t care. His home didn’t have to be
a showcase or even an extension of himself. Another way he was unlike his father
and Warren.

Damn it, he should have selected a restaurant he’d never been
to before. Daniel stood at the wet bar. Between the bottles he could see broken
snips of his face on the mirror back. The man staring at him looked drawn and
tired, certainly too tired to make any decisions. If he had another drink he was
going to call Lisa, and that was the one thing he shouldn’t do.

He left the bar without a drink, still feeling restless. He ran
his fingers over the unread hardbound volumes on his shelves. Another of the
hundred things he’d meant to do and hadn’t.

Like go to Dad’s place. Warren’s place. That sounded wrong, and
if he saw any of Warren’s things...

“For God’s sake,” he mumbled, pulling his cell phone out of his
pocket. “Grow a pair.” He went to the big window facing the park. It was
beautiful out there now.

Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath. This wasn’t like him.
He wasn’t a procrastinator.

His father used to tell people his youngest was born a
neurologist. Daniel had been so proud he’d studied his ass off to graduate with
honors in medical school. All during his residency. Jesus. He’d barely looked
up. But he’d been happy. Pursuing the one thing he’d always wanted.

Until he’d finished his fellowship. Damn, he wished he’d never
had that dinner with his father. But then, maybe his unease had started earlier;
he didn’t know anymore. Though he’d never minded that his father’s career was
the most important thing in his life.

Frankly, Daniel hadn’t known anything else. Dad was a brilliant
man. But he lived and breathed medicine and the Center he’d founded. Nothing
could compete with the high he got from his work. Not his wife, not mistresses,
not his children.

He had one son who was faithfully following in his footsteps.
No life outside of medicine. Obsessed with image and accolades. The son who
hadn’t been born a neurologist.

Given how their father had clearly favored his youngest son, it
seemed odd that Warren had still modeled his life after Dad. Daniel had no idea
if Warren used conferences to meet women like their father had.

Daniel had finally seen all those things, but they hadn’t
mattered. Because he’d believed his father was truly devoted to medicine. And
not his own ego. His family—except for bragging purposes—and everything else in
life were insignificant.

Was it any wonder Daniel wanted to think it through? To stop
and examine his life? Yes, he loved the work, but that wasn’t all he wanted. He
wanted to be married, and he wanted a wife, not a trophy.

Honestly, Warren wasn’t the problem. He was often a prick, but
he wasn’t the one at fault. If anything, Daniel had kept his distance because
he’d felt bad for him. But it was time to move forward. He hit speed dial. His
chest tightened as he listened to the phone ring. It went to voice mail.

He opened his mouth to leave a message, but he had no idea what
to say. Not one thought. He’d try again tomorrow.

He stared at his cell. He had her number. But it was 11:30.
They weren’t at the late-night-call stage. Screw it. He hit speed dial.

She answered right away.

“Did I wake you?” he asked.

“No.” She hesitated. “I’m sitting in a cab outside your
place.”

* * *

S
HE
WAS
OUTSIDE
? Jesus. His heart rate spiked. Daniel pulled the door open
and met her on the porch. The second they were inside, Lisa was in his arms.
Touching her, stroking her back, the curve of her waist, the lush bottom cheeks
he could cover with both hands. This was what he’d wanted but hadn’t been able
to ask.

He walked her to his bedroom, kissing her the whole time,
drinking in her moans, letting out more than his share. Even if they’d bumped
into something, he doubted he could’ve stopped kissing her. God, he wanted
everything. To see her naked, to lean over her and look down into that gorgeous
face.

He pulled back a step next to the bed.

Lisa leaned up again, but then she opened her eyes. “Oh. We’re
in your bedroom.”

He nodded, waited for her to check out his California king and
the open en suite door. It was tempting to keep going, to make the rest of the
world disappear. “Is this okay?”

“It’s beautiful. And big. I’m not used to big houses.”

“No, I meant...is it okay that I want to strip that dress right
off you.” He nipped her earlobe. “See if you taste like honey when you
come.”

“Oh, that.” She smiled. “As long as you have condoms, then yes.
It’s okay. Better than o—”

He hadn’t been kidding. A moment later, her blue dress was off,
tossed to the overstuffed love seat near the wall. “Goddamn it.”

Lisa covered her bare breasts. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” Why was she covering the most beautiful pair of
breasts he’d ever seen?

“You said, ‘Goddamn it.’”

“Out loud?”

She grinned. “Out loud.”

“Sorry about that,” he said, gently moving her arms to her
sides. “The problem is I want to do everything at once, and that’s not
possible.”

“I’ll give you a hint. You’re wearing a lot of clothes.”

“Doesn’t matter. We can take care of that after I’ve...” He
bent down and took her right nipple between his lips. Her breasts were small,
with stunning pink areolae and nipples that stuck out like erasers. She gasped
when he swirled his tongue around the stiff bud, then released it and blew soft
breaths.

“Oh, that feels unbelievable.”

“You’re so sensitive.”

“I would probably have scratched your back if you weren’t
wearing a dinner jacket.”

He looked up, but didn’t straighten. “Tell you what. I’ll take
off every stitch if you make sure these amazing nipples of yours stay hard and
ripe.”

“Deal,” she said. Before he could leave with a nice little
suck, Lisa’s hand moved in and she covered it up.

“Such a stickler for the rules.” He straightened and got busy
undressing. The moment his jacket came off, she commenced with her part of the
bargain. Damn it, he should have started with his trousers instead, because now
his erection was painfully hard as he watched her tease her nipples with her
fingertips, pull them, tweak them so hard she winced and moaned at the same
time.

He toed off his shoes and stripped as quickly as he could, just
dropping everything to the floor. “You’re beautiful,” he whispered, stepping
toward her. “Especially when you’re flushed and gasping.”

She lowered her hands, her breath catching, when he got close
enough to lick the side of her neck, to feel her extended nipples graze his
chest.

He’d thought about asking her to leave her panties on, and
taking them off with his teeth, but he couldn’t wait to touch her there. If her
nipples were this hard, what would he find between her legs?

He kissed her, but he also put his hands on her sides and
lifted her, only to put her down on the side of the bed. Then he kept moving
forward with his body, gripping her arms to lay her down. When he finally pulled
back, her eyes were so dilated, he could barely see any of the blue he liked so
much.

Although this look might be his favorite now. Her chest and
neck were flushed with arousal. As he moved slowly down, he teased her left
nipple for as long as he was able to keep the awkward position—knees bent, hands
gripping the bedspread, his cock the only other part of his body to touch her,
leaving a slight trail of pre-come that said a lot about his patience.

He blew on her nipple, and watched it tighten, but then he was
on the move again. Finally, his knees met the hardwood floor. Before he removed
her panties, he ran his thumb down the damp crotch.

Her thighs quivered. “Stop teasing, Daniel. I mean it.”

Daniel smiled. “I thought this time we’d take it slow.”

“Fine. But— No, not fine. I’m ready to pop and if you
don’t—”

He stopped her when he whipped down her tiny bikini panties,
and put his mouth directly on her swollen pink pussy.

The command turned into a high squeal. Her breathing changed as
he sucked on her clitoris. He flicked it with the tip of his tongue and slid two
fingers inside her.

God, she was moaning like she might die. If she didn’t come
quickly, he might “pop” himself. He quickly slipped on the condom, and then his
fingers were back where they belonged. Rubbing her, teasing her, spreading her
folds wide so her clitoris was as plump as her nipples, but completely utterly
different on his tongue.

Her legs went over his shoulders and her heels gripped his
back. Excellent. He’d meant to do that himself, but he liked that she’d gone for
it on her own.

He kept on flicking that beautiful nub as he rose until his
lower legs were his only support. This way, he was able to grab her by her arms
and pull her up. It meant chasing her clit, but then Lisa clutched his
shoulders.

“Holy... If you stop, I’ll kill you. I’m right there. Right
there—”

She almost knocked him to the floor when she came. It was
fantastic. And she was gorgeous. Before she finished quaking, he positioned his
cock at her entrance and thrust all the way into her with one stroke.

He moaned, she cried out, and in a maddeningly short time, he
came. The last thing he saw before he had to close his eyes was Lisa’s face. She
looked perfect.

* * *

T
HE
PARK
WAS
lovely at this time of
the morning. The case Lisa was working required her to make contact with a
particular nanny who brought her ward here daily. And all Lisa could think about
was last night.

She’d meant to comfort Daniel. To be there for whatever was
making him so distraught. Turned out sex had been the answer. Which, honestly,
worked out for both of them. They hadn’t needed to talk—well, not too much. From
his admission at dinner, she still knew more about him than felt comfortable.
That was why she’d left in the wee hours while he’d been sleeping.

With a jolt, she looked around at the other benches that lined
the playground area. The nanny she was waiting for hadn’t arrived yet.

Her coffee was now lukewarm. Thinking about last night as if
she’d been an observer wasn’t helping much. She understood how brave Daniel was
to share anything personal with a relative stranger. She got how it felt to have
the life you’d planned turn to ashes. Her chest tightened and a lump came to her
throat, just like it had the night before. Perhaps she wasn’t as neutral as
she’d thought.

She liked him. A lot. She wondered how he’d reacted to the note
she’d left him.

God, she hated these divorce cases with a passion, especially
when she was sleep deprived. There was so much
waiting
. So much time to
think. Isabel Charles still hadn’t shown up. Every day the nanny brought her
ward to this Upper West Side park at exactly 11:30 so little Alice could play
with her friends while Isabel swapped gossip with the other nannies. So where
the hell was she?

Lisa had dressed for the part. She’d worn a sundress, not too
revealing and not too sheer. Her sandals were upscale and going on her expense
report, but the shoes in her large tote were much more useful Skechers, which
were what most of the other nannies changed into just before they headed
home.

If she’d been smart, she would have started up a conversation
with some of the nannies already there. That would have kept Lisa occupied. Two
other benches held three, and another two, and then there she was, alone. This
was the bench Isabel preferred. Typically, she sat here until around noon, when
Isabel’s friend Carrie arrived.

Something needed to keep her attention away from Daniel. Even
the dinner had been mostly terrific. They’d laughed and swapped childhood
stories, and she’d felt more intoxicated from that than the wine. She’d felt
like her old self. But really, the flirty, tingling, heart-pounding crap had to
stop.

Why had she agreed to teach self-defense to a bunch of
semi-strangers? Yes, it had been Lisa Pine who’d agreed, but Lisa McCabe was the
one who had the most to lose. She should have disappeared days before the junkie
had shown up.