Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 76782 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 384(@200wpm)___ 307(@250wpm)___ 256(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76782 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 384(@200wpm)___ 307(@250wpm)___ 256(@300wpm)
He’s more handsome than cute to me, but I know Palla views him through a different lens than I do since she’s madly in love with her husband.
I don’t bother to glance over my shoulder. “Daniel is here?”
“He most certainly is.” She raises a hand to wave toward the entrance. “I thought he moved to California. I wonder why he’s in Manhattan.”
I tap my finger on the rim of the mug. “Can you pour this into a to-go cup? I need to run.”
“Sure.” She reaches for it. “You don’t want to stick around and share a coffee with Daniel? He’s not wearing a wedding ring, Gina. I can’t understand how a man like that can still be single.”
He’s not…unfortunately.
That thought swims in my head as I hear heavy footsteps on the approach behind me.
“Palla and Gina Calvetti,” he says in a tone that hints at the amusement that must be visible in his expression. “Is there a gathering of the most beautiful women in New York here today?”
I roll my eyes, but Palla is too focused on my husband to notice.
“It’s good to see you, Daniel,” she says warmly. “What brings you to New York?”
“Business.” He pauses before continuing, “and a cup of your coffee, Palla.”
Smitten, she giggles. “You’re good for my ego. Arlo will be sorry he missed you.”
“I’ll be back,” he tells her as he stops beside me. “It seems my business will keep me in New York for at least the next few days.”
My gaze snaps in his direction, and I immediately regret that.
He obviously didn’t shave this morning, so the stubble that has settled over his jaw has shot his hot factor into the millions on a scale of one to ten.
The suit he’s wearing doesn’t take anything away from how gorgeous he is.
“That’s a Berdine suit, isn’t it?” I ask before I realize what I’m doing.
Palla glances at me, but Daniel is the first to respond. “Leave it to the fashion expert to notice a great suit. It is a Berdine, and it’s custom-made.”
I shouldn’t be surprised. Berdine is owned by the same corporation as Ella Kara. The men’s clothing line is my brother’s favorite.
Palla nods. “Gina knows best. She’ll let me rummage through her closet for a few designer pieces. To top it off, it’s all free.”
Daniel’s gaze jumps to me. “Gina’s very generous.”
“Would tonight work for you, Gina?” she asks. “I can bring dinner.”
I look at Daniel as I answer her question. “Tonight works for me. I’m not expecting anyone else to stop by, so it’ll just be the two of us.”
He cocks a brow.
“I’ll be there,” Palla says excitedly. “Does eight work? I can come right after Arlo, and I tuck the kids in bed.”
“Eight is great,” I say with a wide grin. “You can take as much time as you need to go through my closet.”
My phone chimes again, so I drop my gaze to it.
Daniel: I guess I’ll need to find someone else to hang out with tonight.
I look to where he’s typing something else into his phone.
Daniel: I have a few old friends in the city who would love to see me.
“I’ll grab you a coffee, Daniel,” Palla says. “On the house. Do you want it to stay, or do you need to go?”
“I’ll stay,” he answers.
I use the opportunity to type out a response to him.
Gina: Don’t be so sure of that. You’re not as fun as you think you are.
When his phone beeps to signal my incoming message, he glances at it immediately before his fingers dart over the screen.
He flashes me a wicked smile when my phone chimes.
Daniel: I’m more fun than you’ve ever had. That I can promise.
With shaking hands, I drop my phone in my bag without glancing at him.
Does he mean in bed? Was my husband flirting with me?
Palla snaps the lid on a to-go cup before she slides it toward me. “Here you go, Gina. I’ll see you tonight. I can’t wait.”
“Me either,” I mumble before I turn and walk away.
With a glance back, I catch Daniel’s gaze pinned to the back of my jeans, checking out my ass.
“He was definitely flirting with you,” I whisper, trying to hold in a smile.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Daniel
When you’re in Manhattan with no home, you improvise.
For me, that means hanging out in the office I once spent most of my time in. When I first walked into it this morning, I was surprised that everything was exactly as I’d left it. When I moved to California, Dominick and Judd didn’t hand it off to anyone else.
I take in the darkened New York skyline before my gaze shifts to a framed picture on the wall. It was taken years ago inside Lawtons. One of the pub’s regular patrons back then was Noah Foster. He’s a professional photographer with an impressive portfolio, and after a shoot one night, he stopped in for a drink with his brother.