Lawful Lover (Eternal Bachelors Club #2) (18 page)

“Sabrina! I can explain! This is not what it looks like!” Daniel ran after her.

Not what it looks like?
How pathetic could he get? It was exactly what it looked like: Daniel was cheating on her.

She pressed the “close door” button repeatedly and the doors closed before he could reach her.

Before the elevator left their floor, she heard Daniel curse. Sabrina leaned against the wall, unable to hold in the sobs any longer.

What would she do now? Whose shoulder would she cry on?

As she stepped out onto the street and looked around, she felt the hopelessness of her situation. She was alone. Alone in a strange city. Without friends. Without love.

Without Daniel.

22

“Fuck!”

Daniel kicked the wall as the elevator doors slid closed and Sabrina disappeared from his view. He was still clutching the photograph of himself and Audrey in his hand. When Sabrina had thrown it at him, it had taken a moment for him to realize what it was and what Audrey had done.

Unfortunately, Sabrina hadn’t let him explain. She’d simply run off. And he had no clue where she was heading. She didn’t know anyone in the city.

He un-crumpled the picture and looked at it once more, scoffing. How could he have been so stupid not to realize what Audrey had planned? She hadn’t been out to seduce him, no, she’d tried to get him into a situation that looked like they were being intimate.

And hell, to anybody who’d not witnessed the scene with his own eyes, the photo would imply exactly that. Fuck, it looked like they were kissing passionately, and with Daniel’s hand on Audrey’s breast, it looked like they were minutes away from tearing each other’s clothes off.

Audrey would pay for this.

But first, he had to find Sabrina. He carelessly tossed the roses and the photo on a chair, then locked up the apartment.

Finding one single person in New York would be like trying to find a needle in a haystack.

As he made his way outside, he called Sabrina’s cell phone. She didn’t pick up. He had expected as much.

He left a voicemail. “Please, Sabrina, we have to talk. Audrey instigated all this. It’s a trick. Please call me.”

Daniel hailed a cab and got inside.

“Where to?”

For a moment, Daniel tried to calm his mind, wondering where Sabrina would have gone. “Take me to the Met.”

She’d loved it there as much as he. Maybe she would go there to try and find comfort.

After an hour of searching the Met and finding no sign of Sabrina, Daniel headed toward Central Park. It was close to sunset and the thought of her walking through the park on her own had his gut clenching with fear. After a short search, he turned back. Sabrina was a sensible person. She wouldn’t wander around the park at night. She knew better.

Daniel blew out a breath and dragged a hand through his hair.

He tried another phone call, hoping she’d sufficiently calmed down by now, but still, she didn’t pick up her cell.

Maybe she’d gone shopping. Every time he and Audrey had had a disagreement, she’d overindulged in what she liked to call retail therapy. Maybe Sabrina was doing the same, though for some reason he couldn’t imagine it. She wasn’t the type. She wasn’t at all like Audrey or like other women for that matter. Sabrina was unique.

No, she wouldn’t be out shopping.

“Oh, Sabrina, where are you, my love?” he murmured to himself. “I need you.”

Several hours had already passed since Sabrina had stormed out of their apartment. What if she’d gone home? She probably knew that he was looking for her. What if she’d gone home and was at this very moment packing her things to return to San Francisco?

After having a cab drop him outside his condo building, he pushed the door to the lobby open.

“Well, about time!” an annoyed female voice greeted him.

His head snapped in her direction. “Holly! What are you doing here?”

A large suitcase and a smaller carry-on bag next to her, Holly stood in the lobby. She was a stunning blonde with blue eyes and full lips that could entice many men to throw whatever inhibitions they had about being with an escort in the wind. Luckily, Daniel wasn’t susceptible to her charms.

Holly pointed at the doorman. “He wouldn’t let me into the apartment. Said I wasn’t on the
list
. Downright rude!”

Daniel shoved a hand through his hair and walked up to her, hugging her quickly.

“I’m so sorry, Holly.” Then he looked to Harvey, the doorman. “Harvey, can you please put Miss Foster on the list of guests who may come up unannounced at any time.”

Harvey nodded dutifully. “Of course, sir.”

“Thank you.” Daniel reached for Holly’s suitcase. “Let me take that. Come up.”

He ushered her to the elevators.

“Where’s Sabrina? She promised to pick me up at the airport with that fancy driver of yours,” Holly said and walked into the elevator, rolling her carry-on bag behind her.

Daniel pressed the elevator button and waited until the door had closed before responding to her question.

“I’m sorry. Had I known, I would have sent the driver myself.”

Holly frowned. “What do you mean?
Had you known
?”

Daniel sighed. “Sabrina ran out on me a few hours ago.”

“What?” Holly’s jaw dropped and she stared at him.

The elevator pinged. A moment later the doors opened. Daniel motioned to the corridor and waited until Holly had gotten off the elevator, then followed her.

“Well, explain!” she insisted impatiently.

He reached for his keys and opened the door. “Come in. It’s easier if I show you rather than explain it with words.”

“What did you do to her?” Holly asked suspiciously as she entered the apartment and looked around.

He felt defensiveness creep up his spine. “I didn’t do anything to her. It was a misunderstanding.”

Dropping Holly’s suitcase, he closed the apartment door, then pointed to the chair where he’d left the flowers and the photo.

“That’s what happened. She received a photo in the mail today.”

Holly picked up the picture and flattened it with her palm. Then she pulled it closer to her face and looked at it intensely.

“Oh my god!”

Daniel cringed. “It’s not what it looks like!” Uh, well, why did he even try? Nobody was going to believe him anyway. Least of all Sabrina’s best friend.

“Audrey, I assume?”

“Yes.” Daniel was aware that Sabrina had told her friend all about his breakup with Audrey.

“I cannot believe you’re that stupid!” she said, shaking her head.

“What do you mean?”

“I’m assuming this is not
photoshopped
.”

He shook his head. “No, I’m afraid the incident happened. Audrey surprised me in a department store and cornered me. But I didn’t—”

“Well, of course you didn’t,” Holly interrupted him, holding up the photo. “This is clearly staged. And I can’t believe you didn’t figure that out while she was doing it.”

Daniel raised his eyebrows, surprised at Holly’s words. “Of course it’s staged, but how can you tell?”

“Simple: Audrey is very meticulous in her appearance. Perfectly styled hair, a professional make-up job, manicured nails… and that outfit, I guarantee it cost more than my car. Her bag? More than a month’s rent in San Francisco.”

“Yeah, that’s definitely Audrey’s style.”

“Exactly! No woman as concerned with her appearance as she would mess it up by sticking a newspaper into her handbag.” Holly chuckled. “I bet she doesn’t even read anything but the society pages.”

Daniel leaned over the photo in Holly’s hands and looked at it more closely.

“Son of a bitch,” he muttered. He pointed at the headline he could clearly make out on the newspaper. “She put the newspaper there so that it would show, and Sabrina would easily be able to confirm that the picture had been taken only a few days ago.”

“Exactly. Audrey planned this. Besides, she must have had a photographer with her to take clandestine pictures.”

“That conniving, scheming—”

Holly put her hand on his forearm. “Later. You said the photo was sent to Sabrina, not to you?”

He nodded, pointing to the envelope that still lay on the floor.

“Had she wanted to blackmail you, she would have sent it to you. But by sending it to Sabrina, she’s making it clear what she wants: she wants Sabrina to leave you.”

Daniel sighed. “Sabrina wouldn’t let me explain. She just ran. I’ve been all over the city looking for her. She’s not answering her cell. I’m worried sick and I don’t know what to do.”

“Well, of course she won’t talk to you. But she’ll talk to me.”

“And how are you gonna make her listen to you?”

“I’m the one who convinced her to pretend to be an escort, remember? I’m also the one who convinced her to go back to you after the first incident with Audrey. And if my memory serves me correctly, it was also I who convinced her to—”

“Okay, okay, I get it. You can convince Sabrina to do things no one else can. But that still doesn’t explain how you’re going to find her in a city you know nothing about.”

“I don’t have to find her. All I have to do is call her.”

Daniel shook his head. “She’s not answering her phone.”

“Maybe not for you, but she’ll answer my call. Because she needs a shoulder to cry on. I’m that shoulder,” Holly said, pointing at herself.

Daniel sighed in defeat. “Okay. And what do I do?”

“You, my dear friend, will do a couple of things. Go to Audrey’s apartment and confront her.”

“What’s that going to do?”

“Leave that up to me.” Holly smiled mischievously. “And secondly—” She pulled out a pen from her handbag and handed it to him. “I need some information.”

“Information?”

“Yep.” She pointed to the back of the picture. “Start writing.”

23

Upon arriving at Audrey’s co-op, Daniel had no problem taking the elevator up to her floor: the doorman let him pass without questioning him. It appeared that Audrey hadn’t revoked his guest privileges, clearly in the hope that he’d come back to her.

When he stood in front of her door, he took a deep breath, before ringing the doorbell. He waited rather impatiently, his finger poised over the doorbell to ring a second time, when the door suddenly opened.

Audrey’s housekeeper, Betty, greeted him. “Oh, Mr. Sinclair, you’re back!” She clapped her hands, and then smiled. “It’s so nice to see you again. It’s not the same around here without your handsome face.” She ushered him inside. “Miss Audrey will be so happy to see you.”

He doubted that, but didn’t make a comment to Betty. “Thanks, Betty. Would you tell her I’m here to see her, please?”

“Of course.”

She sauntered in the direction of Audrey’s bedroom. Had he still been with Audrey, he would have followed her, but there was no way he would ever get caught in her bedroom again.

While he waited, he perused Audrey’s lavishly decorated living room. He’d never liked her over-the-top taste and the heavy smell of perfume that always permeated her apartment.

Sabrina never wore heavy perfume like that. Instead, she enticed him with the natural scent of her body, a scent he couldn’t get enough of.

“Well, you’re finally back,” Audrey purred.

He turned and saw her walk into the open plan living area, moving as if she were walking on a catwalk. She was dressed just as skimpily as if she were a Victoria’s Secret model displaying their latest wares. The silk robe she’d thrown over her bra and panties revealed more than it concealed. Clearly, she’d been expecting him and had dressed for seduction.

He narrowed his eyes. “Yes, I’m back. I’m back to deal with you once and for all. Because this time, you’ve gone too far.”

“On the contrary. I haven’t gone far enough yet.” She loosened the belt to her robe.

“It’s not going to work,” he warned her. “So you might as well not waste your energy.”

She let out a laugh that in the past he’d found seductive. Now it had the opposite effect on him.

“Don’t be so sure. I know what you like. And I’m willing to give you what you need.” She slid the robe off her shoulders and allowed it to pool at her feet. Then she lifted one leg and placed her high heel on a footstool.

“I’m willing to do almost anything for us.”

“There is no us!” he corrected her, his voice remaining icy.

“There will be, just as soon as you’ve sent that little tramp home.”

“That’s never going to happen!”

She laughed. “Well, maybe
you
won’t have to send her home. Maybe she’s already retreating. I’m sure my little gift helped things along.”

Inside him something snapped. “You devious, rotten bitch!” He felt his face getting red and an abundance of adrenaline shoot through his veins. “We both know that you set all this up and staged that picture so that it would look like we were intimate.”

“Well of course I did. You weren’t exactly very forthcoming with your affections that day. I’m just trying to get you to see what a mistake you made by hooking up with that woman. I’m just making it easier for you to extricate yourself from this unfortunate relationship.”

Audrey took a few steps toward him. “We belong together, Daniel. And you should know by now that I always get what I want.”

“Not this time, Audrey. Not from me. You made your choice when you jumped into bed with Judd.” He glared at her, clenching his hands into fists, his fingernails biting into his palms. “And frankly, you did me a favor. You and me, it was over well before you slept with Judd.”

“Judd means nothing to me. He was just a tool to get your attention.”

“Oh, you got my attention. You did. But your plan backfired, just like this little escapade of yours is backfiring. Because while my pride was hurt when I found you with Judd, I couldn’t have been more relieved. But now, now you’re hurting Sabrina, and I’m not going to let you get away with hurting the woman I love.”

He took another step toward her, his jaw tight, and fury blazing from his eyes.

***

Sabrina double-checked the address Holly had given her to make sure she was at the right place. It was a turn-of-the century apartment building with a doorman. Holly had warned her in her voice message that she would have to sneak past the doorman, since apparently Holly wasn’t supposed to let anybody else use the apartment. It appeared that one of Holly’s clients was loaning her the apartment—but clearly didn’t want any wild parties taking place during his absence.