Page 61 of Manhattan Kiss

My cheeks heat at his statement. I need to get out of here. “We can’t do this again. I…lose myself around you.”

He groans and turns me to face him. Holding my shoulders, he says, “Have dinner with me.”

I shrug. “Okay.”

“Sunday night?”

That’s five nights away. Six including today. Can I wait that long?

I don’t have a choice. He’s going to be with his daughter for the next four days.

“Okay,” I say.

“I want to kiss you.”

I step back, out of his hold. “I have to go.”

I head to the exit and he grabs my hand and presses his lips to my fingers. I smile and pull my hand away. “Have a good evening, Mr. Black.”

His eyes darken, and I quickly check the peephole before slipping out.

I need to get some distance from this man.

I need a self-imposed ban from the third floor.

I need never to step foot in Room 325 again.

TWENTY-ONE

Deacon

Wednesday night feels like the weekend to me. I get to go home to my daughter. I get to do dad stuff—chat about our day over dinner, read bedtime stories, sign homework books. It’s a thousand times better than any business deal I could ever do.

I put my key in the lock and open the door. Willow is sitting cross-legged in the hallway, waiting for me.

“Hey, princess,” I say, expecting her to jump up and into my arms. That’s what she normally does when I come in.

But she doesn’t. She uncrosses her legs and stands up. “Hi, Daddy,” she says.

“Oh dear, why so glum?”

She gazes up at me and says, “What does glum mean, Daddy?”

“Sad,” I reply, scooping her up and kicking the door shut.

“Mommy’s getting married,” she says.

My heart tumbles to the floor like discarded rubbish. Gabby did say she was going to tell Willow about her engagement to Ray this week.

“She told me,” I say, carrying Willow into the kitchen.

She puts her palm against my cheek. “Are you sad, Daddy?”

I smile and mouth hi at Willow’s nanny, Lucia, who is busy preparing Willow’s dinner.

I slide Willow onto the bench and sit down beside her. Within five seconds, Lucia has a glass of water in front of each of us.

“Thank you,” Willow and I both say at the same time.