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Daniel reached down and tugged her upright, folding her against his chest. He treated it the same way he would if one of his sisters had been upset. “That isn’t going to happen. The vet says he will make a good recovery.” He felt her go limp against him. Felt her hand lock in his shirt. It took a few seconds for the feelings inside him to shift and change, and to realize that holding Molly was nothing like holding his sisters.
He’d only intended to comfort her, but apparently his body wasn’t capable of removing the sexual attraction part.
He stood still, thinking that this was a really, really bad moment to get an erection.
He eased away as she stepped back.
“The vet wants to keep him until tomorrow, just to be sure.” She sounded flustered. “I’ll go back to my apartment.”
He didn’t bother suggesting that she stay because he knew she wouldn’t. And he assumed that, like him, she had work to do. He realized he knew very little about what she actually did. All he knew was that she was a psychologist, but presumably she had places she needed to be, or at least access to her email.
“In that case I’ll see you at yours around eight. Don’t cook. I’ll pick something up on my way over.” He saw her expression change as she registered his words.
“Daniel—”
“What? We were supposed to have dinner last night, but circumstances overtook us. So we’ll do it tonight instead. I’d take you out, but I think for our first date it might be best if we make it more private. That way you can tell me all the reasons you think what we’re going to do is a bad idea, and I can put the opposing point of view.”
“What we’re going to do?” Her tongue sneaked out and moistened her lips. “Last night I told you—”
“I know what you told me, Molly.” He cut her off. “And I can tell you that there is no chance of you breaking my heart. Zero. How do I know that? Because I’ve been told a million times that I don’t have a heart. Not only does that make me safe from your bad-girl tendencies, it also makes me your perfect date.”
“I don’t date.”
“Because you’re afraid of hurting someone, but you’re not going to hurt me. And now I need to go because a woman who does have a heart and whose husband cheated on her and is now trying to make her life hell needs me to be a dragon in court.”
“I thought you tried to avoid court.”
“‘He will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight.’”
“More Sun Tzu?”
He flashed her a smile. “There’s coffee in the pot downstairs. Close the door behind you when you leave. I need to go and breathe fire.”
* * *
Dear Aggie, I’ve just come out of a bad relationship and I can’t imagine ever wanting to get involved with anyone again. How can I learn to trust? Yours, Wounded.
Molly stared at the screen.
Dear Wounded, I don’t have a clue.
She had no answer. No advice. No comment.
Her mind was blank. Now that she knew Valentine was going to make a full recovery, all she could think of was Daniel.
Daniel, carrying Valentine to the cab. Daniel, staying by her side at the animal hospital. Daniel, lending her clothes and making her food. Distracting her.
Daniel telling her she’d never hurt him because he didn’t have a heart.
Would he really come by after work? No. He’d probably spend the day in court defending some woman emerging from the ruins of a wrecked relationship and decide he didn’t want to put himself through that.
She thought about him in court, fighting a battle for a woman who couldn’t fight her own.
She stared at the screen again, trying to focus.
She’d arrived back expecting the apartment to be the way she had left it, but it was pristine. She was sure she had Mark and Gabe to thank for that and felt a flash of gratitude.
The first thing she’d done was change into her own jeans and a fresh shirt. Then she’d sat down at her laptop.
