Lawful Lover
Page 55
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.”
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.”
