simmering gray eyes, his rugged face and his killer body that she could swear she felt around her every time she closed her eyes.
In her gym’s locker room, she shut off the shower taps and reached for her towel. Her workout was finished, but she didn’t have it in her to head home and stare at her four walls and feel lonely. So instead, she dried off and dressed, heading for the juice bar that fronted on the sidewalk on the facility’s main floor.
She found a table on the deck near the rail and ordered a raspberry smoothie. At least smoothies didn’t remind her of Reed. And neither did pedestrians or taxicabs. Well, as long as she stayed away from the park.
A long white Hummer limo cruised past, and her chest contracted. She blinked back tears and took a sip of the sweet, icy beverage.
“Katrina Jacobs?” a woman’s voice inquired.
The last thing Katrina wanted to do was to sign an autograph or pose for a picture. But she put on a smile. “Yes?”
The tall, dark-haired woman held out her hand. “Danielle Marin. I’m a lawyer from Chicago. I work for Caleb Terrell, and I’ve met your sister on a number of occasions.”
“Mandy?” Katrina asked in surprise, taking the hand the woman offered.
“Yes. Mandy. She’s fantastic. I think we’re on the way to becoming good friends.”
Katrina looked Danielle up and down. She was neatly dressed, with a chic, short haircut, perfect makeup and a highly polished veneer. It was kind of hard to imagine her as good friends with Mandy.
Danielle glanced meaningfully at the empty chair on the opposite side of the small round table.
“Would you like to sit down?” Katrina felt obligated to offer.
Danielle smiled broadly and took a seat. “Thank you.” She placed her small purse at the edge of the table and ordered an iced tea.
“Are you in New York on business?” Katrina opened, telling herself that at least the conversation might distract her from her depressing thoughts.
“I am,” Danielle answered. “I’m also doing some work here for Reed Terrell.”
Katrina couldn’t tell if it was her imagination, but Danielle seemed to be watching her closely as she spoke his name.
“The bakery?” Katrina guessed, trying desperately to keep her features neutral. Then it hit her. “You’re Danielle?”
“Yes.”
“The restaurant reservation. Flavian’s.”
“That was me.” Danielle smiled. “I didn’t know it was you. Did you enjoy yourself?”
“Yes,” Katrina managed. Then she swallowed hard. She didn’t want to think about that night.
“Reed’s a very nice man.”
Katrina wasn’t ready to speak, so she nodded instead.
“Does that mean you and he are…involved?”
“No,” Katrina quickly replied. “I mean, we went out a couple of times, sure. But he was only here for a few days, and then-” She forced out a laugh. “You know what Coloradans are like. Couldn’t wait to get back to the dust and sweat.”
“Didn’t you grow up there?”
“I haven’t lived there since I was ten.”
“Ah.”
The waitress arrived with Danielle’s iced tea.
She squeezed in a slice of lemon and concentrated on stirring. “You could always go visit him.”
“I don’t get to Colorado very often. It’s really never been my favorite place.”
“But, with Reed-”
“It’s nothing like that,” Katrina assured her, scrambling for a way out of the conversation. She and Reed were past tense, done, over.
“He’s a very handsome man.”
A thought hit Katrina. “Are you interested in Reed? I wondered when he called you for the restaurant recommendation-”
Danielle laughed lightly. “It’s nothing like that for me, either. But it seems like you and he-”
“No.”
“You’re blushing, Katrina.”
“I am? Well…”
There was a combination of pity and curiosity in Danielle’s eyes. Reed had obviously shared something with her.
“You know more than you’re letting on, don’t you?” Katrina asked.
“I know he took you to dinner. And I can see that you’re blushing. And he seems to have left town in a bit of a…hurry. That only adds up to so many things.”
Katrina felt her face grow even hotter.
“And now it occurs to me that Caleb and Mandy’s relationship has the ability to make things complicated for you.”
“It’s no problem.” Though Katrina was struggling to keep her composure.
“I don’t mean to pry.” But Danielle’s mixture of concern and curiosity somehow invited confidences.
“It never should have happened.” Katrina gave up pretending.
“I hear you,” Danielle agreed with what seemed like genuine sympathy.
“We’re completely unsuited. Our lives are a million miles apart. And yet there was this chemical thing.” Katrina stopped herself.
“I’ve experienced that chemical thing myself,” said Danielle with a self-deprecating laugh.
“You have?” Katrina hated to admit it, but her misery felt a little better with company.
“A guy named Tr-Trevor.” Danielle stabbed at her iced tea for a moment, and it looked as if she might be blushing. “He was from Texas.”
“Did you sleep with him?” Katrina instantly checked herself. “I’m sorry. That was completely inappropriate.”
“Not at all. I don’t mind. We didn’t. Oh, he tried hard enough. And he was quite a charmer. But I managed to say no.”
“Reed was the opposite,” Katrina confessed. “He tried to talk me out of it. But I wouldn’t listen, and I- Good grief, I can’t believe I’m telling you this.”
Danielle reached across the table and covered Katrina’s hand. “When was the last time you saw him?”
“Saturday night.”
“So, the wound is fresh.”
Katrina nodded miserably.
“Then you need someone to talk to.” Danielle glanced around. “Do they serve martinis here?”
“You know, that actually sounds tempting.”
Danielle waved to the waitress.
“I bet you’re glad you said no,” Katrina ventured in a low voice. If she hadn’t slept with Reed, maybe she wouldn’t have such a burning pain in her chest. Maybe the world wouldn’t feel as if it was crushing her with its weight. Maybe she’d be able to sleep. And maybe tears wouldn’t feel as if they were mere seconds away every moment of the day and night.
“Not necessarily,” said Danielle, her expression going soft. “I lay awake at night wondering what it would have been like.”
“Was he really great?”
“He was conceited and pig-headed and irrepressible and rash. He was also the sexiest guy I’ve ever met, and I know deep down in my soul that he’d have been an extraordinary lover.”
“Maybe you should go back to Texas.”
The waitress arrived and Danielle ordered two vodka martinis. Katrina had never tried one, but today she was game.
“Don’t think I haven’t thought about it,” said Danielle.
