Jennifer Probst - Searching for Someday

She lowered her voice. “What’s going on? Why are you here?”

Was that a glimmer of regret that flashed on his face or just the light? “I called to speak with you, and Ken told me you were at the vet. I thought you’d need help. I was worried.”

The ridiculousness of the conversation hit her hard. He’d walked out the other morning after taking her virginity. And now he left work in the middle of the day to drive up to Verily because he was concerned about her dog? “Robert’s fine, I’ve been taking care of him for years alone and don’t need any help now.”

“Who’s been taking care of you, Kate?”

She stumbled back. Hurt sliced like a hundred paper cuts on her skin. No, she couldn’t do this now. Not with him. “I take care of myself,” she said stiffly. “You made it quite clear this is not a job you want anyway, so why are you here?”

“I don’t know why I’m here. I’m a mess. I wanted to walk away, do the right thing by not screwing up your life. But the thought of you alone here, with Robert in trouble, I don’t know.” He blew out a breath. “I just thought I should come.”

She stared up at him, shock keeping her immobile. The truth of his words slammed her full force. What kind of game was he playing? Yet, he seemed just as confused, as if he wasn’t used to letting his heart lead. As if she meant something more to him than he wanted. The bees’ nest of emotion was a dangerous thing to touch, let alone explore, and Kate hated getting stung. Before she had time to make sense out of his impromptu speech, Dr. Burke came out with Robert in his arms.

“Here’s our patient. I’ll call you as soon as the results get back. Let me know if there’s any trouble.”

“Thanks, doctor.”

She settled the bill and scooped up Robert, then headed toward her car. Slade stayed close behind, helping her with the door and settling him carefully in the back. “Are you taking the day off?” Slade asked.

Kate pushed her hair back and blinked in the sun. “Yeah, I’ll stay home today. Tomorrow I have a big expo in the city, so my mom can stay with him—oh, crap.”

“What?”

She leaned against the car and nibbled on her lip. “Mom’s at a sex conference.”

One golden brow shot up. “Sex what?”

“Never mind, you so don’t want me to go there. Shelly can only stop in for a few hours on a weekday. I better cancel the expo. Ken and Arilyn will have to cover.”

“I’ll do it.”

She cocked her head. “Do what?”

The determined look on his face gave her a glimpse of what jurors saw when he wanted something. A force of nature. “I’ll watch Robert. Since the expo is in Manhattan, you can drop him off at my home for the day and I’ll take care of him.”

Kate sputtered out a laugh. “What? Absolutely not. You’ve never taken care of a dog before. Besides, you work.”

“I can do my work at home. I’m perfectly capable of watching Robert and giving him whatever he needs.”

“No, I’ll stay home.”

“And miss out on this type of opportunity for Kinnections? Bad business if you ask me. As the owner, you need to be there.”

She glared. Unfortunately, he was right. Everyone worked, and she had no one to watch Robert. And missing out on the expo would set Kinnections back. She’d already made her contacts and they expected her to show. Kate shifted her weight and looked for any possible outs.

There wasn’t one.

Slade grinned. “Glad you see it my way. I’ll expect you around seven in the morning?”

She must be nuts. “Fine. If you think you can handle it, I appreciate you helping me out.”

His features softened. Slade reached out and ran a finger down the curve of her cheek, leaving a trail of fire. “Thanks for letting me,” he murmured.

He left her standing on the sidewalk, watching him walk away and wondering what she had just set back in motion.

THE NEXT MORNING, KATE walked into Slade’s apartment and tried to calm her nerves. Bringing Robert into Slade’s personal space screamed intimacy, which was the exact opposite of what they both decided they needed. Still, perhaps it was Slade’s way of apologizing for his awful behavior. Kind of like a peace offering before they officially called it splitsville. Even though they had no real relationship to split up, just one night.

Her thoughts hurt her head, so she concentrated on her nosiness and gathering information. The high ceilings and loftlike atmosphere pegged the trendy Tribeca area, but Slade kept it simple and masculine. The circular glass staircase was fresh and fun, and the edgy lines of furniture, glass tables, and strong blue walls bespoke a man who knew what he liked. The living room was a man cave made in heaven.

Her heels clicked on the bamboo floors as she paused in front of the huge leather recliner. She stroked the soft material and almost groaned in appreciation.

“You like?”

Slade cocked his hip, his jeans falling low on his hips and accenting his washboard stomach and long legs. Seemed he favored jeans now. The man was sheer perfection, but even hotter in his own environment. The plain black T-shirt was faded and soft, and his bare feet gave off an intimacy she really didn’t want to linger on.

“How could I not? I’m saving up for a new one. God, is that a remote?”

He laughed and handed it to her. “Yeah, full reclining position, seat warmer, and back massager.”

Kate shuddered. “I’d never leave the house.”

“You don’t need to with one of these chairs.” Green eyes lit with a lazy arousal, and she was dragged back to the night they spent together, feasting on each other until their bodies collapsed in exhaustion.

She took a step back. Wet her lips. “Maybe it’s good I don’t have one, then.”

“Maybe.”

They stared at each other. Energy crackled with a mad glee and tempted them closer. She broke the spell with deliberate precision, walking over to Robert and kneeling down. Kate pressed her forehead to his and spoke. “Slade will take care of you today. Be good, baby. Mommy will be home later.”

“I got him peanut butter and bacon treats. How many barks?”

Kate stood and smiled. “One for bacon, two for peanut butter. I brought cranberry juice in case you didn’t have any, just a splash in his water bowl. I’ll give him a bath when I take him home tonight.”

“No need, I’ve got a huge tub and you’ll be home late. I’ll get it done.”

She hesitated, then gave a jerky nod. “Okay. Thanks. I’ll call later.”

“You look nice.”

Her black suit was chic and fitted, and the new boots flashed a bright, shiny four-inch stacked heel. “Thanks.” Did her voice crack? God, she had to get out of here. “See ya.”

She hurried out of the house like her ass was on fire. When was the last time a man wanted to help her out, especially with her dog? He’d taken off work and seemed sincere. Yesterday, she’d picked up the phone to cancel, positive there was some type of ulterior motive to his madness. But she couldn’t come up with a thing. He’d already seduced her, so that was off the list. He was already keeping a close eye on Jane and seemed satisfied with her treatment. He could’ve easily apologized for his statements that morning and been done with her. Yet her heart told her there was something bigger in his actions.

She thought about him all day at the Javits Center. Amidst conversations with potential clients, Kate networked hard, made a solid impression on a variety of business associates who thought Kinnections was the next big thing, and laughed with Ken and Arilyn. By the time they’d finished dinner with another matchmaking agency looking to merge and grow client databases, Kate drove back to Tribeca, exhausted but triumphant. Her company was finally getting noticed, and the future looked bright. Even without her gift, she believed in the skills of the team and again counted herself lucky that she could make her dream job a reality that paid the bills. The only thing that would bring it to a higher level would be sharing her happiness with a man she loved.