Sarah Morgan - New York, Actually - A sparkling romantic comedy from the bestselling Queen of Romance

“We weren’t fighting.” Daniel kept his tone slow and easy. “I was giving her brotherly advice, that’s all.”

Fliss narrowed her eyes. “When the day comes that I need your advice, I’ll ask. And, by the way, hell will have frozen over at least eight times before that day comes.”

Daniel stole a piece of bacon from the plate and Harriet slapped his hand gently.

“Wait until I’ve set the table. And before I forget, Fliss, we had two more jobs sent through from Urban Genie. We have a busy day ahead.”

“So does Daniel.” Fliss stole a piece of bacon, too. “And he’s not staying for breakfast.”

“You’re not?” Harriet handed him a napkin. “But I thought that was why you were visiting.”

Daniel frowned at the implication that he only saw them whenever he wanted to be fed. Was that true? No. He visited because despite, or perhaps because of, his combative relationship with Fliss, he liked seeing his sisters. And he liked to keep an eye on Harriet. But it was true that his visits almost always coincided with food. As long as that food was prepared by Harriet, he was happy. Fliss could burn water.

“I had a message from the office, so this is a flying visit. But it’s good to see you.” On impulse he stood up and hugged his sister and heard Fliss mutter something under her breath.

“Yeah, right, use affection. Harry will fall for that.”

“I’m allowed to hug my sister.”

Fliss gave him the eye. “I’m your sister, and you don’t hug me.”

“I don’t have time to spend the rest of my day removing thorns from my flesh.”

“Fall for what?” Harriet hugged him back, and Daniel felt a rush of protectiveness. He knew she had found her perfect niche in life, but still he worried about her. If Fliss had a problem, the whole of Manhattan would know within minutes. Harriet kept things to herself.

“How are you doing?”

Fliss snorted. “Charm alert. He wants something, Harry.” She forked a generous portion of bacon onto her plate. “Cut to the chase, Dan, preferably before I throw up my breakfast.”

Daniel ignored her and smiled at Harriet. “I need a dog.”

“Of course you do.” She smiled back, delighted. “Your life is so focused on work, so emotionally empty, I’ve been telling you for years that what you need is a dog. It will give you permanence, something you can really love and connect with.”

“He doesn’t want a dog for any of those worthy reasons.” Fliss waved her fork, her mouth full of bacon. “He wants a dog to help him score.”

Harriet looked puzzled. “How does a dog help with that?”

Fliss swallowed. “Great question, but this is our big brother we’re talking about so there’s the biggest clue right there. He wants a prop. A canine prop. He yells ‘fetch,’ and the dog brings him the girl.” She stabbed another piece of bacon. “Even if you managed to meet this woman with your dog plan, you’d never keep her. What happens when you invite her back to your place and she discovers the dog doesn’t live there? Have you thought about that?”

“I never invite women back to my place so that isn’t going to be a problem. My apartment is a dog-free, woman-free, stress-free chill zone.”

“Even so, sooner or later she’ll find out you’re not a dog person, and then she’ll leave.”

“By then I’m sure we’ll both have had enough of each other, so that sounds perfect to me. It will be a mutual parting of ways.”

“Mr. Heartbreaker. Don’t you ever feel guilty that you’re leaving a trail of sobbing women around Manhattan?”

Daniel released Harriet. “I don’t break hearts. The women I date are exactly like me.”

“Insensitive and obtuse?”

“He isn’t insensitive.” Harriet tried to keep the peace. “He’s a little afraid of commitment, that’s all. And so are we. Daniel is hardly alone in that.”

“I’m not afraid of commitment,” Fliss said blithely. “I’m committed to myself, my happiness, my personal growth.”

“I’m not afraid either.” Daniel felt sweat prick the back of his neck. “Am I cautious? Yes, because that’s the job I’m in. I’m the type of guy who—”

“—makes a woman decide to stay single?” Fliss helped herself to another pancake.

“I don’t want to be single,” Harriet said. “I want to love someone and be loved by them. But I’m not sure how to make that happen.”

Daniel caught Fliss’s eye. Neither of them was in a position to offer advice on that subject.

“Given that I spend all of my extremely long working week unraveling the lives of those who didn’t choose to stay single,” he said, “I’d say the female race should be thanking me for remaining commitment-free. If you don’t get married, you can’t get divorced.”

“Well, that’s a positive outlook.” Fliss tipped maple syrup over her pancake. “One of these days, some very smart woman is going to teach you a few lessons about women. These are delicious, Harry. You should open a restaurant. I’d help out.”

Harriet flushed. “I’d muddle up all the orders and, as much as I love you, I wouldn’t let you near a kitchen. It wouldn’t be fair to the New York Fire Department.”

“I don’t need lessons about women.” Daniel stole a piece of bacon from Fliss’s plate. “I already know everything there is to know.”

“You only think you know everything there is to know about women, which makes you a thousand times more dangerous than the man who admits to being clueless.”

“I’m not clueless. Growing up with you two was an intensive training course in how women think and feel. For example, I know that if I don’t get the hell out of here right now you’re going to explode. So I’m making my exit while we’re still friends.”

“We’re not friends.”

“You love me. And when you’re not scowling, I love you back. And Fliss is right—” he smiled at Harry “—you’re an incredible cook.”

“If you loved me,” Fliss said between her teeth, “you’d be staying for breakfast. You use me, in the same way you use all women.”

Daniel reached for his jacket. “Here’s a tip from inside the mind of a guy. Stop being cranky or you’ll never get a date.” He watched his sister’s face turn puce.

“I’m single through choice,” she spluttered, and then sighed and glared at him. “You’re winding me up. Why can’t I see when you’re winding me up? You drive me batshit crazy and then I can’t think straight. It’s one of your tactics and I know that, but I still fall for it every time. Are you this annoying in court?”

“I’m worse.”

“No wonder you always win. Opposing counsel probably wants to get as far away from you as quickly as possible.”

“That’s part of the reason. And for the record, I don’t use women. I let them use me, preferably after dark.” He bent to kiss her cheek, thinking that teasing his sister was his second favorite game after poker. “So what time can I pick up this dog?”

Two

Dear Aggie, if men are from Mars, when are they going back?

Yours, Earthbound and Exasperated

She noticed his dog first. A German shepherd who was as strong and athletic as his owner. She’d seen the two of them every day for the past week, just after sunrise. She’d allowed herself a glance or two, because…well, she was human, wasn’t she? She had as much appreciation for the male form as the next woman, especially when that male form was as well presented as it was in this guy. And besides, studying people was her job.

Like so many other people in the park at this time, he wore running gear, but something about the way he moved told her that when he wasn’t pounding the paths, he dressed in a suit and was commander in chief of whichever empire he presided over. His hair was dark and cropped short. Doctor? Banker? Accountant? Judging from the air of confidence he exuded he was very good at whatever it was he did. If she’d had to make more guesses about him, she would have said he was focused to the point of driven, spent too long working, and found it hard to empathize with weakness. He’d have his own weaknesses of course, everybody did. Being smart, he probably even knew what they were, but he would hide them because weakness wasn’t something he’d share with others. He was the type of guy who, if he knew what she did for a living, would laugh and then express surprise that anyone needed advice on something as straightforward as relationships. A man like him would have no idea how it felt to lack confidence, to not be able to find the courage to approach a woman you found interesting and attractive.