Lawful Lover (Eternal Bachelors Club #2) (6 page)

His eyes begged for forgiveness.

“Of course, I do.” She sighed. “It’s just… ”

“It’s just what?”

“I’d rather you don’t make promises at all than break them.”

He nodded, his expression serious now. “You’re right. Forgive me?”

She hesitated, but she knew she had to say this. “And don’t ever think you can buy me off with cash. I don’t want your money.”

He pulled back a little. “Buy you off?”

“Yes, yesterday. You gave me money to go shopping.”

“Oh that.” He tilted his head to the side. “I didn’t mean to buy you off.”

“It felt like it.”

“Sorry.” He placed a soft kiss on her lips. “Can I make it up to you with bacon and eggs?”

She rolled her eyes. “And now you’re doing the same with food!” She chuckled. “You’re hopeless!”

He laughed softly. “Yes, hopelessly in love with you.” He pulled her flush against him. “So, how about breakfast? Or would you rather skip it?” He tossed a suggestive look in the direction of the bedroom.

“Breakfast. I didn’t eat much for dinner. I’m starved.”

“Breakfast it is. Take a seat. I’ll serve you.”

Daniel prepared two plates with bacon and eggs and carried them to the dining room table, then poured two glasses of orange juice and set them next to the plates. Sabrina sat down, and Daniel took the chair opposite her.

“This smells delicious. I thought you said you can’t cook.”

His eyes twinkled. “Making bacon and eggs isn’t considered cooking. Besides, there are a lot of things you don’t know about me yet.” He bit into the bacon and chewed slowly. Then he took a long breath. “I’m afraid I’m a workaholic. It’s hard for me to change my old ways. I’m sure it’s just as much of an adjustment as living in a new city is for you. Don’t think I don’t appreciate what you’re doing for me.”

At his words, Sabrina’s heart melted. He
did
understand her. He
did
know that this wasn’t easy for her. Just like it couldn’t be easy for him suddenly having somebody living with him. They both had to make adjustments. Every new couple did. It was normal. Just like the occasional friction that came up between them was normal.

She put her hand on his. “I love it here. I do.” She let her eyes wander around the room. “This is a great place. And I’m excited about living with you.”

He leaned over the table, kissing her softly, before severing his lips from hers. “I’ve never asked a woman to move in with me before. I never felt that it was right, or that I was ready for it. But with you… things are different.” He sighed. “But I’m afraid old habits die hard. I’m used to spending more time at the office than at home. There was never anybody waiting for me at home. It was just a place to put my head and sleep. But now… ”

Their eyes locked.

“Now you’re here, and I’ll make an effort to be a better boyfriend. I promise.”

She pushed back a tear, touched by his heartfelt promise. “You won’t regret it. I’ll make it up to you.”

He ran his eyes over her, licking his lips. “How?”

She chuckled. “Oh my god, you’ve got a one-track-mind!”

“You can’t blame me for that, baby. After all, with a body as sinful as yours, what is a man to do?”

Laughing, she pushed her nearly-fully-eaten plate away. “I was thinking of getting a job.”

Daniel paused with his fork halfway to his mouth. “Why? You don’t need to work, Sabrina. I make more than enough money for both of us to live comfortably.”

“I know that.” She rolled her eyes. “But it’s not about the money, Daniel. If I continue to sit in this apartment day after day, I’m going to go stir crazy. Hell, I think I’m halfway there already.” She shook her head.

“You don’t have to get a job just so you won’t be bored. I can put you in touch with some organizations if you want to get involved in a charity and be on the board somewhere. I have connections.”

“Sitting on a charity board? Daniel, I know that’s probably what your previous girlfriends did, but I don’t want that. Sitting on the board of a charity and going to some fundraising event isn’t what I had in mind. I want to have a real job. I want to do something that will challenge me, something that will make me feel useful and important.”

“You’re important to me.”

Sabrina smiled. “I know that, but that’s not what I meant.”

“Okay then,” he conceded. “You want a real job?”

“Yes, I want to work as a lawyer again.”

“I know a lot of lawyers in the city. You’ll have to go through licensing in New York state of course, but I can make a couple of calls and get you into a firm—”

“No.” She shook her head adamantly. “Thank you for the offer, but I want to do this on my own merits. I don’t want to be given a job just because I’m your girlfriend. It’s bad enough I have to prove myself because I’m a woman. I do not want to have to prove my worth because I’m your girlfriend, too.”

“Are you sure? I know a very prestigious firm that could do wonders for your career.”

“Yes, I’m sure. But after the way I was treated at my last firm, the way Hannigan and the rest of the lawyers minimized my talent simply because I was a woman, I need to prove this to myself.” She shook her head to clear the bad memories from her mind. “I’m going to do this on my own.”

Daniel nodded in agreement, something looking like pride shining from his eyes. “If you’re sure about that, I’ll support you.”

“Thank you.”

He glanced at his wristwatch. “Darn, I’ve gotta go.”

He rose and moved around the table, bending down to her.

“Don’t forget, I’ll be home around four today, and then we’re leaving for the Hamptons to see my parents.” He kissed her quickly.

“Do you want me to pack for you?” she asked as he was already walking toward the door.

“No need. I have everything I need in my old room at home. Tons of casual clothes. Just pack what you need for yourself.”

Then he was out the door, leaving her to deal with the anxiety that was rising again at the thought of meeting his parents for the first time. Maybe on the drive to the Hamptons, she could ask Daniel about his parents in more detail so that she didn’t say the wrong things and wouldn’t step on anybody’s toes.

After agonizing over what to pack for the weekend in the Hamptons, she decided on casual clothes. Hadn’t Daniel said that he kept casual clothes at his parents’ house? That probably meant that she wouldn’t need anything fancy. As she stared at the bag she’d packed, she contemplated repacking and adding more things for any occasion, but stopped herself. She had to stop worrying about it, and the only way to do that was to occupy her mind with something else.

And a job search would definitely occupy her mind.

She powered up her laptop and began an online search for law firms in New York. Several hours later, she had a list of firms she wanted to send her résumé
to. Now all she had to do was update it.

She glanced at the clock—3 p.m.

“Crap!”

Sabrina closed her laptop and rushed to the bathroom. She jumped into the shower. Today she wanted to be extra thorough with her appearance. She had to look perfect when she met Daniel’s parents. First impressions were, after all, extremely important.

As soon as she turned on the water, she heard Daniel’s voice. “Sabrina, baby, I’m home.”

“Of course, today he’s home early!”

It appeared that for the first time,
he
would have to wait for
her
.

7

Daniel held Sabrina’s hand for the majority of the drive to the Hamptons. He loved his work, but he loved Sabrina more, and he was thankful to have the weekend off to be able to spend it with her and show her just how important she was to him. He knew that his parents were going to love her and he couldn’t wait for them to meet her. He also realized that Sabrina was beyond nervous.

Daniel brought her hand to his mouth and gave it a lingering kiss. Then a gentle squeeze.

“We’re here,” he announced as he pulled into the driveway.

Sabrina smiled at him, but he knew it was forced. He could feel her body tensing beside him. There was no reason for her to be so nervous—he’d assured her over and over again.

“Wow, what a beautiful house,” she said, awestruck.

He smiled. The first time Daniel had brought Audrey here, all he’d seen in her eyes were dollar signs. But Sabrina was different. She had nothing but admiration in her eyes. It was so strong he could feel it in his core.

Daniel took a moment to admire his childhood home. Technically, it should be called a mansion, not a house. The place was huge, with large, white pillars framing the porch and front door.

His mother’s flowers were in full bloom, giving the perfectly manicured lawn a splash of color. Coming home to visit was always nice, but this weekend it was different. This time, Sabrina was with him. And even though Daniel knew he couldn’t just simply take her and carry her over the threshold, a small part in him wanted to do just that.

“Ready?” he asked, releasing her hand.

“As ready as I’ll ever be.”

Daniel got out of the car and went around to her side, opening her door and helping her out. He pulled her close to his side, kissed her temple, and whispered, “Please relax, Sabrina. Everything will be fine.”

Then he grabbed Sabrina’s bag from the trunk and escorted her up the steps. He used his key to let himself into the house and dropped the bag in the foyer.

“Mom! Dad! We’re here,” he called out, pulling Sabrina with him.

From the back of the house, Daniel saw his mother emerge. She was barely taller than five feet, with long black hair that she had tied in a loose bun at her nape, and chocolate-brown eyes that sparkled with warmth and affection. She’d always been a curvy woman, but now, in her early sixties, she’d put a few extra pounds on her waist and her hips, though it looked good on her.

“Oh, Daniel!” she called out and pulled him into a hug as soon as she reached him.

He hugged her back and laughed. “Guess you missed me, Mom, huh?”

She smiled at him, then looked past him to where Sabrina stood and released him from her embrace. His father appeared in the hallway at the same time. He was as tall as Daniel, his brown hair now interspersed with lots of gray, his face marked by wrinkles around the eyes and mouth, caused by lots of laughing. He was in great shape with barely an ounce of fat on his athletic body, which was surprising, given his love for his wife’s rich cooking.

“Hi Dad.”

“Danny, good to see you,” his father responded and hugged him.

Just as his mother was now looking at Sabrina, so was his father.

Daniel took Sabrina by her hand and pulled her next to him. “Mom, Dad, this is Sabrina. Sabrina, this is my mother, Raffaela, and my father, James.”

“Nice to meet both of you,” Sabrina said, extending her hand to his mother first.

But his mother didn’t waste time shaking hands. She simply pulled Sabrina into a hug. Daniel felt a boulder lifted from his shoulders. His mother only hugged people she liked. She’d never hugged Audrey.

“Hello,
cara
. I’m so glad Daniel finally brought you to meet us. He’s told me so much about you that I feel like I already know you.”

Sabrina smiled, clearly surprised by his mother’s words. “Thank you for having me.”

“Do I get to say hi too, or are you gonna monopolize her, sweetheart?” his father asked with a smirk on his face.

Daniel exchanged a grin with his father. They both knew how overpowering his mother could be.

His father extended his hand and shook Sabrina’s. “Danny speaks very highly of you.”

“Thank you. He’s told me lots about the two of you, too.”

His father chuckled. “Uh-oh! I hope only good stuff.” He winked at Daniel.

Daniel laughed. “Stop fishing for compliments, Dad. For a grown man that’s embarrassing.”

“It was worth a try.”

His mother rolled her eyes, used to their antics, when Daniel heard footsteps from the den where his parents had emerged from earlier. He looked in the direction of the sound and froze. A ball of dread ricocheted in his gut. He knew the couple that now walked toward them, plastic smiles pasted on their suntanned faces.

“Oh, Linda, Kevin, join us!” his mother said, waving them closer. “Daniel, you remember the Boyds, don’t you? They stopped by unexpectedly.”

“Yes, of course. Hello, Linda, Kevin, nice to see you,” he greeted them politely.

He had nothing against the Boyds in general. They were typical rich people he’d been used to all his life. Unfortunately, they were friends with somebody he’d rather forget. He could only hope that they were well-mannered enough not to make any inappropriate comments.

“Good to see you again,” Kevin said, shaking his hand.

“Yes, it is. You didn’t bring Audrey?” Linda asked, looking Sabrina up and down as if she were a cow at a cattle market.

So much for Linda’s discretion.

Daniel cleared his throat. “Uh, no. Audrey and I broke up a while back.”

Simultaneously, both Linda and Kevin gasped in surprise. “You did? When?” Linda asked.

“About a month ago.” Daniel put his arm around Sabrina’s waist and pulled her closer.

“This is—”

“But why?” Linda interrupted him. “You were perfect together.”

Perfect? There’d been nothing perfect about his relationship with Audrey. Right down to the day they’d broken up, when he’d found her in bed with his attorney.

“Things didn’t work out.” He sensed Sabrina fidgeting next to him, clearly uncomfortable about the exchange. “This is Sabrina Palmer, my girlfriend.”

Kevin politely extended his hand and shook Sabrina’s. “Pleased to meet you.”

But Linda couldn’t drop the subject of Audrey. “Oh, I’m so sorry to hear that. What a pity. Audrey and you, you seemed so good together. Well—” She looked at Sabrina, forcing a smile. “I’m glad you found somebody new so quickly.”

But her facial expression belied her words. She was clearly suspecting Sabrina to be the reason for his breakup with Audrey.

Daniel’s good manners forbade him to tell her the truth about Audrey, namely that he’d caught her riding his attorney like a wild stallion.