An Appointment (Summer in New York Book 4) Read online

  “I love it.” I scooted closer to her, resting my arm behind her on the booth.

  “You don’t think it’s too much?” She looked up at me with a mix of charm and innocence.

  “No.” I brushed my fingers over her shoulder. “Not at all.”

  She smiled, glancing away bashfully.

  “Where is Trish?” I asked.

  She pointed at the dance floor. There, I saw Trish running her hands all over a guy in his twenties with blond hair. Then I turned my attention to Savannah. She grinned at Trish and waved, happy that her friend was happy.

  “Have you been to this club before?” I asked.

  “No.” She leaned into me, since the music was loud. “Have you?”

  I shook my head.

  “I’m not really the club type. Not that there’s anything wrong with going to clubs.”

  “It’s okay.” I looked at her. She had the face of an angel. “It’s not really my thing either.”

  “Really?” She sipped her cocktail. “What is your thing, Dr. Cole?”

  I smiled and leaned in closer. “I like to read.”

  “Really?” She seemed surprised.

  I nodded.

  “What do you like to read?”

  “Books.”

  “What kind of books?”

  “Thrillers. Mysteries. Historical Fiction.”

  “Oh.” She pointed at me. “You’re a nerd.”

  I had a feeling that was the martini talking.

  “It’s okay.” She came closer and whispered in my ear. “I’m a nerd, too.”

  “Really?” I chuckled.

  “Yeah.” She took another sip. “I used to read books all the time before...” She drifted off, shifting her gaze to the dancefloor. “Well, when I was still in school. I loved school. I miss it sometimes.”

  “What was your major?”

  “Humanities.”

  “That sounds interesting,” I said.

  “It was.” She looked down. “I wanted to be a teacher. I love art and history.”

  “Maybe you will be some day.”

  She looked into my eyes, really letting me see her for the first time. “Thanks.”

  We stared at each other for a long time, eventually looking off, blushing and biting our lips.

  “Would you like to dance?” I asked.

  “I feel too dizzy to dance.” She set her drink down. “I’ll be back.”

  Savannah floated away from me like a feather in the wind. I admired her open back and the red laces that lay crisscrossed against her skin. They were tied in a cute little bow at the small of her back. The rest of the dress hugged the curves of her bottom, the red fabric moving with her as she walked.

  I panicked when she tripped, nearly twisting her ankle in her high heels. Once she made it to the bathroom, I left the table to wait for her in the hall. She’d clearly had too much to drink. The last thing I wanted was for someone to take advantage of her. Or for Savannah to fall down and hurt herself.

  “Hi,” she sweetly said, coming out of the bathroom.

  “Do you feel okay?” I asked.

  She leaned against the wall, letting it take her weight.

  “Yeah,” she smiled. “I’m fine.”

  “Are you sure?”

  Looking over her shoulder, she grabbed my hand and led me down the hall. It was a narrow corridor with dim lighting. But it was easy to spot her in the darkness. She would stand out anywhere.

  “Is this okay?” She stood across from me. “That music is too loud. It’s making my head hurt.”

  “Yeah, it is pretty loud.”

  “It’s not that I don’t like music,” she said. “I just thought back here, it would be easier for us to talk.”

  I spotted a bench in the corner. “Would you like to sit down?”

  “Yes.” She took my hand when I offered it to her and we sat down together. “I’m sorry. I’m just not used to this. I haven’t been on a date in a really long time.”

  I grinned ear to ear. Her green eyes were like gemstones, burning bright.

  If someone had told me they were so blinding, I would have looked anyway.

  “What?” she asked, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.

  “So this is a date?”

  “Well...”

  “You just called it a date, Savannah. You said the word. You said date.”

  When she smiled, it was so adorable. She really was the cutest thing I’d ever seen.

  “I guess I did.” She put her hand in mine and it shocked me like a bolt of electricity.

  “Are you sure you don’t want to dance?” I saw curiosity flame up in her eyes.

  “Well.” She shrugged. “Maybe we could.”

  I stood up and tugged her hand. “Come on. I don’t bite. I promise I’ll be gentle.”

  “Okay.” She got up and let me guide her onto the dancefloor.

  But once I put my hands on her waist, she looked into my eyes and swallowed. So I slid my fingers up her back instead. She gave me a small smile and put her arms around my neck. Then we began to slow dance.

  “I don’t think this is how we’re supposed to do this,” I yelled over the music.

  “I don’t either,” she giggled as we stuck out like a sore thumb. “But I like it.”

  The way she gazed into my eyes turned my whole world on its axis. If I could look into those emeralds every morning for the rest of my life, I would die a happy man. In my eyes, she was everything I had ever wanted and more. Now that she was in my arms, I wanted all of her. Always.

  “Thanks for meeting me here,” she said. “It’s really good to see you again.”

  Her sweetness warmed my whole body. This was the Savannah I’d been searching for all along. Now she was finally opening up to me. It already felt like I’d crossed the finish line. I couldn’t stop smiling.

  “What?” She smiled back at me, her eyes drifting to my mouth.

  I was watching her lips, too, desperate to kiss her. I leaned in and put my hand on her cheek. But then she turned her head, almost like she’d spotted something out of the corner of her eye. Whatever she saw made her freeze.

  “I want to go,” she said, turning back to me. “Please.”

  “Okay.” I looked across the dancefloor. “What’s wrong?”

  “Can we just go?” She tugged my wrist. “Please.”

  That’s when I saw a man staring at us. He looked about six feet tall with a wiry build. There was a young brunette grinding all over him. She looked like she could have been eighteen. But the man glared at me. Like he wanted to walk right over and punch me in the face.

  Savannah told Trish we were leaving and then grabbed her purse. I couldn’t understand what was happening. But she didn’t give me time to figure it out. She just dug her nails into my palm as she hurried out of the club, dragging me behind her. When we were outside, she gasped for breath.

  “Hey.” I touched her warm cheek. “Are you okay?”

  She burst into tears, shaking her head as she cried. So I pulled her into my arms and got us a cab. Then I took her to a quiet restaurant where we could talk. The first thing she did was order a glass of wine.

  “Are you going to tell me what happened back there?” I asked.

  She closed her eyes with a sigh while I ordered her a glass of water. She was probably dehydrated from all the alcohol. If she was going to keep drinking, then she needed to offset it with some good ol’ H20.

  “I saw Kevin,” she confessed. “With someone else.”

  That explained why the guy looked like he wanted to kill me.

  “It’s not the first time,” she said, eyes down. “I’ve seen him with her before. I guess I just haven’t gotten used to it yet.” She took a sip of wine. “He moved on so fast after the divorce. It made me feel like what we’d shared didn’t mean anything to him at all. Like he never really cared. But I did. So much.”

  “Hey.” I reached for her hand. “Any man who would let you go is a fool.”

/>   “Thanks. But it still doesn’t feel good—seeing him with someone else.”

  “I know how it feels.”

  She looked into my eyes. “You do?”

  “Yeah, I saw Abigail—my ex-wife—at the grocery store.” I hesitated, realizing that I had her full attention. “You know the plastic surgeon she left me for?”

  She nodded, remembering our earlier conversation.

  “Well, they’re married now. And they have a son.”

  Her eyes widened, like she couldn’t imagine what that must feel like.

  “She looks at him the way she used to look at me.”

  Savannah squeezed my hand. “Preston, I’m sorry. I’m really sorry.”

  “It’s not that she doesn’t love me anymore. I don’t think she ever loved me. Not really.”

  “Well, she’s a fool.” She caressed my hand with her thumb. “Anyone would be lucky to have you.”

  Tonight, Savannah Taylor was full of surprises. I hoped to uncover more of them in the future.

  “Since we’re here, are you hungry?” I asked. “Would you like something to eat?”

  She looked at me like a little girl. “I want ice cream.”

  I laughed because she was so darn cute. “All right. I think that can be arranged.”

  We split a chocolate sundae and talked into the night. Savannah was like a piece of candy. Rough around the edges, but sweet in the middle. Once you got to know her, she was nothing like the damaged exterior she showed. She had been hiding behind her scars, using her pain as a shield. But she didn’t have to be afraid around me. I had nothing to offer her but love.

  We walked around the city, basking in the warm night air. She was letting me hold her hand, which felt like a huge leap forward. I loved her laugh. I loved her smile. I loved her everything.

  “Where are you going?” I asked as she dragged me into an empty park.

  “Come on.” She stopped by a tree and looked up at the moon. “Isn’t it beautiful?”

  The moon was full and bright. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d taken a moment to stop and admire it. The stars were out tonight, decorating the sky. It felt like they were shining just for us.

  Savannah sat down on a bench, mesmerized by the universe. “I love the stars.”

  Sitting beside her, I watched the way her face changed. She really respected the earth.

  “When I was a little girl, I used to watch the stars with my dad. He would wake me up anytime there was a full moon or a comet, even if it was in the middle of the night. We would lie on a blanket and count the stars. And he’d tell me stories about them. About how the stars were the map to my destiny.”

  “Did you believe him?” I asked.

  “Yes. But it’s like believing in Santa Clause. It’s not real.”

  “Santa’s not real?” I asked, feigning panic and shock.

  She swatted at my chest playfully. “You can laugh all you want. I’ll never forget those nights.”

  “I’m not laughing.” I held her hand. “I would never make fun of you.”

  She lifted her head to me with a smile. “You’re different that I thought you’d be.”

  “In what way?”

  “I don’t know.” She shook her head. “I never imagined I’d feel this way when I’m with you.” She stood up and walked over to the same tree, sheltered beneath its branches. But her eyes were on the moon.

  I walked over and stood in front of her, putting my hand against the tree. “What way?”

  She gazed up at me as my body swayed towards her. She was like a magnet.

  She looked at my lips, then stared into my eyes. “Safe.”

  I leaned in closer, crowding her. She put her hand on my chest, but she didn’t push me away.

  “I can’t make you any promises,” she whispered.

  “I’m not asking you to.”

  “This could get messy,” she said as I was about to kiss her. “I don’t want you to get hurt.”

  I looked into the depths of her eyes. “Then don’t hurt me.”

  She took a shallow breath as I closed the distance between us and covered her mouth with mine. Her lips were soft and sweet. Candy apple red. And I didn’t care if I got her lipstick all over me.

  She wrapped her arms around my neck and whimpered, curling her fingers in my hair.

  I traced my fingers over her back and pulled her closer, never wanting the kiss to end.

  When I lifted my head, her eyes were shut. But there was a smile on her face.

  She looked woozy, swaying into my arms. I caught her and held her face in my hands.

  Savannah was in a daze. But I had no intention of rushing her. I was just thankful to be here with her tonight. I could live off that kiss for the rest of my life if I had to. I’d prefer many more just like it. But if one taste of Savannah Taylor was all I ever got, then I was happy to cherish it forever.

  “It’s getting late,” I said. “Why don’t I take you home?”

  She bit her lip and whispered, “I don’t want to go home yet.”

  I’D NEVER BROUGHT A woman back to my condo. Come to think of it, I hadn’t been with a woman at all since Abigail ripped my heart out and pulverized it with one of her thousand dollar stilettos. That I’d paid for. Oh, the joys of having a woman who likes to spend money faster than you can make it.

  But Savannah was different. She was broken like me. Nothing about this felt like Abigail.

  I really trusted Savannah. In the sense that she seemed like a good person who had been damaged by someone she loved. I knew the feeling. It kept me up nights. But with Savannah, I finally had a chance to be myself again. To move on. To be happy.

  “It’s not much,” I said. “But this is my place.”

  “Not much?” She walked into the living room. “I think it’s great.”

  “Thanks.” I went in the kitchen. “Would you like a drink?”

  “Yes, please.” She sat down on the couch and made herself comfortable.

  I really liked having her here. It was an amazing view.

  “I got the house in the divorce. But I’m having to sell it. Kevin isn’t exactly the most honest, conservative person when it comes to money.” She stood up and leaned against the bar, watching me. “I had to move back in with my parents.” She rested her chin on her hand and sighed. “I’m living with my parents.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with that,” I said.

  “I wish I had a place of my own. I want to be able to take care of Trey.”

  I slid a glass of wine across the counter to her. “Then you will.”

  “Thanks.” She picked up the glass and took a sip. Then she walked back to the couch in her high heels. “Ugh.” She set her drink on the coffee table. “My feet are killing me.”

  “You can take them off,” I said. “I don’t have a shoe policy here.”

  She giggled, undoing the straps and kicking them off. “Ah,” she sighed. “Much better.”

  “Why were you wearing those anyway? If they hurt your feet that much...”

  She leaned her head against the couch and looked at me. “I never got to wear heels when I was with Kevin. He’s only an inch taller than me. He always made me feel guilty about it.”

  “Guilty about what? Being tall?” I asked.

  “Yeah, I guess so. For not being short enough to make him feel like a man.”

  “Now that’s just ridiculous.” I drank some wine. “Being tall is an asset.”

  “My parents have always thought so,” she said. “Then again, they’re really tall.”

  “Yes, they are.”

  “Most people aren’t as tall as my dad. But you’re taller than he is.”

  “Yeah, I hated it when I was a kid. Everyone used to call me a giant.”

  She pouted. “That’s not nice.”

  “Well, kids at school usually aren’t.”

  “I love how tall you are,” she said.

  “You do?”

  “Oh yeah.” She ran her
fingers down my shirtsleeve. “I can always wear heels when I’m with you.”

  Smiling, I set my wine glass down beside hers and leaned in, cupping her cheek in my hand. My heart was pounding. I wanted her so much. I had from the first day we met. I couldn’t believe she was this close to being mine.

  Before our lips met, she pushed me away and covered her mouth. Then she jumped up and ran to the bathroom. She shut the door behind her and turned on the faucet. But it didn’t mask the sound of her getting sick.

  “Savannah?” I knocked on the door. “Are you okay?”

  I heard gagging sounds until the toilet flushed.

  “Savannah, can I come in?”

  “Please don’t,” she begged. “I don’t want you to see me like this.”

  “Savannah, I’m a doctor. I see this every day. Let me help you.”

  “Okay.”

  I opened the door and found her in front of the toilet. She was cold and sweaty.

  “How much have you had to drink?” I asked.

  She leaned over and wretched again. I rubbed her back and held her hair, sympathizing with her. I’d drunk too much before, so I knew what it felt like. I moistened a wash cloth and wiped her mouth.

  “I don’t even like going out,” she cried. “Why did he have to bring her?”

  “Let me get you some water.” I went to the kitchen and came back with a bottle.

  When I got back, she was lying on the floor, crying. I helped her sit up and she leaned on me, clutching my shirt.

  “She was really pretty,” she sobbed. “A lot prettier than me.”

  “Why don’t you drink some of this water?” It was like pulling teeth to get her to take a sip.

  She buried her head in my chest and closed her eyes. I held her close, running my fingers through her hair. She was sick and drunk, but there was nowhere I’d rather be than nursing her back to health.

  “Preston,” she mumbled, closing her eyes.

  “Yeah?”

  “You smell good.”

  That was the last thing she said before she passed out.

  I carried her into my room and laid her down on the bed. Then I grabbed one of my shirts. But I felt weird about taking her clothes off while she was unconscious. So I put the shirt on over her dress and tucked her in. She was already snoring, and it was actually kind of cute. I laughed and ran my fingers through my hair.