Page 9 of Coming Undone

“This guy’s a ship mechanic. I give him ten-to-one odds he can hotwire your car with his eyes closed. I’ll have him pick it up in the morning unless you really need your things tonight?” His whole hand cupped her bare shoulder now and that seemed like the only thing she could think about.

With no bra to get in the way, he could be touching her bare breast with the slightest movement. Better yet was the realization that she really, really would like that.

“Yes.” She tipped her neck to one side, giving him all the more room to touch her. “That would be perfect.”

He quit touching her.

“You want me to have it brought here tonight?” Danny reached for his phone on the coffee table.

She shook her head, confused for a moment until she recalled what he’d asked. “No. I don’t need the car.”

“You’re sure?” He still held the cell phone when she wanted him to hold her.

“Positive.” She left the rest of the words unspoken, the request for him to put his hands back on her.

It had been a long time for her and she didn’t want to put him in an awkward position like she had in the water earlier.

“Okay. Cool.” He set the phone down again and met her gaze.

She could have sworn that heat flared in his eyes for all of a second before he scrambled to his feet.

“I’d better put the food away.” He picked up dishes and glasses, whisking them into the kitchen while she tried to recover herself from the sharp bite of longing she hadn’t felt in years.

Seducing Danny could take a little more ingenuity than she’d thought if she had intimacy issues and he was going to insist on taking things slow. Just because she’d received an invitation to spend the night didn’t mean she’d be sleeping in his bed.

* * *

Accepting Stephanie’s invitation didn’t mean he could fall on her like a sailor on dry land for the first time in months. He would restrain himself because she deserved better. Hell, she might not even be ready to be with him like that given the way she’d freaked out back in the water. As much as she might be sending him the green light signal, chances were good that she didn’t know exactly what she needed.

Which was why he would be a gentleman if it killed him. Which was also why he cleared the dishes and cleaned up the kitchen with a speed and dedication he usually reserved for his job.

He had no idea how things would go between them tonight, but his blood still simmered hot. He’d be back out in the Bay to cool down if he couldn’t get himself under control.

In the living room, Stephanie wandered around checking out his book collection on one shelf and the vintage vinyl on the other. He’d chased her out of the kitchen twice, mostly because he needed the space to get his head on straight again. Now, she flipped through the albums and chose one, sliding it into the player nearby. When she cranked up a Doors tune, the house filled with dark, moody music. She sang and twirled absently, occasionally running her finger down a book spine or drifting past the open the French doors to breathe the fresh air.

Seeing her like this, full of song and a bounce in her step brought him right back to that night they’d first met…

Music still poured through him, the echo of his show in the city humming in his head. Danny had booked the gig in Manhattan three months ago, knowing his band had what it took to make it on a big stage. And sure enough, the well-connected club owner had declared their show a success. The other guys in the band had expressed doubts about his level of commitment to music given the prominence of his family and his dad’s seemingly never-ending thirst to expand Murphy Resorts, Inc. while strong-arming all his sons into corporate positions in the company. But maybe the fact that he’d set up this gig would quiet his detractors.

His bandmates certainly looked happy enough as they mingled at a house party hosted by Danny’s cousin, journalist Christina Marcel. The timing had been nice for him since Christina was headed overseas for a six-month long news feature on the fighting in the Middle East and she’d wanted to throw a little going away party for her and her camerawoman, Stephanie Rosen. She’d been more than happy to expand the event into a reception for the musicians.

“You were awesome!” Christina threw herself in Danny’s arms as soon as he walked out onto her balcony, her energy a formidable thing. “You’ve got to cut yourself free from the resort business and pursue your music, Dan,” she whispered in his ear. “You’re so talented with that guitar.”

“Thanks.” He kissed her cheek, liking the view from her Brooklyn apartment. The city glowed across the water, reminding him his dreams were all right there for the taking.

Except that, more than music, he wanted to follow Cristina overseas. He hated sitting at a desk job and carrying on, business as usual, while the attacks continued abroad. He needed to get involved. To use his smarts for something beyond making another dollar for the old man. He liked music, but even that had been making him feel restless.

“Have you met Stephanie?” Cristina asked, oblivious to his dark thoughts as she blew kisses to someone who just came out onto the balcony.

Danny turned to see one of his older brothers, Jack, who’d made the trip to New York with him. Danny couldn’t help but think that Jack was his designated Murphy family watchdog this weekend. In a family full of high achievers, Danny had always been the crazy one, whereas Jack was Mr. Responsible, the guy charged with watching over the younger brothers while the oldest learned the ropes of the resort business.

“No.” Danny looked around the balcony, more than ready to meet anyone that wasn’t related to him. Sometimes, when you had a big family, it was damn tough to escape their expectations. “Is she here yet?”

“Are you kidding?” Cristina laughed and tugged him closer to whisper in his ear. “She’s been looking forward to an introduction ever since your first set back at the club.”

Danny waited while Cristina waved her hand over the crowd.

Summoning a woman who damn near floored him.

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