Midnight's Sweet Kiss (2 page)

“Is this your first time in New York,” he prompted.

“Yes.” Sophie sighed, though not because of his question. She was homesick and starting to doubt her decision.

“I thought so.”

“It’s pretty much stamped on my forehead, isn’t it?” She drew her bangs back to give him a better look.

He chuckled. “Nah. You just don’t seem like a New Yorker.”

“Not even close. I’m from Oregon. What gave me away, the scared shitless look on my face?”

“No, but there is that. It’s just little things.” He glanced her way and shrugged. “I don’t have much else to do from up here, so I try to get a read on people. I’m usually good at it too, but you’ve stumped me.”

She arched her brow. “How so?”

“You strike me as someone who likes things calm and easy going. You won’t find those things here,” he replied.

Boy, wasn’t that the truth. “I’m impressed,” she said and smoothed a wrinkle out of her skirt. “I do like things calm and simple, but not stagnant. I thought change would be good, a way to start over. New house, new job, new life.” Each time she listed them it made her more apprehensive.

“Sounds daring,” the driver responded.

“I guess.” She glanced out the window as a reminder of where she was. All the months that she’d readied herself for this move had been bearable because she’d still been home. Now she didn’t have that comfort to fall back on.

“To be honest,” she started, “moving here wasn’t my choice.” Her eyes widened at the frankness of her own comment and she tried to backtrack. “I mean, at first it wasn’t. Now I’m cool with it. My fiancé’s work is here and if I want to be with him then this is where I have to live.”

Wow, the way she explained it made her sound like she’d been held at gunpoint. Where was her enthusiasm? This wasn’t a life sentence. Was it? The cab shrunk around her while her ring grew three times its already ostentatious size. Was she having her first official nervous breakdown?

“At least you’ll have someone to help you through it. That makes a difference,” he offered.

“Sure does,” she agreed and rolled the window down for some much needed air. “I don’t mind a challenge.” Since she couldn’t even convince herself, she switched the conversation onto him. “So do you do anything else besides drive people around?”

“I drive them crazy,” he joked and started to laugh.

She snickered along with him. Handsome and charming, what were the odds? “I meant, is this a full time gig?”

“For now,” he said. “It keeps me away from desk jobs and starched uniforms. I’m allergic to both.”

“Same here.”A chill ran through her and she put the window back up. Head cocked to the side she asked, “Do you like driving a cab?”

He rolled his shoulders. “Most days. Driving relaxes me.”

“Even in this traffic?” She wouldn’t last ten minutes behind the wheel here.

“Yep. It helps remind me to slow down. It’s easy to miss things.”

Sophie liked his carefree philosophy. It differed from Kyle’s nonstop rambling about how successful he was in his career, and how everyone admired him. He’d spend hours on the phone with her rattling on about business mergers and conferences until her hand tingled from holding the phone to her ear so long. It was nice to hear someone be casual about their job, and not make money the topic of every conversation. She didn’t have the nerve to tell Kyle how much it bored her, and often worried she’d fall asleep with him still talking.

In the next breath she felt a tinge of guilt. Sure she was mad at Kyle for not calling to say he’d be late, but it wasn’t fair to find fault with him. She’d feel even worse when he explained what kept him. He was going to be her husband soon, and she’d need to show interest in the things he did.

“We’re coming up to your stop,” she heard the driver say. His interruption was more than welcome. “Is there somewhere in particular you want me to drop you off at, or right at the corner?”

She grabbed her purse and poised her hand over the seatbelt buckle. “Yeah, the corner will be…”

Sophie’s words faded off at the sight of Kyle in a steamy lip lock with some redhead in a tight little skirt, his hands freely roaming.

Her chest tightened.

“I didn’t catch that last part,” said the cabbie.

From the corner of her eye she saw him turn her direction, follow her gaze out the window, and then turn back to her.

“Oh.”

Not wanting to get caught staring with her jaw to the floor, she scrunched down in the seat. “Um, sorry. Could you just keep going a little ways further?”

He nodded and continued on.

Heat barreled throughout her entire body. As they passed, Kyle continued his apparent quest to find out how far his tongue could go down the tramp’s throat. Sophie hated that she watched, but the whole scene was foreign to her. He’d never kissed
her
like that before, and he made her very aware in the beginning that he loathed public displays of affection.

Once the groping jerk left her line of sight, she released her held breath and shook her head. What the hell? How could he do that to her? She flew to New York to be with him. She stopped her life for him. Granted she knew love was a gamble, but she believed him when he said they were destined to be together. The ring meant something to her. Or it did. Now she felt like a branded fool.

Sophie leaned forward to instruct the driver to drop her off at the nearest hotel, when her phone rang. She glimpsed the name. Kyle Fischer. So
now
he wanted to talk? Part of her wanted to press the button to hear what lame ass excuse he had prepared for being late, or rather, what lie he planned to tell. But she couldn’t do it. There wasn’t anything he could say that would make it up to her or piece back together her shattered heart. If he wasn’t faithful now, he never would be. Besides, she was too angry and everything would spill out of her with no sense or rationality to it. The relationship had ended before the plane hit the tarmac, and she was just now finding out.

God, she felt like a total idiot.

What had he been thinking when he proposed? Did he honestly think he could marry her and have a mistress on the side too? A voice in her head answered with a most definite yes. Kyle liked it best when he got his own way, and damn whoever he stepped on or crushed to get it. She thought he reserved that mentality for his workplace, but now she wasn’t certain.

Well fuck him. She wasn’t going to waste another minute of her time wondering where she fit into his life. She’d seen red. Only it was long and silky, attached to a tall skinny what’s-it that looked way too comfortable in the arms of her…ex fiancé.

Her face flushed, her eyes watered and her nose tingled. Endless crocodile tears threatened to spill.
No
, she hissed to herself. No crying, not over Kyle. He didn’t merit even one tear.

Sophie flipped her long brown hair over her shoulders and straightened up in the seat. She was here now, in New York, and she’d have to make the best of it for at least one night.

A blur of lights, billboards, and crowds met her gaze out the window. The people moved fast, their arms and faces animated while they talked. They looked happy and untroubled, so very far from her current frame of mind. Her plans had changed and she needed to figure a few things out, starting with where to sleep tonight.

“Excuse me, miss, I hope you don’t take this in the wrong way, but I planned to swing by my good buddy Tate’s restaurant for a bite, and—”

“I’m so sorry,” she broke in, shaking her head. Where were her manners? The guy didn’t need to be stuck driving her sorry ass around all night. “Of course, you have plans. Who doesn’t have plans on New Year’s Eve? Please, drop me off anywhere you’d like. I’ll be fine.”

He came to a stoplight and turned to face her. “Hold on, you didn’t let me finish. I thought maybe you could join me for dinner. Because unless they served homemade soutzoukakia and baklava on the airplane, I don’t think you can say you’ve had a sufficient meal.”

The sound of her favorite Greek dishes made her mouth water. She hadn’t eaten anything on the plane because her gut had belly-flopped all morning in lieu of this trip…fiasco…disaster. The dinner offer sounded great. Eating alone didn’t.

“I hope you aren’t asking me out of pity,” she warned.

His brows furrowed. “Why would I do that?”

A car honked behind them and he turned back around.

“You saw,” she countered. “You witnessed the sleaze cheating on me.”

“And?”

There was a heavy pause and Sophie released a whoosh of breath. “And I’d like to join you, but not if you feel sorry for me.”

“No, not at all. Far from it,” he replied, his voice sincere as far as she could tell.

“Good. Then dinner would be perfect.”And maybe for a few minutes she could pretend everything was normal.

“The restaurant is about another six or seven blocks up the street,” he explained pointing forward. “We’ll grab some grub and go from there. I’m Noah, by the way. Noah Conley.”

“Sophie Kurtz. And, thank you.”

“For?”

“For not making me feel like a total reject. I mean I could probably have snakes coming out of my head like Medusa and you’d still be decent.”

“Well, I’d charge each snake as a passenger, but otherwise yeah, I’d like to think I’m a decent guy.”

She chuckled. “Thanks.”

His gaze met hers and he smiled, tiny lines bracketing his eyes. “Don’t worry about it.”

Not worry? That wouldn’t be easy. She lacked a place to sleep and a place to live. And she hadn’t finished the speech for the presentation she was expected to give at noon the next day in front of her new employers for a position that opened up.

No, she wouldn’t worry. She’d freak out instead.

Chapter Two

Noah eased along with the steady flow of traffic, catching glimpses of the brunette beauty in the backseat. She’d entered the cab with a spark in her smoky brown eyes and in one brief moment he watched that spark get snuffed out. He admired the way she handled herself considering what she’d just witnessed. He also knew her confidence betrayed the real battle of emotions going on inside her. He’d been there, done that a few times in his life. Noah wanted to help turn her night around but didn’t know how to go about it.

If anyone could help, it was his friend Tate. The guy was a relationship guru. He could steer him in the right direction. Sophie needed to be shown a good time, not be thrust out into the city alone for the next asshole to break her heart.

From the mirror he watched her lips tremble and then press tight. He wondered how long until the brave front gave way to tears.

At the next block he turned and smiled at the familiar sign of The Greek House. Tate’s family was of Greek descent and well known for serving delicious feasts.

“We’re here,” he announced and pulled into the first open parking spot.

He got out and walked around the car just as she was getting out. It took great restraint to halt the long, appreciative whistle he almost let loose when the first part of her out was her long, shapely legs. The sleek black nylons and pumps had him ready to gnaw on his knuckles. He liked the way her skirt hit just above the knees, but teased with a small slit in the back. The rest of her body was sheathed in a coat tied tight with a belt at the waist. She shoved her hands into her pockets and headed for the door, with him admiring her from behind.

At the door he hustled ahead and opened it for her. The aromas that hit as they walked in had them both groaning in appreciation.

Noah walked about halfway into the restaurant and gestured toward an open booth. It offered privacy so they could talk alone. He wanted to know more about this girl from Oregon.

“This looks like a good spot to sit,” he said. “I’ll be right back, I just need to scare up my friend and find out tonight’s house special.”

She nodded and slid into the booth, a weary look on her face. It was clear she was trying to keep it together.

He hurried to the back and found Tate slicing roma tomatoes with ease.

“Hey man, got a few minutes for an old friend?”