Comfort of a Man (Arabesque) Read Free Page B

ear, but she dismissed it. She’d come down to mope about her problems but instead had forgotten about them. Which was easy to do when you had someone as handsome as Isaiah Washington sitting next to you.
    He placed his elbows onto the bar and leaned inher direction. “How about the lady trying something different?”
    Her gaze bounced between the two men. “Nothing hard. I’m not a hard drinker.”
    “I think the apple margarita gave that away,” Isaiah said with a laugh, and then ordered from the bartender. “Let’s see if she’ll like a Scooby Snack.”
    “One Scooby Snack coming up.”
    “What the heck is a Scooby Snack?”
    “If I tell you it would spoil the surprise. Trust me. You’ll like it.”
    Her gaze lingered on him for a moment longer. “All right. I’ll give it a try.”
    “Good.”
    Brooklyn took a long assessing look at Isaiah. “So how is it that you’ve been able to avoid the temptation of marriage?”
    Isaiah gave her his full attention.
    “First of all, I don’t know whether I would use the word temptation. Second, maybe in a way I am married.”
    “Oh?” she asked, hoping she’d done a good job of masking her disappointment. “You have a girlfriend or a live-in love?”
    “Sort of. I’m, in an odd sort of way, married to my work.”
    Brooklyn nodded slowly. “I see. And what kind of work do you do?”
    “Sales and marketing.”
    “So you’re a regular suit man. I can see that.”
    “Oh, can you?”
    “Yep.” She bobbed her head. “Of course I saw you this evening, remember?”
    “One Scooby Snack.” The bartender returned and placed her second drink in front of her. “Enjoy.”
    “Now what is this?” she asked Isaiah.
    “Come on. Where is your sense of adventure? Just taste it.”
    Brooklyn frowned. It was the second time her “sense of adventure” had been questioned. She grabbed the drink and took a brave gulp, and then blinked in surprise. “This is good.”
    “I told you you’d like it.”
    “No one likes a braggart.” She smiled at his rumble of laughter.
    “I’ll make sure I keep that in mind.” His gaze locked on her. “Do you mind if I ask you a question?”
    “I haven’t so far,” she said.
    “Why are you here?”
    “Came to see a few plays with some girlfriends. We usually make this trip every year. New York is at its best during the holidays.”
    Isaiah’s smile turned seductive. “That’s not what I meant.”
    She frowned. “Then what did you mean?”
    “Well.” He looked at his watch. “It’s 1:00 a.m. and I don’t see any of your friends with you.”
    “Oh…that.” She rolled her eyes.
    He nodded. “Oh…that,” he mimicked.
    “Let’s just say that I needed some time to myself.”
    “Did I mess up your plans?”
    “No.” She took another sip of her drink. “You improved them.”
    Isaiah’s lips twitched with a blooming smile. “Glad that I could help.”
    Brooklyn suddenly became aware of the increasing amount of butterflies in the pit of her stomach. Their fluttering wings, combined with the warm rush of alcohol, gave her a delicious tingle. She drew in a deep breath and slowly licked her lips.
    “Are you okay?” he asked, leaning toward her.
    She drew in his scent and smiled. He wore no cologne or heavy aftershave—just the clean scent of soap. “You smell good.”
    His brows rose high over his eyes. “You don’t smell bad yourself.”
    She giggled. She actually giggled.
    “I think you’ve had enough to drink,” he concluded with a soft chuckle.
    Brooklyn bobbed her head, but continued to enjoy the wonderful wave of emotion flowing through her. “I was supposed to have only one drink,” she informed him. “I have a low tolerance level.”
    “You’re drunk off one Scooby Snack? I didn’t think that was possible.”
    “Don’t forget the margarita. Besides, I’m not drunk,”she clarified, holding up a finger. “I’m just a little buzzed.”
    “Good.” He inched closer. “Because I would hate