Know Her, Love Her: Daisy & Belmont, Book ONE by Z.L. Arkadie Read Free Book Online

belong.”  
    I sit on the foot of the bed and gaze out over the slit of Lake Michigan that’s visible through the window. “I asked him for a divorce. Mom, this place is huge. I thought this was a flat.”
    “Then you’re fine.”
    “Fine with what?”
    “You’ve gone from telling me your husband is fucking another woman to complaining that our condo is huge.”
    “It’s just not what I expected. I wanted something cozier. I’m tired of big houses. What happened to modesty?”  
    “Do you want me to give him the address or not?”  
    Apparently I’d hit a nerve. “Not.” I don’t sound certain.
    “He’s going to find you sooner or later.”  
    “I know, but at least I’ll have some time before he does.”
    “Time for what?”
    “To get over him.”
    I can picture Heloise rolling her eyes. She thinks Jack and I are just trying to keep things exciting between us. When I first told her we’d split, she rolled her eyes. She thinks we should get a divorce but remain lovers.  
    “While you’re getting over Jack, there’s food in the refrigerator and freezer. It’s what you like.”
    “I got the note,” I say.  
    “One second, ma fleur . What do you want?” Her voice is muffled. “Daisy, I have to tend to this. Call me if you need me.”  
    “Okay,” I mutter, and we end our call.
    I take a long, warm bath in the infinity tub and carry on practicing keeping Belmont out of my head. Instead, he becomes the faceless person in my memories.  
    I’m sitting at the table in a hotel bar. A man shows up. The energy flowing from him makes my heart flutter. I don’t picture his face, but must I? My back slips across the bed sheets, and the man on top of me makes me feel immense pleasure. Our tongues tango. They dance so well together. I touch myself. The water stirs around my hand as I stimulate myself. Only it’s not me who’s doing it. It’s...  
    I rush out of the tub, splashing and dripping suds all over the floor. What in the world is wrong with me? I miss Belmont, that’s what’s wrong with me. But things between us have gotten worse. He has physically connected with a woman he used to be in love with. That’s heartbreaking.  
    Tears glaze my eyes as I dry my skin, set the alarm on my phone, and crawl into bed. I curl up and stare at the flower pattern on the French chair. My cell phone chimes. I stretch my neck to see who’s calling. Finally, it’s Belmont. I want to answer, but I don’t. The ringtone stops, and I anticipate the next time it goes off. Thirty minutes later, it does, then again an hour after that. The final chime, which occurs after midnight, is like the end of a lullaby. If he’s calling me, then he’s not making love to her. I’m content enough to close my eyes and fall asleep.  

    The alarm chimes. I roll over to turn it off. It’s seven thirty a.m., and I’m scheduled to meet with Dexter and our team at nine. I rise and shine, preparing myself for the day. After fixing my hair in a bun, I take one final look at myself in the mirror. I’m wearing a black pencil skirt, a sleeveless tank, and my orange suede Cole Haan ankle boots.  
    Finding my way around the kitchen is simple. I know my mother’s habits. I make a cup of coffee in the K-cup machine and whip up a quick breakfast of one egg and a slice of turkey bacon folded into a slice of whole-grain toast. I eat it way too fast for it to keep me full for long. The hour and a half I gave myself has dwindled to nothing. I run upstairs to grab my leather briefcase.  
    “Shoot,” I mumble when I realize that I forgot there’s an elevator. I take it downstairs.  
    According to the weather woman, it’s seventy-nine degrees with eighty-three percent humidity. I join the sprinkle of men and women filing out of nearby skyscrapers. I shuffle up the concrete steps at the end of the street to get to Columbus Avenue. The walk across the bridge reminds me why I wanted to leave Manhattan. I’m not a fan of tall