Free Tamed Galley Master by Lizzie Lynn Lee Page A

her room door. For some reason Brian insisted on seeing her and knocked on her door. She had to answer him. “Oh, hi, Brian. Sorry I caused trouble for everyone.”
    She thought if she faced Brian she’d get distraught again over their cancelled engagement, but she was surprised that he didn’t have that much effect on her anymore. She was finally over Brian. Had Dane and Collin filled her head and heart so much that she didn’t have room for Brian?
    The man she once loved with every bit of her soul watched her with concern. “I was worried when Kate called me. You’ve never acted so impulsively. Did you really go sailing without telling anyone?”
    “Yeah,” Danielle told him a bold lie. “It’s my fault. I was carried away and enjoyed myself too much. Hey, you live only once.”
    Brian didn’t seem convinced. After all, they dated more than five years. Suffice it to say Brian knew her best after Kate and her mom. “Are you really okay, Danielle?”
    “I’m okay. I am.”
    “It just that maybe because our—”
    Danielle knew where this was going and put a lid on it. “I’m over it, Brian, and I moved on. You deserve a good, respectable girl in your life and I think I also deserve my own happiness. So, there’s no reason for us to bring up what happened in the past. What is done, is done, right?”
    Brian flustered for a moment. “Yeah, of course, you’re right.”
    “I’m sorry that Kate dragged you into this. She’s had a hard time adjusting to the new me.” Danielle gave Kate a wink.
    Kate’s forced grin widened.
    “Well, I’m glad you’re okay. I was just worried, you know?”
    “Thanks for checking up on me.” Danielle gave Brian a friendly hug and had no emotions. Before, each time she met Brian she had a hard time containing her tears.
    Maybe Kate was right all along. All I need is a new love to forget an old one .
    “Then I should be going. I’m glad you’re all right. See you, Kate.”
    She and Kate saw Brian to the door.
    “You handled that well,” Kate commented after Brian was gone.
    Danielle shrugged, trying to be nonchalant. “Maybe what I needed was a good lay to forget him.”
     

Chapter Six
     
     
     
    It was past midnight when Danielle was finally ready to call Dane in New York. She was in the middle of dialing his numbers when suddenly her mind blanked. She pushed end call and started over and the same thing happened again. What the hell? She usually was good with numbers. Collin had her memorize their contact information. Dane even wrote his cell numbers on her palm. Most of the ink had faded from her shower, but it was still clearly visible. The problem was she couldn't make the last few digits. The numbers jumbled right before her eyes. Was it five or three? Nine or seven? It was ridiculous that she suddenly turned dyslexic. Then, she remembered.
    Crap. The enchantment.
    When she was spirited away to New York, the enchantment prevented her from contacting home. Now that she was home without giving a definitive answer to the brothers, the enchantment prevented her from contacting them.
    Her gut sank.
    Calm down, girl, this is the twenty-first century. Locating a person couldn't be that difficult. She knew where they lived. Right. The Dakota on Park Avenue. Yeah. Just call their office and asked to be connected to Dane.
    Danielle googled the Dakota and got their concierge’s numbers. She called immediately. "Hello, sorry for bothering you this late. I'm Danielle Thomas calling from Miami. Can you direct my call to Dane..."
    Oh God, what was Dane’s last name? Something with E . Eaton? Erickson. Espinoza? Shit! What am I going to do now?
    "Ma'am? Do you know the person’s last name?"
    "Give me a second. I'm thinking."
    "Do you know the unit numbers?"
    "Oh, yes. It's..." She blanked again.
    "Ma'am, I have to hang up."
    "Wait!" Danielle cried wordlessly to a disconnected line. Crap, crap, crap. She jumped off the bed and sprinted out of the room. She knocked on Kate's