Fill Me Read Online Free PDF Page B

half of a power couple. That sounds horrifyingly public."
    "It's an interesting idea," I say.
    "Let's survive this separation before we get any crazy ideas."
    She leans back into me, and I wrap my arms around her, pulling her close.
    We spend the rest of the drive absorbing the scenery. When we finally cross the bridge into the city, I'm in awe. Spending so much time in Los Angeles, it's so easy to forget how a real city feels. But this is a fucking city. The slate gray streets, the bright yellow taxis, the dark blue of the Hudson River.
    We stop at a building on Water Street.
    It's a nice place--as sleek on the inside as it is on the outside. Everything about it is shiny, clean, and new. Alyssa bites her lip, clearly not in love with the place. She throws me an of course you want me to live here, you rich snob kind of look.
    A security guard greets us. It's early, barely seven a.m., but he's incredibly chipper. Nothing like the prototypical angry New Yorker. He makes small talk before handing over the set of keys.
    "This is a very selective building," he says.
    Alyssa smiles politely, playing her part, as usual. When the guard isn't looking, she turns to me and raises her eyebrows.
    "It's a safe neighborhood," I say.
    She shakes her head, but there's something sweet about her expression. She appreciates my concern.
    We take the elevator to the twenty-third floor and take a long hallway to its end. It's a corner apartment. It must be as nice as promised.
    "Jesus Christ." Alyssa's eyes go wide.
    The view is amazing--we can see half the city beyond the dfloor-to-ceiling windows.
    The apartment itself is small. There's a main room with a couch and a TV. A tiny kitchenette. A small bedroom with a very nice king-sized bed. The bathroom has a very spacious shower-tub combo. I have to stop myself from asking Alyssa to christen it.
    She's already half asleep on the couch.
    "How about coffee?" I ask.
    She grins. "Such a sharp mind. I knew there was a reason why I liked you."
    ***
    After coffee, we spend the morning touring downtown. Wall Street, Bryant Park, the famous charging bull statute, even City Hall. I ramble about the eight million scenes of Law and Order that took place on the steps of City Hall. Alyssa humors me, nodding along like she's enjoying my speech.
    We move to the park across the street. She slings her arms around my neck, raises to her tiptoes, and kisses me. It's so soft and sweet that I forget where we are or why we're here.
    "I'm starting to rethink my sightseeing plans," I say.
    She leans in towards me until we're only inches apart. "We have a whole day and a half. And we're missing out on that San Diego hotel experience."
    She presses her lips into mine. It's harder, needier. I slide my hands under her T-shirt, over the soft skin of her lower back, and pull her closer. She moans lightly, her body melting into me.
    We're only a ten-minute walk from the apartment, but it feels like it's a million miles away.
    I feel her hands on my skin, under my T-shirt. "Ally," I groan. "We're in a public park."
    "I know," she says, and she kisses me harder.
    When we break, she's flushed. Panting. "Damn. That's what I get for trying to torture you."
    "Trust me. It's torture," I say.
    "Revenge is so sweet. Even when it hurts." She takes my hand. "Do you want to go back to the apartment now?"
    "No. Let's finish all the errands first. So we don't have to leave."
    Her lips curl into a smile and she nods.
    We rush through a host of errands--the drugstore, K-mart, lunch, another cup of coffee--and end up at Whole Foods. I fill her cart with fruits and vegetables, but she shoots me a mind your own damn business look and removes everything I loaded.
    "You don't want apples?" I ask.
    "I do."
    "Then why put them back?"
    "Just let me do it, okay?" She stares at the apples, really examining them. Finally, she packs a dozen into a plastic bag and places them in the cart. She slips into the rhythm of shopping, picking up bits and pieces here