Manhattan Lullaby Read Online Free Page A

first he kissed her back. But then she slowly began to increase the pressure of her mouth on his. He recognized the signs and slowly he eased her away from him.
    She looked puzzled and hurt. “Bradley … why don’t you want to make love to me anymore?”
    This was the moment he had been dreading. What could he say? Not the truth, that was for sure. He decided to take the offensive. He hated to do it, but at least it would cool her off until he was able to show her how much he loved her. “Maybe I don’t find the smell of flea powder to be an aphrodisiac.”
    â€œThat’s not very nice!” She wrenched her hand from his.
    He realized he’d gone too far and he reached for her again. “Just kidding.”
    â€œNo, you weren’t.” She brushed his hand away. “Something’s bugging you, isn’t it. I mean really bugging you. Is it something to do with the wedding? Have you changed your mind about … us? Why won’t you—”
    But before she could finish, Chester took a sweeping dive through the kitchen door. “Mountain Hartz!” he screamed as he sailed over their heads and landed on the top of the bookcase. “Mountain Hartz!”
    â€œThat’s what’s bugging me. I have to listen to that all bloody day long.” Bradley sat up. “No more bringing your work home with you when we’re married. I’m going to have to put my foot down.”
    Janie stood up. “Is that right? Well, you don’t seem to mind my bringing my paycheck home, and that”—she pointed to Chester, who was busy digging his toenails into the mahogany—“is part of where it comes from.”
    Bradley clenched his fists. “You just can’t leave it alone, can you? Can’t let an evening go by without reminding me which one of us is the breadwinner around here?”
    â€œI’m not reminding you. I’m just stating a fact. We agreed when we moved in together that I would work and you would stay home and take care of the house. That’s what you wanted. But now you seem to resent it.”
    â€œWe agreed that you would work . We didn’t agree that you would become the Charles Lazarus of the pet industry.”
    She moved away from the couch and then turned around to face him, one hand on each hip. “Oh, so it’s not the fact that I bring home the bacon that’s bugging you. It’s how much bacon I bring home. You’ve never been able to handle the fact that I’m a success. You can’t stand it that I made P.E.T. Inc. into a multimillion-dollar-a-year business. Admit it.”
    â€œAll right, fine, I will. You’re absolutely right. I can’t stand it!” Bradley jumped to his feet, a rush of adrenaline providing him with a sudden surge of energy. “I can’t stand coming home to an empty house while you’re out giving pet parties, or opening pet restaurants and pet spas or thinking up some new pet product to market to the public.” He strode out into the kitchen and she followed. “I can’t stand going to cook myself a pathetic and lonely little dinner and only finding this!” He threw open two of the kitchen cupboards. All three shelves in both cupboards were stocked with cans of Pet Party Purée, The Gourmet Feast for Yuppie Puppies.
    â€œThe Yuppie Puppie food is what paid for this house!” cried Janie defensively.
    â€œThere you go again. Rub my nose in it. Or maybe you’d just like to hit me with a rolled-up newspaper!” And with that Bradley stormed out of the kitchen, down the hall and into the bathroom. He slammed the door and locked it. An argument had been his alternative to stave off an unwanted bout of lovemaking. But this had gotten a little out of hand. They had both said a lot of things that they had managed to avoid saying, until now. Maybe he had gone too far.
    Janie banged on the door. “Bradley? Come out of