“But he loves you,” Ruta said. “I made sure of that.”
“What are you talking about?” she asked, getting to her feet and dusting off her hands.
“The charm I gave you,” Ruta explained. “It worked. And then I gave him the potion that night when he was lying in your bed. It was in the tea.”
Sabina’s jaw fell and she stared at her grandmother. “You put a potion in his tea? Damn it, Nana, I told you, no more potions!”
Ruta shrugged. “It was just a little potion. But it did the job.”
“And you think I’m happy about that? Why would I want to trick a man into loving me?”
“It is no trick, it is just a bit of encouragement. It gave him time to realize that you are the woman for him. Believe me, some men would never get there on their own.”
Sabina grabbed the envelope. “This whole thing has been a nightmare and I just want to put an end to it once and for all. I’ll take the papers over there and that will be it. I’ll never have to set eyes on Alec Harnett again.”
But as Sabina walked to the door, she knew that she’d still see him every night in her dreams. It would be years before she’d put this mistake behind her and move on. Maybe her grandmother was right. She needed a fresh start, perhaps in a new city where she wouldn’t have to worry about running into Alec on the street.
She glanced down at the envelope. Fifty-ninth Street between Park and Lexington. She could catch the F train and be outside his building in a matter of minutes. But as she walked to the subway stop near Washington Park, Sabina began to worry.
What if her grandmother was right? What if he did love her? And what if she refused to see those same feelings in herself just to prove a silly point? So he’d accomplished his goal-he’d bought her grandmother’s building. Did that really negate everything they’d shared?
He’d made such a point of separating business from pleasure. But could he make that disconnect, or was that just a smoke screen to lure her in?
The subway was stifling, the air humid and close. Sabina found a seat and closed her eyes, the rocking of the car relaxing her. If she had anything to say to Alec, then perhaps it was best to get it done and get on with her life.
Sabina counted the stops-Fourteenth, Twenty-third, Thirty-fourth, Forty-second. By the time the train reached Rockefeller Center she was certain she’d simply turn around and go back home. But she’d regained her resolve when the train made the turn toward Queens. She got out at the Lexington Avenue stop and slowly walked up the stairs to the street level.
It was only a short walk to the spot where the building stood. Sabina stood across the street and stared at the sign above the door. “Harnett Property Development,” she murmured.
She glanced both ways, then cut across the street midblock. A security guard opened the door for her and she gave him a tight smile. Sabina cleared her throat. “I’m looking for Alec Harnett.”
“Fifth floor, the receptionist there will take your name.”
“Fifth floor,” Sabina muttered as she hurried to the elevator. The doors opened immediately and she stepped inside. But as the elevator rose, she felt her uneasiness rise as well. Could she handle seeing him again? Or would she be consumed with thoughts of kissing him or touching him?
The doors opened onto an airy reception area. A pretty young woman sat behind the desk-Karen Donnelly, her nameplate read. She smiled as Sabina approached.
“I’m here to see Alec Harnett. Just let him know that Ruta’s granddaughter, Sabina, is here.”
The receptionist’s eyes went wide. “Ruta, the Gypsy lady?”
“Yes,” Sabina said.
The receptionist quickly punched in a number on her phone, an whispered into her headset. Then she glanced up at Sabina. “He’ll be right with you. Would you like a beverage?”
Sabina shook her head. “I won’t be staying.”
A moment later, Alec appeared from behind a set of double doors. Sabina stared at him for a long moment. Emotions welled up inside of her-anger, humiliation, frustration and, above all, desire. But she pushed them all back and composed herself.
“Sabina.”
His eyes caught hers and locked, penetrating to the very depths of her soul. Her heart beat fast and she tried to draw a deep breath, but she felt paralyzed. “I brought the papers,” she finally said. She held out the envelope, but he didn’t take it from her.
After another long silence, Sabina spoke. “This is what you wanted. Take them.”
It was difficult to stand near Alec without losing the capacity to think or speak. When she looked at him, her mind filled with images of them kissing, his mouth on hers, his hands furrowed in her hair, his naked body lying beneath hers. She’d never experienced feelings so intense for a man, and even with time apart they hadn’t faded.
She felt the words forming on her lips. Just two words would be all it took and everything would be all right. Kiss me. Kiss me. “Kiss me.”
“What?”
Sabina sucked in a sharp breath. Had she said that out loud? “What?”
“Did you say something?” Alec asked.
“No,” Sabina replied.
“Oh, I must be imagining things.”
“What did you think I said?” Sabina asked.
“I thought you said ‘Kiss me.’” He frowned, deep lines creasing his brow. “Is that what you said, Sabina?”
She swallowed hard. What could the truth hurt? At this very moment, she felt as if he could read her mind. But he didn’t wait for her answer. Instead, he took her hand and pulled her along with him through the double doors.
Sabina resisted, but only just a bit. It felt so wonderful to have him touch her again. They turned a corner and walked into a huge office. Alec shut the door behind them, then steered her toward the desk.
“Say it once more. Go ahead. Don’t be afraid.”
“I didn’t say anything,” Sabina lied. She stepped back, anxious to avoid the warmth and touch of his body. But she ran up against the edge of his desk. “And I’m not afraid of you.”
Alec reached out and cupped her cheek in his palm. “That’s funny,” he said softly, his breath warm against her lips. “Because I’m afraid of you. You scare the hell out of me, Sabina. I’m afraid that I’ll never see you again, or touch you again. I’m afraid that I’ll wake up every morning and wonder why you’re not lying beside me. I’m afraid that I’m going to go through life regretting that I didn’t tell you exactly how I felt.”
He opened his mouth to continue, but Sabina reached up and pressed her fingers to his lips. She knew if he said it she’d be compelled to return the sentiment. But Sabina wasn’t sure how she felt, or even if she could trust Alec’s feelings for her.
“Don’t. Don’t make this more difficult than it has to be. Don’t you see, Alec? This was doomed from the start. It all happened too fast. We were caught up in the passion and didn’t bother to see the reality.”
“And what is the reality, Sabina? I love you and I think you love me. It doesn’t matter how long we’ve known each other. Hell, maybe we knew each other in a past life. Or maybe this was love at first sight. If you don’t believe in the possibility that this might just work, then we’re going to miss out on the best thing to happen to either one of us.”
She stared down at their hands, hers clasped in his. “My grandmother gave me a love charm the morning we met. And that first night you spent at my apartment, she put a potion in your tea. She’s probably been casting spells on you as well, although she hasn’t admitted it.”
“So? What difference does that make? I don’t believe in any of that stuff.” He stepped toward her. “This is what I believe.” He slipped his hand around her nape and pulled her into a kiss. Sabina felt the hum of desire racing through her body. She was acutely aware of every detaiclass="underline" the warmth of his lips, the taste of his mouth, the way his tongue slowly teased until she surrendered to the kiss.