A Fare To Remember: Just Whistle\Driven To Distraction\Taken For A Ride (22 page)

“Have you even made an offer?” Simon asked.

In truth, whenever he’d been around Sabina, the last thing he thought about was business. His mind became consumed with touching her and kissing her, testing the limits of their attraction to each other. “Well, not formally. But I’ve already been turned down.”

Simon stood up, bracing his hands on his desk. “Don’t come whining to me until you’ve tried for at least five years. Then we’ll talk.”

Sensing the meeting was over, Alec got to his feet and tucked the crutches under his arms. But there were still things that needed saying. “You gave me this job because you wanted me to make the big decisions. If I decide to do the condo project, then that will be my decision. And if you don’t like it, then you’re going to have to find someone else to run this company.”

Simon slowly sat down, a scowl on his face. His father was stubborn. But he’d also gotten used to the lifestyle of a semiretired real estate mogul. Weekends in the Hamptons, golf with his buddies and winters down south. “Are you going to make an offer?”

“I’m going over there now. But first I’m going to get her to remove this curse.”

Alec hobbled out of the office and grabbed his briefcase from the receptionist’s desk. “Did you call a cab?” he asked.

Karen nodded. “Security said he’s waiting out front.”

Alec turned for the elevator. But it was impossible to hang on to his briefcase and the crutches. Karen hurried out from behind the reception desk and took it from him, then rode the elevator down.

“So she cursed you,” Karen mused, staring up at the lights above the door. “My grandmother has this neighbor who goes to a psychic healer and she’d probably be able to break the curse. Would you like me to call her?”

Alec smiled politely. “I think I can take care of this myself.”

Getting into a cab was tricky, but after a few stumbles, he was comfortably seated. Only then did he realize he was sitting in a familiar backseat. Photographs lined the interior of the cab and Mario Capelli’s face stared back at him from the rearview mirror. “Ruta’s?” he asked.

Alec didn’t even want to consider the sheer luck it took for him to get inside Capelli’s cab for a second time. He could only take comfort in the fact that he was relatively safe considering Capelli and Ruta were friends. “Yeah, Ruta’s,” Alec replied.

“She’s not home. I took her to New Jersey this morning. She’s doing a brunch for a family reunion. She’s very popular as party entertainment.”

“I’m not interested in seeing Ruta. I have business with her granddaughter, Sabina.”

Mario’s grin grew wider. “Now, there’s a beautiful girl.”

“Beautiful, but dangerous,” Alec muttered. “Very, very dangerous.”

“Ah, but what woman isn’t? When they have the ability to steal your heart away, it’s a frightening thing. But once it happens, you realize that it’s better off in their keeping.”

“That’s a pretty sappy sentiment,” Alec said.

“I believe in romance. I believe that for every single guy, there’s a gal out there waiting to be needed. And for every gal, there’s a guy waiting to be saved. Look around you. I know what I’m talking about.”

Alec scanned the photos, the smiling faces of at least a hundred couples, young and old. “And you think Sabina and I are one of those couples?” He chuckled as he held up his hand in protest. “She cursed me. In the past week, my life has gone straight to hell and she’s the cause.”

“I never said it was going to be easy,” Mario replied.

As the cab headed downtown, Alec leaned back and closed his eyes. No, it wasn’t easy. The entire thing had been confusing and frustrating. But it had also been exhilarating and crazy. It had been seven days since he’d last seen Sabina, and he’d spent almost every waking hour thinking about her, wondering what she was doing and where she was going. He’d looked for her face on the street every morning on his way to work. He’d visited her favorite coffee shop, hoping that they might run into each other.

Hell, their relationship had begun and ended in a twenty-four-hour span, yet Alec felt as if he’d known her so much longer. In the past, women had come and gone without much fanfare or fuss. He’d preferred to keep his social life uncomplicated. But Sabina had been nothing but trouble.

Maybe that’s what he found so intriguing. With any other woman, he would have walked way. But there was something undeniable about his attraction to her. She was worth the trouble—or at least she had been until she’d cursed him.

Alec lost himself in a lazy replay of the time they’d spent together, rewinding their encounter in his kitchen over and over again. If he hadn’t decided to suddenly grow a conscience, they may have ended up in bed. Even now, the thought of losing himself in that beautiful body sent a wave of heat pulsing through his veins. Whatever relationship he had with Sabina Amanar might be over. But he preferred to believe that it was just beginning.

“Here we are,” Mario said.

Alec was surprised at how quickly the cab ride passed. Either Capelli was a terrific cabbie or Alec had been caught in a long daydream. He grabbed a twenty out of his wallet and handed it to the cabbie. “This may be over pretty quick. Wait ten minutes and if I don’t come out, you can leave.”

“Sure thing,” Mario said.

Alec grabbed his briefcase and crawled out of the cab, but without Karen’s help there was no way to carry it. Instead, he kicked it along in front of him, the rough sidewalk scratching the Italian leather.

The bell jangled as he stumbled inside, the briefcase making an entrance before he did. But he didn’t find Sabina behind the counter. Instead, he found the same salesgirl, her hair now streaked with blue. Alec drew a deep breath and balanced himself on the crutches. “Where is she?”

Chloe pointed up. “Second floor, apartment 2B. You can use the stairs. They’re right through that bead curtain.”

“Stairs,” Alec muttered as he moved to the back of the shop. It took him nearly five minutes to navigate the doors and stairs up to the second floor, throwing his briefcase from landing to landing, the air stuffy and warm. By the time he got to 2B, he was exhausted.

Alec reached up and banged on her apartment door, but the sudden motion caused him to sway on the crutches. He tried to catch himself, but there was nothing to grab on to, and a few seconds later, he was sprawled on the floor. The door opened and he looked up to find Sabina staring at him, wide-eyed.

“I want you to remove the curse,” he said, attempting to keep calm. “I’m willing to pay whatever you want. Just reverse it. Make it go away.”

“What happened to you?”

“Do you really need to ask?” Alec shook his head. “Per your orders to the spirit world, I fell in a hole and broke my leg.” His gaze fixed on hers and he couldn’t deny the joy he felt in seeing her again. She really was extraordinarily beautiful, even with her brow furrowed in concern.

“It’s broken?” Sabina asked.

“Severely sprained,” he admitted. “On top of that, two of my biggest deals went south this week and last night I had a dream that I married my eighth-grade science teacher…who happened to be a fifty-year-old man.” He shuddered. “So just do whatever it is you Gypsies do and get rid of the curse.”

Sabina bent down and helped him to his feet, but the moment Alec tried to straighten a dagger of pain shot through his lower back. He sucked in a deep breath and winced. “I—I don’t think I can move. My back is out.” He tossed the crutches aside. “I just need to lie down for a moment.”

Sabina wrapped his arm around her shoulders and helped him inside. He expected her to lead him to the sofa, but instead she took him to her bedroom. “Lie down,” she said.

“Here?”

“No, underneath the bed,” Sabina said. “I’ll go get you something for the pain. I think I have some arsenic around here somewhere.”

“I’m not taking anything that isn’t in a clearly labeled bottle,” Alec called. “I don’t trust you.” He leaned back into the pillows and surveyed his surroundings.

Sabina’s apartment had all the charm of a turn-of-the-century building, coved ceilings and built-in cabinets. She even had a fireplace in the living room. Compared to his overdecorated house, her place seemed homey and comfortable…lived-in. Everywhere he looked he saw bits and pieces of the woman she was—a pretty pillow embroidered with a bunch of violets, a jeweled egg, an old photo of a beautiful woman surrounded by an antique frame.

These were her things, yet he had no idea what they meant to her. He wanted to find out. Alec wanted to know every little detail of her life before him, the dreams she’d had and the disappointments she’d suffered. He’d never be completely satisfied until he knew it all.

Groaning softly, he stretched his hands over his head, trying to work the kinks out of his back. There had to be a way to parlay a momentary twinge into a full night of spasms. Alec was exactly where he’d always hoped to be—in her bedroom. And he had no intention of leaving anytime soon.

CHAPTER FOUR

S
ABINA STOOD IN THE
hallway outside her grandmother’s apartment, wringing her hands and glancing over her shoulder. “I—I don’t know what to do,” she whispered. “This was my first curse. I never thought it would work.”

“Well, I am glad it did,” Ruta said, her voice defiant. “You should have wished that his manhood would have shriveled up and fallen off. A broken leg can heal.”

“Nana! I never meant to hurt him. I was just angry. I said the first thing that came to my mind.”

“And I say a fine time for your powers to show themselves.” Ruta walked out in the hall and peered into the open doorway of Sabina’s apartment. “Where is he?”

“I put him in my bedroom,” Sabina explained.

A horrified expression suffused Ruta’s face. “The son of my enemy is in your bed.” With a long string of Hungarian expletives, Ruta stormed into Sabina’s apartment and headed directly for the bedroom.

Sabina chased after her, pleading with her to stop, but it was no use. She caught up to her beside the bed, where Ruta was standing over Alec, her hands braced on her hips, her mouth pressed into a tight line. “So you have a little problem with a curse?”

Alec glanced over at Sabina and she smiled weakly. “You must be Mrs. Lupescu.” He held out his hand to her grandmother. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Ruta looked at his hand as if he’d just offered her a rotten fish. “There is no pleasure in it. Just this warning. As long as you are in Bina’s apartment, you will behave like a gentleman. If you do not, you will suffer the wrath of one of
my
curses. And I do not trifle with broken bones.”

She turned on her heel and stormed out, leaving a dumbfounded Alec in her wake. He drew a shaky breath. “Well, I think she likes me. What do you think?”

“Is your back really hurt or are you just malingering to get into my bed?”

Alec feigned shock and disappointment. “How could you think that?”

Sabina arched her brow. “You know, one of the benefits of being psychic is that I can spot a liar a mile away.” She tipped his chin up with her finger and stared intently into his blue eyes.

“Are you trying to read my mind again?” Alec asked.

“Yes,” Sabina lied, an uneasy feeling growing in the pit of her stomach. She couldn’t even figure out what was going on in her head, much less his. Her only thought was to kiss him, to lean forward and press her lips to his and see where it all led. Over the past week she relived every single second they’d spent together and it just hadn’t seemed like enough.

She wasn’t psychic, but she sensed that they were far from through with each other. There was more to be said, more to learn and much, much more to experience.

Alec grinned. “Good. Now, concentrate hard. Do you know what I’m thinking?”

“I do,” Sabina replied. But this time it wasn’t a lie. She saw the flicker of desire in his eyes and knew he was thinking exactly what she was thinking. How long would it take to get out of their clothes?

An instant later, his mouth covered hers. The warmth of his lips ignited her desire and heat raced through her like fire in her veins. It had been nearly a week since she’d been kissed by him, but she hadn’t remembered it being so wonderful.

She parted her lips so that he might taste more deeply. Alec pulled her down on top of him, his fingers furrowing through her hair. Wild sensations coursed through her body, tingling at every nerve and heightening every caress. Sabina drew back slightly, her dark hair a curtain around them.

Their gazes met and she realized there was no need for words. The two of them knew exactly what they wanted—each other. Sabina didn’t care about tomorrow or next week or next month, for that matter. All she needed was now, this moment in his arms and complete surrender.

She slowly bent to kiss him again, running her tongue along his lower lip, then biting gently. He growled, then captured her mouth, this time more softly.

The light cotton dress was a meager defense against his touch. He ran his hands along her back and grabbed her waist, pressing her body against his. She felt his desire, hard and hot, between them, as his hips cradled hers. Suddenly, Sabina wanted to strip away every last barrier between them, to feel his naked body against hers.

As if he could read her mind, he sat up, pulling her along with him. Without breaking their kiss, he twisted out of his suit jacket and started yanking on his tie. But Sabina brushed his hands aside and worked at the knot herself, her fingers trembling slightly.

She knew she ought to be more hesitant. Sleeping with a man on the first date was something she’d never, ever done. Even worse, this wasn’t a date. They hadn’t had a first date—not a complete first date! Oh, hell, what difference did it make whether it happened now or later? They both knew it was going to happen, right?

Sabrina finally loosened his tie enough to pull it over his head, then began to fumble with the buttons of his shirt. He began from the bottom, and by the time their hands met, she was desperate to touch him. A moment later, he reached for the zipper at the back of her dress, then pulled it down until she could slip her arms out of the bodice.

He pulled her into another embrace and rolled her beneath him on the bed. His palm softly caressed her belly, then moved up to her breast, teasing at the nipple through the silk and lace of her bra.

It felt so right to have him touch her. She’d never experienced such desperate need for a man. Every nerve cried out for his touch. When his lips trailed kisses down her neck to her breast, Sabina held her breath, knowing what was about to come would shatter the very last ounce of resistance she possessed.

But before he could go any further, a sharp rap sounded on the door of Sabina’s apartment. She froze at the same time he did. Slowly, he pushed up and looked into her eyes. “Did you invite someone else over?”

Sabina shook her head. “I didn’t lock the door.” With a soft curse she slipped her arms back into the sleeves of her dress. But her fingers weren’t working properly and she couldn’t reach the zipper. “Do it, do it,” she cried, turning her back to Alec.

“Bina?”

“Oh, no,” Sabina muttered as she scrambled off the bed. She picked up his suit jacket and tossed it at him. “Get dressed.”

Alec stared at her for a long moment. “I’m not exactly naked. Not yet, anyway.”

“Stop it!” Sabina hissed. She quickly ran her fingers through her tousled hair, then smoothed her dress. “I’m in here, Nana.” She cleared her throat, hoping to clear away the nervousness in her voice. “Taking care of the patient.”

Ruta swept into the bedroom, a tray in her hands. She looked at Sabina, then studied Alec, who’d managed to button the bottom half of his shirt. Ruta’s eyebrow shot up. “You have taken off some of your clothes,” she said.

“I was just trying to get more comfortable,” Alec replied. “And it was getting a little warm in here.”

Sabina shot him a glare as Ruta set the tray down on the bedside table. She poured a cup and handed it to Alec. “Just make sure there is no more undressing. I will not warn you twice.” She nodded at the teacup. “Drink. It will help relax your muscles. Then maybe you can get out of my granddaughter’s bed and go home.”

Alec sniffed at the tea. “Just how relaxed are we talking here? If I relax too much, I’ll be dead.”

“I will not kill you,” Ruta said as if he’d insulted her. “It would be too much trouble to get rid of the body. Go ahead, there is nothing in it but herbs.”

Alec glanced over at Sabina and she shrugged. Her grandmother might not like him, but she’d never deliberately harm another human being. “You know, Nana, Alec may be the son of your enemy, but he is also the grandson of your friend George Harnett. And you know how protective grandparents are of their grandchildren. If there is anything in that tea, I’m not sure George would look kindly on it.”

“There is nothing in the tea,” Ruta insisted impatiently. “Nothing harmful at all. Now, drink.”

Sabina nodded at Alec and he took a sip, then set the cup down in the saucer. “I feel better already.”

“Good, then you can leave,” Ruta said.

“Not that good.” A grin quirked at the corners of his mouth. “But I’m sure Sabina will do everything she can to make me comfortable.”

She shot him another glare, then stepped up to her grandmother and took Ruta’s elbow. “Why don’t we leave Alec to relax? I’ll walk you back to your apartment.”

When they reached the front door, Sabina pulled it open, then followed her grandmother out into the hall. “You don’t have to worry about me, Nana. I’m perfectly capable of handling myself around him. He doesn’t frighten me at all.”

Maybe that was the problem, Sabina mused. She wasn’t afraid of anything that might happen between her and Alec. In fact, she was eager to plunge into a full-scale seduction the very moment she went back inside her apartment.

A
LEC SWUNG HIS LEGS
over the edge of the bed, then rubbed his lower back. Oddly enough, he did feel a bit more relaxed. He kicked off his shoes, then tugged his shirt over his head, tossing it on top of his jacket. The air conditioner purred softly from the bedroom window, cooling the midday heat.

Sabina returned a few moments later and stood in the doorway. Alec watched her, wondering what was going through her mind. This attraction between them was beyond all explanation. He’d taken women to bed before, but it had always been about satisfying a need. With Sabina, there was more to it. It wasn’t about him, it was about the two of them, becoming closer, knowing the most intimate details about each other.

He wanted to give her pleasure, to hear her murmur his name in the midst of her passion. Alec smiled as he rubbed the back of his neck. He was in unfamiliar territory here and the trip had been at the speed of light. But he didn’t want to slow down. If he slowed down, he might start thinking about all the reasons it couldn’t work.

“How does your back feel?”

He held out his hand and she came to him, sitting down beside him on the edge of the bed. “I could probably get up and go home,” he said. He reached up and smoothed his palm along her cheek. “Would you like me to do that?”

She hesitated for a moment and Alec cursed himself for giving her the choice. He should have just pulled her back into bed and continued where they’d left off. He leaned forward and brushed a kiss across her lips. “Ask me to stay,” he whispered.

She didn’t reply. Instead, she stood up in front of him and slowly unzipped her dress. As she brought her arms together, the wide neck gaped and then slid down to her hips. Sabina stepped out of it.

Alec’s eyes drifted over her body, so perfect, exactly what a woman’s body ought to be. He reached out and ran a hand over her hip, then gently drew her forward. His lips found a spot in the center of her belly and he kissed her, nuzzling the soft skin.

Sabina pulled him to his feet and helped him slip out of his shirt, then worked at his belt. When he stood in only his boxers, she stepped into his arms and kissed him, her soft body molding to his.

He pulled her leg up alongside his hip, then tumbled back onto the bed. He forgot all about the ache in his ankle. It had been replaced with an ache deep inside him, a need that couldn’t be satisfied by her kisses or her touch. Alec reached between them and undid the front clasp of her bra, then hooked his thumbs on her panties and slid them down along her legs.

His shaft pressed against the silk of his boxers, hard and ready. He felt like a kid, fighting for control, ready to explode at the slightest provocation. They tumbled back onto the bed and Sabina shifted above him, her hips sliding against his erection. Alec’s breath caught in his throat and he held it until the sensation passed.

Gently, she stroked him through the silk, and then suddenly she dipped below the waistband and encircled him with her fingers. Alec groaned, pinching his eyes shut and fighting against the need to come.

He rolled to his side and wiggled out of his boxers, then pulled her back on top of him. Her long hair fell in soft waves around her face and he reached up and tucked it behind her ear. It was a simple gesture, but it felt so intimate, as if he sensed that she were about to do the same herself.

“Do you want me?” he whispered, his fingers trailing across her face.

Sabina nodded. She twisted around to reach for the nightstand and a few seconds later produced a condom. “Do you want me?” she asked.

“From the moment you knocked me over on the sidewalk,” Alec replied.

“That long ago?” she teased. “I don’t know how you’ve managed to wait all that time.”

Was it too soon? He worried that he might be putting everything at risk for this one night of pleasure. Maybe they should get to know each other better. Maybe they should take it slower. “It’s been hard.”

“Yes, I can feel that.” Sabina ran her fingers along the ridge of his shaft. “I’d better do something about that.” She tore the package open and sheathed him. Alec closed his eyes and enjoyed the feel of her hands. A moment later, when she sank down on top of him, every rational thought left his mind.

Sabina moved above him, slowly at first, and he responded instinctively, arching against her. He held her hips, controlling her rhythm when he drew close. His eyes fixed on her face, and he watched as her expression changed from languid pleasure to intense concentration. He reached between them and touched her, teasing her with his fingers.

Sabina opened her eyes and looked at him, and a current raced through his body. Her breathing quickened and she bit at her lower lip and Alec knew she was close. And when she froze, he waited for the spasms to hit. They did in a powerful wave of pleasure, for both him and her. He surrendered to the moment, erupting inside of her.

Slowly, the spasms subsided and she fell forward across his chest. Her silken hair tickled his face and he brushed it aside, letting his fingers slip through the strands.

“It’s strange, isn’t it?” Sabina asked.

“That’s not what a guy wants to hear right after he’s made love to a woman. You’re supposed to say, it’s amazing. It’s huge. It’s better than I’ve ever had before.”