Was there any way to separate business from pleasure now? Ruta had made her feelings about the Harnett family well known. What were the odds that her granddaughter would feel differently? Given time, perhaps he could enlist her help to convince Ruta.
For now, that’s what he needed-time. He could play it cool, collect a bit more information and revise his strategy. “I understand you tell fortunes here.” He swallowed hard, suddenly finding it difficult to speak. Out on the street, he felt safe, in control. But this was her environment. His mind drifted back to the old woman’s curse. Perhaps her granddaughter was even more powerful than she was.
“My grandmother usually does the readings,” she said. “She’s not in right now, but she’ll be back in about a half hour.” A tiny smile twitched at the corners of her mouth. “Funny, I wouldn’t have pegged you for the type to come into this shop.”
“I’ve always been curious,” Alec admitted, returning her smile. “And some power must have made me walk through that door.” He leaned in closer, bracing his elbows on the counter. “Maybe you would do my reading?”
She paused, then shook her head. “I’m really not that-”
“I won’t hold you to anything you tell me. I just have a few simple questions.” At first, it looked as if she might refuse and he’d be forced to leave without learning anything more.
“All right,” she finally said. “Why don’t you have a seat and I’ll go get the cards.”
“Cards? Aren’t you going to look into a crystal ball or read my palm? Or maybe you could do the tea-leaf thing?”
“There are many ways to do a reading,” she explained. “I prefer tarot cards, but if you’d like me to read your palm, I can do that.”
Alec sat down across the table from her and held out his hand. Right now, all he wanted was to touch her, to see if her fingers elicited the same intense reaction they had that morning. “Let’s try this first, and if I don’t get the answers I want, we’ll give the cards a shot.”
She reached out and took his hand in hers. The moment she did, Alec felt his blood warm and his pulse leap. Slowly, she drew her fingers over his palm, stroking it gently. He tried to concentrate on the task at hand, but Alec found himself fascinated by the sensations her touch evoked.
As she stared at his palm, he took the chance to examine her more closely. She was even more beautiful than he remembered. His eyes fixed on her mouth, and he imagined kissing her. She’d taste like some sweet, exotic fruit, strangely addictive, yet unfamiliar to him.
“What would you like to know?” she murmured, glancing up.
“Let’s start with your name,” Alec said. The words came out before he realized what he was saying. In truth, that was the only question he wanted answered at the moment.
Another smile curled the corners of her mouth and Alec’s regret evaporated. “It’s Sabina.”
“Like the Audrey Hepburn movie?”
“But without the
“Sabina,” he repeated.
“What’s your name?”
“You’re the psychic. Why don’t you tell me?”
She stared down at his palm and continued to run her fingertips over his skin. “Your name makes no difference. It won’t change your future.”
Alec winced inwardly. If she knew his last name was Harnett, it would definitely change his prospects for dinner with the lovely Sabina. “What do you see there?”
“You work very hard. Even now, your thoughts are occupied with matters of money and power. But there is one problem that weighs heavily on your mind. There is something you want, something you…” She paused as if to carefully choose her words. “Covet, but it will not come easily. You are tempted to use trickery to obtain this thing, but that will not bring it to you.”
Alec shifted uneasily. She could be talking about anything from the new Jag he’d been looking at to his next real estate deal to her grandmother’s building. But then again, she might actually be talking about his desire to yank her into his arms and kiss her. Either way, he didn’t like that she was able to see through him so easily. “Can you be more specific?”
She frowned, then drew in a sharp breath, as if what she saw surprised her. “There-there is family involved. And a decision made many years ago.” Sabina placed his hand on the table, then drew back. “That’s all I see,” she said softly. “You should come back when Ruta is here. She’s much better than I am.”
“I think you’re doing a fine job. So what do you advise I do?” He reached out and took her hand, turning his palm up again. “Tell me.”
“Be honest,” she said, not bothering to look down. “Say what you mean and mean what you say.”
“Have dinner with me,” he countered.
Sabina gasped. “What?”
“You told me to be honest. We were going to have coffee tomorrow morning. Let’s have dinner tonight instead.”
“I hardly know you,” Sabina said with a coy smile.
Alec knew she’d accept the invitation. The attraction between them was obviously mutual. “You’re psychic.” He grabbed her hand and placed her fingertips on his temple. “Just read my mind and you’ll know everything you need to know. I’m a good guy, right?”
“Yes, I suspect you are. But I still don’t know anything about you.”
Alec stood. “My name is Alec. Alec Har-” He paused, then cleared his throat. Now was not the time to reveal all. “Harper. I’ll pick you up this evening in front of the shop. Seven, if that’s all right.”
“I really think we should start with-”
“You read my palm, Sabina. You must know that I don’t take no for an answer.” Alec pushed back from the table and walked to the door. “See you this evening.”
When he reached the street, he turned back and looked through the glass-paned door to find Sabina staring at him, an odd frown on her face. Alec gave her a little wave, then stepped to the curb to hail a cab. But when the cab pulled up, he hesitated, then pulled open the passenger-side door. “Can you wait a few seconds?”
The cabbie nodded and Alec strode back inside the shop. She was standing where he’d left her, toying with her necklace as she had earlier. Without hesitation, Alec reached around her waist and drew her up against his body. A moment later, he lost himself in the taste of her mouth. A tiny cry of surprise slipped from her throat, but then she softened in his arms and returned the kiss, her tongue gently teasing at his.
Alec could have stood there for the rest of the day, kissing her, letting the waves of desire wash over him. But there would be time for that later. He drew away and smiled. “I’m not sure why I did that,” he whispered. “But if you figure it out, let me know.”
With that, he turned and walked out of the shop. As he hopped into the cab, Alec chuckled to himself. So maybe it wasn’t such a bad idea to mix business with pleasure. Besides, from the very moment had Sabina touched him, all thoughts of business had disappeared from his head. Right now, he had one task at hand-romancing Sabina Amanar. And that would be nothing but pleasure.
CHAPTER TWO
“HOW DO I LOOK?”
Sabina stood in the center of the shop and twirled around once. Chloe Kincaid watched her from behind the counter, a lollipop stuck in her mouth. Asking Chloe was probably not the best choice considering that the twenty- two-year-old graduate student preferred to dress like a vampire. Her lips were painted a bright red and her pink- streaked black hair stuck up in unruly shocks.
“What are you going for?” Chloe asked.
She smoothed her hands over the embroidered blue silk. “Sexy, but not too sexy. Interesting. Maybe a little aloof, but approachable. Mysterious?”
Chloe stared at her a long moment, her head tipped to the side. “I’m not sure a dress can do all that. Maybe you ought to try therapy.”
