A Fare To Remember_ Just Whistle_Driven - Vicki Lewis Thompson [83]
“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 R. Sabina, not Sabrina. Sabina Amanar.”
“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,