A Fare To Remember_ Just Whistle_Driven - Vicki Lewis Thompson [86]
“I never studied for that. That sort of thing comes naturally. I actually studied fashion design at Parsons.”
“Really. And why didn’t you pursue it?”
“I am. I’ve been gradually making some changes at the shop, and when my grandmother retires, I hope to turn it into my own boutique. Now, tell me what you do.”
“It’s not nearly as interesting,” Alec said. “I buy and sell things—apartments, buildings mostly, sometimes just land.”
She frowned. “You sound like a real estate agent.”
“That’s part of my job,” he replied.
“My grandmother and I don’t like real estate agents,” Sabina said, the suspicion thick in her voice. “They’re always trying to get us to sell her building. You wouldn’t believe what they’ve tried. They call every day and send letter after letter. Some of them even give us gifts. They bring over these elaborate plans, photos of homes in Florida and Arizona. It’s ridiculous. And the worst of them, Simon Harnett, reports us to the building inspectors every month. Are you one of them?”
“For you, I’ll be anything you want me to be.”
“The perfect gentleman,” Sabina said. “That’s what I want you to be.”
He stopped dead on the sidewalk, dragging her to a halt. His hand came up to her face and he smoothed his palm over her cheek. “I’m not sure I can do that.”
“And why not?”
In what seemed like nothing more than a heartbeat, Alec wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled Sabina into the shadow of a doorway. His mouth came down on her hers, so quickly that it took her breath away. What began as a desperate kiss soon turned soft and gentle, and Sabina surrendered to it willingly.
His hands skimmed over her torso, smoothing across her back. Sabina’s skin tingled beneath the thin silk of her dress and she shivered in reaction. At first, she was barely able to think. But then her mind began to focus on the feel of his lips, the taste of his tongue, the wonderful way he held her face between his hands.
It wasn’t a proper kiss from a proper gentleman. This was kiss that invited further seduction, a kiss that made promises about what they might share together once they were completely alone—and naked.
The longer it lasted, the more light-headed she became. Maybe it was the heat. It was awfully warm tonight, so humid it was hard to catch her breath. When he finally drew back, Sabina gulped in fresh air, but that only seemed to make her more dizzy.
“I—I’m not feeling very well,” she murmured, pressing her palm to her forehead. “I haven’t eaten all day and I feel like I could—” Sabina’s knees suddenly gave out beneath her.
Alec caught her around the waist and held her up. “My place is just around the block. Why don’t we go there and get you something cool to drink?”
Sabina hesitated, then nodded. A drink of water. What harm could that do? Just because they were alone together didn’t mean that they were going to lose control.
He was right when he said he lived just around the block. They crossed the street and a few minutes later climbed the steps to a beautiful row house across from Walker Park. “You must sell a lot of buildings,” Sabina said, impressed by his address.
He chuckled, then held the door open. The interior was cool and dark, a relief from the heat outside. She glanced around as they walked back to the kitchen, admiring the simple yet traditional decor. “This is nice,” Sabina commented.
“The house?” Alec shrugged. “Thank the decorator. I didn’t have time to do it myself, so she did it all.”
The kitchen was sleek and modern, cherry cabinets mixed with granite countertops and stainless-steel appliances. Compared to the vintage kitchens in Sabina’s building, this was positively luxurious. Her grandmother hadn’t done much to the building since she’d acquired it beyond simple repairs. “This is nice, too. It looks like something out of Architectural Digest.”
He pulled out a stool tucked beneath the edge of the island, then crossed to the refrigerator. “We’ll get you a drink, then I’ll get my car and drive you home. We can go out some other time.”
“I’m sure I’ll be fine,