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.


ALEC 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.”

Sabina nuzzled his chest, laughing softly. “We’ve probably passed each other on the street, maybe even sat in the same subway car or stood in line at the grocery store together. And we may have gone our entire lives without ever meeting. But that morning on the sidewalk, it was as if there were outside forces at work.”

“Maybe there were,” Alec said.

“Or maybe everything does happen by chance.” Sabina looked down into his eyes. Alec pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Why do you want my grandmother’s building?” she asked. “Why is it so important to you?”

“We don’t need to talk about this now,” Alec said.

“It’s like the elephant in the room,” she replied.

“It’s business.” He ran a fingertip along her shoulder to her breast, then slowly circled her nipple. “This was pleasure.”

“Was it? Or are you hoping that if you spend enough time with me, you’ll convince me to help you out with your plan? That won’t happen, you know.” Her words contained only a trace of teasing humor. She was looking for assurances.

“Is that want you think?” Alec murmured. He pushed up on his elbows. “Do you regret what just happened?”

“No. I wanted it as much as you did. I’m just wondering if we wanted it for the same reasons,” Sabina said. “I’ve lived here my entire life. This isn’t just some building to me, this is my home. And I don’t plan to leave it anytime soon.”

“You feel safe here,” Alec said.

“I do. These people are like my family. The Wilburns have lived here thirty-five years. They were both teachers in the public schools. And Mr. Harcourt had a little shoe repair place just around the corner. He’s lived here for almost forty years. And Mrs. O’Keefe was a nurse. Her husband died last year. They moved in here on the day they were married in 1963.” Sabina paused. “They helped raise me.”

“Sometimes it’s good to make a break with the past, to start a life of your own.”

Sabina rolled her eyes. “Pot, I’d like to introduce kettle. You’re not the one to make that point, Alec. You work for your father.”

“Technically, he works for me now. And if I had to, I could make a living anywhere.”