really. It was more like: What hadn’t she done for those things before?
“There’s always someone more desirable than myself, Oz.”
He took her hand in his and patted it gently. Eva glanced at his hand holding hers. “Baby, you are desired.”
At his words, her gaze shot up to his.
“Oz…” She couldn’t get her hand out of his; he would not let her hand go. It wasn’t the type of hold that hurt, but it was firm.
“No, no let me finish. If you were mine, I’d give you everything you could possibly ever want. We would be powerful together.”
She shook her head and blink , all of a sudden she felt so lightheaded. She wanted to be desired, but there was more to it than that. Something elusive was hiding from her, and she couldn’t put her finger on it. When her head cleared, she took a sip of her drink and focused on a spot just above Oz’s shoulder.
“You know of course I’d love to have a man who’d give me all of that. But what I really need right now is my sister to forgive me. So that I can get back what I lost.”
“My dear, what is it you could have possibly done to your sister that you need forgiveness?”
“It’s a long, long story, Oz. I don’t think we have time to go over it. Let’s just say I was a fool and now I have to figure out how to make it right.”
“Why should you have to make it right? She should be the one to grovel and to make things better.” Something in his voice made her look up at him, and she frowned.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, it seems to me from our conversations that being the older sister, you’ve always taken care of Lili.”
“Yes and no.” She couldn’t tell him about the times she’d been looking out for herself and trying to keep Liliana from finding out the truth. He wouldn’t think her so wonderful if she told him all of that, now would he?
“You’re not telling me something. We’re friends, aren’t we?”
“Yes, we are,” she agreed fervently. God, what was it about him that made her want to agree to anything and everything he said?
“Then you can tell me anything.”
He pushed the apple martini closer to her hand again, urging her to take a sip. She drained the glass. The liquid burned a nice, heated path down her throat and warmed her insides. She raised her glass to show the staff she needed a refill, then set it down again.
“Some things can change one’s opinion about the other person though, Oz.”
“My opinion won’t change. In fact I will most likely think even more highly of you.” He gave her a charming smile, and she could not help but smile back.
They both grew quiet again when the waiter brought her drink to her. Once he’d moved away she turned her attention back to Oz.
“I don’t know…” She hesitated.
“I can give you anything you’d like.”
“That’s a very big promise.” Now where had she heard that before?
“Trust me … you’re deepest, darkest desire can be yours or even just something as simple as your sister forgiving you.”
She cocked her head to the side and leaned back in the chair with her arms crossed over her ample chest. “Anything I desire? Who are you that you can promise such a thing?”
“Does that really matter if you get what you want?”
She was starting to feel a bit uneasy so she picked up her drink and drank it quickly as she glanced at her watch. “I really should be going.”
“What’s the rush?”
“I’m just tired.” She gave a fake yawn to try to emphasize her newly acquired weariness.
“My dear girl, do forgive me,” Oz said smoothly.
“There’s nothing to forgive. Thank you for letting me unwind.” She stood. He got up with her, but she waved him back down. “It’s okay. I can walk myself out. You still have a full beer. We can talk tomorrow.” She waved and moved off toward the exit, where she turned back and gave one last wave.
Once outside the bar she shook her head to clear it, breathing in the clean, fresh night air. Her head
“There’s always someone more desirable than myself, Oz.”
He took her hand in his and patted it gently. Eva glanced at his hand holding hers. “Baby, you are desired.”
At his words, her gaze shot up to his.
“Oz…” She couldn’t get her hand out of his; he would not let her hand go. It wasn’t the type of hold that hurt, but it was firm.
“No, no let me finish. If you were mine, I’d give you everything you could possibly ever want. We would be powerful together.”
She shook her head and blink , all of a sudden she felt so lightheaded. She wanted to be desired, but there was more to it than that. Something elusive was hiding from her, and she couldn’t put her finger on it. When her head cleared, she took a sip of her drink and focused on a spot just above Oz’s shoulder.
“You know of course I’d love to have a man who’d give me all of that. But what I really need right now is my sister to forgive me. So that I can get back what I lost.”
“My dear, what is it you could have possibly done to your sister that you need forgiveness?”
“It’s a long, long story, Oz. I don’t think we have time to go over it. Let’s just say I was a fool and now I have to figure out how to make it right.”
“Why should you have to make it right? She should be the one to grovel and to make things better.” Something in his voice made her look up at him, and she frowned.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, it seems to me from our conversations that being the older sister, you’ve always taken care of Lili.”
“Yes and no.” She couldn’t tell him about the times she’d been looking out for herself and trying to keep Liliana from finding out the truth. He wouldn’t think her so wonderful if she told him all of that, now would he?
“You’re not telling me something. We’re friends, aren’t we?”
“Yes, we are,” she agreed fervently. God, what was it about him that made her want to agree to anything and everything he said?
“Then you can tell me anything.”
He pushed the apple martini closer to her hand again, urging her to take a sip. She drained the glass. The liquid burned a nice, heated path down her throat and warmed her insides. She raised her glass to show the staff she needed a refill, then set it down again.
“Some things can change one’s opinion about the other person though, Oz.”
“My opinion won’t change. In fact I will most likely think even more highly of you.” He gave her a charming smile, and she could not help but smile back.
They both grew quiet again when the waiter brought her drink to her. Once he’d moved away she turned her attention back to Oz.
“I don’t know…” She hesitated.
“I can give you anything you’d like.”
“That’s a very big promise.” Now where had she heard that before?
“Trust me … you’re deepest, darkest desire can be yours or even just something as simple as your sister forgiving you.”
She cocked her head to the side and leaned back in the chair with her arms crossed over her ample chest. “Anything I desire? Who are you that you can promise such a thing?”
“Does that really matter if you get what you want?”
She was starting to feel a bit uneasy so she picked up her drink and drank it quickly as she glanced at her watch. “I really should be going.”
“What’s the rush?”
“I’m just tired.” She gave a fake yawn to try to emphasize her newly acquired weariness.
“My dear girl, do forgive me,” Oz said smoothly.
“There’s nothing to forgive. Thank you for letting me unwind.” She stood. He got up with her, but she waved him back down. “It’s okay. I can walk myself out. You still have a full beer. We can talk tomorrow.” She waved and moved off toward the exit, where she turned back and gave one last wave.
Once outside the bar she shook her head to clear it, breathing in the clean, fresh night air. Her head
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