Davis, Liz - Slivers of Moonlight (Siren Publishing Classic) (21 page)

Lying there on respective ends of the phone, each one listened to the sound of the other, happily basking in post-orgasmic bliss. Soon she could only hear the sound of his heavy breathing, followed by contented little sighs of pleasure.

“That was fantastic. I came so hard I had to bury my face in the pillow to cover up the sounds. Made me feel like a teenager again.”

Releasing a small giggle, she joked, “Have a lot of phone sex when you were in high school, did you?”

“You know what I mean. I just didn’t want to wake my mom.”

“Okay, now you
really
sound like a teenager.”

He chuckled. “You’re wonderful, you know that? I’ve been feeling so stressed and worried lately, and hearing your voice tonight instantly made me feel better. I’ll definitely rest well now, thanks to you.”

“Oh, I see. You were just using me as a sleep aid.” Her tone of voice was playful.

Evan laughed. “I miss you already.”

“Miss you, too.”

“I’ll give you a call tomorrow, okay?”

“All right, sounds good. Take care, and I hope your mom gets better soon. I’m keeping her in my thoughts.”

“Thanks, and sleep well, honey.”

“You, too. Bye.”

“Good-bye.”

The line clicked as he hung up.

Once the phone was back in its cradle, she laid her cheek against the pillow and closed her eyes. As she did, images of Evan went through her mind. She thought of the first day they’d met and how smitten she’d been with him from the very start. She also thought about the first kiss they’d shared, and how amazingly talented he was with his lips. She’d give anything to feel his warm body lying next to her own right now. But since that was impossible, she settled for the next best thing. Lifting her pillow up, she pulled out the shirt that Evan had left behind. It was made from red flannel, and the fabric was soft and faded from going through many washings. Laying the shirt on the pillow, she snuggled her face up against it. She felt a little silly doing this, but she was desperately missing her man and needed to be comforted by his scent.

How long would it take for him to tell her that he loved her? She didn’t know the answer to this question. But then she realized that it probably didn’t matter how long it took, because things would happen in due time. And she also knew the connection that Evan and she shared was beyond special, it was kismet.

Chapter 13

Soothing sounds of the luxury spa’s wall fountain created an ambience that was both peaceful and soothing, filling Maya with contentment. She gave a pleasant sigh, then took a generous sip from the tropical drink that she’d ordered.

As a chime noise rang through the air, Amhara lifted her eyebrow and gave her friend a look that perfectly expressed how she felt—annoyance that an electronic gadget had managed to infiltrate their calm surroundings. Upon arriving at the spa, they’d vowed to keep their cell phones off, as they both wished to relax and leave the stress of their daily lives behind.

Reaching for her purse, Maya offered a quiet apology. “Sorry, I meant to cut it off.”

She retrieved the phone from the purse’s front pocket, then selected the option to open the text. As her eyes roved over his message, a large smile broke out across her face, prompting Amhara to make a comment.

“Must be loverboy. What did he say?”

“That he misses me and can’t wait for us to be back together.” A second chime immediately followed, and as she read the follow-up message, her cheeks grew hot from its racy contents.

“Okay, what’s he said now?” She leaned in closer to take a peek at Maya’s phone.

Not wishing to reveal the intimate text, Maya slipped her phone back into her purse. ”Sorry, but it’s confidential. For my eyes only.”

She playfully rolled her eyes. “I can handle dirty messages, you know.”

“Of course you can. You send enough of them yourself, don’t you?”

She rolled her eyes playfully at Maya. “Very funny.” She took a sip of her juice and then said, “So I guess I better enjoy the remaining time we have together, because once Evan gets back, you’ll go missing once again.”

“No way, we’re going to keep hanging out and doing stuff together. I promise.”

Grabbing a plump strawberry from the fruit platter in front of them, Amhara responded, “I hope so. So what should we do next? Get a facial? Or maybe we should try the hydrotherapy.” As she bit into the strawberry, a bit of juice dribbled down her chin, and she grabbed a napkin off the table to wipe it away.

Maya’s phone chimed once again, prompting Maya to pull it out.

A sigh of exasperation fled from Amhara’s lips, but as she glanced at her friend’s face, her annoyance was swiftly transformed into concern.

“You look sad, what’s wrong?”

“Evan won’t be home until the end of the week.” She tossed her phone back into her purse, “Oh well, guess we won’t be spending Valentine’s Day together after all.”

“Awww, don’t feel too bad. I’m sure he’d be here if he could. Just remember he’s there taking care of family.”

Maya nodded. “Yeah, I know, and believe me, I do feel silly being disappointed about it. I mean, it’s far more important for him to be there for his mom, rather than leave a few days earlier just so he can spend Valentine’s Day with me. So I’ll be okay. It’s no big deal.” She gave a wave of her hand, as if to dismiss any feelings of disappointment.

“We can do something together, if you’d like. How about it?”

“Aren’t you spending it with your boyfriend? I don’t think Tesfay would be too happy with you ditching him on that special day.”

“Yeah, but that isn’t until later in the evening. I’ll still have the whole day free.”

Maya thought about it for a few minutes, but then decided against it. The last thing she wanted was to be pitied. “Nah, it’s okay. I’ll just chill at home. I’ve got some reading to catch up on, anyhow. It really isn’t that big of a deal.”

“Are you sure? Because if you need me to be there, I will. It’s no problem at all.”

With a heavy intake of breath, Maya closed her eyes and willed away the images that were threatening to invade her head. No, she wasn’t doing this to herself. Not again.

“Maya?” Amhara’s voice filled with concern, and she reached over to grab her friend’s hand, gently taking it in her own.

Opening her eyes once again, Maya took a sip of her drink and averted her gaze. “I’m fine, okay?”

“No, you’re not.” Placing her palm against Maya’s cheek, Amhara turned her head so she could look directly into her eyes. “What Dylan did to you was awful, and I know you’re still scarred by it. But you don’t have to keep reliving those awful memories. It’s time to really let go, to get him out of your head once and for all.”

“Yeah, I know, and I feel so stupid still being upset over it. It was ages ago. I should have gotten over it by now.” She released a little sigh and did her best to quell the unpleasant feelings which were beginning to stir inside of her. “Pathetic, aren’t I?”

“No, you’re not. And just to let you know, there isn’t a time limit on how long it takes to truly heal a broken heart. Dylan stood you up last Valentine’s Day, so it’s only natural you’d still have an emotional wound. And since the date is approaching, I really don’t think you should be spending it alone.”

“I appreciate your offer, but having you there with me isn’t really going to make that much of a difference.”

“Well, in case you change your mind, just know that I’ll be here for you. I know it won’t be nearly as enjoyable as spending time with Evan, but we could still have some fun. So just think about it, okay?”

She gave a nod and focused her eyes on the wall fountain, focusing on the way that the water flowed over the rocks, cascading down to the river stones below. “I understand Evan not being able to spend the day with me. It’s just I was hoping to create some new memories. Last Valentine’s for me was about pain and sadness, so I was looking forward to making up for it by spending a nice, romantic day with my man.”

“I know, sweetie. I know.” Amhara allowed Maya to be alone with her thoughts.

As they settled into silence, Maya rested her head against the back of the lounge chair she was sitting in, As she closed her eyes, she thought of Dylan, and she realized that the lingering feelings she had about their failed relationship were threatening the happiness she’d found with Evan. The only person that should be on her mind this coming Valentine’s Day was her current lover, but she knew that memories from the previous lover’s day would surely occupy her mind. It was now a year later, and she couldn’t understand why she still fostered hurt feelings about Dylan’s insensitivity.

Maya had a wonderful new man in her life, and ever since she and her ex-boyfriend had parted ways, her life had become considerably more enjoyable. So why couldn’t she just let go of the past, and stop reliving what no longer existed? They’d been split up for some time now, and yet here she was, still allowing thoughts of him to keep residence in her mind. Sustaining a relationship with Evan was very important to her, and she knew he needed to feel secure about being the number one man in her life. She’d tried to convince him that her feelings for Dylan no longer existed, but now she realized she hadn’t been entirely truthful with him, nor with herself.

She might have fallen out of love with Dylan a long time ago, but she had to admit there were still traces of him in her life. She still kept a photo of him in her bedside drawer, and had yet to delete his number from her cell phone. So what was it about him that was causing her to still hold on? She and Evan had consummated their relationship, and they shared an intense connection, yet there was still somewhat of a block on the emotional level. And that was due to her inability to let go of the past. So before Dylan could continue to worm his way into her current relationship, she was going to find a way to sever her emotional ties with him, once and for all. The only reason why Dylan was still lingering in her head was because she allowed him to be.

Maya didn’t know just how she would do it yet, but she was going to find a way.

Chapter 14

As Maya exited the concert arena, she pulled her jacket tighter against her, shivering a little as a swift breeze blew past. Her evening had been spent working a gig in the VIP suite, serving drinks and appetizers to the rich patrons who could afford to blow $350 on a single ticket. The work had been fairly easy, and all of the customers had been generous tippers, but being in the midst of half a dozen lovesick couples hadn’t been easy to deal with.

She’d accepted the gig because she figured it would be a good idea to keep herself busy and her thoughts off of Evan’s absence, but it only made her miss him all the more.

Pulling her keys out of her purse, Maya made her way across the vast parking lot. With the exception of a beat-up red Nissan and a yellow VW bus, the place was pretty much deserted. The atmosphere surrounding her felt almost apocalyptic, and suddenly, Maya felt an urgent need to be safe in the warmth of her car, pulling out of this terribly lonely parking lot. She was just pressing the button on her keyless entry to unlock the car door when she heard a voice call out from behind her.

“Hey, you! Can I talk to you for a minute?”

Maya glanced over her shoulder to see a man heading her way, with a slight stumble in his gait. The man was clearly intoxicated, and she reached into her purse, grabbing hold of a Mace can. She held onto it tightly, poised to pull it out at a moment’s notice. Her steps quickened, seeking to put more distance between her and the stranger.

“Please don’t go. It’s really important.” His speech was slightly slurred, and his footsteps moved quicker.

The parking lot was dotted with fluorescent lighting, but it wasn’t quite bright enough to clearly make out his features, which only added to the alarm that she felt. As Maya reached her car door, she quickly pulled it open, then got inside and engaged the lock behind her. If it was truly an emergency, she could always make a phone call for him. But in case this man was dangerous, she wanted to be safe in her car. That way she could quickly pull away in case it turned out to be a trick. As she turned the key in the ignition, the engine came to life.

As the stranger reached her car, he rapped lightly on her window. Turning her gaze toward the sound, she was astonished to see that it was Dylan. Beneath the fluorescent lighting, his skin appeared deathly pale, almost ghostlike, and his eyes were full of sadness. Seeing him in such a state almost brought a twinge of sadness to her heart.
Almost.
As he realized who she was, he called to her through the window, and then motioned with his hand for her to roll it down. Pressing the control button, she allowed the glass to come down a bit.

Relief was apparent on his face. “You don’t know how happy I am to see you, Maya. Listen, you have to help me. I don’t have a ride out of here. Can you take me home?”

“How did you get here?”

“My girlfriend drove us. Attending the concert was my Valentine’s Day present to her, but we ended up having a fight, and she dumped me. So now I’m left stranded.”

“Why don’t you just call a friend to come pick you up?”

“I left my cell phone in her car. Can you give me a ride? Please?”