Cravings by Liz Everly Page B

this?”
    Sasha tried to gather herself. But it was no use. She couldn’t wrap her mouth around the words. They just wouldn’t come.

Chapter 10
    S anj led her into the suite and sat next to her on the couch.
    â€œCan I get you a drink?”
    â€œWhiskey,” she managed to say.
    â€œI’ll join you, then let’s have a nice dinner, shall we? Relax a bit,” Sanj said. Good God, the woman was a mess. Was she going to be ill?
    â€œNo!” Sasha said as he poured the golden liquid into glasses. “I’m not going out.”
    He handed her the drink. “What are you so afraid of?”
    She drank from the glass and took a deep breath. “I think I saw him today.”
    Sanj sat his glass down on the end table.
    â€œWho? The man you’re hiding from?” He wondered if she was paranoid. Certainly this man would not have followed her here.
    She nodded and took another drink.
    â€œHow would he find you here? Are you certain?”
    The situation was becoming more and more unbelievable. But as Sanj regarded her, he knew she believed she saw the man. She was shaken to her core.
    Color began to creep back to her face. Pink in her cheeks. She had gotten so pale he really thought she was going to pass out.
    â€œNo, I’m not certain. Just the idea of him sets me off sometimes,” she said. “I think I saw him—or someone who looks a lot like him—today at the market.”
    â€œDid this man see you?” Sanj asked after a moment.
    She sighed. Her hand went to her forehead. Then back down in her lap. She was fidgety and twitching. Sanj knew a fix was what she craved. “I’m certain whoever it was saw me. Yes.”
    Just then, she reminded him of a delicate bird. His heart spun. The fear in her took over her body.
    â€œCan you take some deep breaths?” he asked. A catatonic body in his suite was not what he needed.
    She started to breath deeper.
    â€œBreath is life,” he said. “Keep breathing deeply.”
    Of all the women in Ecuador, this was the one he happened to meet. A woman with a past, a past haunting and maybe threatening her. A sex worker. A friend of Maeve’s.
    â€œMaybe I’m just being paranoid,” she said after a few moments, with a note of hope in her voice.
    â€œWe can have a quiet dinner here. We can order in. Maybe you’ll feel better tomorrow and you can come with me,” he said. Though he really wanted to check out the bar tonight. Who knew? Maybe it would lead him to Maeve. It pulled at him. This woman, frail, in front of him and Maeve, one of his dearest friends . . .
    â€œWhere were you going?” she asked.
    â€œI’d like to check out this Mozingo man and the last place Maeve’s husband saw her,” he said. Then he told her what Jackson had told him.
    â€œMaeve!” she said. “Where could she be?”
    â€œI have a feeling this man has her,” Sanj said. “We’ll start there. In fact, I need to make some phone calls. Are you okay?”
    He sat closer to her and put his arm around her. As upset as she was, as worried as he was, a spark seemed to travel the length of him. What was wrong with him? She was obviously distraught. He needed to keep a clear head to get Maeve and Jackson out of trouble. Still, one touch and the only thing he wanted to do was bed her. She placed her head on his shoulder. Her scent filled him and his arm drew her closer to him. She fit there in the crook between his body and his arm as if she were made for him.
    With great trouble he disentangled himself from her and reached for his mobile phone, dialed his personal assistant, and asked for him to run a check on Mozingo and Sam Everidge. Josh was a kick-ass researcher, along with being a great private investigator who knew his way around international law. Then Sanj dialed Jennifer.
    â€œI’m sorry, Jennifer is gone for the day. May I take a message?”
    â€œNo,