Free Davis, Liz - Slivers of Moonlight (Siren Publishing Classic) by Liz Davis Page A

button on the computer and copied out a receipt.
    “You really didn’t have to give me that discount, you know. I could have paid the full amount.”
    He pulled his shoulders into a little shrug. “No problem. I said I was going to give you the discount, and I like to stick to my word, so that’s what I did.”
    “Well, thank you. I really do appreciate it, Evan.”
    “No big deal, I was happy to do it.”
    As her lips pulled into a smile, she noticed his gaze lower to rest on her dimples. She knew that he liked them, and found herself wondering what went through his mind whenever he looked at them. For a few brief moments, it seemed as if he were looking at her in that special way that he used to, and she began to hope that he would lean down and kiss her or say something that would express his feelings for her. Then this terrible rift that had grown between them would be gone, but none of that happened. And, as suddenly as that look of tenderness had appeared, it was gone.
    Tearing his gaze from her face, he said, “Well, your car is all set, so I’ll take you to it.”
    He motioned for her to follow him, and they headed toward where her Honda was located. Once they reached it, she opened the door and slid behind the wheel. Tossing her purse onto the seat, she saw that her keys were already in the ignition.
    “Thanks again.” She looked up to meet his eyes.
    She wanted to tell him how much she missed him and how often he was on her mind, but instead she remained quiet. The last thing she wanted was to be seen as desperate.
    “No problem, Maya. Let me know if you have any more problems, and take care, okay?”
    “You, too.” She called after him as he turned away from the car.
    Maya started up the engine and backed up her car, then drove out of the garage. As she was heading out of the parking lot, she noticed a gray SUV pull up, and as soon as she saw it, she began to wonder why it seemed so familiar to her. It took her a little while to remember, but then she came to the realization that it appeared to be the car that had rear-ended them that day they’d run into Dylan. As the driver exited the vehicle, her suspicions were confirmed. It was the same lady she had seen on the day of the accident, and she was even wearing another one of those gypsy skirts. Lifting her foot off the gas pedal, she allowed her car to slow to a crawl. She watched in her rearview mirror as the woman headed for the garage, giving Evan a wave as she spotted him.
    Maya’s lips pressed tightly together as she recalled the woman’s flirtatious personality, but before her emotions could get too out of control, she decided to rein them back in. The woman was probably just there getting repairs done on her car, so what was she getting so worked up about? It had been quite a hard impact after all, so the lady’s SUV had to have a fair amount of bumper damage. As soon as she came to this realization, she felt relief wash over her. But the feeling didn’t last very long at all, because what she saw next left her with an ache in the lower pit of her stomach. She gazed intently into the mirror, watching as Evan and the gypsy skirt woman walked out of the garage and toward the SUV. Once they reached the vehicle, they both got inside, and then there was the sound of the car starting up. Not wanting Evan to spot her, Maya pressed her foot on the gas pedal and drove out of the parking lot, making a turn onto the road. Taking a passing glance in the rearview mirror, she caught sight of the SUV making its own exit, and watched as it took off in the opposite direction of where her own car was driving. She wasn’t entirely certain that anything was going on between Evan and the gypsy skirt lady, but then again, she wasn’t so sure that there wasn’t. A sigh of unhappiness fled from her lips, and as she drove along the road, she inwardly coaxed herself to bury the pain before it could tear her apart.

    * * * *

    After a particularly exhausting day