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she said. “This is certainly embarrassing. Now that we’ve cleared up that little misunderstanding, why don’t you tell me exactly why you decided to walk back into my life tonight?”

Chapter 3

    HE KNEW AT ONCE THAT HE’D MADE A MISCALCULATION of monumental proportions. But the damned orchids had annoyed him more than he wanted to admit. Should have kept my mouth shut, Cruz thought. Then again, it wasn’t as if he’d had a lot of options. It would have been a little awkward to take credit for the flowers when the guy who’d actually sent them eventually showed up. The SOB would be able to produce receipts.
    Vincent, evidently sensing the change in the atmosphere, popped up onto a stool and then onto the counter. He fluttered across the surface toward Lyra. When he reached her, he hopped up onto her shoulder and made small, soothing noises in her ear. She patted him gently, clearly taking comfort from his presence.
    She looked even better tonight than she had in the very private, very hot fantasies that had been keeping him awake for the past three months, Cruz thought. The little black number she was wearing was no couture gown, but the flirty neckline, tiny sleeves, and narrow skirt discreetly emphasized her gentle curves. Her dark brown hair was pulled back into a sleek knot that emphasized her incredible hazel eyes.
    Simple amber hoops decorated her ears. She had worn them on several occasions three months ago. There was a charm bracelet on her wrist. He remembered it, too. He’d heard its light, musical clash in his dreams. It was composed of interlocking gold-toned links. Myriad small charms dangled from the links. Each was set with a tiny chip of amethyst amber. She had told him that her grandfather had given the bracelet to her.
    Like the dress, the earrings and the bracelet were attractive but not expensive. Lyra made her living as an amber tuner and did a little independent prospecting on the side. Amber tuning was a notoriously low-paying business, due to the competition. The ability to tune standard resonating amber was a common talent. There was a tuning shop on every street corner and in every mall in the city.
    As for independent prospecting, that was a fool’s en deavor. Very few indies ever struck good amber or discovered truly valuable ruins. When they did, the big companies were always poised to move in and take over the claim, just as Amber Inc. had moved in on Lyra three months ago. The best an indie could do in a situation like that was make a deal. Lyra had refused to bargain.
    Typical Dore, Cruz thought. His grandfather was right; they were too proud and too stubborn for their own good.
    He briefly contemplated the sizzling midnight fantasies that had haunted him since his house-of-cards relationship with Lyra had come tumbling down. The dreams had all begun the same way, with Lyra rushing into his arms the moment she saw him across a crowded room. Said fantasies had progressed from there to a variety of interesting and very hot scenarios.
    But when he had walked into the Swan Gallery tonight, he was the one who had wanted to run to her, sweep her up in his arms, and carry her off into the night.
    He could see that there was no point trying to explain any of that to her now. She wouldn’t believe him if he tried. He forced himself to stay focused. His responsibilities came first.
    “We’ve got a problem with the ruin,” he said, keeping his tone as businesslike and nonconfrontational as possible.
    “Would that be the royal we?” she asked politely.
    “That would be the research team from the lab.”
    “Oh,” she said. “You mean the cretins from Amber Inc. Research and Development.”
    “I’m told that the members of the research team prefer to describe themselves as scientists, archaeologists, and technicians.”
    She nodded. “Job titles like that probably pay more than cretin. Okay, so what went wrong at the ruin?”
    “The doorway to the chamber closed.”
    She blinked,