Obsidian Prey Read Online Free PDF

buttons of his shirt. Making himself at home, she thought wistfully. Just as if nothing had happened.
    The coffee table, with its vase of amethyst orchids and the little stack of cards, stood between them. He must know that she had gotten the message of the unsigned cards. A woman would not keep flowers from a man unless she was prepared to forgive him. The anticipation was almost unbearable.
    “Things got very complicated three months ago,” he said.
    “Yes, they did.” She went around behind the kitchen counter. “Would you like a drink? I still have the Amber Dew you bought before the complications set in.”
    “Sounds good.” He lowered himself onto one of the counter stools and hooked a foot over the bottom rung. “I’m surprised you didn’t throw out the bottle.”
    “I considered it a few times, but it seemed like a waste of good liqueur.”
    “Smart thinking.” He watched her take the two-thirds-empty bottle down from the cupboard. “Looks like you’ve been enjoying it. We only had one drink each out of that bottle.”
    “Well, it has been three months, and I must admit it is rather nice to be able to serve a fancy liqueur like Amber Dew when I have guests.”
    “Guests?” he repeated very deliberately.
    “Mmm. They’re always very impressed.”
    She gave him a warm smile and set one of the filled glasses on the counter within reach of his hand. Let him think that she’d been dating madly since he had shattered her world. She was not about to tell him that the only person she had invited to dinner in the past three months had been Nancy, and that every time they had shared a glass of the fabulously expensive Amber Dew they had chanted, “To the bastard, may he rot.”
    He picked up the glass. “Thanks for trusting me enough to let me come back here with you tonight. I know that must have been hard for you.”
    She took a small sip of the potent Amber Dew, lowered the glass, and went for sultry. “I’ve had a lot of time to think in the past three months, Cruz.”
    “And you finally realized that I had no choice but to do what I did?”
    “Don’t be ridiculous,” she said. “I still think Amber Inc. had no right whatsoever to confiscate my find. But I understand that you sincerely believe that you did what you had to do. I can respect that.”
    “The ruin you discovered down there in the jungle was potentially dangerous, Lyra. By law you should have reported it immediately to the authorities.”
    “Oh, wow. A lecture.”
    His mouth tightened at the corners. “You know as well as I do that under the Alien Antiquities Act, any find that poses a potential hazard or generates unknown power of any kind must be analyzed and classified by the appropriate authorities.”
    “Who will then confiscate it. If said antiquity happens to be made of amber, especially an extremely rare form, the appropriate authorities will naturally hand it over to Amber Inc., which has a contract with the federal government.” She widened her eyes with mock astonishment. “Gosh, I wonder why so many small, independent prospectors like me don’t routinely tell the appropriate authorities about their little finds.”
    “The amethyst ruin was no small find. You knew that better than anyone. And it wasn’t stolen from you. Amber Inc. offered generous compensation.”
    “Hah. There was no way your company could possibly compensate me for what you snatched from me. That ruin was priceless.”
    “This isn’t about the legalities, is it?” he said quietly. “It’s about us. You and me.”
    That was another thing about Cruz Sweetwater. He always went straight to the bottom line. She exhaled slowly, leaned against the counter, glass in hand, and looked at the coffee table with its vase of exotic flowers.
    “Yes,” she said. “It’s about us and the fact that you lied to me.”
    “I had no choice.”
    “I understand that now. I don’t have to like it, but I’m okay with it. I’ve moved on with my