by Robyn Grady
Still, no one could deny the heady awareness throbbing between them. Hot, alive. But different this time. Different from when they touched. This was more a swift warm current swirling around them, washing up memories of what they’d once shared…what they’d let slip away…
Loosening the grip on her glass, Eden laughed at herself.
Good grief. Next thing she’d convince herself that Devlin had actually loved her once.
As if responding to her thought, Devlin downed the rest of his glass and walked away. ‘It’s warm in here.’
The room had felt icy when they’d first entered. Now…yes, it was warm and getting warmer, despite both their efforts to keep the temperature down. But great sex—even bone-melting, unforgettable sex—wasn’t the answer.
So why did her gaze insist on trailing the broad expanse of his back as he walked off…? Why did she imagine her mouth tracing the salty heat of his skin?
Dragging her gaze away—needing to douse the tingles chasing over her flesh—she gulped down half of her drink.
They’d tried arguing, being nice. Maybe it was time to put up a wall. Quit communication altogether. Get as far away from Devlin and his maleficent magnetism as this enormous penthouse suite would allow. That wouldn’t be rude, merely smart.
After a harried search, her gaze landed on a glossy magazine. She passed a monstrous gilt mirror, a postmodernist sculpture of lovers embracing, and, at the far side of the room, swiped the heavy magazine off the coffee table. In the nick of time, she stopped from lowering into the damask couch. Too much opportunity there. Devlin might sit down beside her. Way too close for comfort.
She glanced towards the balcony.
Not in a robe.
One of the two bedrooms?
Oh, Lord, no.
Her gaze dropped.
The carpet certainly felt soft enough. She eased down onto the pile and, back against the sofa, crossed her ankles of her outstretched robe-covered legs then buried her nose in the magazine.
At the bar, Devlin topped up, but then set the glass aside.
‘I’m starved,’ he announced, as if he too had found the answer to their problem. ‘Want something to eat?’
Although she’d lost her appetite, her stomach felt empty. She really ought to eat something.
She shrugged. ‘I’ll have a salad.’
After ordering, Devlin settled down for a few minutes to do some work on his BlackBerry. When he was finished, he slid the phone back onto the polished table. In her peripheral vision, she saw him thatch his fingers behind his head. He stretched his washboard waist one way then the other before letting those impressive arms drop to his sides.
‘You look engrossed,’ he said.
She didn’t look up. ‘I always find fashion interesting.’
He wandered closer. ‘When did you open your boutique?’
‘The month after—’She caught herself. She didn’t need to mention their break-up again. ‘A couple of years ago now.’ Three to be precise.
‘So that dress-design course paid off?’
She gave a wry smile. Actually she’d earned an advanced diploma in fashion design and technology at East Sydney College.
‘The business degree I’m doing part-time helps too,’ she told him, ‘as well as trips to Paris, Milan, New York.’
He let out a low whistle. ‘You’ve been around.’
‘If I want to compete with the top outlets, I need to.’ Although boarding a plane was always a battle, especially long international flights. Bad turbulence could make her whimper. And seeing Red Eye hadn’t helped her phobia one bit.
He piped up, ‘I thought you were afraid of flying.’
Unlike ultra-light skylarking, ‘Boarding airbuses is a necessary vocational risk.’
‘Risks can pay off.’
She finally met his gaze. ‘Risks can kill.’
In fact—
She dug her nose back into the Venetian spring fashion exclusive at the same time the doorbell rang.
Devlin set off. ‘Food’s here.’
She would have followed and, perhaps, pulled up a chair at the formal setting. But if they sat at the table, they might look into each other’s eyes, maybe accidentally touch. She shivered and brought the magazine closer to her face.
Far wiser to stay put.
Still, over the top of the pages, she cased out those remarkable muscled limbs as he sauntered towards the door, each languid movement perfectly in tune with his casually commanding style. The instant he turned back, silver-domed plates balanced in each hand, she buried her gaze again.
When he lowered her meal to where she sat on the floor, she set her magazine down. Dome removed, her appetite bit at the colourful fig, apple and pecan-nut salad. The yoghurt aioli smelled delicious. She was hungrier than she’d thought.
Devlin positioned himself on the couch, but with his back against the far cushioned arm, long legs stretched out along the seat, a club sandwich and fries on his lap.
Eden held her breath.
Maybe she should have sat at the table. In this intimate corner of the room, with the natural light barely reaching them, this seating arrangement felt far too…opportunistic.
But he seemed to be behaving himself. Given he’d made the affable gesture to join her, but not too close, jumping up now to eat at the table alone would look noticeably rude and, hopefully, unnecessary.
After a few moments of mutual munching, Devlin sucked the salt and sour cream off his thumb and noted, ‘That looks, uh, healthy.’ He offered a chip. ‘Want to try one of these?’
Her fork tapped her plate. ‘I prefer natural ingredients.’
‘Fries are natural too. Potato cooked in natural oil seasoned with natural salt. Three food groups, and I haven’t even started on the sandwich.’
A smile played around her mouth. She’d missed his dry humour…the slight burr in his speech whenever he teased through a crooked grin.
Letting her guard down a little more, she stabbed at some blue-vein cheese. They had time for a lesson in nutrition.
‘The calcium in dairy foods like cheese is terrific for healthy bones.’
His mouth twisted. ‘Mouldy cheese and I don’t get along.’
Fair enough. Fruit is great for glowing skin.’ She held up a slice of apple. Then, remembering the champagne-infused fruit she used to feed him when they’d dated, she rethought the move.
But he’d already leaned forward to loosen the apple off her fork. ‘Glowing skin, huh?’ He flexed a brow. ‘How can I resist?’
He popped the slice into his mouth and slid down from the couch onto the carpet alongside her. His plate settled on the floor to his left as he chewed, swallowed, then licked his lips.
‘Nice.’ He tipped his chin at her plate. ‘And that?’
Although her stomach somersaulted and better judgement screamed to move away, she preferred to stay calm. She wasn’t a baby. She could handle Devlin Stone. She’d got him to back off earlier, hadn’t she? He knew she was serious. What was more, notwithstanding the chronic sexual pull, he didn’t want to get involved any more than she did. He was merely trying to get along for the kids’ sake.
She indicated the pecans. ‘Nuts are protein rich. They’re delicious mixed with cereal when you jump out of bed in the morning.’
‘What if you don’t want to jump out of bed? What if you want to take your time?’
She slid him an arch look. Was he being light or leading?
Looking offended, he pinned back his shoulders. ‘What? I’m only saying that I enjoy a good long stretch in the morning.’
Feeling her breasts swell, she sidled a little away. She knew very well how much he enjoyed his stretch in the morning.
He drew up his legs and angled one tanned forearm over a bare knee while he started on his sandwich. When his towel marginally slid up his athletic thigh, a pulse fluttered in her throat and she swallowed hard.
How on earth was she supposed to eat now?
After
a few automaton mouthfuls—trying to keep her mind and gaze off her companion—she announced, ‘Delicious, but I’m full.’
He wiped his mouth on a napkin. ‘Me too.’ He leaned over to take more apple from her plate, then stopped to ask, ‘Do you mind?’
She forced a smile that didn’t betray how fast her heart was beating. ‘Silly to let it go to waste.’
Drawing away, he took a bite from the slice. ‘So, what’s next on the agenda?’
She smiled saccharine sweet. ‘We could see if our clothes are ready?’
He didn’t seem to hear as he slid the rest of the apple into his mouth. Resting his forearms on raised knees, he slowly chewed, seemingly lost in his thoughts, even as his eyes searched hers. Then his head dropped back and he chuckled.
‘Hey, remember the time when we—?’
She cut in. ‘That’s not a good idea.’
His brows knitted. ‘What’s not a good idea?’
‘Reminiscing.’
‘I was only going to say—’ But he stopped. His big delectable chest expanded as he filled his lungs. ‘You’re right. We shouldn’t bring up the past.’
But now he had her wondering. Was he about to mention their trip through the Hunter Valley when they’d stayed at that gorgeous Tudor-style bed and breakfast? Or the time they’d gone to an Australian Rules football game? Hardly a big sport fan, she’d nevertheless been swept up in the electric atmosphere of the enormous, cheering crowd and had applauded as loudly as Devlin when his team had won.
Or was he about to bring up the time his four-wheel drive got stuck in the deep dry sand on an island off Queensland? As night had fallen and shadows crept in, Devlin had built a fire. When a creature had rustled in the nearby brush—something huge, slimy and fanged, no doubt—he’d held her tight, murmuring in that rich, comforting voice that nothing would harm her.
‘What are you smiling at?’
Brought back, she blinked over. ‘I was smiling?’
‘Yeah. You were.’
Then he smiled too, an encouraging soft tilt of his mouth, and she let go the breath burning in her lungs.
She’d thought it best not to communicate. She’d warned him not to reminisce. But, honestly, what harm could come from talking? He was well aware of the boundaries she’d put up. He’d put up his own. Both had agreed that it was best not to cross those lines again, no matter how tempting the prospect might be.
‘I was thinking about the night we spent on that island,’ she admitted, ‘when I was scared of dingoes and lizards—’
‘And we didn’t get a wink of sleep.’
‘But the fire was so warm and stars so bright…’
‘When we got up you said you wanted to spend another night. I talked you into a swim at dawn.’
Her heartbeat began to gallop.
Not only had he talked her into an ocean dip, he’d talked her into doing it naked.
But Devlin didn’t play on that part of the story. Rather he concentrated on the far wall, as if a screen were showing that scene from their past.
‘The water was cool,’ he recalled in a deep, far-off voice, ‘so after our swim, we sprawled out on the sand.’
He stretched his bronzed arms high as though he’d been transported back and were soaking up the rays on that warm white sand now.
Caught up in the memory too, she added, ‘We lay there, exhausted after our sleepless night, until the waves on high tide crept up and washed over our feet.’
‘We stayed over that night, and the next night too.’
She smiled. ‘And I wasn’t scared at all.’
A knot of emotion caught in her chest. Taken aback, she bit her lip and averted her gaze.
She’d never questioned herself about Devlin before. But now for the first time she had to ask…had she acted rashly in ending their affair? Had she foreseen the outcome correctly? How could something so solid ultimately crack over time rather than get stronger? With all her heart she had believed she’d found The One. The man she would be with for ever.
But she hadn’t mistaken the coolness that had settled in his eyes, in his touch, those last couple of weeks. In the end, after Scotland, it had almost been easier to admit the truth. Devlin wasn’t programmed for long term. He made his own rules. Lived life his way. Challenging. Daring.
He wasn’t meant to be tied down.
When something warm and soft brushed her temple—a thrilling feather-light kiss—she bit her lip again, melting inside even while fighting to deny the desperate longing dripping through her veins.
Devlin’s sultry voice murmured at her ear. ‘I know what you’re going to say. But seeing you again, being with you here now…’
She groaned and her heart squeezed more.
Why do this? Why couldn’t he just let her be?
Shaking her head, she trembled and kept her gaze on the relative safety of the floor. ‘No, Devlin, I don’t—’
‘Miss me? I think you do. And I missed you, Eden. The way you walk, the way you laugh.’ The tip of his nose slid along the edge of her jaw. ‘The way you smell.’
Her left side ignited like dry kindle touched by a lit match. Luckily she found the strength to turn and shove him away.
Or that was what she’d meant to do. But rather than repel him, her fingers dug into his hard, hot flesh as if mega-charged magnets were glued to their tips.
So close, his eyes burned like twilight-blue coals while his clean masculine scent burrowed under her skin.
‘I said I wouldn’t kiss you again, but I want to…’ his head angled ‘…and way more than once.’
The delicious fire leapt high, consuming her inside and out. All the air—in the room, in her lungs—had evaporated. And her head…
Eden clamped her eyes shut.
Her head was spinning.
When his lips pressed against her fevered brow, her pulse rate spiked three storeys. The rough of his chin drew a gentle circle over the spot, then trailed down the sweep of her nose, closer to her parted lips.
While her core throbbed a hot urgent beat, her fingers kneaded his chest more, pulling and pushing at the crisp hair and rock-solid flesh while his apple breath near her mouth hinted at the banquet of forbidden delights yet to come.
If she gave in.
His smile travelled over the hypersensitive slide of her lower lip. ‘You’re trembling, Eden, and not with anger.’
This was agony. Ecstasy.
Lunacy!
Exhibiting wills of their own, her fingers wove over his powerful bare chest, up the strong thick column of his neck. Curiously heavy yet also light, her head lolled sideways. ‘This…can’t happen.’
His nose nuzzled the shell of her ear. ‘Remind me again why not.’
Her reasoning was slipping away, like lava melting down a hillside. ‘Sleeping together is the easy part.’
His voice was thick. ‘So very easy.’
‘But we don’t belong together.’
‘Because I’m an insensitive, danger-hungry SOB and you’re…’ he nipped her lobe ‘…paradise.’
Her insides tugged and burned. ‘I’m not exciting enough for you.’
‘You’re plenty exciting. I’ve never stopped wanting you. Is that a sin?’
‘Yes,’ she croaked as sizzling stars spun through her blood.
‘When I saw you again today, I wanted to kidnap you. Or make love to you right there and then. Is that wrong?’
She hummed and sighed.
‘Yes…’
He carefully turned her face to his. She dragged her eyes open and recognised his knowing, seductive smile.
‘Eden, you keep saying yes.’
Did she?
She wanted to say no. She must say no. But as the word formed in her mind, his expert lips tasted her chin…her cheek…her slightly parted mouth. And she couldn’t deny it any more because he must have felt her heart thumping the truth as she melted fully into his embrace.
Yes, yes…it told him.
Oh,
God, yes.
CHAPTER FOUR
EDEN gazed into Devlin’s hypnotic blue eyes and for the second time that day relented…to undeniable power…to the promise of his kiss. As he cupped her jaw her eyelids grew unspeakably heavy. His chest inflated, then he lightly touched his lips to hers.
Rather than the near-ravenous hunger with which he’d kissed her in the rain, this caress was a gentle graze, a preview of what his mouth could do given half the chance.
At the curling edges of her mind she knew the heat of his hand had left her face. His warm long fingers were splaying around her neck, winding up through her drying hair, holding her head steady as his purpose inch by inch grew stronger…minute by minute burned brighter.
On a sigh of welcome, her lips parted more and the full wonder of this joining gripped her, lifting her off the ground as if she were no more than a boneless puppet dangling from a string.
A rumbling growl worked up his throat as he set his weight carefully against hers until, tipping all the way back, she lay on the soft floor. He broke the kiss long enough to search her eyes, then he coiled his arm possessively above her head and kissed her again, this time holding nothing back.
More than want, more than need…as his tongue wound out to meet hers, their embrace linked them in ways more than physical. Revisiting this rapture tasted sweeter than she’d remembered, felt more exhilarating than she’d ever dreamed. Like the old days, they existed in their own wonderful world, focused on enjoying the moment, then enjoying the next.
He dragged his knee up between her shins. As crisp hair and steely heat tickled and rubbed her inside thigh, her heart leapt and the juncture between her legs grew achingly wet and warm. When her legs naturally parted, her arms snaked around his neck and she arched against him, needing to be closer than close.
Over the years, a quiet forbidden corner of her mind had longed for this moment. The euphoric pleasure of Devlin’s body pressed like a human iron against hers…the whirling, mind-blowing beat in the pit of her stomach as she anticipated the moment when he would fully take her…rock her…love her…
As his knee pushed higher and his free hand travelled down her side, across her quivering belly, between the gaping folds of her robe, she imagined his length filling her, stoking her again and again. She’d thought being with Devlin now would be heaven, but heaven couldn’t compare.