by Robyn Grady
His hands left hers to shape over her slender shoulders. ‘Are you sure that’s what you want?’
She gave a decisive nod.
‘You want a room here,’ he qualified, slanting his head, ‘knowing Nate and Sabrina are in the same building?’
It was her turn to laugh.
‘Now look who’s being neurotic.’ Then her eyes clouded, the apple green turning grey. ‘Isn’t this what you want?’
Having her in his arms again? Hell, yes. But, ‘That’s not the point.’
‘Then I’m not sure what the point is.’
He found and kissed her palm. ‘Want a hint?’
One side of her mouth lifted. ‘Sure.’
‘A leisurely walk through The Rocks, or a ferry ride to Manly. But dinner first, somewhere casual and fun.’
Her frown returned. ‘You’re hungry again?’
He grinned. ‘Eden, there’s something else couples might do over dinner.’
She wet her lips as if she were suddenly nervous. ‘Well, I’ve read about it…but I don’t think I’d be into sex in public places—’
Interesting thought, but, ‘Try again.’
She seemed to think it through before her shoulders sagged. ‘You mean you really want to talk.’
Hadn’t he said that in the first place? He arched a brow. ‘Don’t sound so thrilled.’
Her hands twined up around his neck. ‘I want to do more than talk.’
‘I do too.’ A society couple walked past and he lowered his voice. ‘But I want to be certain it’s for the right reasons.’
‘How many reasons are there?’
His jaw shifted as he took her hands from his lapels and held them firmly between them.
Being cautious earlier was one thing, but if anyone had said he would ever second-guess this kind of blatant invitation to make love with the lady whose memory had haunted him for three long years he’d have had them certified.
Kissing her this afternoon in the rain had been unavoidable. Their brief sojourn in the bathroom was superb. But a quickie in some hotel room with a hasty goodbye tagged on the end didn’t work for him. Not with any woman, particularly not Eden.
His gaze wandered to an arrangement of soaring potted palms, their fronds rustling gently in the air-con breeze, and an idea struck, as powerful and illuminating as a lightning bolt.
With her hands in his, he encircled her waist and brought her close.
‘Take some time off next week,’ he said. ‘Come away with me for a couple of days. I’ll collect you at nine tomorrow. You can be back at work by Tuesday.’
Her stupefied gaze hunted his face. ‘You really want to wait?’ Then, teasing, she narrowed her eyes. ‘Are you sure your name’s Devlin Stone?’
Devin blinked. It wasn’t a big sting, but it was a sting nonetheless.
‘I haven’t changed.’ Eden had always meant far more to him than a sleeping partner. Didn’t she know that?
Doubt dimmed the light in her eyes. ‘Maybe you’re hoping I’ll get cold feet?’
‘I’m praying that you don’t.’
He wasn’t trying to shake her off. Actually, he wasn’t certain what would come of this. He only knew he wanted to make the most of it, for both their sakes. What they’d enjoyed today was special. Had to be or she wouldn’t be so eager to be with him again. As eager as he was to be with her.
But if he was going to do this, he’d do it right.
‘Is there anyone you need to organise to get the time off?’ he asked, thinking, too, it would be better if she wasn’t home when Nate moved Sabrina’s things out.
Eden’s mouth dropped open. ‘You’re serious, aren’t you?’
In what might’ve been a dance move, he swirled her under his arm and ushered her towards the door.
‘I’ll see you home,’ he said, accompanying her out into the hotel’s forecourt where silver-service taxis awaited. ‘On the way I’ll tell you what you need to bring.’
Eden was still dazed when the cab pulled up outside her apartment building. After Sabrina’s news—that she planned to move out and live with Nathan—Eden had analysed her own feelings for Devlin more deeply and was surprised to discover she wanted to go the whole nine yards.
Having come this far, if she didn’t sleep with Devlin now she’d regret it. She needed closure. Enjoying him one last time, as she’d dreamed of so often, was the answer. She was certain.
But that didn’t necessarily mean she wanted to go overboard and escape with him for two whole days to some mystery destination. During the cab ride here, he’d suggested she pack a swimsuit, some light summer clothes and a hat. She guessed he had some beach up north in mind.
Would making a weekend of it overly complicate matters as she suspected it would? Bottom line, she wanted to get him out of her system and as soon as possible. After the deed was done—after they’d made love the way they used to and her pent-up frustration was spent—she’d be free to get on with her life as Devlin would no doubt get on with his, just like last time when she’d made clear they were over.
So was her answer to his getaway question yes or no?
He slid from the cab, then helped her out. She tried to straighten her poor dress, which had shrunk a size and now sat well above the knee.
‘Would you like to come up for a coffee?’ she ventured.
With a bedroom nearby, he might forget about ‘doing it right’ in favouring of ‘doing it now’. Then she wouldn’t have to worry about whether going away with him was risky or merely necessary.
The sun had only moments ago set. In the misty circle of a street lamp, his eyes flashed before he grinned, as if he’d guessed the motive behind her invitation for coffee. The message in his eyes was clear. If he was going to have her, he’d have her on his terms.
‘Not tonight,’ he said. ‘You need to make some phone calls, pack some things.’
She held her stomach as it somersaulted.
This was crunch time. Would she really go through with what promised to be a two-day, solely her and Devlin, romantic adventure? Today he’d seemed the same charming Devlin and yet he’d changed too. He looked more mature. Felt even more dangerous. Would daring a full forty-eight hours with Devlin mean resuming control of her life—her past—or playing with a fire that wouldn’t want to be doused?
He brushed a kiss against her cheek that dipped and lingered near her mouth. His smooth rich voice caused the fine hairs on her arm to quiver.
‘I’ll be here at nine,’ he said, making the decision for her before sliding back into the taxi. ‘Don’t forget the sunscreen.’
In her apartment a few minutes later, Eden heeled off her still-damp shoes and headed for her phone. No use delaying. She had to make that call about clearing Monday or she might chicken out. And now Devlin had set a time—now his proposition had come this far—dodging the bullet didn’t seem to be an option.
If the price of redemption was two days of sexual bliss, well, guess she’d just have to grin and bear it.
Her assistant from Temptations picked up her home extension on the third ring. Eden imagined Tracey Hardon’s chocolate-brown eyes widen beneath her dead-straight brunette fringe.
‘Eden? It’s Saturday night. What’s up?’
‘I won’t be in on Monday.’
‘Are you ill?’
‘Having a long weekend.’
‘Hmm, sounds interesting.’
Eden grunted. ‘Hopefully.’
‘Want to share?’
Clamping the receiver between ear and shoulder, Eden sucked in her tummy and slid down the dress’s side zip. ‘Just going away for a couple of days.’
‘With a man?’
Eden stopped unzipping. ‘How did you guess?’
‘Because it’s about time.’
Wandering to the living-room window to make doubly sure the taxi had departed—that Devlin hadn’t changed his mind about her coffee-with-cream invite—she said a little indignantly, ‘I’ve dated before.’
<
br /> ‘And I can’t remember the last time you had fun. This guy must be special.’
‘He was,’ Eden grudgingly admitted.
The connection fell quiet before a splutter came down the line. ‘Don’t tell me…this doesn’t involve that hunk you dated years ago. Devlin someone?’
Tracey was a friend as well as employee. But Eden hadn’t told her about Sabrina dating Nathan, or her idea to discuss and rectify that situation with Devlin today. She’d hoped the meeting would all go to plan and no one would need be the wiser.
Man, had she got that wrong.
Eden dropped the curtain and sank onto the couch. ‘It’s not what you think.’
‘I’m thinking this sounds fabulous. They say you never get over your first love.’
Eden sniffed. Just who were they anyway?
She fell back against the cushions and wiggled her toes. ‘It’s only a couple of days. No big deal.’
‘If you want my opinion—’
Eden’s mouth crimped into a grin. ‘As if you won’t give it to me anyway.’
‘I say go for it! Take the whole week off. You haven’t had a vacation since I’ve known you.’
Eden put on her no-nonsense voice. ‘I’ll be back on Tuesday. And, Tracey…’ she smiled ‘…thanks.’
As soon as she set the receiver down her cell phone rang out. She pushed up, dug into her purse, which she’d left on the kitchen counter, and checked the number.
Sabrina?
Her pulse rate flipping out, Eden thumbed the green key. ‘What’s wrong?’
‘Nothing’s wrong,’ Sabrina said, in a calming tone. ‘I just wanted to talk to you before tomorrow.’
Eden released the breath she’d been holding.
From an early age, their mother as well as their father had left for work before the girls caught the bus for school. Eden had been entrusted to do Sabrina’s hair, make her lunch. She’d felt more like Sabrina’s second mother than a sister. She’d moved from hometown Gosford to the city at age eighteen and Sabrina had followed when she’d begun college too.
Now Eden’s little chick was all grown and leaving the nest. And, irrespective of her maternal instincts for Sabrina and her misgivings about Nathan, Eden had better quit acting like a nineteenth-century chaperone or she’d risk pushing Sabrina away. If Sabrina ever needed her, Eden wanted her to know she would always be there. Everyone made mistakes, herself included.
‘I was wrong to behave the way I did,’ Eden confessed now. Not only spouting off this afternoon in the hotel suite, but also for asking to meet Devlin to speak with Nathan, not that Sabrina would ever hear about that. ‘Of course you have a right to make you own decisions. And I support you.’
She was glad she sounded sincere. She meant what she’d said and intended to stand by her words, no matter how much it pained her to think of her sister’s feelings being crushed.
Eden imagined Sabrina’s heartened smile. ‘Thanks, Ee. That means a lot—to both of us.’ A brief pause. ‘Is Devlin there?’
‘No.’
‘Oh.’ Sabrina sounded surprised. ‘We were hoping…’
Eden’s mouth curved on a suspicious grin. ‘Hoping what?’
‘We didn’t set it up for you and Devlin to be alone to hatch anything, honest. But when we had to go out, we got to talking and Nate said wouldn’t it be cool if you two got together again? I could’ve fallen over when Devlin came striding out of that room today.’
Eden crossed a single arm over the curling sensation in her belly. At least Sabrina didn’t sound offended, more amused. But she had it wrong.
‘We’re not getting back together, if that’s what you think.’
‘Really?’ Sabrina didn’t sound convinced.
‘What happened in that suite was a one-off.’ But that was a lie. ‘Well…pretty much a one-off,’ she muttered.
‘Now you’re really confusing me.’
Eden pinched the bridge of her nose and exhaled. Oh, she might as well come clean. The truth would get out anyway and the revelation would sit better coming from her.
‘I won’t be here tomorrow when you collect your things. I’m going away for a couple of days.’
‘With Devlin?’ Sabrina squeaked, then called out, ‘Nate, she’s going away with Devlin!’ Back into the mouthpiece, ‘I’m so happy for you.’
She tried to deflect the ricocheted sense of excitement. ‘Don’t be. It’s not what you think.’
‘I think you’re still in love with him.’
Eden shut her eyes and focused.
She would not even entertain the suggestion. She’d spent too long coaching herself not to be in love with Devlin. Besides, he’d never been truly serious about her. He was a consummate bachelor who valued his freedom. This two-day escape was simply something they both needed to do and never do again.
But there were some things she didn’t need to explain to her sister, particularly when she was having trouble making sense of them herself.
‘We’ll talk next week,’ she told Sabrina. After she’d moved in with Nathan.
‘Okay. Love you, Ee.’
Eden smiled softly. ‘Love you too.’
As soon as Eden disconnected her cell phone buzzed again. She answered without checking the display. ‘Eden here.’
‘Have you made that phone call?’
Her hand went to her lurching heart. ‘Devlin?’
‘I wanted to say goodnight, sleep well.’
‘You did?’ she murmured, her hand travelling to her throat, which had tightened with emotion.
‘I’ll see you tomorrow. Nine a.m. sharp.’
He disconnected without getting her response, which was a good thing. She mightn’t have been able to speak over the bittersweet ache in her chest.
This was all too familiar—too touching—which meant bubbles of happiness mixed with painful splinters of doubt.
She gazed at the phone for a long moment, then crossed to her desk and trailed her hand over her latest pastel-pink diary, the year embossed in gold on its cover.
Eden’s twelfth birthday present from her favourite aunt had been a diary, and she’d penned entries practically every day since. Nowadays lots of people used blogs, which was a great new twist on a classic tradition. But she preferred to transpose her truest personal thoughts on actual rather than virtual pages. Having something to physically hold and flip through brought the memories that much closer.
Now she pulled out a bottom drawer and retrieved a diary from three years ago and opened to a favourite page.
Devlin took me to the movies tonight. Afterward we had supper and talked lots before he saw me to my door. He’d only been gone a few minutes when he rang, wanting to say a second goodnight and sleep tight. He’s such a gentleman…but he kisses like a bad boy.
I think I’m falling in love.
CHAPTER SEVEN
AT NINE THIRTY the next morning, with Devlin standing beside her, Eden stammered, coughed and finally choked the words out.
‘You want me to jump into that?’
At nine o’clock, as promised, Devlin had knocked on her door. After riding her apartment-building lift, they’d slid into the luxurious interior of his Lexus coupé. Her stomach muscles knotting, she’d silently gone over the belongings she’d packed while he’d praised the fine weather and conveyed that he’d lined up a subordinate so he’d be free the next day.
Eden had swallowed the ball of nerves bunched in her throat and consciously relaxed her stranglehold on the seat belt. She’d come this far. No turning back. No matter what.
Yet standing here now, she realised that the fiend Devlin Stone had lulled her into a false sense of semi-security only to drive them to her personal hangman’s noose.
An airport.
On the tarmac beside her, he pushed the mirrored aviator glasses closer to the bridge of his nose and, with an admiring angle to his jaw, inspected the aircraft’s compact lines.
‘It’s a Cessna 152. A few years old now, but tha
t’s part of her charm. She’s a gorgeous lady to fly.’
Barely hearing a word—the rush of blood pounding in her ears was too loud—Eden swallowed over the convulsing muscles in her throat. Someone might’ve stolen her kneecaps, she felt so unsteady and weak. She’d been prepared to face this challenge of staying with Devlin for two days head-on. She’d been determined to be brave.
But not this brave.
She forced her rubbery lips to move. ‘Y-you didn’t mention we’d be flying anywhere.’
Sliding his glasses off, he studied her. ‘I thought you’d conquered your fear of planes.’
‘As in big planes. Really big planes. And even then I’m queasy.’
‘Little planes are the same as big planes, only smaller.’ A palm on her back, he urged her forward. ‘I personally vouch for your safety. I won’t be surprised if you enjoy it.’
‘As much as you’d enjoy wearing a skirt and singing “Pop Goes My Heart” on the Opera House stairs.’
He laughed. ‘You wish.’ He prodded her again and, although her heels dug in, they inched forward. ‘I’ve had my pilot’s licence going on five years. You’re perfectly safe. We have more chance of crashing a car.’
‘But without the added bonus of spiralling to earth at a thousand miles per hour.’
He refitted his glasses and lowered his voice. ‘If you feel that strongly…’
‘Do you have parachutes?’
As soon as it was out she wanted to swallow the words back down. No way would she cramp up inside that nutshell with wings, parachute or not.
His mouth twitched. ‘Would it really make a difference?’
Her upper lip felt cool with perspiration while her brow was hot enough to burn. Tiny chills were racing up and down her spine. In a word, she was terrified, but she was more terrified about backing out of this trip. She had to do this. Finally get Devlin Stone out of her system. Lying in bed last night, staring at the ceiling, she’d coined a new personal motto.
Do Devlin or die.
She hadn’t meant literally.
Heart belting against her ribcage, she clutched her overnighter under her chin and forced one foot forward. Then the other. When he stood back, hands on hips, a big grin on his handsome face, she manufactured a scowl.