"I'm sorry this has to be about you, but it is,” I admitted. “I'm the one with the problem. I told you I'm messed up.” My eyes glazed over as I stared off into space. "Just give me a chance to sort it out in my own head first, and you'll be next on my list to know what's going on. I promise."
One thing Edwin could always rely on was my promise. My only problem now was that the facts were pretty clear to me. I want Edwin. Even after all the love I had shared with Cam, I want him. Sitting right at his side, his electrifying touch sizzling against my leg, I wanted him. Even in light of the fact that he didn't want kids now: I still wanted him. That terrified me the most.
It surprised me how much relief I found, having just admitted that to myself, even if only in my own mind. When the foggy haze cleared, I realized that Edwin had watched me reach that epiphany. He could sense my uneasiness and I recognized the understanding in his eyes. Then a knowing smile spread across his lips.
"I knew you couldn't resist me. I'm just that damn irresistible."
I couldn’t even defend myself, because he was 100% correct this time, but seeing that smile was enough to lighten my shattered nerves. I teased him back with a fake scowl, since I knew he couldn't possibly read my mind, then shoved him playfully. He fell back on the couch as though I had delivered a life threatening blow and laughed even harder.
I rolled my eyes, though I loved how dangerously dark his own eyes had turned. “Enough about you. Cally's waiting and I'm hungry," I bellowed.
He hopped to his feet. "Then what are we waiting for?"
It was Edwin’s brilliant idea to hike up the driveway, though it was 50 below and snowing like mad. Heavy snowflakes coated my hair and the wind tangled it even further. I flipped my hood on with both my chilled hands and carefully treaded up the ridiculous incline in my heeled boots.
Edwin didn't seem to be having any apparent issues and actually appeared to be enjoying our stroll. He noticed I was having difficulty and extended his elbow with a dramatic raise of his eyebrows. Regardless of his goofy behaviour, I took his arm because I desperately needed the help. Edwin linked his fingers through mine and tucked me up close to his side.
"It'll keep you warm," he insisted, making excuses.
I was cold and exhausted, so I let him keep my hand, to haul me up the slippery driveway. The land sloped steadily, until we reached the house. I stole a glance at Edwin and I noticed that he was watching me again. What is he thinking now?
I rang the doorbell as soon as we reached it and waited for an answer. The door swung open and Cally pulled me inside, tugging me away from Edwin.
"You made it!" Cally held onto my arm and led us through to the middle of the house, babbling incoherently about one thing or another.
A wide winding staircase led us to the second level. I caught a brief glimpse of each room as we passed them, while Cally towed me to the dining area. Edwin followed us and then rounded the end of the long, dining table. Not waiting for an invitation, he walked all the way to the other end of it, taking a seat in front of one of the place settings.
Gabe was in the kitchen, hidden behind a fabulous island of granite, in chef mode. Cally watched him, with appreciation evident in her eyes, as I faded back into the confines of my own mind.
"Keep dreaming," Edwin said to me, knocking me back into reality.
If he only knew what I had been dreaming about. It was a gorgeous kitchen and I could easily imagine Edwin in it.
"He's just finishing up," Cally said. "Why don't you have a seat too? I'll be right back." She hurried off to help Gabe and I watched them share a chaste kiss.
I pulled out the chair next to Edwin and my skin tingled with the awareness of how close he was. Then he turned on his charming smile and flashed me his teeth. I tried to fight it, but I had to smile back at him. We stayed like that for what had to be minutes, staring curiously into each other's eyes. It should have been awkward, but it wasn't. And it wasn't until Cally clapped her hands together, that I realized she and Gabe had already joined us at the table.
Cally's smile was so easy to read, her eyes darting deviously between us. I flashed her a warning stare and she indulged me. Gabe wasn’t quite so understanding and, after a few mouthfuls of food, he started to ask questions.
"How long have you two been together?"
I choked on my orange juice and a small amount squirted out of my mouth onto Edwin's plate. Edwin rubbed my back, but it didn't help. It only made it worse. Cally straightened in her chair.
"I'm so sorry!" I said, between breathy attempts to talk and raspy coughs.
Edwin turned to Gabe. "I think what she means to say is, we aren't a couple. We've done that thing before – a few times actually - but it didn't work out." He sounded so let down.
Where did that come from?
Gabe pressed a finger to his lips, his thumb hooked under his chin, while he thought more on that subject. Edwin's hand stopped rubbing, but he left it resting on my back, searing my senses, and reaching me intimately.
How could I possibly think about him touching me now, when I was gasping for my life?
Unable to regain my calm, Gabe opened his mouth again. "It's just that I saw you holding hands when you walked up to the house. Then there’s the way you look at each other. Owww!" Gabe barked.
Cally had kicked him under the table, hard enough that his chair scraped backward a bit. She smiled at us sideways with her eyes nearly bugging out of her head, expressing her embarrassment.
"What?" he asked, looking at her. He clearly didn't think he had done anything wrong.
Then why were my cheeks so red? I blamed the choking.
Cally shook her head sideways. "Men. I think it’s time for that tour.”
After leading us around Gabe’s remarkable house, we congregated back in the large living room next to the dining area. It had three walls of floor to ceiling windows. I gawked at the marvelous view, in awe of the heated in-ground pool. It was perched on the hill, overlooking the expansive rolling hillside that led into a forest of snow-covered evergreen trees.
"You have a beautiful house," I said, for lack of better words.
"Thank you," Gabe replied.
Cally cut right to the chase. "So, Gabe is actually leaving at 2:00 today. I have to take him to the airport very soon actually, but I'd love if you would come out for dinner with me tonight. We really need to catch up."
"Absolutely. I'd love that," I said.
"Yeah we definitely would," Edwin added.
I glanced over at Edwin and his charming smile hooked onto me. Gabe noticed the exchange and smiled. Then he turned his eyes to his feet to act like he hadn’t caught it.
"Well, Abs. We should get going. I imagine they’d like to have some time together before Gabe has to leave.”
Cally snickered, as Edwin pulled me away. "Oh, Eddie. How very sweet of you,” she teased. “I'll call you guys later this afternoon."
“Thank you for everything," I said to Gabe, as Edwin tugged me down the stairs.
Edwin zipped up his heavy, leather jacket and gave them a wave. “Thanks again.”
After slipping on my boots, I stepped out into the wild weather again. Edwin closed the door behind us and pushed his elbow into my side demanding that I take his arm. After taking it, he linked his fingers back in mine and we slowly wandered down the driveway. The hike downhill seemed a lot easier and in a matter of minutes we were back at the guest house, and I was stretched out over the loveseat.
Edwin knelt down in front of the fireplace and rubbed his hands together. "Let's get this baby going!" He started to look around. For firewood?
I started to laugh and pointed at the switch on the wall.
"Hey, what d'ya expect from a city boy?" Edwin drawled, then flipped the switch. He was good enough to laugh at his own stupidity.
I had taken the opportunity to admire his tight round ass, which was a mistake. Flames began to gently flicker in the fireplace and it illuminated the room with a soft, warm glow
, much like the sensation that had washed over my entire body.
Edwin took a seat on the couch across from me. "It looks like we have some time to kill. What are we going to do today?"
"Absolutely nothing."
"I like that plan," Edwin said, smiling. "It looks like you're feeling better now. Do you still need that time to think; or are you going to tell me what's really going on?"
It felt like a rock went rolling down my windpipe. I couldn't manage a breath let alone a word.
"I can take a hint. I'll leave it alone for now,” Edwin said, with a smirk. “But I'm setting a deadline of tomorrow. I'm not letting you worry away your entire vacation. If you don't tell me before supper tomorrow night, I'll tickle it out of you.”
Edwin jumped on top of me and gave me a taste of his tickle torcher.
"Okay, okay. Please stop. Edwin!"
I could see it in his eyes that he enjoyed listening to my pleas, but he stopped after one last tickle. Then he growled and his darkened eyes hooked onto mine.
"I love when you scream my name."
CHAPTER ELEVEN
MY LUNGS JUMPED BACK to life as Edwin backed away, chuckling. Is he playing with me right now? That made me so hot! He rummaged around in the fridge, as if nothing out of the ordinary had just been said. Edwin loved to toy around. There’s no way he knows how I feel.
Knowing that before long we'd be doing dinner with Cally, I dropped it. I would have plenty of time to hash everything out with her then. Cally had called by 4:00 p.m. to suggest we dress up a bit. I spent the next hour getting ready.
"Damn, I look good," Edwin announced, as he checked himself out in the mirror.
He did look good in his white collared shirt, with a dark grey sweater vest layered over it. Not all men could pull that look off, but he did it. Very well. So well, in fact, that I had to fight myself to quit staring.
I watched him reach over his shoulder in an attempt to fix his collar, but his bulky muscles didn't grant him graceful access to his neck. Edwin stopped trying and turned to me. I just kept staring, like a love-struck fool.
"Would you get my collar for me?" he asked, looking a little helpless.
I hurried behind him. "Sure," I said, shamelessly excited by the thought of touching him.
When I moved around to face him, he stood very still, his eyes closing. That made me anxious. I held my breath as I reached my arms over his shoulders to properly adjust his collar. My fingers casually brushed across his skin and I heard him take a sharp intake of breath. He must have felt the same electricity zinging through his body as was passing through mine.
‘Honk, Hooonnnk!’ Cally's car came racing down the hill and stopped right outside our door. ‘Hooonnnk!’
I was relieved that Cally was there to save me from myself. "We should go."
A second later, Cally pressed her horn three more times.
"Okay, okay. We're coming," Edwin hollered, as if she could hear him.
I laughed at her impatience, as Edwin opened the door for me. I flashed him a thoughtful smile. "You’d better stop with that, because a girl could get used to it you know."
His eyes had never left mine. He had remembered the last time we had used that line. What was I doing flipping those words around now?
"Maybe I want you to," he growled, his voice sending delicious shivers across my skin.
Was he only teasing? He sure looked serious to me. I quickly masked my unrestrained smile because Cally was watching me. I got in the passenger seat, while Edwin locked the cabin door.
"Gabe's pretty hot, eh?" Cally said, skipping the usual pleasantries. "I told you he was gorgeous."
"Yes, Cally. He's very good looking,” I said, watching Edwin through the side mirror as he opened the back door.
Edwin heard what I was saying when he got in the back seat. "Please tell me I'm not going to have to hear this all night."
"We'll keep it light for you, Eddie," Cally teased.
I didn’t believe her for one second and, when our eyes connected briefly, I couldn’t avoid the onslaught of giggles, and neither could she.
Edwin slapped his forehead. "Tonight is going to be a long night."
The snow had lightened up, so the drive wasn't too terrible, but the restaurant was a fair distance away and there was a gathering of people knocking knees in the cold, waiting to get inside.
"Are you sure you really want to eat here?” I asked. “It looks like it could be an hour before we even get a table."
Cally hooked her arm in mine, then clicked her lock button over her shoulder until her car beeped. "No worries. I’ve got connections. Oh, and reservations." She giggled.
We walked past the crowd, through the front doors and squeezed past the people waiting to get to the receptionist. Cally didn't even need to say a word.
"Oh, good evening, Ms. Jenkins."
"Sorry, we're a little early," she said, flashing the dapper young fellow her most charming smile.
"Table for three?" he asked, noting her company.
"Yes, please," she replied.
The attendant immediately whispered into a waiter's ear and we were being directed to a private table within minutes.
The waiter pulled out the first chair for Cally and Edwin offered the next one to me.
"Thank you," I said, then took my seat.
Edwin pulled out the chair across from me and settled down into it. "How do you rate that?" he asked Cally, glancing toward the front door where a crowd continued to wait for the next table.
"Gabe is a celebrity of the sort. He called in a favour, to make sure we were treated right."
"Nice guy," Edwin said.
"Money will do that for you," she answered, smiling. "This night is on him, by the way."
I flashed a look at Edwin and he waggled his eyebrows before smiling. I promptly looked away from him, but the butterflies mingled in my belly for a while longer. To distract myself, I went to ask Cally how she had met Gabe, but she held up her finger and waved down a waitress, insisting that we try the margaritas first.
When the food began to arrive, so did my third margarita. "Seriously, Cally. This is my last one."
Edwin laughed as I slurped up the bottom of my drink. He was still working on his first one.
"Fine, fine. You're no fun," Cally teased. She hadn’t even finished her first one and was already sipping at her water.
The liquor caused me to talk way more over dinner than I would have ordinarily and, for a change, I was keeping up with Cally’s steady chatter. When Edwin excused himself to use the restroom, I knew I would have to take immediate advantage of that, but Cally beat me to the punch.
"What's with you two anyway? Are you an item?" she asked, watching Edwin’s ass as he turned down the hall toward the washrooms.
"That's the thing, Cally, we aren't. But I swear the other night our flame reignited or something."
"Ooh, you ignited an old flame. I love it."
"I felt it, at least. I don't know how he feels."
"Oh, he feels it," she muttered. "He did come on this trip with you and he knew you would be alone. That has to mean something."
"Yeah, but we've been friends forever. It doesn't mean he wants anything more than that."
"Honey, you know as well as I do: if the man is still hanging around you, he wants more. They always want more."
Edwin was already making his way back to the table and it made us both turn suspiciously quiet.
"Did I miss anything?" he asked, knowing he walked in on something.
"If you did, we wouldn't tell you," Cally said, as she shuffled her chair away from the table. "Excuse us for a minute? We need to use the ladies’ room."
I tried to act like I actually had to go, but the truth was written all over my face.
"Now he knows something's up for sure," I whispered to Cally, as we turned down the private hall heading for the washrooms. "He already thinks I'm being weird lately. Did I tell you he gave me an ultimatum?"
"Oh, this is good." She tugged me into the washroom. "What kind of ultimatum?"
"He just said I'd better figure out what my problem is, because I’m telling him all about it before dinner tomorrow night or he's going to force it out of me."
Cally laughed. "He's obviously trying to pressure you, so you'll spit it out already!"
"Spit what out?"
"That you want to be with him; obviously." She rolled her eyes at my ignorance.
"No, that's not it. He thinks it has to do with Cameron." Saying his name stung a bit, but much less than it used to.
"Does it have anything to do with Cameron?"
"No."
"Then just tell him already. Don't worry, I can see it in his eyes. He has it bad for you. Just give in. It's inevitable. You two are made for each other."
"It's more complicated than that."
"You like him, right?"
"Well, yeah. We've become close again; as friends,” I reiterated.
Cally rolled her eyes again. "Yeah, but you like him more than a friend, right?"
"I don't know." I felt guilty admitting it out loud, when I still had so much love for Cameron.
"Oh, come on now. You can't lie to me," she said. "You want him. What's the problem?"
"That I want him. I didn’t even know I felt this way until a few nights ago. Then last night I had this dream about him. Let's just say, I've been seeing him in a whole new light since then."
"I have got to hear this. I love it,” she cheered. “It's just like old times."
I giggled anxiously; just like old times. "I'm not telling you everything, but I will tell you that Edwin was there and it was pretty steamy. Then I woke up, and the feelings didn't go away."
"Tell me more," she demanded.
"No way!"
"It's your subconscious telling you it’s time to face it now that you have no other distractions."
"Oh, Cally. I wish it were that easy. But I don't know if I can do this again. We called it quits for a reason. He’s not ready for kids yet. As far as I know, nothing's changed there."
"He's single, right?"
"Yeah, I think so."
A Twist of Fate (The Twisted Trilogy) Page 16