A Night to Remember

by Jennifer Taylor

  ‘I’m going to fetch a blanket,’ he explained when she looked at him in alarm. ‘I won’t be long so just stay there and I’ll be right back.’

  He ran over to the nearest ambulance and explained what was happening. One of the crew gave him a blanket and assured him that he would come over to help as soon as he could.

  Seb swung round to go back to the woman then stopped dead when he suddenly spotted Libby’s car parked on the hard shoulder. He ran over to it but there was no sign of her inside. Panic gripped him as he turned and stared at the scene of chaos around him.

  Where was she?

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  Saturday: 11 a.m.

  ‘SEB! What are you doing here?’

  Libby could scarcely believe her own eyes when she spotted Seb standing beside her car. He turned when he heard her calling him and her heart leapt when she saw the expression on his face. She didn’t think she’d ever seen anyone who’d looked more desperate.

  ‘Libby!’ He ran towards her and unceremoniously hauled her into his arms. ‘Thank God, you’re all right. I was terrified that something had happened to you when I saw your car.’

  ‘I’m fine. It was the car in front of me that was involved in the collision…’ She broke off and shuddered as she realised how close she’d come to being injured.

  ‘It’s all right, darling. It’s all over now and I won’t let anything happen to you—I swear.’

  He pulled her closer and held her as though he would never let her go again. Libby closed her eyes as a feeling of relief swept over her. Everything would be all right now that Seb was with her. He had been her protector and her lover for such a long time that she simply couldn’t imagine being without him and didn’t want to try. Maybe it was stupid even to think of trying to mend their marriage after she’d told him that she wanted a divorce, but she couldn’t just let him go. She needed him too much, wanted him, loved him, and that had to count for something, didn’t it?

  Tipping back her head, she looked into his eyes. ‘I wouldn’t have been so frightened if you’d been with me. I know it’s probably too late to ask you this but do you think we could try again to make our marriage work? I don’t want to lose you, Seb. Really, I don’t.’

  ‘I…You…Oh, hell, I can’t seem to think straight, let alone speak!’

  Libby gasped as he bent and kissed her with a hunger that answered her question far better than any words could have done. When he drew back, she clung to him, not wanting to let him go again.

  ‘I love you, Libby. I don’t want a divorce either. I never have done. I want to spend the rest of my life with you—if you’ll let me?’

  Tears misted her eyes when she heard the uncertainty in his voice. It was all her fault that he should wonder if she loved him, and it was up to her to convince him that she did.

  ‘I don’t want a divorce either. I only suggested it because I was so desperate. I’ve missed you so much, Seb, and I don’t want us to carry on living apart the way we’ve been doing. I want to be with you every single day of my life.’

  ‘It’s what I want, too,’ he said simply. He kissed her again, softly and with a wealth of promise, and she shivered. It felt as though a whole new chapter in their life had begun. The future was no longer bleak but filled with light and colour now that Seb would be there to share it with her.

  ‘I love you,’ she told him, not wanting there to be any mistake about her feelings either.

  ‘And I love you, too.’ He lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed her palm with a tenderness that made the tears flow down her cheeks when she realised what could have happened if he hadn’t come after her. She could have lost him for good and it would have been her own fault, too.

  ‘Don’t. We’ve both made mistakes, me more than you. I should never have left you behind and moved so far away. It was bound to have had an effect on our marriage and I shall always blame myself for that.’

  ‘And I shouldn’t have let you go,’ she said honestly, because it wasn’t fair to let him shoulder all the blame. She would have said more but just then he gasped.

  ‘Heavens, I almost forgot that poor woman!’

  ‘Which woman?’ Libby demanded as he grabbed hold of her hand.

  ‘She was in one of the cars near the back of the pile-up. She’s thirty-eight weeks pregnant and it looks as if she’s gone into labour. One of the paramedics offered to keep an eye on her but I need to get back and see what’s happening.’

  ‘Oh, the poor thing!’ Libby exclaimed, hurrying after him. She ran forward when she saw the woman sitting on the ground and knelt down beside her. ‘Hi, I’m Libby and I’m a doctor,’ she told her, seeing the relief that crossed the woman’s face. She turned to the paramedic, ‘How far apart are the contractions?’

  ‘Just a few minutes now—they seem to have speeded up.’

  Just then another contraction began. Seb knelt down and spread the blanket over the woman.

  ‘This will help to keep her warm as well as afford her a bit of privacy,’ he told Libby quietly. He waited until the pain had passed then smiled at the woman. ‘Is it OK if I take a look to see how things are progressing? My name’s Seb, by the way, and I’m a doctor, too. I’ve delivered my share of babies over the years, although I have to confess that I’ve not delivered one at the side of the road before!’

  ‘I’m Sarah…Sarah Hartwell.’ The woman smiled at him. ‘And I wasn’t planning on giving birth here, if it’s any consolation. I had a birth plan all worked out with my midwife but I can’t see that happening now, can you?’

  Libby laughed. ‘Some things are just not meant to be. So long as your baby is safe, that’s all that matters.’

  ‘He will be all right, won’t he?’ Sarah asked anxiously.

  ‘He should be fine,’ Seb assured her. ‘Now, you just concentrate on your breathing while we help that little chap out of there.’

  Libby gripped the young woman’s hand as another contraction began. Seb quickly removed her underclothes and examined her. ‘Baby’s head is crowning,’ he told Libby quietly. ‘It won’t be long now, from the look of things.’

  In the end it was a textbook delivery. Just ten minutes later, Sarah had a healthy baby boy in her arms. Libby sighed with pleasure as she looked at him.

  ‘He is just so gorgeous!’

  ‘Isn’t he just?’ Sarah pressed a gentle kiss on her son’s cheek then smiled at them. ‘Thank you so much for helping me. I don’t know what I would have done if you all hadn’t been here.’

  ‘It was our pleasure.’ Seb grinned then put his arm around Libby’s shoulders and kissed her on the cheek. Sarah smiled as she looked at them.

  ‘I take it that you two haven’t just met, then?’

  ‘No. We’ve been married for over eight years and we intend to stay married for the rest of our lives,’ Seb said firmly, glancing at Libby with an expression in his eyes that turned her knees to water.

  They handed Sarah and her baby over to the paramedics and had just waved her off when a police officer came over to speak to them.

  ‘We’re taking the names and addresses of everyone who was involved in the incident,’ he informed them. ‘We need to speak to you at a later date so if you could let me have phone numbers as well, it would be a big help.’

  Libby gave him her address then glanced at Seb and smiled. ‘I’d better give you my mobile phone number just in case you need to contact me. I might not get back to Sussex for a few days.’

  She wrote down her mobile phone number and gave it to him. Seb didn’t say a word the whole time she was doing it, but she knew that he had realised the significance of what she’d done. As soon as the policeman left, he led her to his car and helped her inside. Libby smiled at him when he got in beside her.

  ‘You do have room for a guest, I hope? I thought I would stay with you, if you’ll have me, of course.’

  ‘Oh, I’ll have you all right.’ Leaning over he dropped a kiss on her mouth. ‘I love you, Dr Bridges.�
��

  ‘I love you, too, Dr Bridges.’ She cupped his cheek, savouring the moment because just a short time before she’d never believed it would happen. It was like having all her dreams come true…well, almost all.

  She smiled up at him, not even attempting to hide how much she wanted him. ‘Why don’t you drive us both home so I can show you just how much?’

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  Saturday: 12 p.m.

  PALE winter sunlight streamed through the bedroom window and Libby sighed with pleasure. They had left her car at the motorway service station and driven back to the house in Seb’s. Neither of them had said much on the journey—it hadn’t been necessary. It had been enough to know that they were back together, although they would have to talk everything through at some point.

  ‘You must be tired.’ Seb came up behind her and enfolded her in his arms. Libby smiled as she nestled back against him, loving the feel of his strong body pressed against hers.

  ‘Not that tired.’

  ‘Does that mean what I think it does?’ he murmured, his lips nuzzling the hollow behind her right ear.

  ‘There’s an easy way to find out,’ she replied saucily, tilting her head to the side to give him easier access.

  She shivered when she felt his lips skate down her neck and across her nape. She had always enjoyed the physical side of their relationship and had missed making love with him this past year.

  ‘I want to kiss you, too,’ she protested, trying to turn around, but he wouldn’t let her move.

  ‘In a minute. You have no idea how often I’ve dreamed of this moment, sweetheart. I’ve lain awake many a night, imagining how it would feel to make love to you right here with that view spread out in front of us.’

  He kissed her again, his hands moving round her body to cup her breasts. ‘It will be like touching heaven. And we will do it together.’

  Libby shivered when she heard the passion in his voice. That Seb still wanted her this much made a mockery of her fears about there being someone else in his life. It was her he wanted and only her, and knowing that made her feel like the luckiest woman alive.

  She closed her eyes as he stroked and caressed her. She was still wearing the shirt she’d worn yesterday and a bra but he soon dispensed with them. She could feel the heat building deep inside as he gently teased her nipples until they peaked. She almost begged him to stop at that point because it was the sweetest kind of torment to have him caress her and not be able to reciprocate. But then his hand moved lower, sliding inside the waistband of her trousers so that he could stroke her stomach, and her protest quickly changed to words of encouragement.

  ‘Let’s not rush things.’ Seb brushed her cheek with his lips, his hands stilling as he drew her back against him so that she could feel the hardness of his erection pressing against her. ‘We have all the time in the world to enjoy each other so let’s make this a truly special time for us both.’

  Libby didn’t argue, although she wasn’t sure if she could hold on for very much longer. Each touch, each caress, each kiss was building up to a crescendo of sensation that she wasn’t sure she could control. She put her arms down at her sides and kept them there as his fingers skated ever closer to the very heart of her femininity. It was only when she felt him touch the source of all the heat that she couldn’t hold out any longer.

  She turned to face him, not attempting to hide how aroused she felt because there was no need. Seb wanted her just as much as she wanted him. He rained kisses over her face and breasts then looked deep into her eyes.

  ‘I love you, Libby. No matter what mistakes I’ve made in the past year, I never stopped loving you.’

  ‘I love you, too…so much,’ she whispered, aching for him to consummate their love.

  He must have understood how desperate she was because his hands were urgent as he peeled away the rest of her clothes. Libby helped him, wanting only to be free of any restraints which might hinder their love-making. Once she was naked, he stripped off his own clothes and lifted her into his arms, entering her with one long powerful thrust which made her cry out his name.

  Libby clung to him as passion swept them both away. She could feel the coldness of the wall against her back and the contrast between that and the fierce heat of Seb’s body made her shudder. When she was close to him she would always be warm. It was only when they were apart that she felt chilled to her soul, but they would never be apart again. They both climaxed together and it just seemed to put the seal on their new-found happiness. They were meant to be together and nothing would separate them ever again.

  Seb knew that their love-making had reached new heights that day. As he carried Libby to the bed and laid her down, he was filled with awe. They had glimpsed heaven just now in one another’s arms, and it seemed to prove that their love for one another was something really special.

  There were tears in his eyes when she pulled him down to lie beside her. ‘Don’t ever let me go again, Seb, will you?’

  ‘I won’t.’ He kissed her softly on the mouth then stroked her cheek, wanting to soothe any lingering fears she might have. ‘I meant every one of my marriage vows, my darling, and I won’t ever break them.’

  ‘I won’t either,’ she whispered, snuggling against him as exhaustion took its toll on her.

  Seb pulled the quilt over them and cradled her, overwhelmed by the wonder of what had happened. That he had won back the right to hold her like this seemed almost too much. He didn’t deserve such happiness after the way he’d let her down but he swore on his life that he would do everything he could to make up for it.

  ‘Go to sleep,’ he murmured, his voice thickened with emotion. He kissed the top of her head, hoping she knew how precious she was to him. ‘I’ll be here when you wake up.’

  ‘Promise?’ she said sleepily, and he laughed tenderly.

  ‘I don’t need to promise. There’s nowhere I would rather be than right here with you in this bed, believe me.’

  She relaxed against him and some of the knots in his heart slowly unravelled. She trusted him to keep his word and it was more than he had dared hope for at one point. No matter what happened in the future, he would never let her down again. He would never let her leave him either. He needed her and she needed him—they would be together for ever.

  A feeling of euphoria filled him as he settled back against the pillows. His marriage had survived and he had his wife back in his arms. The future had never looked brighter!

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  Saturday: 1 p.m.

  ‘I CAN’T believe I fell asleep!’ Libby dragged herself up against the pillows. She frowned when Seb laughed. ‘What’s so funny?’

  ‘You are.’ He kissed the tip of her nose and grinned at her. ‘You were up all last night so it’s hardly surprising that you nodded off for a few minutes, is it?’

  ‘Maybe not,’ she conceded. ‘But you were awake all last night, too, and you didn’t fall asleep.’

  ‘No. But that’s because I was too busy watching you. Have I ever told you how beautiful you look when you’re sleeping, Mrs Bridges?’

  ‘No, but don’t let that deter you from telling me now.’ She snuggled up against him. ‘Are you sure I don’t snore or sleep with my mouth open?’

  ‘It wouldn’t matter even if you did. You would still look sexy and adorable and I’d still love you.’ He planted a kiss on the tip of her nose, loving the feeling of closeness that came from being able to tease her like this. ‘I’m totally smitten. I’d probably still feel the same even if you drooled all over your pillow!’

  ‘I shall remind you of that when I’m old and grey and all my teeth have fallen out,’ she retorted, laughing.

  ‘So long as you intend to be old, grey and toothless with me then it’s a deal.’ He kissed her again, on the mouth this time, and felt his body immediately stir to life. ‘Sorry!’ he murmured, pulling away. ‘I’m not trying to be a glutton—honest. It’s just that it’s been such a long time since we
were together like this.’

  ‘It is. And it won’t happen again.’ She tipped back her head to look at him and he could see a trace of uncertainty in her eyes. ‘I want to be with you from now on, Seb, but I’ll understand if it’s not possible to do that immediately.’

  ‘Not possible?’ he repeated, unsure what she meant by that.

  ‘I mean that if you’ve been seeing someone else, obviously you will have to sort things out—’

  ‘Hang on a second! What do you mean—if I’ve been seeing someone else?’ He propped himself up on his elbow and glowered at her. ‘There has never been anyone but you, Libby, from the moment we met. I thought you knew that?’

  ‘I did…but last night I started wondering if you’d met someone else since you’d moved up here…’ She broke off and swallowed. ‘I was wrong, wasn’t I?’

  ‘Yes, you were,’ he said firmly. ‘I’m not interested in anyone else. The only woman in my life is you. I don’t know where you got the idea that I was seeing someone, but it isn’t true.’ He shrugged. ‘Most of the time I’ve lived up here, I’ve been working, not socialising. What free time I’ve had has been spent house-hunting. There is no other woman, Libby. There never will be either because no other woman could compare to you.’

  ‘I feel exactly the same,’ she admitted, blinking away her tears. ‘I’ve never wanted anyone but you, Seb.’

  He pulled her into his arms, wondering if he should confess that he’d also had his doubts. He didn’t want anything to spoil their reunion but deep down he knew that he had to tell her the truth. Their marriage had been founded on honesty and he didn’t want anything to change.

  ‘I wondered if you’d maybe found someone else as well,’ he admitted roughly, because the thought still hurt. He felt her stiffen and hurried on. ‘I’m sorry I doubted you, Libby, but I couldn’t see why you would want to stay with me when I’d let you down so badly.’