by Robyn Grady
His gut kicked. Of course he had to tell her. As much as he’d like to ignore it for five minutes more, that wasn’t an option. Still, he wasn’t looking forward to her reaction.
When she continued to search his eyes, he wove a knuckle around her satiny cheek and confessed, ‘Our guests have arrived.’
Her expression stilled. Then she swore. Then she scrambled like a madwoman to grab her nearby robe and hold it to her breasts. As she took in his naked body her colour-less lips gaped open.
‘Please tell me Sabrina didn’t see you like that?’
Okay. ‘Sabrina didn’t see me like this.’
She bit off a cry of panic and dropped her head into her hands. ‘I should never have taken the chance. Murphy’s law said they’d arrive early. How will I ever face Sabrina?’ she mumbled through a spread of fingers.
His brow knitted.
He sympathised, but, really, was it that bad? You’d think she’d just lost her virginity to the devil himself and all the angels in heaven were about to pass judgement. All they’d done was have a little fun. If anything was depressing, it was that their fun had been interrupted.
‘Sabrina’s an adult,’ he reminded her, ‘like you and I were adults when we were twenty-one. She’ll understand.’ He pushed to his feet, summed up the area, their state of undress. ‘Admittedly, this isn’t the ideal way to meet, but think about it…After this, how much easier will it be for them to tell us their news?’
Whatever the hell it was.
She found his gaze, her eyes bright with shame.
‘But what will I tell her?’ she whispered.
‘She won’t expect excuses.’
She was a woman in love. Happy couples only wanted to spread their sunshine around. Whenever one of his friends tied the knot, the outcome was always the same…his bachelor buddies became married matchmakers. Much to Devlin’s consternation, he was usually a target.
A series of emotions faded in and out of Eden’s face. Comprehension, acceptance, hope. Devlin offered a smile and his hand. Dragging her to her feet was like pulling an anchor.
While she took her time sliding back into her robe, he knocked off the water. The hiss died but the room was a sauna. All that lovely steam gone to waste.
‘There’s another courtesy robe on the rack,’ she muttered, ‘if you’d like to wear more than a towel.’
He recognised his misty reflection in the mirror—well over a head taller than Eden, naked as the day he’d greeted the world. Lucky poor Sabrina hadn’t fainted.
He swung the robe down and, having covered himself, held Eden’s gaze as well as her shoulders. ‘You ready?’
‘No.’ Her mouth quivered before she smiled. ‘Let’s face the music anyway.’
Filling her lungs, Eden squared her shoulders and, stomach churning like a cement mixer, walked out into the main room, Devlin at her side. Sabrina stood by the window with Nathan, late afternoon sunlight illuminating their frames.
Unaware of their company, Sabrina gazed at Nathan as he pointed toward the Vaucluse cliffs, her face so innocent and brimming with happiness. It was like going back in time. Once she’d looked at Devlin that way. Besotted. Blind. And Devlin was still Devlin. Dangerous, irresistible, and better than ever. Didn’t mean he was good for her.
In fact, quite the opposite.
She’d done a foolish thing, falling for his charm and acting on physical attraction when she’d told him point blank to stay away. He’d hurt her before. They had no future now.
And yet…
She couldn’t punish herself over their encounter in the bathroom. Her life was a well-structured, carefully organised calendar of events. She left nothing to chance. When was the last time she’d done something off the wall? Years. Didn’t mean she wanted to continue being reckless.
She most certainly didn’t want Sabrina to be.
Sabrina caught sight of her and broke into a my-world-is-complete smile. She ran forward, arms outstretched.
‘Eden.’ She hugged her sister fiercely and murmured against her ear, ‘Thanks for coming. This worked out better than we’d planned.’
Doubt and curiosity flooded Eden’s mind.
Good news was Sabrina didn’t hate her. Bad news?
Surely this rendezvous hadn’t been a set-up to get her and Devlin back together. And Sabrina was reading way too much into what had occurred behind closed bathroom doors. Sabrina had always hinted that she should’ve given Devlin another chance. But this was hardly a new start. It was more…an encore.
Before Eden could respond, Sabrina pulled back, her face lit with joy and pride.
‘This is Nathan. He’s been dying to meet you. Nate—’ she waved her boyfriend over ‘—this is Eden.’
Joining them, he took her hand. ‘Great to meet you.’
His hand was big and warm like Devlin’s. He looked like Devlin too—tall, dark with a similar muscular frame and a lopsided smile that said, ‘You can trust me’. Of course Sabrina would find him irresistible…as had all the girls who had come before her.
‘Sorry we held you up,’ Nathan said to them both. ‘My house alarm went off. There’s been a few bad burglaries in the area. I wanted to make sure everything was secure.’
Eden exhaled. She’d have done the same thing, and of course Sabrina would’ve accompanied her boyfriend rather than stay here to face them alone. Whatever it was they wanted to share, they wanted to share it together.
‘Perhaps we ought to sit down?’ Devlin said in a let’s-pretend-everything’s-hunky-dory tone.
‘A drink, anyone?’ Nathan pitched in, moving towards the bar.
‘No.’ Inwardly cringing, Eden pressed her lips together. She’d spoken way too loud, too urgently, but the simple truth was, ‘I’m eager to hear your news.’
She tried to sound enthusiastic, encouraging. But beneath the upbeat façade, she was ready to hyperventilate. Was she soon to be an auntie? Was a wedding gift in order? Although, looking now, Sabrina’s finger didn’t boast any telltale rings.
Sabrina’s gaze searched out Nathan’s, who crossed back from the bar to rejoin her. She nibbled her lip, her pale blue eyes glittering with uncertainty and something akin to fear.
Eden’s insides looped with a sickening knot and she found Sabrina’s hand. ‘It’s okay, honey. Whatever it is…’ if you’re having a baby ‘…I’m here for you.’
Devlin held his brother’s shoulder. ‘Same goes for me.’
Sabrina squeezed Eden’s hand then dragged in a big breath. ‘Well, here goes.’ She rushed it out. ‘I’m moving in with Nate.’
Time seemed to stretch out before folding in over itself like layers of thick messy syrup. Tugging her ear, feeling strangely light-headed, Eden coughed out a guarded laugh.
‘I’m not sure I heard right.’
‘That’s it?’ Devlin sounded relieved.
Nathan coiled his arm around Sabrina’s waist and urged her close. ‘We want to start moving her personal things out tomorrow.’
The protective lioness inside Eden leapt up and snarled.
Do you, now?
She crossed her arms. ‘What about your studies, Sabrina?’
‘But I’m almost done,’ Sabrina exclaimed. ‘Just this year to go and I’ll never have to look at another university assignment question again.’
Eden elaborated. ‘This year, your final year, is as important as any other. If you fail a subject, you’ll have to re-enrol. That could mean another six months.’
Since primary school Sabrina had wanted to be a teacher, but university students on the home stretch sometimes ran out of puff. Sabrina had neglected her studies since meeting Nathan. If she failed a subject or two, she might not return to finish her degree. In six months Nathan wouldn’t give a dry fig if Sabrina dropped out for love of him. He’d have moved on to his next conquest.
Sabrina’s mouth bowed, but then her chin kicked up.
‘I won’t fail.’ She wrapped her arms around Nate’s hips, nuzzling und
er his arm against his chest. ‘That’s why I’m moving in. We’ll be together all the time.’
Defeat prickled behind Eden’s eyes. Why were women so trusting? So gullible?
She spoke quietly, calmly, even while pieces of her seemed to break away. ‘How is being together all the time the answer?’
Sabrina tsked, as if her next reply would make it all so clear. ‘I won’t need to take time out from study for us to see each other. Nate even said he’d help with assignments.’
Wonderful. Nathan obviously knew heaps about ancient history and the English canon.
Nathan spoke up. ‘We wanted to tell you together because…’ His sombre gaze mellowed. ‘Well, because of your past. We knew this would be awkward for you both, but we wanted everything out in the open, and we wanted to do it with all four of us in a secure but neutral setting.’
Hands low on his hips, Devlin nodded as if Nathan were on his way to solving all the problems of the world. ‘We appreciate it—don’t we, Eden?’
Eden’s throat burned.
She would agree. She must agree.
But the accusation tumbled out. ‘Sabrina, you’re making a mistake.’
As Sabrina’s face crumpled Devlin said out of the side of his mouth, ‘It’s their business, remember?’
A suffocating lump clogged her throat. Yeah, it was their business until the love shack fell apart, then it was big-sister-mopping-up-the-mess business.
‘I’ll take good care of Sabrina.’ Nathan looked longingly into Sabrina’s eyes, then dropped a kiss on her brow. ‘I care very deeply for your sister.’
‘Not enough to put a ring on her finger.’
Eden heard the venom in her own voice and her face flamed. But it was too late to take it back, and the sick ache in her stomach said that her sister was being…exploited might be too strong a word. Manipulated suited better. Nathan was eager to have Sabrina in a relationship, in his environment, in his bed every night. If Sabrina were older, wiser, Eden would’ve accepted the news, even after six short weeks of dating.
But Sabrina was young, naïve, as hopelessly in love as Eden had once been with Devlin. She knew precisely the absolute and urgent nature of Sabrina’s feelings, as if she would die if she couldn’t be with the one she loved. But Eden felt it in her gut, with every instinct she possessed…Nathan would tire of Sabrina and her baby sister would be left heartbroken, and who knew for how long?
As Nathan straightened to his full height Sabrina’s wounded look hardened into wilfulness. ‘I don’t want to get married. I just want to be with my boyfriend every chance we get. You remember what that’s like, don’t you, Eden?’
Her plaintive gaze flicked to Devlin.
Eden arched a brow. Yes, she remembered too well. That was the problem.
The doorbell rang. Needing to cool down, Eden mumbled, ‘I’ll get it,’ and moved off. Thankfully it was Housekeeping delivering their freshly pressed clothes.
When Eden rejoined the trio, two sets of clothing draped over her arm, she’d regained her composure. Histrionics were never useful. Devlin had his faults but in this he was right. She’d done all she could but at the end of the day it was Sabrina’s life. Sadly, she’d have to make her own mistakes and learn from them like anyone else. Eden couldn’t save Sabrina from every hurt, no matter how much she wanted to.
She kissed Sabrina’s cheek and with a supportive smile said, ‘We’ll get dressed and leave you and Nathan to enjoy your night together.’
Sabrina’s eyes sparkled with hope. ‘So you’re okay with me moving out of our apartment?’
Eden thought of the scene in the bathroom, of how Sabrina must know at least some of what had transpired. Irrespective of age, if Sabrina was being foolish, this afternoon her older sister had been more so. She couldn’t be a hypocrite.
Eden shrugged good-humouredly. ‘If you’re happy, honey, I’m happy.’
Sabrina’s brows pushed in and up. ‘Oh, I am, Eden. I’m so happy, I could burst.’
Eden held her smile, then pivoted away before Sabrina saw the moisture welling in her eyes. Devlin followed her into the bedroom and clicked the door closed.
Numb inside, she stepped into her laundered panties. ‘This is worse than I thought.’
Devlin grunted. ‘Not from where I’m standing.’
Eden bristled. Of course he’d think that way. Little brother had got himself a beautiful young woman to share his bed every night—for however long it lasted.
‘He’ll break her heart.’ Feeling sickeningly resigned to the fact, she dragged out her bra.
His voice held an edge. ‘Eden, they’re in love.’
Yeah, well, they’d been in love once too. Correction. She’d been in love. Devlin had been in lust. After that erotic bathroom scene, had anything changed?
He sat down on the bed and urged her to sit too. Wanting to cry, she sank down heavily.
‘I’ll sound like Freud’s sidekick,’ he said, ‘but it’s obvious what’s going on. You’re letting our past relationship—your misgivings about me—colour your opinion here.’
Eden held her hollow stomach as a tear slid down her cheek. Her heart had been ripped out when they’d broken up. She didn’t want Sabrina enduring that same horrible pain. And yet given Nathan’s reputation with women, Sabrina had exactly that to look forward to.
Devlin settled his hand on her lap. The heat did little to warm her. ‘We’ll go somewhere quiet and talk—’
‘I don’t want to talk,’ she ground out. I don’t want to look back. ‘Look what happens when we start to talk.’
‘We get along.’
She pushed to her feet. ‘If that’s what you want to call it.’
‘So that’s it?’
Showing him her back, she dragged her dress out of its cover. ‘I told you, I don’t want to discuss it.’
‘People who date sometimes stay together and sometimes they move on.’
She sent him an arch look. ‘Gee, thank you, Dr Phil.’
‘That’s why couples move in together, to see if they fit. Nate and Sabrina are mature enough to know the score. You’d do better to accept your sister’s situation rather than tear yourself up over it.’
Feeling empty inside, Eden clutched the dress to her chest. She hated that he made so much sense. She only wanted Sabrina to be happy. Damn it, she wanted to be happy too.
She rotated back and questioned his eyes, which were all the more sexy because he was brooding.
Was his suggestion to go somewhere and talk just a line? An excuse to get her alone and finish what they’d started?
Her frustration and hurt over how they’d parted had been bottled up for so long. She couldn’t deny that being with Devlin again—enjoying his unique brand of masculine sensuality and affection—had smoothed away some of that torment. As shocking as it was to accept, the barefaced truth was…
Sighing, she dropped the dress onto the bed.
Maybe talking with him more—finishing what they’d started—wouldn’t be a mistake. Maybe it was precisely what she needed to exorcise her demons. Maybe she deserved one glorious night of get-it-out-of-your-system sex and to hell with tomorrow.
Eden wasn’t desperate for marriage. Plenty of women chose not to marry these days, or not until they were older. Three years ago she’d worn rose-coloured glasses, but now her eyes were wide open. She and Devlin were attracted to each other, enjoyed each other’s company. Maybe it wasn’t for ever, but it certainly was formidable.
She should take a leaf from her younger sister’s book for a change and simply live life. Hold onto the spark today had ignited. Enjoy the moment.
Take a risk.
Filling her lungs, Eden nodded. ‘We’ll go somewhere…and talk.’
His grave expression eased. He stood and brought her close, holding her the way he had that night on the beach—tenderly, protectively.
As if he wouldn’t let anything harm her.
His warm breath brushed her hair as his clean musk
y scent coated her senses. ‘You’re doing the right thing.’
Resignation dropped through her.
He didn’t understand. This wasn’t about right or wrong. She didn’t have a choice. It was either see this through to its natural conclusion or regret she hadn’t for the rest of her life.
But, if she was pushing forward with extending this rendezvous—if she intended to take this all the way—she’d make damn sure she enjoyed it.
CHAPTER SIX
TEN minutes later, he and Eden had said goodbye to Sabrina and Nate, and were exiting one of the hotel’s ground-floor lifts. Crossing the wide expanse of shiny marble floor, with a baby grand tinkling on the mezzanine floor above, Eden stopped and wove her fingers up his lapels.
‘So tell me…where do you plan to take me?’
As her expectant eyes sparkled up at him Devlin thanked his lucky stars. Given the intensity of their attraction for each other, it was no surprise how they’d ended up together in that bathroom. But after the way Eden had taken Sabrina and Nate’s news—hardly well—he’d doubted she’d be in any kind of mood to continue with the more intimate side of this reunion.
Yet ultimately she hadn’t decided to close up, shut him out and walk away. She’d accepted, on some level at least, their siblings’ decision and had gone one step further.
She’d agreed to his suggestion that they talk.
Smiling at her now, he covered her hands with his. ‘Where would you like to go?’
Her gaze slid towards the dark granite reservations desk. ‘Why don’t you get a room?’
Amidst streams of guests, strolling to the bank of lifts, sauntering towards the à la carte restaurant, Devlin felt his testosterone levels surge. He liked this new Eden, or rather he liked having the old Eden back. Other than her cheeks looking a little flushed, she appeared cool, in complete control. She was making no bones about it. She was ready to dive straight back under the proverbial covers.
However, ‘When I said we’d go somewhere quiet,’ he said lightly, ‘I didn’t necessarily mean another hotel suite.’
She shrugged. ‘I did.’
His chin tucked in but then he laughed. She wasn’t messing around.
