A Twist of Fate (14 page)

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."

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."

"You're good then."

"Shouldn't I just move on to new things?" I asked,
like I had told myself so many times before.

"No.  You should get over yourself.  You have to stop
being afraid of what could go wrong and start looking forward to what could go
right.  Look at him.  The man's hot.  And he's hot for you."

"You're right."

"He's hot?" she asked, both confused and surprised
that I agreed with her.

"No.  I mean, yes; he's hot.  But he's also still
hanging around even though he knows my issues."

"There you go.  If he's still sticking around, then
it's for a reason.  He knows about your whirlwind romance with Cameron.  I’d
bet that’s why he hasn’t been too pushy in the romance department.  He's
probably just waiting for you to come around."

"You make a good point.  But what if you’re wrong?"

"At least you'll get some hot sex out of the deal.  No
man can pass up hot sex."

We both laughed and with hooked arms we pushed through the
door.

"I think I know what I have to do,” I admitted.  “But it'll
have to be tomorrow now, since you've got me all sloshed right now."  A
cheesy grin covered my face, as we walked down the long hall.  “I can usually
hold my liquor better.  It’s really hitting me hard tonight."

Cally covered her smirking mouth with her hand. 
"That's because I had them putting double shots in yours."

"Cally, I am going to kill you.”

"You looked like you needed it.  It did the trick too. 
Look at the striking realization you had."

"I'll strike you one," I replied, swatting at her rear
playfully.

Edwin stared me down as we both took our seats, giggling.  "Did
you girls fall in?"

Cally turned her eyes on Edwin, stealing his warm gaze away
from my rosy cheeks.  "So, Eddie.  What do you think about hitting a club
before calling it a night?"

She was testing him.  Already.  And I was sure, if he said
yes, that Cally's tests would only get more difficult as the night went on.

"For sure.  I mean, if Abigail wants to," Edwin answered.

I slammed a hand on the table.  "I don't know how many
more drinks I can handle, thanks to Cally's special mix."  I squinted at
Cally, animatedly.

"I'm sure you can handle one more," she pressured,
the way Cally did best.

I agreed, holding up one finger, and Edwin’s smile grew
three sizes.  My desire burned strong with impatience, as I fought to keep any
indication of that from my face.  The two of them stood from the table and
started toward the door.  I followed behind, but stumbled a little before
catching myself embarrassedly on a chair.  They both stopped to stare at me,
along with the rest of the patrons in the fine establishment.

"I can't even walk," I whispered, annoyed by my
own incompetence.

Cally giggled as she nodded at the waiter to bring her the
bill.  "Edwin's a strong man.  He can carry you if he has to."

The waiter interrupted.  "Mr. Wilde has already taken
care of your bill, but I wonder if I could get your signature."

"Sure," Cally answered, then scribbled her name on
the white slip.  When she lifted her eyes, she acted as though she recognized
someone at the bar.  She was so transparent sometimes.  "Oh, I see someone
over there I have to say hello to.  You don't mind, do you?  I'll only be a
minute."  She ran off before we could say no and left Edwin and I standing
in the middle of the bustling restaurant.

"Why don't we wait for Cally at the door," Edwin
suggested, dropping his hand casually around my waist to help me to the front
entrance.

I glanced over to Cally at the bar, where she had made some
new friends.  She gave me a wink, giving up her wicked trickery.  I plodded toward
the door and had to pull away from Edwin to get out of someone’s way.  He quickly
recovered by resting his hand on the small of my back.

A pleasant chill skipped up my spine and my stomach twisted
with guilt.  It was only a few short months ago that I was blindly in love with
Cameron.  My love for him had not simply evaporated, and that made things
difficult.

Standing among a few scattered couples lingering by the
door, we waited silently for Cally to rejoin us.  As a few patrons left the
restaurant, a nasty wind blasted in, chilling me to the bone.  I wrapped my
hands around my arms to fight off the chill.  My jacket wasn’t nearly as warm as
it needed to be to get the job done.

Edwin thoughtfully wrapped his arm around me, and tucked me
against his side, without a word.  It warmed me instantly, and not just from
the heat flooding from his core.  A new heat bloomed in my belly and flames burst
through my body like it was covered in gasoline.  Edwin rubbed his large hand
up and down my arm to comfort me, but it only fueled the fire.