Tomorrow Will Be Too Late (22 page)

For a few moments he remained motionless, listening to Kate’s even
breathing. She
moved in her sleep, one smooth, slender leg entwining with his in a gesture that
sent his pulse racing. He wanted to gather her closer and kiss her awake, his face the first thing she would see as she opened her eyes. When he thought about
it
,
that
was exactly what he wanted
—
to be the first and last face she saw falling asleep and waking up. She murmured something in her sleep, her voice strained and unhappy. Was she dreaming about him? Did she
subconsciously
regret
what happened last night? Hell, why would she? Frustration threatened to boil over as he tried to remind himself of the facts. Didn’t she practically force him into this
new relationship, her lovely face calm and serene as she asked him to sleep with her?

He recalled the passion they shared, her brave and almost demanding attitude surely enough to
c
alm his worries. She met him halfway all the time, eager and willing to enjoy the fantastic sex they had twice more after the long luxurious bath and slow, erotic massage he promised. It should have been enough to silence
the
little voice in his head that told him things weren’t exactly the way they seemed. No matter how hard he tried
,
however, he couldn’t shake the feeling he was missing an important part of a puzzle. That he
had
failed her
,
somehow, by overlooking the obvious. He didn’t need to feel like that, he told himself as he slowly slid out of bed, careful not to wake her. He didn’t owe her anything, what happened last night unable to change the fact
that
she was still the woman who led him into a disaster only two years
before
.

He would make some coffee, he decided, his proactive nature rebelling against pointless mulling over things with no solution in sight. A good shot of caffeine would do wonders, clearing his mind and allowing for some new insight.

Pulling on a pair of old faded jeans took only a second, his decision to
forgo
the shirt something that happened almost automatically. He would be damned if he admitted he was hoping to return to bed with a cup of the fragrant brew, waking her up with its aroma. Whatever would follow next was to be seen
.

Her bag was still on the sofa, where she left it
the
night
before
. He glanced at it hesitantly as he walked into the open concept kitchen, the temptation to take a peek at the contents slowing down his steps. Wasn’t he wondering about her mysterious behavior just moments ago? Surely, her personal belongings
might
offer some clue to what was going on.
He deserved to know more, he told himself as he stood over the sofa, his eyes glued to the small, wine
-
red bag with a silver buckle. And yet, he couldn’t do it. It went against everything he believed in, his inborn respect for privacy and personal space not something to be easily discarded, even in those excusable circumstances. He’d have to wait for her to tell him whatever it was that bothered her so much
—i
f she
ever
decided to do so, the little devilish voice in his head supplied.

What happened next was an accident. He picked
up
the bag from the sofa with the honest intention
to leave it
on
the side table. It could wait there for
Kate
, safely tucked away between the tray with fruit and the large bronze candelabra that belonged to his aunt. Only it wasn’t properly closed
,
and as he lifted it by the slim, red strap, the contents slipped out, the soft leather of the sofa muff
l
ing the sound. For
that
he was very grateful, he thought as he hurriedly collected the few items and stuffed them back into the silk
-
lined interior of the bag. The last thing he needed was Kate waking up to the noise and finding him red
-
handed. He would have
a
hard time convincing her he wasn’t snooping around with his hands still clutching some of the items.

Her cellphone was the last. Small and
sleek
, it fit into his palm as he weighed it absentmindedly, his eyes going to the
screen. One new message, it said, his brain registering the words even before he made a conscious connection, his curiosity losing the battle with his desperate need to remain decent. He’d see who called her, that was
all
, he thought defensively as he pressed the go button.

Dr. Merkle appeared as the caller, the name too alien and official to sound like a lover. But was it really? Maybe she was dating a doctor, he thought, a wave of hostility he didn’t even
know
he was capable of washing over him with renewed strength. He couldn’t really check the message, he thought regretfully, not without knowing her password to access the phone.
S
taring at the number
would gain nothing
, he thought gloomily, when suddenly it rang, the sound
taking him by surprise.

He pressed the talk button instantly, a reflexive reaction
,
as he didn’t want her to wake up to the cheerful tune.

‘
Hello
?’ He
felt
incredibly silly. He was acting like some third grader on a
spying spree
,
for God’s sake! ‘
Can
I help you?’

‘I’m sorry
.
’
T
he man’s voice on the other end sounded surprised, his quick intake of air making a funny swishing sound that made
Justin
smile. ‘I must have picked the wrong number. I thought I was talking to my patient
. M
y mistake.’ A short apology followed, leaving Justin with the uncanny sensation
of being
caught doing something forbidden.

Well, at least he had his answer. The man had definitely mentioned a talk with his patient, so the dating speculation didn’t really fit. The
short-lived
relief was soon extinguished as he realized the implications of the call. It must have been important if the doctor called his patient
so early in the
morning, at
—
he glanced at the kitchen clock, the digital display glowing red in the morning light
—
at seven
-
thirty.

He made the coffee, his
thoughts still clinging to the mysterious doctor and his message.
E
ven though the other man
hadn’t
introduce
d
himself
,
he was rather sure it was the same person who had left the message last night. After all
,
how many doctors
would
have contacted Kate in less than twelve hours? Obviously
,
it must have been important enough to make him try over and over again.
Or it was personal after all,
the cover
-
up with mentioning a patient nothing more
than
a diversion. Maybe she was dating a married man? A man who couldn’t afford to be a simple name on her speed dial. The doctor title put him into a totally different category, if anyone were to peek at their conversation history.

Was that why she told him she wasn’t dating anyone? Maybe it meant something else entirely? If she dated a married man, who knew if this sudden change of heart had one single purpose
—
to make him jealous.

‘Something smells great
.’ H
e turned to her voice, an automatic smile replacing his speculative gaze. The moment he looked at her, the response turned genuine, her slim body wrapped
in
a
white fluffy robe leaving little space for any other thoughts. With her dark hair still tousled from sleep and her make
-
up free face
,
she looked about sixteen, he thought as he tried to pull himself together. He nodded and gestured to the high stools at the kitchen island.

‘I’ve made
us
some coffee
.’ H
e put a cup of steaming, fragrant brew on the marble counter, smiling lightly as he noticed her reach for sugar and milk. Victoria never used either, her almost religious attention to not eating too many calories driving him crazy.
She
had
possess
ed
magnificent
self-control
, he had to admit, never one to stray from
the
strict diet that kept her wafer thin and petite.

‘I hope you don’t mind
.
’
H
er voice trailed off as she gestured to the robe she was wearing, the rolled up sleeves and belt wrapped twice around the tiny span of her
waist making
her look very fragile.

‘
It
looks better on you anyway
.
’
He
watched her blush and had to smile again. To think about it, being around Kate involved a lot of smiling. He tried to remember the anger and resentment he felt
when
he
learned about
her scheme years ago, the financial loss nothing compared to his emotional scarring. He waited for the familiar sensation to come back and flood his mind, saving him from turning into total mush. And yet
,
he waited in vain.

‘What would you like to eat?’
he
asked, rummaging
through
his large, stainless steel fridge. ‘I’ve got eggs, bacon, mushrooms, jam… the list goes on and on.
I usually spend my
nights
here
,
so the fridge is stoc
ked with the essentials.
’ He looked up to her and saw her shake her head in denial, her lovely eyes regretful.

‘I’d love to, but I’ve go
t to run. I promised Alice to take care of
the florists
’
arrangements, just to make sure all is in order.
And I need to make arrangements for my mom and her husband. They insisted on staying in a bed and breakfast Johann found online. Apparently it’s very romantic and secluded. My mom’s birthday is coming up
,
so he want
ed it to be his birthday gift for
her, away from the hubbub of the city
. They hardly ever have time for vacations, with his gardening nurseries and all
.
’

There it was again
, the
fleeting look of panic in her eyes as she prattled on, her gaze averted and focused on the pattern of the marble countertop. He considered briefly laying the cards on the table and asking
her straight
out
what made her look so nervous. Would she consider
confiding
in him or
would she
run off, damaging the thin thread
of connection they had established
?
Because
,
even though the sex
had been
wonderful
,
and he was still in awe of what had happened, he knew deep down in his heart that he wasn’t any closer to solving the mystery.

‘
Do
you need to get over to the place and book it?
Or is it all settled online?
’ T
hat was an innocent enough question, he decided, as he saw her nod, unaware she had walked into his trap.

‘I will
definitely go there
. I mean
,
I’ve looked it up online and all, but it’s just here, a few miles away from the city. So I’d rather take a ride and see it for myself.’ She smiled, the ghost of
the
passionate spirit he
had come
to admire last night, shining t
h
rough. ‘My mom can be very demanding
,
and I’d hate
to have
her disappointed.’

‘Well th
en, how about we go together?’ S
he was taken aback by his offer, he could tell. ‘I’m on a sabbatical from work for another two weeks anyway,’ he continued, not quite sure
to
who
m
he
was
try
ing
to justify his sudden impulse more
—
Kate or himself.

‘I’m not sure we should spread
the
image of us joined by the hip
.’ S
he bit her lower lip,
a clear sign of uncertainty. ‘
I mean,
Alice
knows me very well
,
and she would be really puzzled to see me fall into a relationship at such lightning speed, Justin. She has no idea we
had
already met, of course.’