Bride on the Children's Ward / Marriage Reunited: Baby on the Way (12 page)

‘Hear, hear!’ Hal agreed, his tone now more sincere, more relaxed than before. ‘Forgive and forget—and I certainly hope you can forgive me, Eden. I said some horrible things to you the night you left, and it’s plagued me ever since.’ He leaned forward and took her free hand in his, his voice shaky with emotion. ‘Whatever reason it is that’s brought you home, I’m just glad you’re here, girl, and that I finally have the chance to say I’m sorry.’

A lump formed in Eden’s throat and tears welled in her eyes. ‘Dad…’ For the first time since she’d entered the house, she let go of David’s hand so she could properly embrace her father. ‘I’m sorry, too. Sorry for what I said.’ She turned to her mother. ‘Sorry for making you worry.’ She looked at Todd. ‘And sorry for deserting you.’

Todd stood there, hands shoved in his pockets, before shaking his head and stalking from the room. Eden quickly looked around at David, who merely shrugged.

‘He’ll come round,’ Gretchen offered as she too embraced her daughter—but not with the exuberance of her husband. ‘I’m relieved you’re safe, Eden.’

They stayed another ten minutes before the headache pounding against her skull couldn’t be ignored any longer. After promising to see them soon, Eden and David said their goodbyes.

It wasn’t until they were seated in his car, heading back to her hotel, that Eden started to cry. She knew she needed to release the pressure building inside her, to let the emotions out. She’d never been good at bottling things up.

David didn’t say a word, but just quietly passed her his handkerchief. By the time they arrived at her hotel she was only sniffing intermittently.

Again he came round and helped her from the car, linking his hand with hers as they headed inside. The silence continued as they walked to the lifts, rode up to her floor. When they stood outside her door, Eden jerked her thumb over her shoulder, indicating the room behind them.

‘Do you want to come in? I could make us a cup of tea.’

David shook his head. ‘I think it’s better if I go.’

‘Are you sure? You were fantastic. Thank you so much for being there, for supporting me. I couldn’t have done it without you.’

David shook his head. ‘I don’t know about that. I’m really proud of you, Eden—and I don’t mean that to sound condescending or anything like that. Going to see your family, breaking the ice—it was a big deal. And for the record, I think you would have managed just fine even if I hadn’t been there.’

‘I disagree.’ She put her hands on his shoulders and looked intently into his eyes. This man, this man who was so special to her on so many levels, this man who had held her hand had given her strength. It wasn’t the first time David had done that for her and she instinctively knew it wouldn’t be the last. ‘You were a good friend tonight, David. To all of us, but especially to me.’ Standing on tiptoe, she kissed his cheek. ‘Thanks.’

His hands came to rest at her waist. It was an automatic reaction to stop her from overbalancing when she leaned up to kiss him. He didn’t remove his hands. Neither did she. David looked down into her upturned face, his gaze settling on her full and waiting lips.

Was he going to do it? Was he going to kiss her? Eden’s breathing grew faster. Butterflies took flight in her stomach as she stayed completely still. She needed David to make this decision, to make this move. He’d been so adamant before that it wouldn’t work between them, despite how much he wanted to kiss her.

Would he give in? Would he listen to his heart or his head? He glanced at her eyes, seeing total acceptance there. She was his. For this moment in time she was all his, and it was a moment he’d been longing for far too long to ignore any more.

‘Eden.’ Her name was barely audible on his parted lips, and she saw the raw heat, the full strength of his desire in his eyes as his arms tightened at her waist, drawing her closer.

This was it. It was finally going to happen. David was going to kiss her.

I
T WAS
as though he’d travelled back in time, to the first time his lips had pressed against hers, only this time he was not going to pull away. He was going to stay and he was going to enjoy it.

He lowered his head, coming closer to hers, drawing in her essence with every pounding heartbeat. He wanted to commit the minutest detail to memory, because he knew what they were about to do was wrong. Even though he knew the kiss would be earth shattering, it would no doubt be the last and final time he could hold her like this, could touch her like this, and he’d need something to keep him warm on the long, lonely nights which would stretch before him when she was gone.

The memories of her kisses, of the happier times they’d spent together, had helped him through the terrible sickness he’d suffered nearly seven years ago.
Eden.
The way she’d smiled. The way she’d felt in his arms. His mouth against hers. And now he was going to kiss her again.

When he was close enough, their lips parted, their breaths mingling…David closed his eyes, needing to concentrate completely on just what her mouth would feel like this time. Would it be different from all those years ago? Would the pleasure be as great now they’d both had so many life experiences? Would it be even better?

There was no time like the present to discover the answers. He touched his lips to hers.

The softness of her mouth captivated and enticed him, her scent winding itself around him, drugging him with its sweetness. This was real, this was now, and he wanted time to stand still so they could live in it for ever. It was as though she had been made for him, and deep down his heart begged him to acknowledge that truth.

Slowly, ever so slowly, he savoured the flavours of her, delighting in each one. The tart, the sweet, the seductive. She was everything he’d ever dreamed of, and he wanted to take his time exploring the lusciousness of Eden. His body taut with repressed desire, he gently slipped the tip of his tongue between her lips, knowing she would open to him—and she did.

She sighed into the kiss, loving the feel of his mouth on hers, and glad she finally had another memory to add to the ones which had managed to get her through some of the worst times in her life. Always when things were bad she would think of David and the happy times they’d spent together. Now…now she had more. She’d never been a greedy person, but she wanted him to kiss her again and again and again…for ever. She doubted she’d ever be able to get enough of the way he made her feel, the way her insides seemed to liquefy, her knees turning to a boneless mass at the slightest of touches from him.

He’d started the kiss in a slow and sensual way, and she’d been happy to go with that, but the raging torrent building inside her was threatening to rush forth and overflow if he kept up this pace. He was torturing her by so slowly and tenderly kissing her mouth, the tip of his tongue occasionally slipping between her lips, raising the overwhelming awareness which existed between them.

Inch by inch she brought her hands up his chest, her fingers splayed as she tried to memorise every contour of his amazing physique. He moaned at the contact and she captured the sound into her mouth, taking the opportunity to gently nibble on his lower lip.

Stretching her arms up and winding them about his neck, she inched forward, her body now pressed hard against his chest. This time his groan was deeper, and as though something had snapped he plunged his tongue into her mouth. She reciprocated, opening up to him, needing him as much as he needed her.

At the ripe old age of nineteen he’d thought himself capable of resisting Eden, and when she’d kissed him, although the contact had been brief, he’d fought the attraction, knowing nothing could come of it. Now, at the age of thirty-one, he’d presumed himself more than able to kiss her and still hold onto some semblance of control.

He’d been wrong.

Where on earth had he got the idea that he’d be able to remain in control of his senses when she responded to him so ardently, so completely, so perfectly?

She was like a drug, and he knew after only kissing her for a few seconds that he was definitely addicted. He’d wanted to know what it would be like to kiss her as the woman she’d grown into, not the teenager. Now he knew. And all he wanted to do was keep on kissing her again and again and again. For ever.

The hunger continued to rage between them, but there was also the need for oxygen, and in another moment he wrenched his mouth from hers, pressing small kisses to the corner of her delicious lips as he sucked air into his lungs. She did the same, and when she started to press kisses along his jawline and around his neck so she could nibble on his earlobe a shiver ran through him. He heard her deep chuckle in response.

‘We are perfect for each other,’ she murmured.

‘You said that years ago, too.’ David shook his head. ‘Can you now see why I had to leave Sydney?’ he muttered as he buried his face in her neck, breathing in deeply. ‘You were so young.
We
were so young. I knew it was getting serious between us. Too serious.’ His deep, whispered words washed over her as she continued to spread little kisses over his skin.

Eden eased back a little to look at him, her eyes now a dark green filled with desire. ‘So you gave in to your father because of me?’

‘Yes. At first I wasn’t at all happy with the idea of leaving. I wanted to be with you, and although I know I hurt you, in a way I meant what I said to you that night in the garden. We
were
young, Eden. Both of us. Filled with teenage ideals.’ David looked down at her, unable to let her go just yet. The way she felt in his arms was right. He had no idea why, it just was. She was Eden.
His
Eden.

‘You don’t think it would have worked between the two of us back then?’

‘We would have both gone to medical school. No doubt ostracised by our families and left without a penny to our names. It would have been difficult, and you might have grown to hate—’

Eden put a finger over his lips, effectively silencing him. ‘Shh. It was just a question, and we
were
young. Because you left, our lives have gone in completely different directions. We’ve had a lot of different experiences which we might not have had otherwise.’

‘Yet here we are.’ He rubbed his fingers gently up and down her back and Eden snuggled deeper against him. He wanted to kiss her again, to devour her luscious mouth, bring her body as close to his as he possibly could. He needed her…
really
needed her…and until that split second he hadn’t realised just how powerful that need was.

What had he done by kissing her? By ignoring the voice of reason? By giving in to his desires? He would hurt them both far more than he had in the past. She would be in town for a while. He couldn’t quit his job in order to put distance between them. He’d have to see her at the hospital, at Sasha’s house, but hopefully they’d be able to remain civil towards each other…at least until she returned overseas to her next PMA assignment.

‘I like being in your arms,’ she murmured against his chest. ‘I like breathing you in.’

‘I like holding you in my arms, your perfume winding around me.’ He kissed the top of her head.

‘Can it last?’

The question was quiet, but he felt the words against his chest, his heart constricting. David swallowed, unsure what to say, what to do.

Eden eased back and looked up at him. ‘David? What do we do now?’

‘I don’t know, Eden.’ He closed his eyes, wondering how he was ever going to tell her that he couldn’t have children. When he and his ex-wife had realised the truth of that it had been the straw which had broken the camel’s back. Would Eden understand where Jacqueline hadn’t? Was he willing to take that risk by laying himself open to her? Jacqueline had hurt him badly with her reaction. Would Eden react the same way?

Eden sighed, loving the feel of him, the way his scent wound itself around her, becoming part of her. He was stroking her hair now, and she loved that too. She closed her eyes, knowing that after such an amazing kiss they had to figure out whether the attraction between them was worth pursuing.

It would mean drastic changes for her, and although she had an underlying feeling of discontent she still loved her job, and wasn’t sure she could leave the employ of Pacific Medical Aid just yet. Would David wait for her? Join her for a brief stint in the field?

She opened her eyes. ‘You said earlier tonight that it wouldn’t work out between us.’

‘I know.’

‘You were adamant about it.’

‘I know.’ He looked down at her, down at that delicious mouth, and even though his mind was in turmoil his body knew exactly what it wanted. He pressed his mouth to hers, needing to live in the fantasy for a bit longer.

‘Why not? Is it because of the directions we’ve gone in our careers? Is it impossible for us to make room for each other in our lives?’ She leaned up and kissed him, savouring the taste and power. ‘I’ve wanted to kiss you for so long. Now that we’ve given in to that I want more. I want to kiss you again and again. I want to hold your hand. I want to…dance with you in the moonlight. I want to wake up in the morning, to open my eyes and for you to be the first person I see.’

Eden threaded her fingers through his hair, gazing up into his beautiful eyes. One hand still stayed spread out across his heart, as though she couldn’t bear to move it for fear that he’d let her go completely. Could she hold onto his heart just as he had a firm hold on hers?

‘I dream about you. All the time. Even when I’m working overseas. I think about you all the time. About the fun we used to have. Even this morning I was dreaming about you.’ Her cheeks coloured a little at the confession. ‘When you called I thought I was still dreaming.’

‘Ah.’ David thought back to some of the things she’d said. ‘I thought you were just trying to razz me up again.’

She smiled briefly, but her eyes were intent. ‘You’ve affected me, David. For so long, in so many ways—and all of them are good.’ She caressed his cheek, loving the way his five o’clock shadow felt against her smooth fingertips. ‘Why do you think it wouldn’t work between us?’

‘Eden.’ There was pain behind his eyes, and when he swallowed she reached up and placed a kiss on his neck, working her way up towards his mouth. He accepted her with the utmost pleasure, wanting to stay here, to live in this bubble where things couldn’t go wrong, where they could figure out how to have the happy ending both of them wanted so badly. He wanted to lose himself in her, not to look forward, not to look back—just to…
be
.

This time when they kissed it wasn’t like the other slow and exploratory episodes. This was hot, hungry and filled with the passion they felt for each other. His mouth was on hers with such pressure, such desire, such hedonistic pleasure.

‘David,’ she panted against his mouth when they finally drew apart. ‘I’m positive I’m in love with you. I know that probably makes things even worse, but—’

‘It does. It means it doesn’t matter what I do now—I’m going to hurt you.’ He kissed her. ‘I don’t want to hurt you.’

‘Talk to me,’ she pleaded. ‘Tell me what’s going on in that intelligent mind of yours.’

He’d have to. He’d have to tell her about the accident, about the radiation sickness and about its inevitable outcome. She would be shocked, appalled, and she would leave him.

Holding her close, one hand on her head where she listened to the pounding of his heart—a heart that reciprocated the love she was offering—David knew it was time. Time to hurt them both. He couldn’t do it here, though. Standing in a hotel corridor was not the right place.

‘Tomorrow night?’

‘We’re having dinner with Sasha and Robert tomorrow night. I’ve already spoken to the nursing staff about getting her released for a few hours.’

‘Good. She needs it. Hang on…
we’re
having dinner?’

Eden lifted her head and smiled at him. ‘You’re supposed to come, too. I just kept forgetting to ask you.’ She shrugged. ‘A lot has happened since I got back to town.’

‘You can say that again. So we’re having dinner out tomorrow night? What about the day after?’

‘So long as my temporary boss at the hospital doesn’t take up my time with too much work, I should be available.’

He smiled, knowing she was trying to lighten the atmosphere. ‘I’ll take that into account.’

‘Much appreciated, boss.’ She kissed him.

David accepted the tantalising brush of her delicious mouth across his. ‘You’re addictive,’ he murmured, and she laughed, the sound filling him with happiness. It had been so long since he’d had such happiness in his life, and now that it was back he didn’t want to lose it again.

‘Right back at ya, babe.’ Her smile was too delicious for words, and he found himself lowering his head again.

‘I don’t seem to be able to stop kissing you,’ he murmured against her mouth.

‘Then don’t.’

‘Well, unless we plan to live in the corridor of this hotel, I think it’s something we need to address.’ As he spoke, he reluctantly eased his hold on her, releasing her from his arms.

‘That doesn’t mean you need to stop kissing me.’ She pointed at the carpet, the place where they both stood. ‘This isn’t the only kissing Eden spot in all of Sydney, you know.’

‘Eden, I—’

She placed a finger across his lips. ‘Shh. Enough for tonight.’

David kissed the digit before taking both of her hands in his. ‘OK. Go inside, get some sleep.’

‘Sleep?’ she repeated as he let go of her hands. Feeling bereft of his touch, she quickly dug around in her bag for the plastic keycard to the room. She found it and tried it in the door. It didn’t work. ‘These things hate me,’ she muttered.

David merely smiled and took it from her, swiping it cleanly through. The door clicked open on the first go.

‘Unfair,’ Eden protested. She stood in the open doorway and turned to look at him, her gaze flicking from his lips to his eyes and back again. ‘One for the road?’

‘Hmm.’ He slowly shook his head but grinned. ‘You’re incorrigible.’

‘Only with you.’ Eden sighed, pleased she affected him as much as he affected her.