A Twist of Fate (15 page)

When my eyes slowly met his, he smiled.  I wanted to kiss
him.

"Is that better?" he asked.

If by better he meant melting in his arms, then yes.  I was
much, much better.  I just wanted to curl up against his naked chest and absorb
all of him.  Thankfully, Cally walked up just then.

"Look at you two.  You make such a cute couple."

I pulled away from Edwin, naturally, and shoved Cally.

"What?" she asked.  "I'm just saying."

Edwin was clearly amused, but I wasn’t.  I headed for her
car ahead of them and when Cally unlocked the doors, I let myself into the
passenger door.  As I clicked my seat belt, I noticed it was Edwin getting in
the driver seat next to me.

"What are you doing?"

"Cally says her margarita was a little on the strong
side and I know I can hold my liquor better than the two of you put together. 
You just relax and have a good time."

"You don't worry about me.  I'll have a good time, if I
want to," I argued, wanting control of my own feelings back.

"I don't doubt it," he said, laughing, as the back
door slammed shut.

I stared out the window, as Cally directed Edwin to the nightclub. 
Before long, we were entering the packed dance club, dropping right in on the
fun.  A hoard of people clogged the perimeter of the dance floor, bumping
around and having a good old time.  Bass was exploding out of the speakers in
heavenly thuds, filling every crevice of the building.  Edwin was nodding,
showing that he liked it, but that could have had something to do with the
loads of nearly naked women prancing around him.

"I'm gonna go get us some drinks," Cally hollered
in my ear.

"Okay.  Take it easy on me this time," I shouted
back.

She smiled, drew a cross over her heart with her finger, and
took off toward the bar.  I grabbed Edwin’s hand and pulled him in the opposite
direction.

“We’re dancing,” I hollered, as a racy song hit the
speakers.  The combination of the beat and the bouncy beauties made it
impossible for me to stand still.

Edwin started fist pumping and, though it cracked me up, the
other ladies seemed to think it was pretty hot.  I closed my eyes to quit worrying
about everyone else and rotated my hips like a belly-dancer.  With my hands
over my head, I felt the music flow through me.  When I opened my eyes, I
learned that Edwin was enjoying the show, his face covered again with that dead
sexy smile.

My mouth watered, as Edwin reminded me what those hips could
do.  Then the DJ blended the song into another, and Cally showed up with our
drinks lifted high above the crowd.

"Thanks, babe!" I said, then took a sip from my
glass.  It tasted just right.

Cally danced with me and I hoped to make Edwin jealous.  My
plan backfired brilliantly, only giving the other spicy ladies the space they
needed to move in on Edwin.  And they didn’t even know how much better it got
underneath those clothes.  That was until he lifted his bulky arms and pulled
his sweater over his head, his t-shirt lifting just enough to show anyone who
was watching what they were missing out on.

Even after he fixed his t-shirt, there was no missing the
tight pull of fabric across his gorgeous chest.  A whole crew of ladies wrapped
right around him, blocking him from my view.

Why was I so upset about that?

Glancing over Cally's shoulder, I saw a petite brunette make
a move on Edwin, wearing nothing more than a scrap of fabric over her womanly
parts.  My heart plummeted when she reached her arms around his neck.  I felt
utterly reckless and couldn't control the burst of madness rushing through my
veins.

As though Cally's mind had a direct link to mine, she
brought her lips to my ear.  "It's fine, Abby.  He doesn't want her."

How could she be so sure?

Cally dangled her hands over my shoulders and stared me
right in the eye.  "Relax.  I’m telling you, he’s as good as yours."

Another casual glance in his direction was all it took for
me to catch Edwin removing the attractive girl’s hands off of him, but then he
smiled and whispered something in her ear.

What did he just say to her?

"Will you stop!" Cally squealed, breaking my
glare.

I immediately checked back.  I had to know what was
happening.  My eyes, heavy with concern, saw Edwin point in my direction.  Then
our eyes met.  His dazzling stare clutched at my heart, holding me in a
breathless trance.  Edwin looked down at the girl, who appeared to be devastated
by whatever he had told her.  She spun away from him and stalked off, while I
smiled at the fact that he had passed yet another one of Cally's tests.

Edwin approached me like a predator, wearing a sexy, slanted
smile.  Without asking, he wrapped his arms around my waist, twirled me around and
danced with me.  It wasn’t anything we hadn’t done as friends, but I couldn’t
ignore the extra spark attracting me to him tonight.

When the song finished, empty drink in hand, I headed for
the nearest trash can.  I quickly returned only to find Edwin alone, Cally
having disappeared in two seconds flat.

Here we go again.

"She went to the ladies room," Edwin hollered,
reading my facial expression.

I didn't believe it, but a really good song was on, so we
continued to dance together.  Forgetting about Cally, I let loose and bounced
around like a crazy, wild woman.  I was having so much fun.  Then the song had
to go and slow down on us.

Edwin secured his hands on my hips, unexpectedly, and pulled
me in close.  I swayed back and forth in front of him, resting my head back
against his chest, glancing up at him over my shoulder.  I let my guard down,
just as I was met with a dizzy spell.

Edwin lifted me into his arms and immediately transported me
to the bar.  A bottle of water was in my hand in a matter of seconds.  "I'm
told there's a second level to this place.  I hear the music’s a bit slower
paced.  Want to check it out?" he asked, noticing that my light-headedness
had passed.

My heart skipped a beat and I swallowed a gulp of water
before agreeing.  “Just let me text Cally, to let her know what we’re doing."

I did as I said, and took another sip from my water bottle. 
With my first step toward the stairs, I started to see doubles.  Edwin hooked
an arm around my waist, probably only out of fear that I would fall down if he
didn't hold on tight.

I may have to act this drunk for the rest of the night,
if only to keep Edwin’s arms around me.

There were significantly less people upstairs and the music
was toned down so you could actually talk without having to scream over the
music.  The floor was sprinkled with a mellow crowd.  Most of the people were hanging
out on bar stools, with their friends hovering around them.  There was still a large
group of people dancing, but you could actually breathe and move around without
bumping into the person next to you.

Edwin tossed his sweater over a stool and slipped his jacket
back on, then we stood at the edge of the crowd for a moment, watching.  "You
good?" he asked me, softly running his hand up and down my side.

I took a deep breath, as a sharp pulse throbbed in my throat
and thudded in my chest.  “Mmm hmm,” I answered, as his touch lit my senses and
heightened my arousal.  I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to figure out what had changed
between us so suddenly that made me fall accidentally in love with him.  It
really didn't matter, since my feelings were obviously displayed on my sleeve.

I had to protect him from my suddenly loose lips.  "Why
don't you get a drink?"

"I'm good," he replied, with a chuckle.  "I
think you've had enough for the two of us."

One song flowed gently into the next until one of my
favourite songs spilled from the speakers.  "I love the way you lie,"
the singer crooned, as the other dancers paired off.  They began to twirl
around us, until we were mixed into the group.

Edwin took my hand, looked me in the eyes and smiled. 
"I thought you'd never ask," he growled, close to my ear. 
But I
hadn’t said a thing.

That didn’t stop me from giving in to him, and there was no
fight when he pulled me up close.  I slipped my hands inside his leather jacket
and clung to his back.  His cologne swirled around me, teasing my senses and
sharpening my desire.  I didn't want to let go of this moment.  I rested my
head on his firm chest and closed my eyes, letting him guide me through the
night.  It felt so good to be free again.

When the song changed, I curled my arms around his neck, so
he would know I wasn't done with him yet.  He reacted to my arrangement by wrapping
me completely in his arms.  I felt so warm and protected. 
Loved.

I tucked my head on his shoulder again and gripped onto him
tighter.  His jacket was soft and cool beneath my cheek and I couldn't escape
the small bit of exposed skin only inches from my mouth.  Not considering what Edwin
might think about it, I slowly pressed my lips against his neck and inhaled his
manly scent.  There was just something about this man.  I was hooked.

Edwin put his lips to my ear.  "This time, I'm not
leaving without you."

EDWIN HAD STUNNED ME with his
declaration.  The song had ended and a brief silence hushed over the room. 
Edwin's aqua eyes poured over me.  The flirtatious bantering had long since ceased,
and we were left with nothing but raw emotion.  The way he held me was possessive
and I wasn’t complaining.

My lips parted, as I lifted my head and turned my gaze to
his mouth.  His soft, pink lips were calling my name.  Seemingly hesitant and
insecure, Edwin lowered his head toward mine until we were cheek to cheek.

"Edwin," I breathed, with closed eyes.

He tilted his head in slow motion and sealed my lips with a
kiss that set my heart on fire.  It lasted but a second, but it sent fireworks zapping
through my body.  My heavy eyelids remained shut, a smile tight on my lips.  Short
of jumping his bones, which was exactly what I wanted to do, I was lost.  I rested
my head securely on his shoulder, unsure of what to do or say next.

"Hey guys!" Cally verbalized, as she tapped me on
my back.

I jumped up instantly and pushed off of Edwin like he was a
launch pad, feeling like I had just been caught doing something terribly wrong. 
The music was more upbeat now, but Edwin and I had still been glued together in
the middle of the dance floor.

Cally had seen the kiss.  I was sure of it.

"You guys ready to go?  I was buzzing you, but you
didn't answer."

I was a little preoccupied
.  "I didn't
notice."  I pulled my phone from my pocket and checked the crazy hoard of
messages from Cally.  She had sent all kinds spicy remarks, not for Edwin's
eyes.  I shot her a narrowed glare.

Oh, the brat had seen, and she had the photos to prove it.

Edwin remained silent, as I stuffed my phone deep in my
pocket.

"I'm ready," I said, through gritted teeth, with
my hands gripped on my hips.

Cally laughed, not taken aback by my fury.  “You’re such a
sour puss.”  She hooked her arm around mine, then locked Edwin onto the other
side of her.

As we walked through the snowy parking lot, Edwin spoke to Cally,
all but ignoring me.  "Do you want me to drive?" he asked her, as we
reached her car.

"No, I'm good," she chimed.  "I haven't had
anything in hours."

Edwin watched patiently, as I got in the backseat without a
fight, then he walked around to the other side of the car.  I was starting to
feel a little ill from the change of scenery, so I rested my hot forehead on
the cold window and it surprised me how much relief it delivered.  That’s when
the door next to me shut softly and a man filled the seat at my side.  I glared
at Edwin in disbelief.

"What?" he asked, his voice a low growl.

"I didn't say anything."  I returned my forehead
to the window and closed my eyes.  Intoxication had gotten the better of me.

Cally didn't say anything but her
‘Hmpf’
sound made
it clear that she disapproved of my behaviour.  Then she turned on some music and
cranked the volume much too loud.  She even acted as though she was actually enjoying
the loudness. 
I may be drunk, but I'm not stupid.

Edwin took advantage and shuffled over to my side of the
car.  With his arm lifted over the back of my seat, it left me nowhere to go. 
He leaned in close, his scent arousing me, making me revisit my foggy stupor.  "I'm
sorry.  I obviously upset you."  He paused, his steady breaths tickling my
neck.  "We can just pretend nothing ever happened."

A bone-deep chill rocked through my body as he slid away
from me, leaving a void of warmth at my side.  My heart ached and it took all I
had to hold in the tears.  My stomach was already roiling, but the flood of
emotions superseded even that.  Cally looked at me in the rear-view mirror as
Edwin turned to look out his window. 
I had done it now.

When we reached the guest house, I went straight for the
bathroom.  I brushed my teeth vigorously, my entire body trembling violently
from the cold.  A few tears dropped down my rosy cheeks, but I wiped them away,
determined not to let another drop out.

As soon as I tiptoed across the cold floor, I could sense
the gloominess lurking around the room.  The bed was empty.  Edwin was slumped on
the couch, like he had been banished there.  I dropped my hands to my sides,
feeling utterly exhausted, but incredibly guilty.

"Eddie, you don't have to do that," I said,
softly.

"It's probably for the best."

"There's plenty of room in the bed."  I held onto
the half wall to stop by body from shaking, but it hardly helped.

While Edwin watched my hopeless attempts, I raised my
eyebrows to show I wasn't going to move until he did as I said.

"Fine.  I'll sleep in the damn bed."  He tossed
the blanket to the floor and bumped past me.  He tossed a few pillows to the
foot of the bed and pulled down the covers.

I slowly made my way around to the other side of the bed, lifted
the blanket and snuggled in, but it didn't take off the chill.  Edwin had lied
down on the very edge of the mattress, making it feel like he was in an
entirely separate universe from me.  I had seriously blown any progress that I had
made. 
How did this night turn so terribly wrong?

On a sigh, I clicked the remote and the lights dimmed, until
they faded out entirely.  I stared blankly at the shadowed, white ceiling for
what seemed like hours, until it became apparent that neither of us were going
to get a wink of sleep until we dealt with the situation at hand.

In the dead of night, finally, he spoke.  "I have never
felt so alone, as I do right now."  His words were stark, spoken straight
from his heart, cutting off my circulation.

It startled my nerves with a jerk. 
I did that to him.
 
My chest heaved, trying to accommodate my rapid breaths.  I turned to face
Edwin and shifted in the bed, sliding a little closer, but careful not to
interrupt his personal space.

"The last thing I wanted to do was hurt you," I
said, with emotions spilling from my words.

He stayed cold.  "You're getting good at it though."

"Hey, that's not fair."  My snappy words hung in
the air between us and another lash of guilt struck my heart when I realized that
he was right.  I was always hurting him.  I had to try another angle.  "Eddie,
you can't possibly feel alone when I'm in the same bed as you."

"You’d might as well be in a different hemisphere, then
maybe you'd be a little warmer."

It was true.  I had been a cold hearted bitch tonight, but I
had to protect my heart.  Somewhere along the line I forgot that Edwin had his
own heart to worry about.

"I’d like to join you in your hemisphere, if that's
okay."

I sounded sarcastic and demanding, but I didn't wait for a
response.  I shimmied up against him, so we were both lying on one quarter of
the massive bed.  Under the blankets, I rested my hand on his solid thigh, then
gently ran my fingers up and down it.  I wanted to comfort him.  I wanted him
to know he wasn't alone, though I was suddenly feeling awfully lonely myself.

"I won't let you be alone, but we can feel lonely
together," I whispered.

He nudged me aside and I backed up to the middle of the
bed.  Edwin turned to lay on his back and our skin touched again, but there was
no electricity anymore.  I felt ruined.

"I don't want to fight with you, Abby.  You're drunk. 
Why don't we get some sleep?  We can talk about this tomorrow."

I swallowed back my emotion.  "Okay."

He can't possibly think I don't care about him, because I
do so much.

Desperately wanting to feel our connection again, I snuggled
up against him.  I nudged his arm around me, nestled my head on his warm chest
and smoothed my hand over it. 
That did it.
  I felt the very moment when
the flame reignited again.

"You don't have to do this, Abs."

"I want to."  I wrapped my leg around him, for
good measure.

I was worried that he might try to remove me from him, but
he didn’t.  Only moments later, the heavy shadows tried to close in on me, but I
was safe in Edwin’s arms drifting off to sleep.  My eyes fluttered back to a
happy place and I was out.  In my dreams, Edwin kissed my hair and whispered to
me.  "I love you, Abs."

***

I AWOKE TO THE growl of an engine. 
A car was passing the guest house.  I peeled my drooling mouth off of Edwin's
chest and stretched an arm out with a yawn.  Edwin was still pinned beneath my
leg, not having moved the entire night.  I slowly retrieved my leg and snuck to
the bathroom.  He stirred, but never opened his eyes.

When I slipped back into the bed, I was a little chilled
from running around the house, so I curled up behind him again.  He warmed my
skin, but my feet were frozen.  Desperate for his warmth, I slowly drew my foot
close to his, then dragged it up his leg.

He awakened immediately.  "Whoa!  Cold toes," he
said, but he didn't make me move my feet and so I didn't.

Clutched onto Edwin in reality, still clinging to my dream, I
realized that he wasn’t really mine for the squeezing.  My eyes burst open on
that stark realization and I tumbled back into reality, loosening up on him.

Edwin stretched out with a growl.  "Well," he
said.  "I'm up."  He certainly was.  His morning wood was terrifying,
but tempting.

I cleared my throat.  "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine, but I'm not the one who drank the house down
last night.  The question is: how are you?"

"I feel like hell," I admitted, with pause. 
"But better, if you know what I mean."

He groaned and it tickled my entire body.  "Not really,
but I'm sure you'll get around to telling me later."

Eek!
  I wasn't ready to talk about
that
yet.  Without
thinking, I squeezed him again, hating the way I worried about our relationship.

"You seem happy this morning," Edwin said,
quirking up an eyebrow.

I released his stiff body, not trusting myself being that
close to him.  "I slept surprisingly well.  You make a good pillow,"
I teased.

Edwin’s face lit up and a smile curled on the edge of his
lips.  "You know some men might take offence to that."

I swirled my finger across his smooth, rock hard chest. 
"But you're not some men, now are you?"  I struggled with putting
distance between us, when I wanted to straddle him and lick every sculpted inch
of his body.  After that dream I had, I really wanted to shake his tree, and
his morning trunk was making it difficult for me to pry myself off of him.

For my own sanity, I gave him a smooch on his nose, crawled
out from under the blankets and pranced around the bed toward the bathroom.  I
peeked around the corner at him, flirtatiously.  "I'm going to get ready
now, since I know I'll be a little longer than you."

He laughed at me.  "A little?"

I didn't reply, before skipping to the bathroom, and I
didn't lock the door this time.  I secretly hoped he would come join me in the
shower, but how could he possibly know that?

After a refreshing shower, that did wonders for my state of
being, I heard a knock at the door.  Yeah?" I called out, standing under
the warm, steady rainstorm.

Edwin cracked the door open.  "You've been in there forever
and I have to use the facilities."

"Go nuts," I answered.

Like an old married couple, he talked to me while he peed.  After
that, Edwin let on like he had left the room and, after a few minutes of
silence, any other person would have expected that he had.  I knew better.

As I finished rinsing my hair, I thrust out my chest and
arched my back, knowing that Edwin was likely watching my naked silhouette
through the foggy glass doors.  After turning off the water, I squeezed out my
hair then peeked my head out the shower door.

Edwin was fully dressed and leaning back against the vanity,
a good ten feet away.  He was watching me.  He was also holding my towel.

"Edwin," I said, sternly.  "May I please have
my towel?"

Edwin lifted his arm and draped the towel over it, like he
was my own personal towel boy.  "You're going to have to come and get
it."  His slanted smile touched me from across the room.

"No.  You're going to give it to me, or
you're
gonna get it," I threatened.

"Which one is it?"  His voice was low, his words
wet with sexual innuendo.  "Am I gonna get it or am I going to give it to
you?  Either way I win."

I spoke through gritted teeth in an attempt not to laugh,
but Eddie had a way of making me smile.  "Edwin.  Give me the damn towel."

He started to inch toward me.  "Oh, come on.  Just a
little peek."

I pressed my lips together to stop the smiling and kept my
body hidden behind the shower door.  "There's nothing here you haven't
seen before."

"Then why don't you prove it," he insisted,
raising an arched brow.

Ah, what the hell.
  I had just finished shaving and
was sure it would stun him if I were to be that bold.  I whipped open the
shower door, exposing my naked, hairless body.  He gaped at me as I approached
him and yanked the towel out of his hand.

"Thank you," I said, smartly, and then wrapped the
fluffy towel under my arms.

He stumbled backward and caught himself on the vanity, still
stunned that I actually had done that.  Continuing with my shameless act, I brushed
against him to reach for a fresh hand towel.  Then I bent over, flipping my
hair upside down to dry it.  Edwin cocked his head sideways, but I was sure he
couldn't see anything.  And
oh well
if he did.

I flipped upright, with a towel wrapped around my head and
joked with Edwin, who was still speechless.  "How do I look?"

His jaw was still glued to the floor, so I closed his mouth
with two fingers and brushed past him to get my clothes from the bedroom.  He
didn't follow me right away and it gave me enough time to pick out and slip on a
matching bra and panties.  As I pulled on some jeans and slipped on a wool
sweater over my tank top, Edwin watched me in a daze, mystified by my vanity.