A Twist of Fate (22 page)

The others swiftly fleeted the streets as a police cruiser
pulled up to the curb with its lights flashing.  I looked at Edwin without
saying anything, torn between anger and other emotions.  His sinful smile
confirmed that it was an incredibly satisfying victory for him.

When we reached the truck, Edwin pulled his bloody shirt off
and handed it to me.  He lifted me into the driver's seat and followed me
inside.  I crawled into the passenger seat, without a fuss, knowing that Edwin's
adrenaline had burned off any buzz he might have had.

Checking out the damage, my heart shuddered.  Blood marred
Edwin’s handsome features.  I grabbed the water bottle from the cup holder, to
keep myself from bursting into tears.  I dampened Edwin's ruined shirt and
shifted closer to him, gently dabbing his bloodied face.

An unspoken tension simmered between us as we drove off.  I
was thankful that our hotel was only a few blocks away and decided it'd be
smart to reserve my anger and disappointment for another time, when Edwin’s
face was less broken.

Edwin led the way to our room.  Neither of us spoke.  He
opened the door and walked in ahead of me.  I followed him to the foot of the
bed, where I sat to remove my high heels.  He stood there, motionless, staring
at me.

"I'm sorry," he said, with a sigh.  He could read
my eyes, no matter how hard I tried to disguise my emotions.  "You
shouldn't have had to witness that."

I tossed my shoes near the wall and turned my gaze to the
floor, emotions still running high.  "I wish I hadn't."

"Are you mad at me?" he asked, his soft tone
showing his concern.  He sat next to me on the bed.

"Hmmm.  Let me think about that," I answered, as I
turned toward him.  I got onto my knees and playfully wrapped my fingers around
his neck to choke him.

Edwin laughed.  "I suppose this means you’re slightly
upset."

Not giving up on the lightened mood, Edwin tickled me,
forcing me to release the chokehold I had on him.  He flattened me on the bed,
letting up the torture, but the dried blood on his face was a harsh reminder of
exactly what had happened.

"Was it arrogant of me to send you off with Wes
tonight?"

I propped myself up on my elbows.  "I certainly
wouldn't recommend you do anything that stupid ever again."

"My trust goes a long way," Edwin insisted.

I cupped his face and brushed my finger over his swollen
lip.  "I'm just glad you're okay."

"Why wouldn't I be?" he asked, sliding over me.

"Well, Cameron…"

"Forget about Cameron.  Some people are best left in
your past, along with your other mistakes and regrets."

"And you?" I asked, gazing into his humourless
eyes.

"That's easy.  I'm your future."

Edwin’s kiss was soft, slow and sensual.  Tasting. 
Teasing.  It was a miracle he could channel his adrenaline at all.  I rested my
hands on his hard chest and could feel his heart beating wild with
anticipation.  He trailed kisses across my neck, dipping lower, his tongue
tasting my skin.  Edwin carefully lifted my shirt over my head, exposing plump
breasts, bursting from my lacy lingerie.

He marvelled in my flesh, his hands smoothing over my
curves, as he kissed the tops of my lifted breasts.  He closed his lips around
the dark peaks, through the soft, thin fabric of my bra.  When his tongue
stroked me, wetting the soft lace, the warming sensation zapped me right
between the thighs.

"You're so beautiful," Edwin said, devouring my
body with sensual eyes.  "And all mine.”

"Yes," I gasped, as he pressed himself against me.

His breaths turned heavy, a wolfish smile on his lips,
sending a cool tingle across my chest that made my nipples turn razor sharp. 
He unhooked my bra and flipped it up to consume a mouthful of my breast, his
tongue paying special attention to my hardened nipples.

When he hauled his chest across mine, it made me shiver, the
complete opposite of what I felt when I grabbed the rigid length filling his
jeans.  I urgently fingered the button on his pants and he laughed, pulling
away from me.  He stood from the bed and, seconds later, his boxers hit the
floor.  Then he jerked my bottoms and panties off, dropping them next to his.

I shuffled toward the headboard, holding my breath to stave
off the want.  Edwin lurched onto the bed and crawled toward me like a powerful
animal.  He drew himself between my spread legs and pressed them wider, as his
lips met my soft, inner thighs.  When Edwin’s thumb brushed over me, a
delicious shiver rocked my entire body.

"Edwin."

He chuckled again, his voice rumbling intimately against
me.  "You like that," he stated, his voice incredibly low and dark.  "You're
so wet."

Then his tongue traced where I needed him to be and he
sucked on me like a vampire hungry for blood.  I weaved my fingers into his
hair and clenched onto him, holding him in place as volts of pleasure passed
through me.

"Oh, god," I cried out.

"Mmm," he growled, those pleasant vibrations sensitizing
me even more.

I clamped my legs around his head and when his tongue dipped
inside, a violent orgasm gripped me.  "Oh, Edwin.  Oh, yes!"

My body throbbed with a want so strong, then exploded, releasing
the tightly wound tension in waves of pleasure.  On a deep sigh of
exhilaration, my boneless body sunk deeper into the plush bed.  Edwin dove for
a condom, ripped the packet open and slid himself between my lazy legs, before
the aftershock had even worn off.

Holding himself over me, he brushed his head against my sex,
tempting me back to life.  He was evidently very aroused, all of his blood
rushing to please me again.  A fresh arousal stirred within me, despite the
sated feeling that pinned me to the bed beneath him.

"Mmm," I said, my response making him pulse
harder.  With eyes pressed closed, I nibbled on my bottom lip and waited expectantly
for Edwin to take me.

Without warning, Edwin sunk into me and started pumping his
hips at an inhumane pace.

"Wait," I cried, but it was so good.

He stopped, pressed deep inside me; his muscles held tight. 
Oh, he was suffering.

"Don't stop," I gasped, my hands bunching up the
blankets at my sides.  My excitement only fueled his violence and he slammed
into me again.  He was so hard, and I was so tight, but I wanted more.  Needed
more.

"Harder," I begged.

His mouth crashed into mine and passion circled me, as he filled
me to the hilt.  He tore his lips away from mine, baring his teeth, as his hips
thrust forward.  He slammed into me, again and again, dangerously answering to
my needs.  It felt like he was ripping me open, but my body screamed for more
of him.  More movement.  Just more.

My climax crashed around me and Edwin's mouth muffled my
scream, as he groaned, riding the crest of the wave.  Tears sprang from my eyes,
as he dropped his heavy, sweat-soaked body on top of me.  Once his rapid breaths
slowed, he lifted himself up, a warm gaze assessing me.  I felt my body protest
as he pulled himself from me.

He licked his swollen lips, then dropped a slow, soft kiss
on my parted mouth, with a growl.  "You're mine."

CHAPTER NINETEEN

IT WAS THE FESTIVAL of Lights
tonight and, though I was feeling more than a little anxious about going, Edwin
insisted.  I didn’t dare remind him why I might be a little hesitant to go back
to that place.  Was it wrong that I didn't want to jinx our relationship after
what had happened there last year?  I still got shivers when I remembered that
icy ride home, in the dead of summer.  Our relationship never survived it.

Edwin could sense I was fretting about it and had been
acting kind of funny himself today.  He had begged and pleaded with me to take
the water taxi, but I had outright refused, feeling like it would be a tragic
mistake.  I had enjoyed our dinner, but still had to take a deep breath to
settle the rapid patter of my heart as we strolled down the street hand in
hand.

As the sky grew dark, we wandered to the riverside park and found
an open spot in the grass, where everyone had gathered to watch the fireworks.

Edwin spread out a thick blanket, took a seat and finally
stared me into submission.  “What’s wrong?”

"I'd be lying if I didn't say I'm pretty nervous about
tonight.”  I patted the pleats out of the blanket and crouched next to him.

"I don't know what you're so worried about.  We were in
love one year ago and we're in love now.  If that's not something worth
celebrating, then I don't know what is."

I nodded and blew out a breath to steady my nerves.  Then a
smile broke out on Edwin’s face that he couldn’t wipe off.  Now kneeling next
to him, his natural smile squeezed my heart ever so slightly.  “Now what are
you smiling at?”

“You.”  He caught me in his arms and pulled me onto his lap. 
“Can’t a guy smile when he’s happy?” Edwin asked rhetorically, as he secured
his lips to mine.

The music was fairly loud and there was enough commotion
around us that we could get away with it, so I melted into him and let him kiss
away my worries.  After making out for a few minutes, like young, passionate
lovers, Edwin eased back.

“I don’t know about you,” he said, with his smile still
firmly in place, “but I’m feeling a lot better now.”

I crawled off of him, only to find myself under the scrutiny
of a few gawking men and their controlling wives.  Still, Edwin still couldn’t
stop with the smiles.  When the music stopped, Edwin pulled away from me, and
when I saw the red glow over the water, I thought it was Jenny.  Then the
fireworks began and I realized it was only the lighters.

A coolness tingled down my exposed back, causing me to turn
around to see where Edwin had gone.

"There's something I wanted to tell you,” Edwin said,
in an instant.  “I was going to do it on the water taxi.  But since you nixed
that idea, I figure now is as good as ever."  A slanted smile crossed his
lips replacing that serious look.

Was he breaking up with me?
  My chest fell sharply as
I pressed out a huge breath, relieving the tightness from my lungs.  That would
be the ultimate revenge.

"You can take that look off your face.  I know what
you're thinking and you're wrong," Edwin stated.

I tried to obey him, but that worry was stuck in my gut, as
Edwin hovered over me in limbo.  The fireworks grew increasingly spectacular,
but I was too anxious to look away from Edwin, whose eyes had turned incredibly
dark and serious.  My heart beat erratically out of my chest, while my eyes
trained on Edwin standing over me.

"I'm ready," he stated, as if I should know what
that meant.

I stood up next to him, trying to understand.

Edwin took a gulp and wet his lips, appearing very nervous. 
"We all have that one person we would take back in a second, no matter how
much they hurt us in the past.  You're it.  If there's one thing I’ve learned
over the past year, it's that you should never let go of your dream until
you’re ready to wake up and make it happen.  That's exactly what I'm going to
do here tonight."

Mesmerized by his warm gaze, I couldn’t even bring myself to
glance at the reds and purples exploding in the dark sky above us.  Then Edwin
pulled a ring from behind his back and lowered down to one knee, and it was as
though my dream was playing out in reality.

“Oh!”  My hand sprang to my mouth and I inhaled my last
breath.

Edwin took my other hand and kissed it, then reached the
ring up to me.  "I love you, Abs.  You’re my best friend, but I know now
that it’ll never be enough.  Please say you’ll marry me."  He stared up at
me expectantly, waiting for my response.

I gulped, wanting to say yes, but too many worries flooded
my mind.  One stood out more than the others. 
Did he think I was pregnant? 
"If you’re only doing this because you think it’s the right thing to
do…”

He shook his head.  "The only thing I want to do is to
make you my wife."  Edwin presented the ring again.  "Abigail Jenkins,
will you please marry me?"

I blinked twice, then noticed that others were waiting for
my answer as anxiously as Edwin was.  I was too breathless for words.  Edwin
gently squeezed my hand and my eyes landed on his.  In that moment, happiness
fluttered through my chest like a butterfly and I knew that he knew my answer. 
I nodded yes eagerly, with a smile plastered on my face.  He took no time
wiggling the ring onto my finger.

Edwin stood up and looped his arms around my waist.  “Yeah?”
he asked, making sure he had understood me correctly.

I flung my arms around his neck.  “Yes!”

Edwin lifted me in the air and twirled me around.  When he
put me back down, I didn’t want him to ever let go.  “She said yes!” he
hollered, ecstatic about it.

Now the centre of attention, I began to blush.  “What do you
say we get out of here."

Without the need to answer, Edwin picked up our blanket, waved
at the gawkers and pulled me away into the darkness, fireworks still popping
behind us.

"Where are we going?" I asked, my body pressed
against his side.

"Here, there, anywhere.  I don't care, as long as I'm
with you.  I'm ready to start our life together, Abs.  I want to make a family
with you."

My lashes fluttered down, when I realized that I would
finally get what I had always dreamed of.

"You want a baby?  I'll give you a baby," he said,
totally serious.  “No more waiting.”

The air fell silent and all I could hear was my rapid breaths,
suddenly terrified by the thought of having to wear a maternity dress to my own
wedding.  "You know I want my baby born in wedlock."

Edwin smirked.  "That's easy.  We'll be married in the
next 9 months for sure.  Problem solved."

I smiled at his enthusiasm, but this was my dream.  "I
don't want people to think you're only marrying me because you got me knocked
up.  Besides, I don't want to look like a cow in my wedding gown."

Edwin smirked again.  "Not everyone gets pregnant in
one try, you realize.  It could take some time.  I thought we could go
practice."  He waggled his eyebrows, and I was so tempted to throw my well
thought out plans into the fire.

"I could practice,” I said, with a provocative smile.

“Now?” he stated, very excited with the notion of sex in
public.

I started laughing instantly.  “Not right now!”

“You're right,” Edwin admitted.  “We should probably wait
until we get home."

I laughed at his acceptance.  Little did he know, had he
pressed a little harder, a little longer, we would have been making babies
already.