A Twist of Fate (4 page)

Determined to put the skis away for another lifetime, I
snapped them off and piled them next to me.  As each of my friends glided
effortlessly to the base of the mountain, I felt more and more angry. 
Why
did everyone insist that I engage in the one and only sport that I couldn’t actually
do?

Cameron had gone down the mountain two more times and I told
him how great of a skier he was, even if he was only mediocre at best.  The icy
wind chilled me to my core, as the frigidness sunk into me, bone-deep.  The
falling snow was getting heavier and it got to the point where I couldn’t
control my trembling body.

Cold, lonely and depressed didn’t even begin to describe how
I felt, as Cameron pulled up to me.  I stood from the snow bank and threw
myself into his arms.  He knew I was done.

"I'm going to head back to the hotel," I told him. 
“I’m freezing to death out here.”

With both poker sticks in one hand, he reached for me. 
"I'm coming with you."

I instantly pulled back.  "No.  I don't want you to
suffer because I suck.  I want you to go and have fun.  Was this not the whole
point of the trip?"

He shook his head no.  "Actually, spending time with
you was the whole point."

I smiled, but when I saw Hunter and Aliah making another
pass down the hill, I hollered out to them.  "Hey guys, I'm gonna get
going, but I'm trying to get Cam to stay."

"We're thinking of heading over to a bigger
slope," Hunter hollered back.

“You should come with,” Aliah added.

He looked at me, unsure of what to do.  I could tell that he
really wanted to go.

I gave him a quick kiss.  "Go.  You don't need me
dragging you down.  I'll be fine on my own."

"You're sure?" he double checked.

"Yes!"  I pushed him away so he’d take the hint.

“I guess I’ll see you in a bit then.”

I nodded and hurried back to the lodge to lose the skis ASAP. 
Still bundled to the chin, I enjoyed a cup of hot chocolate by the fireplace. 
The flames seemed to have a pleasant effect on me, my skin tingling while I
waited for my body to thaw out.

Relaxed, but insanely bored, I glanced over to the counter
and watched the people returning their equipment.  Edwin was standing in line
to return his skis.  I watched him as he unzipped his jacket, sweat glistening on
his forehead.  And here I was, frozen.

"Hey!" I called, trying to get his attention.

He handed his skis to the lady and carried his boots to a nearby
bench.  He quickly slipped them on before coming across the room to see me.

"I wondered where you guys went," he said, looking
around for Cameron.

"They went to check out some better slopes.  You could
probably catch them if you hurry."

"Nah.  I've had enough.  Do you mind if I hang with you
for a while?"

Bad idea.
  "Sure."

He nodded and smiled, then headed for the canteen to get
himself a drink.  When he returned, he removed his jacket and took a seat next
to me on the oversized lounge chair.  He draped his arm over the back of the
chair and settled in next to me.  I wanted to ask him to move away, but he was
so incredibly warm and I was so deathly cold.

"You're freezing," he said, looking down at me.

"I know.  This is helping though," I said, showing
him my warm drink.

He snuggled up a little closer to me.  "Are you having
fun at least?"

"Well, I was, until the whole skiing thing," I
answered, a smile finally gracing my lips.  “I could’ve done without the bloody
nose last night though.”

He couldn’t help but laugh at me and I wished that the deep
rumble from his chest hadn’t warmed me immeasurably.  "I think maybe you
should leave skiing alone and take up something else next time.  Like knitting."

"Knitting?”  I shook my head no.  “Not gonna
happen."

He smirked, still teasing me.  "I give you five years."

I shoved him playfully and he shoved me back gently with his
large, warm hand.

"Oww!" I howled, suddenly feeling like a walking
boo boo.

Edwin raised a brow at me.  "I barely even touched you."

"I know.  But now that I'm warming up, I'm starting to really
feel it."

Edwin chuckled at me again and the smile never left his
moist, pink lips.  "Maybe we should head back and get you some aspirin. 
You've had a rough couple of days."

"So, you've noticed," I replied, unimpressed with
my incompetence.  I slowly stood to my feet and groaned from the aches and
pains.

We made our way back to the hotel and again Edwin was
patient, even with my turtle's pace.  When we got in the hotel elevator, just
the two of us, the air turned stifling.  I looked up at Edwin and he grinned,
as the elevator slowly headed for the second level.  When the door dinged, I
rushed out ahead of him.

"Let me walk you to your door," Edwin insisted.

"No," I hollered.  I spun around, not expecting
him to be so close behind me, and he nearly knocked me to the floor.  "That's
not necessary."  I straightened up and whirled away, with lightening in my
step.

I became very suspicious of his intentions, as he followed
after me.  I put my key in the door and opened it on the first try, then let it
slam behind me before Edwin could slip inside.

"You're not going to invite me in?" Edwin asked. 
His disbelief was evident, even through the closed door.

I peered out the peep hole, wishing the dreadful feeling in
my chest would go away.  "No."

"That's rude," he replied, raising his eyebrows at
me.  He delivered me a pointed look through the peep hole, as if I had hurt his
feelings.

He knew I was watching him?
 
Tough.  I was not
letting him in.

"What can I say, Abs?  You were my best friend, who I
liked to kiss and do other fun things with."  His smile grew wicked, then
faded out, and his arched eyebrows fell flat.  "And now I have to feel
guilty for trying to steal you from him.  Bastard.  I had you first."

My scowl hardened, but he couldn’t see it.  "Eddie, you
need to back off.  Whatever it is that you're trying to do here, it won't
work."

"What are you saying?" he asked, not budging from
my doorstep.

"You should go.”

I saw how quickly Edwin became agitated.  It had to be the moment
when he realized how much of a hold Cameron had on me.

"You deserve better," Edwin growled.

"What do you know?"

"I know that you're settling with him and you deserve more
than that."

"I'm not settling.  I love Cam."

"You think you do.  Time will tell," he said. 
Then he stormed off, not leaving me a chance for rebuttal.

I was infuriated by his innuendoes and frustrated by his
words.  My blood boiled and I knew there was only one way I would be able to
get any relaxing in now.  After running myself a hot bath, I stripped naked and
slipped into the steamy water, overcome with a warmth that relieved my sore
muscles and eased my mind.  I soaked in it for a long while, until my eyes shot
open.

"Abby, you in there," Cam called from the door.

"Yeah," I replied, rubbing my eyes.

"Everything okay?"

"I'm just in the bath.  I must have fallen
asleep."  The water was cool and my skin wrinkly, suggesting I had been soaking
a lot longer than I had planned.  I quickly escaped the tub and made myself
presentable.

I tousled my waterlogged hair with a hand towel, as I walked
out to greet Cam.  "How was it?"

"It was excellent.  I wish you could've been
there," he said, pulling me into his cold embrace.

I locked my lips onto his and gave him a warm kiss. 
"I'm glad you had fun."  I smiled, but was unwilling to put up a
front.  "You should know that Edwin walked me back."

He sighed, not knowing how to respond.  "That man's
incorrigible.  He really needs to learn how to mind his own business."

"I promise it was totally friendly."

"I don't trust the guy," Cam admitted.

I peeled him out of his jacket and rubbed my hands over his
chest, hoping to ease his tension and lighten the conversation.  "It
doesn't matter, Cam, because I love
you
."

He smiled at me and his anxiety seemed to brush right off
his shoulder.  His eyes slowly perused over my chest and when they landed on my
lips, he looked ready to devour me.  His thumb brushed gently over my bottom
lip, before he nibbled on it.

"Hungry?" I teased.

"You seem to have that effect on me," he said, with
a slanted smirk.

Unable to elude his penetrating gaze, I looped my arms over
his shoulders and leapt into his arms to kiss him fervently.  His hands
explored my thighs, until he dropped me on the bed, and I was as good as his.

Later that night, Cameron treated me to an amazing
candle-lit dinner and showered me with love for the rest of the evening.  We
went for a dip in the pool, and I gave him all of my solicited attention, as
the others left us to our own.  Later yet, we relaxed in our hot tub and gazed
at the stars, our limbs wrapped around each other, skin against skin.

It was like I was falling in love with him all over again.

I WAS LUCKY TO be spending the last
day of the year with the most amazing people.  After sleeping in late, I curled
up on Cameron's chest and he wrapped his strong arms around me, keeping me
pressed tight against his smooth, hard body.  He kissed my bare shoulder and
gazed at me in such a way that made me feel so special.  Never had I felt so
content and secure in my life.

We shared breakfast in bed and it was so delicious.  I
sipped on my orange juice and had a taste of Cameron, by flicking my tongue into
his accepting mouth.  He lifted the tray from the bed, then crawled on top of
me, urgently finding my mouth again.  Our lips connected, but it wasn't
enough.  I needed more.  My body begged for it.  Cameron sank his kiss even
deeper yet and, with his growing erection pressed against my thigh, I couldn’t
resist him.

He pried himself off of me long enough to rip open a condom
and slide my panties to my ankles, then he was moving inside of me, like it was
his home.  It was a perfectly snug fit, with every inch of him sliding in and
out, creating an enchanting friction.

With a moan and a gasp, I came undone beneath him, my nails
digging into his flesh, clinging to the reality that was slipping from my
fingers.  His mouth covered mine, as he growled with release, but he didn’t
stop kissing me for a long while.

When he finally rolled aside, I showered him with my smile. 
"That was amazing.  You’re amazing," I said, sweaty and satisfied.  My
palms smoothed over his chest, then I climbed on top of him and leaned down to kiss
his sexy lips another time.

“Speaking of amazing…” Cam replied, as his eyes devoured my
naked body now straddled over him.

Feeling awfully exposed, I smiled softly and reached for my
robe.  I thought I would give Cameron a hand and reached for his bag, intending
to pass it over to him, but he tackled me before I had the chance.

"I can get it!" he shouted.

It startled me, and when he stuffed his bag quickly into the
corner, it had me very concerned.

What was he hiding?

"I made arrangements for you and your girlfriends to
get pampered for the day at the spa downstairs," Cam said, stealing my
curiosity.  "I hope you don't mind.  I wanted it to be a surprise."

Damn, I hated surprises, but he was really good at them. 
"Mind?  I mean, I would have enjoyed it more if you were there with me.  But
still, how could I mind?"

Cam’s smile slanted lazily across his lips.  "I thought
you might say that.  Jessica and Maddie acted the same way when I told them.”

"What about Aliah?"

"She'll be there too.  Go and have fun with your
friends."  He smiled sweetly.

"Do I dare ask how much this is costing you?  The last
thing I planned to do was drain your life savings.”

"You dare not ask and don’t act all surprised.  You
should know by now that I don't half-ass anything."  His blue eyes
glimmered at me before he checked his watch.  "I love you and I want you
to be happy.  Go on, they're probably waiting for you now."

"What are you going to do?" I asked, my curiosity
getting the better of me.

"The guys were going downstairs to work out, so I
thought I'd check that out.  We'll probably just shoot the shit for a while
after that.  So go," he insisted.

I slipped on my bikini and flip flops and topped it with my
robe.  I wrapped my arms around Cameron, giving him a hard, deep kiss and a
soft press of my body, before I let him go.  He wouldn't forget that kiss
anytime soon.

When I exited the elevator on the main level, I found my
ladies waiting for me.

Aliah tapped her toe.  "Is this true?  Maddie tells me
Cam's treating us to a spa day.  She can't be serious."

I shrugged my shoulders.  "Yup.  That’s what I hear."

Aliah’s eyebrows remained high on her forehead in disbelief.

"Must be nice to have a man who's made of money,"
Jessica said, sounding more than a little jealous.

"Not to mention his other redeeming qualities,"
Maddie noted, not keeping her fascination with Cameron a secret.

I smiled to myself, recalling his hard body, sharp wit and
soft lips.  "I certainly can't complain.”

***

EDWIN SANTORA WATCHED THE door swing
open to the smallish exercise room.  Cameron Clarke was the last dude he wanted
to see walk through that door.  He didn’t need that extra dose of adrenaline,
or the other emotions that spiked through him, but it was out of his control,
just like Abby’s decision was.

Edwin had come on this trip in hopes of getting Abby out of
his brain, but dumb-ass Cam decided he’d bring her along.  It was bad enough he
had to witness Abby ogling Cam all weekend, but now he had to put up with Cam’s
arrogance too.  Funny how just a minute ago his muscles were feeling the burn
and now, suddenly, he was ready to flip a bus.

Jealousy hung thick in the air as Cameron lifted a couple of
free weights from the stand.   Edwin dropped back on the bench, after loading
the bar with weights way heavier than his usual limits.  This was one thing he
had Cameron beat at and he’d make a point of showing him that.

When he finished his third rep, he knew Hunter was
impressed, but it didn’t stop him from coming out with his potty mouth.  The
other two guests in the room decidedly took their leave, obviously intimidated
by all of his large, heated muscle.  Edwin chuckled to himself, wondering what
a beast he must look like, every muscle flaring from his extended bout of
weight lifting.

Cameron pressed out a harsh breath on his last lift, then tossed
the heavy weights to the floor, gravity making them clank loudly when they
connected with the ground.  He sat up on the bench and lazily glanced at
Hunter.

"I should probably give you guys a heads up," he
announced to Hunter, though it was really Edwin who he was warning.

Edwin finished the last of his dips, wiped his forehead with
his t-shirt, then tossed it over his shoulder.  He padded across the floor and
every muscle in his body rippled as he eyed up Cameron.

"Heads up?  For what?" Hunter asked, his curiosity
just as vicious as Edwin’s.

"It's probably just that we're next at the spa,"
Edwin teased, laughing at his own joke.

Hunter laughed along, but Cam's face stayed serious, his
eyes locked dead on Edwin.

"Actually, this has to do with Abigail.  I thought you
especially would appreciate a little notice."

Edwin lifted his chest as his lungs filled with air, then dipped
his chin before his fists started flying.  Adrenaline flooded his senses, as he
winced at his own overactive imagination.  He growled.  He actually growled.  "She
better not be knocked up already, you fucker."

He approached Cameron, looking dangerous and intimidating,
but stopped a few strides away, his teeth clenched, fists balled at his sides.

Cameron laughed at Edwin's response.  "That's not it,
you tool.”

Edwin didn’t scare very easily, but that had knotted his
chest in a way he never could’ve imagined it would.  He took a deep breath, and
the knot loosened ever so slightly.

"I'm popping the question tonight,” Cam said, again stealing
the air from Edwin’s lungs, as Cameron reached for the small bulge in his
pocket.  “And if she says yes, she'll be my wife."

"If," Edwin snapped, his single word hanging in
the air between them like a dangling noose.

Cam pulled out the dainty, black, velvet box, ignoring
Edwin’s uneasiness.  “I couldn’t leave it in the room.  Abby almost stumbled on
it earlier today, but I want my proposal to catch her by surprise.  I don’t
think she has a clue.”  He cracked the delicate box open and examined the large,
white rock in the light.

"Whoa, you mean business!" Hunter hollered, from
across the room.  He roved to Cam's side and admired the sheer size of the diamond. 
"I don't know a woman that could turn that baby down," he said,
slapping Cam on the back.  “You have bigger balls than me, brother.”

Edwin couldn’t believe his ears.  Who knew Cam would step up
to the plate so soon?  Not him.  And he certainly didn’t know how to feel about
it.

"What do you think she'll say?" Cam asked Hunter.

"I told you.  No bitch'll say no to that rock.”

Cam hardly knows her.  It should be me!  
"How
are you planning to do it?" Edwin asked, trying not to sound like he
actually cared.

"I was thinking I'd wait until after the countdown,
when everyone else is celebrating, and flash her the ring without saying a
word."  He raised a brow in question.

"Oh, yeah.  The ladies are suckers for that kind of
shit.  She'll definitely go for it," Hunter said.

Edwin fumed. 
She would love that.  But it's not me.
 
"She'll hate it."

"Really?"  Cam was confident.

"She's always dreamt of an old-fashioned, man on his knee,
professing his love to her kind of event," Edwin admitted. 
Shit!  Why
did I just tell him that?  Now I’m helping the damn guy.

"Don't listen to him.  He's just jealous," Hunter
said.  "You do what you want to do.”

Cam looked uneasy, pinned beneath Edwin’s direct scrutiny.  "Yeah,
I think she'll say yes."

Edwin was practically foaming at the mouth.  "We'll see
about that."  He bumped into Cam with his massive shoulder and stomped
past him toward the door.

"What's your problem?" Cam snapped.

Edwin turned back for only a second, but he made his point
crystal clear.  "You hurt her and you're a dead man."

***

AFTER A DAY OF pampering at the spa,
instead of feeling completely relaxed, as the New Year drew closer the terrible
feeling in the pit of my stomach became increasingly worse.  Everything seemed
to be coming together in my life.  If Cam were to agree to have children with
me, my life would be perfect; and that was exactly what was causing my panic.

It seemed whenever life got really good for me, fate always had
a way of body slamming me back into reality. 
I swear if I didn't have bad
luck, I'd have no luck at all. 
I started to believe that I wasn’t allowed
to have a happy ever after; that it just wasn’t in the cards for me.

Back in Maddie’s room, I watched Edwin as he snuck out of
the hotel room without a send-off; as if we weren’t going to notice, just because
we were all consuming the most delicious room service ever.  Edwin insisted
that he wasn’t hungry.  That only made me secretly suspicious.

After our feast and a few glasses of wine, me and my ladies congregated
in the small bathroom, fighting for the mirror to improve our makeup.  I
darkened my mascara and puckered my glossy lips. 
Stunning.
  That was
the only word that came to mind when I saw myself in the gorgeous, red dress
that Cameron had bought me for Christmas.  It fit like a glove, highlighting my
tiny waist and curvy hips.

"Damn, I look good," I announced, knowing it would
spark an interesting conversation.

Aliah gave me a once over and shrugged a shoulder. 
"You look alright," she mocked, then broke into a fit of laughter.

Maddie pouted her lips.  "You would wear that, while
I'm over here looking all fat in my dress."  She flailed an arm at me
dramatically.  "Next to you, I'll look like a total cow for sure."

“Maddie.  That’s just not true.  You’re the most beautiful
pregnant woman I’ve ever seen.”  She'd found a dress that draped delicately
from her little baby bulge, showing that she was pregnant, but far from fat. 
Gorgeous.
 
But there was torment in the poor girl’s chocolate-brown eyes.  She couldn't
see how great she looked and she definitely didn’t know how jealous I was.

"You look absolutely amazing, Maddie."  I glided
my hand over her baby belly.  It was perfect.

Maddie smiled.  "Thanks.  I hope the men look at me the
same way you do.  This pregnancy is doing a number on my sex drive."

We all laughed, except for Maddie.

"I’m not kidding.  I
have
to get laid tonight!"

Aliah pressed her lips into a firm line, not finding that
statement quite so funny.  "Don't even think about it."

This time it was Maddie who laughed.  "Oh, Ally.  I
wouldn't dream of it."  There was no way she would risk her relationship
with her baby daddy, for one night of sex with Hunter.

"Maybe if you drop the negativity for the night, you
might pick up a stud,” Aliah said, her tone changing.  “Beer goggles.”

Maddie didn’t take offence.  "I certainly hope so, cuz
I could definitely use a good lay."

Laughter filled the room, as Jessica opened the door and
fled the small space.

"I'm with you, Maddie," Jessica stated.  "We
need to find ourselves some fine, young men."  She high-fived Maddie, then
reached for a fresh glass of wine.

"H-E-L-L-O, ladies," Hunter announced, making us
all smile.

Cameron stood up, when he saw me and he didn't take his eyes
off the flaming red dress as he reached out for my hands.  "Look at you. 
You look beautiful.  And the dress...”  He blew out a harsh breath.  “It
fits."

That was an understatement.  "It fits."

He drew his hands up my waist and slid them back down, until
he gripped onto my wide hips.  His tongue flicked sensually over his upper lip,
then he pulled me in for a kiss, smudging my gloss all over his mouth.  The way
his chest pressed against my skin, lit my nerves on fire.  He smiled at me, as
he wiped the gloss from his mouth, then reached his arms around my waist.

I licked my own well-kissed lips.  "This might be a
miracle, but I think I'm actually ready to go."

"Imagine that,” Cameron said.

“Abby ready on time for a change.  What's up with that?"
Aliah asked.

I felt a twinge in my stomach, a trademark signal of the
stabbing pain that would ensue.  I turned away from Cam so he wouldn't catch me
wincing.  Things were good.  For now.