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‘—but you’re forgetting one thing. My brother is an adult. And your sister, I gather, is over twenty-one.’
‘Barely.’
‘We have no place interfering in their affairs.’
‘That’s easy for you to say. It’s not your flesh and blood who’ll spend months crying into her pillow every night—’
When his eyes flashed with interest, her cheeks caught light and she pressed her lips together. Way too much information.
Reaffirming the goal in her mind—to save her sister suffering the same pain she’d endured at the hands of a Stone—Eden tried again. ‘I’m asking for your help.’
His pupils dilated until the deepest blue of his eyes became black. ‘They’re not kids, Eden. It’s none of our business. It’s nobody’s business but theirs.’
At the implacable set of his jaw, she held her breath but couldn’t stop the energy and hope seeping from her body.
So, that was that. She should’ve known this was useless. Worse than useless. Devlin Stone lived for two things: his next adventure and his next seduction, in that order, which didn’t leave room for the compassion she’d hoped to find.
He’d probably instructed little brother more than once on the moves required to lay off a girl without accepting any blame. How dense to believe she might be able to talk to him. Worse, she’d put herself in this vulnerable position. He’d sent out the vibes, baiting her, testing her.
Tears born of frustration prickled the backs of her eyes.
She’d sooner scale the Harbour Bridge in a hailstorm than succumb to Devlin Stone’s magnetism again.
‘I’m sorry for wasting your time.’ She pushed up on rubbery legs and calmly collected her purse. ‘But I’m sure I’ll feel sorrier for Sabrina.’
Devlin acknowledged and immediately dismissed the overwhelming urge to grab Eden’s arm and haul her right back. She’d wanted to meet. He was here to talk. Yet ten minutes into their reunion he was watching the most exquisitely infuriating woman he’d ever known walk out on him.
Again!
Eden wanted him to step into the middle of his brother’s affairs. Tell Nate who he should or should not see. She chose to ignore the fact that Nate and Sabrina were adults, old enough to make up their own minds, whether she approved or not. She might be slightly built, but Eden Foley entertained an Amazonian mentality.
She liked to be in control.
The waiter appeared and poured the champagne. Devlin sipped, barely tasting the fruity bubbles. His thoughts were stuck on the determined set of Eden’s shoulders, the defiant passion in her apple-green eyes…
His gut muscles clenched and his line of vision darted to the restaurant’s glass frontage at the same time Eden came into view. She looked edible in that cream-and-black dress, her chin and arm lifted high as she hailed a passing cab. That yellow didn’t stop, but another would roll by soon enough. In a few minutes she’d be out of his life.
Again.
He ran a finger around his inside collar then, growling, pushed aside the crystal flute and strode towards the exit, tossing enough cash on the desk as he passed.
Damnation, what was it about that woman? Her exceptional figure? Her sharp wit? That glossy honey-blonde hair?
Yes, yes and yes.
And something more. Something that gnawed at him whenever he woke and wondered in the still dead of night.
The remnants of a need to tame her?
He claimed his jacket from the brunette at the counter, threw it over a shoulder and headed out.
No, submission wasn’t the prize. He’d never had the desire to tame any woman—only enjoy them. Spoil them. In his younger day the world had seemed full of alluring possibilities. Then his offshore oil and gas support company had taken off and he’d met Eden—a woman who possessed the contradictory seeds of both natural innocence and darkest temptation…a curious and, as it’d turned out, addictive combination.
Yesterday, when his secretary had said Eden Foley was on the line, his palm was damp by the time he’d picked up. He’d accepted Eden’s invitation and had spent a restless night anticipating their coming encounter. When he’d jumped out of that cab earlier, God help him, he’d wanted to shirk civic duty and bypass that whacko hitting a home run on some poor bastard’s car. Her husband’s car, so that officer had said.
Stepping outside, Devlin sucked in a cleansing breath while thunder grumbled overhead.
Marriage. What a racket.
He spied Eden on the footpath, raised on the balls of her sexy black heels, flagging another cab. He scrubbed his jaw and scrubbed it again.
Time to face facts. The memory of that woman still had him by the horns and that was far from acceptable. But there was a remedy, one simple answer to one simple question. When he had that, he could put that nameless ghost to bed and Eden Foley out of his mind for good.
He stopped beside her and, hands in his pockets, perused the steady stream of traffic as a cooling breeze on a muggy day combed through his hair. ‘It’s busy for a Saturday.’
She stiffened at his voice but didn’t meet his eyes. ‘Less busy than earlier. I see they’ve towed your car away.’
He did a double take. ‘You mean the crippled BMW?’ He shook his head. ‘Nice automobile, but not mine.’
She slumped on a weary sigh. ‘Devlin, I saw the woman pummel the bonnet, saw you swing around the back and lift the bat right out of her hands. Of course it was your car.’
Guess it could’ve looked that way, but, ‘I happened to be in the right place at the wrong time. There were kids on the path. Someone had to stop her. I only wish I’d known a police car was cruising by. Would’ve saved me a pile of trouble.’
Her expression changed, from annoyed disinterest to stilted comprehension. ‘Y-you didn’t know her?’
‘You think I have some crazy cousin in the family?’
‘Not a cousin…’
The penny dropped along with his jaw. ‘Oh, Eden, no. You didn’t think that woman and I were an item?’
‘All the pieces seemed to fit.’ The confusion in her eyes cleared. ‘I should’ve guessed the other explanation.’
As her words trailed, a cold splash landed on his nose at the same time the earthy scent of rain hitting hot cement rose off the pavement. He shot a glance at the churning grey sky. A heartbeat later, the heavens opened up.
Eden yelped, hunching over as icy needles pelted down. Thinking for them both, he gathered her close, threw his jacket over their heads for protection and scooted towards a shallow alcove set in the building’s façade. Tight but room enough for two.
As he shook out his jacket she let go a sorrowful wail. ‘I’m soaked!’
‘It’s not fatal. You’ll dry.’
‘Not before this outfit is ready for the trash. It’s new-season fine wool blend. Strictly dry-clean only. It was going in my window Monday morning. Hundreds of dollars, and orders besides, down the drain.’
He’d known she owned a boutique in town. Given the snippets he’d gleaned from ladies at recent black-tie functions, Temptations had built a reputation for its classy inventory. And that dress was a knockout, soaked through or not. Tasteful yet sexy, a far cry from the hip-riding jeans she’d worn—and he’d loved—when they’d first met.
Beside him, she trembled, hugged herself, and his arm instinctively went out to warm her. ‘You’re cold.’
She shied away. ‘I shake when I’m mad.’
He relaxed and hid a grin. He remembered. She shook at other times too.
‘Things could be worse.’
Pressing herself to the wall, she recrossed her arms and thinned her lips.
He laughed. ‘Oh, come on. When did you become such a sourpuss?’
‘Since your brother began dating my sister. And before you start, you’ve made your stand on that subject very clear. I’d rather not go there again.’
She was right. There was nothing more to discuss on that issue. Nate could work out his own affairs. However, confined as they were because of this downpour, now seemed an ideal time to touch on that other long overdue matter.
Devlin propped his shoulders against the wall, jacket draped over his crossed arms, and gazed casually out at the veil of teeming rain.
‘Eden, why didn’t you return my calls?’
‘You called back yesterday?’
He turned his head to stare down her Miss Innocent look. ‘I mean three years ago.’
Her green eyes cooled and she shook her head slowly. ‘I shouldn’t be surprised.’
He cocked a brow. ‘That’s not much of an answer.’
‘Here’s the rest. I shouldn’t be surprised by your unwillingness to take responsibility.’
Her grave tone was meant to bite. Instead her indignation shot a searing arrow straight to his groin. Damn, she was cute when she was mad. Didn’t mean he had a clue what she was on about.
‘So I’m irresponsible now?’
‘I know it’ll come as a shock,’ she stated, ‘but not all women are prepared to hang around to watch the final curtain fall.’
He pushed off the wall.
Okay. He had a slippery handle on this now. He enunciated each word carefully so no one got confused. ‘You’re saying you dumped me before I could dump you?’
‘You left for the UK that last morning without saying goodbye.’
Correct. ‘You were asleep. I didn’t want to wake you.’
‘You didn’t call when you landed.’
His brow lowered. ‘I didn’t realise I had to check in.’
‘You took another flight and boarded a ship that capsized in the freezing waters of the North Sea.’
He held off from rolling his eyes.
Here it comes.
Before he and Eden had even met, he’d organised with an industry colleague to check out their operations west of the Shetland Islands. The vessel—an anchor-handling tug—had been commissioned to recover and relocate the eighteen-tonne anchors of an oil drilling rig. A manoeuvre, preparing for a hard turn to starboard to increase stability, had resulted in the winch chain snapping across the deck and around to the port side. The tug had been pulled over. Human, technical or design error…the investigation into the accident had come back inconclusive.
He rubbed the corner of one eye. ‘Look, I understand you were worried. I spoke with you as soon as I could.’
Her stony mask broke. ‘Devlin, the accident was on the news! I couldn’t get hold of anyone who knew anything. I was worried out of my mind. And when I finally spoke to you, you as good as told me I was overreacting.’
Her heart was there, shining from the depths of her eyes and, irrespective of the fact he’d done nothing wrong, his chest squeezed around a fist full of guilt.
‘Nobody died,’ he reminded her, recalling the blaze of cameras when he’d finally got to shore after the accident. ‘I was fine.’
‘Just like you’re fine when you fly your ultra-light planes?’
His nostrils flared. ‘It’s a hobby I enjoy.’
‘Just like you’ll be fine when you finally climb Eiger’s deadly North Face?’
‘I was kidding about that.’ Until he had more Alps experience, anyway.
‘Like you’re fine when you, you—’ she flung a frustrated arm towards the rain ‘—when you wrestle with maniacs in the street.’
His groan was half growl. ‘Eden, please—’
‘You don’t shy away from danger, risk, adventure,’ she went on. ‘While I, on the other hand, am a big fan of silly things like safety, security, predictability. It was nice while it lasted, Devlin. Really nice. But let’s face it…’ Her green eyes glistened and her voice lowered. ‘I wasn’t exciting enough for you. We’d drifted apart even before you left for Scotland that day.’
The pain and regret in her eyes faded before resignation dropped like a mask over her face once again. She dragged in a breath and, as if they’d been discussing the weather, inspected the sky. ‘I think the rain’s easing off.’
His arms knotted over his wet thumping chest.
Not so quick.
‘We’re not finished.’
‘We were finished three years ago.’
He measured her with his eyes. She appeared reconciled, but he saw the way her chest rose and fell beneath that designer dress, the way she bit her lip as she angled her face away.
Five days a week he sat behind a desk, organising specialist crews to tackle handson tasks associated with offshore rigs. So what was wrong with getting outdoors and amongst it himself when he could? He wanted to live life, damn it, not stand back and watch the world go by.
Why couldn’t Eden get that about him? They’d always been so in tune in other ways. They’d laughed at the same things, liked the same food, enjoyed the same music. They were explosive in the bedroom. And, as far as being distant before he’d left was concerned…
He ground his back teeth and rearranged his feet.
There was that one episode…the morning when she’d sat parked at the end of his kitchen counter, dressed in his Raiders tee, pink fluffy slippers on her feet, flipping through a jewellery catalogue. She’d looked up, wound some golden hair behind an ear and murmured, ‘Hey, babe, whatchoo doing?’ Then she’d sent over an angelic wanna-take-me-back-to-bed smile. If she’d been checking out necklaces or earrings in that catalogue, broaches or bracelets or charms—
But diamond rings…?
He winced at the same time a phone buzzed. Eden collected her cell, then the BlackBerry on his belt sounded.
While he listened to his voicemail, Eden read a text then carefully put her phone away. Her dazed look must have matched his own.
