Chapter SEVEN
IT 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.
With her smooth and delicious mouth against his, David could feel himself capitulating once more, succumbing to her charms. He abruptly pulled away, his hands by his sides, knowing if he touched her it would take a lot longer for him to take his leave.
‘Drive carefully,’ she said softly.
‘Sweet dreams.’
‘I’ll dream of you,’ she promised, and laughed softly when he groaned.
‘You’re a tease, Eden Caplan.’
‘But you love it. Goodnight, David.’
With that, he stepped back and allowed her to shut the door. He stood there for a few seconds, unable to move, unwilling to move. He placed a hand on the solid wood of the door, knowing she was just on the other side. So close, yet so far.
Eden leaned against the door, putting her hand up to the wood, knowing he was just on the other side. She closed her eyes and prayed, promising God she’d be a very good girl for the rest of her life if only she and David could work things out so they could be together. They just had to—because she was one hundred percent, prime-time in love with him.
When Eden arrived at the hospital the next morning—on time—she headed straight to the paediatric ward. She knew after talking to Sasha earlier that her friend had a physio session, but was really looking forward to escaping the bonds of the hospital that evening.
‘I am too excited for words. It’s the best thing. The absolute best. I’ve promised Robert I’ll try extra hard in physio, and during my hydrotherapy session and everything, because today is going to be a good day,’ Sasha had said.
‘Sounds like an exhausting one, too. He’s still not too keen for you to leave tonight?’
‘He’s worried. Wants to wrap me up in cotton wool.’
‘I don’t blame him. He loves you so much. But going out tonight will be good for him as well.’
‘And, as I’ll be escorted by two doctors, my own surgeon is not only fine with the arrangement, he’s jealous he can’t come with us.’
‘Invite him along by all means. The more the merrier.’
‘He’s on call,’ Sasha had added, giggling in a way which had brought an instant smile to Eden’s face. Even now, as she walked onto the ward, she was smiling as she remembered how happy Sasha had sounded.
‘You’re looking bright and cheerful this morning,’ Francie greeted her.
David was sitting beside Francie, frowning at some scans he was holding up to the light. He glanced over at Eden, but didn’t say a word, his attention returning to the scans.
‘I have a lot to be bright and cheerful about,’ Eden said as she came around the desk, a small envelope in her hands. She placed it on the desk and picked up another scan which was loose on top of a radiograph packet. ‘Dart’s MRI?’ she asked.
‘Yes.’ The child had required sedation yesterday while they’d been performing the scans, because any movement whilst the machine whirled around him wouldn’t have been good.
‘Anything?’
‘What are these?’ Francie interjected as she picked up the envelope Eden had put down.
‘Pictures for Chelsea.’ Eden frowned at the scans in much the same way David was.
‘Ooh. May I have a look?’ Francie was definitely eager.
‘Sure.’ Eden’s attention was fixed on the scans before her. ‘David, there’s nothing out of place.’
‘I know.’ He swapped scans with her and both of them continued to look. ‘What are we missing? There’s got to be something.’ He threw the scan on the desk and raked both hands through his hair. ‘It’s so frustrating. Honestly, Eden. The other day he was running around like a little scamp, bouncing on his bed, telling me he didn’t want the “yucky meddy”, and in the next instant he was right back down again. Yet according to the scans and blood tests there’s nothing wrong.’
‘You’ve tested urine and faecal samples?’
‘Yes. Apart from an increase in sodium he’s fine, and the drip could account for that.’
‘No improvement with the increase in fluids?’
‘Mild. Not as much as I’d hoped.’
‘You’ve seen him this morning?’
‘Yes. No change. still lethargic. still not talking. His mother has suggested getting the surgeons in to perhaps do an exploratory.’
Eden concentrated on packing up the scans. ‘He’s still in Room 2, right?’
‘Yes.’
Eden turned to Francie, who was oohing and ahhing over some of the photographs she’d brought in to show Chelsea. ‘Francie, you mentioned that Rooms 2 and 3 have video cameras in them?’
‘Yes.’
‘How do you view the footage?’
‘The camera wasn’t turned on in Room 2 last night,’ David remarked.
‘Um…actually, it was.’ Francie shrugged apologetically. ‘When I got in this morning the night sister told me that one of the enrolled nurses had turned on the camera in Room 2 rather than Room 3—which should have been monitoring Chelsea—by accident.’
‘Chelsea wasn’t monitored throughout the night?’ Eden was a little concerned.
‘No. Well, not via the cameras at any rate. She had her usual half-hourly obs and everything was fine with them.’
Eden picked up Chelsea’s notes and read them. ‘Good. This is good.’
‘She’s kept the drip in, the bags have been changed over at proper intervals, and there were no signs of self-inflicted drip removal.’
‘Good. Well, in that case, if we have footage from Room 2, I’d like to see it.’
‘I’ll access it for you. Should take me about fifteen minutes to get organised.’ A buzzer sounded and Francie rolled her eyes. ‘Make that twenty.’
‘Right. I’ll go see Chelsea.’ Eden picked up the photographs.
Francie started walking away from the desk, but stopped and came back, pointing to one of the pictures.
‘And who is that gorgeous man?’ she asked, indicating the photo of Eden and a man outside an elaborate Ukrainian Orthodox church.
‘Hmm?’ Eden looked at the photograph, conscious of the fact that David was peering over her shoulder. The heat from his body was warming her through and through, and she found it hard to resist leaning back a little so they were touching. To her surprise David shifted so that he could take her weight, not seeming at all concerned that they were so close in front of the nursing staff.
Eden tried to focus on what Francie had asked her. ‘Ahh…the man? Er…that’s Jett.’ She sighed, letting David’s spicy scent wash over her.
‘That church is about two blocks away from where we live and work in the orphanage.’ She sighed as she looked at the picture. ‘It’s such a beautiful building.’
‘Stuff the building. I want the man. Is he single?’
Eden smiled. ‘Yes. He’s single.’
‘excellent.’ Francie walked off.
‘So that’s Jett?’ David’s words brushed over her neck and down her spine before they burst into a flame of tingles which flooded her body.
‘That’s the man who called you last night?’
‘Yes.’
‘You look…friendly.’
Eden tried not to smile. ‘That’s because we’re friends.’ She turned her head to look up at him, knowing if she angled her shoulder just a touch she’d almost be in his arms again. ‘Platonic friends, David.’ He harumphed, and her smile increased. ‘You’re not…jealous, are you?’
‘Huh.’ He placed a hand at her waist, urging her forward. ‘Let’s go see Chelsea. I want to hear these stories, too.’
‘What sort of answer is “huh”?’
‘The only sort of answer you’re going to get. Now, move it, Dr Caplan.’ The warmth of his touch against her skin was starting to spread through her, and she knew if she didn’t take his suggestion and move she would soon be incapable of moving at all —given that her limbs would have turned to mush.
‘Yes, Dr Montgomery. Anything you say, Dr Montgomery. Your wish is my command, Dr Montgomery,’ she flirted, batting her eyelashes at him.
‘Eden.’ There was a warning tone in his voice, but she could feel through the way his thumb was rubbing small circles against her back that he was enjoying the flirting as much as she was.
‘Oh, all right, party-pooper. Let’s go.’
Together they went in to see Chelsea, who still had dark, sunken eyes, who still greeted them with monosyllabic tones, but who had the atlas opened out on the bedside table and was studying it intently. Above all, the drip was still in her arm, providing the much needed nutrients her body required.
An hour later, after much discussion and laughter, Eden and David exited Chelsea’s room, Eden leaving the photographs for Chelsea to pore over.
‘She’s kept the drip in.’ Eden was elated as David wrote in Chelsea’s notes. ‘You need to have a meeting with her parents, her siblings, anyone who has a positive influence on her or that she’s in regular contact with. No one is to ask her, “How are you doing?” No one is to talk to her about food or her ill ness or anything of the sort. Organise a meeting with the specialists she’s seen, and let them all know that this child has a passion to travel.’
‘Think it will make a difference?’ David looked up, marvelling at the brightness in Eden’s face. She really was stunning. Her eyes radiated brilliance, her hair was bouncing around her shoulders in perfectly formed curls, and her mouth was curved in such a way that he found it difficult to resist kissing it. However, resist he did.
He’d wanted to ask her if she’d dreamt about him last night, because his dreams had seemed to feature her all night long. He was losing his focus, forgetting the reasons why he couldn’t get involved with her, and being drawn in, held captive by this woman he knew he loved.
‘The drip is still in her arm. small steps, David. Now, where’s the footage from Dart’s room? Maybe his sleeping patterns might be able to tell us something.’
‘Or at least give us a clue.’
‘Exactly.’
David collected the tape from where Francie had left it on
the desk, and took Eden to a small room where a TV and video-player were set up. The room was no bigger than a broom closet, but it wasn’t until they were sitting down side by side that he realised just how small the room was.
‘We’re in the process of going digital,’ he remarked as they waited for the machinery to warm up and for the tape to rewind.
‘Hey—this is state-of-the-art compared to what I’m used to working with.’
He smiled at that, trying not to be so aware of her. ‘I guess it is.’
‘If we want to monitor a patient at night we just sit there watching them all night long, trying not to fall asleep,’ she half joked as they continued to wait for the tape to rewind. The sensual awareness between them was heightening with each passing moment.
‘small room,’ he grumbled softly.
‘Sorry? What was that?’
‘This room.’
‘What about it?’
‘It’s too small.’
‘Maybe you could upgrade that, too.’
‘It’s you.’
She looked at him askance. ‘You want to upgrade me as well?’
‘This room is too small for the two of us to be in it together.’ David said the words slowly and clearly, and Eden’s smile widened as he did so.
‘Stop looking at me like that.’
‘Like what?’ She fluttered her eyelashes at him again.
‘You know exactly what I’m talking about.’
‘Fancy a quick kiss and cuddle? No one will know. They think we’re working.’ Eden reached out a hand and touched his arm, sliding her fingers down his crisp cotton shirt until her fingers laced with his. ‘I dreamt about you last night and this morning. In fact, I think I’m dreaming right now.’
David swallowed. ‘Eden.’ Her name was a breathless whisper, and she could feel him beginning to capitulate as his gaze fixated on her mouth. She parted her lips and slipped her tongue out, running it along her upper lip, hoping to make him crack.
He leaned in closer, about to give in completely, ready to give her the kiss he’d been longing to give her from the instant she’d walked onto the ward this morning, when the tape machine clicked noisily, making them jerk back.
‘Right. Here we go.’ He sat up straighter in his chair, but was sort of pleased when Eden didn’t let go of his hand. ‘Hopefully we’ll discover some answers.’
The tape started playing, the picture coming up on the screen showing the inside of Room 2. Dart’s bed was well in focus, and Mrs Wilman’s camp bed set up beside it. Nothing much happened, and David flicked a switch, putting the tape into fast-forward mode.
‘It’s easier to watch like this, otherwise we’ll be here all day.’
Eden nodded, looking intently at the pictures playing out before them. Nurses came in, doing observations, ensuring Dart was settled.
Everything looked fine. Normal. She frowned, trying to see if they were missing anything, and then it happened.
‘Stop the—’ She didn’t have to say anything more.
David had already pressed the button to slow the tape down to normal speed. Both of them stared open-mouthed at what they saw, Eden’s heart breaking for the four-year-old.
The screen showed Mrs Wilman fiddling with Dart’s drip. It looked as though she was slowing it down, or stopping it completely. Then she handed him his drinking cup, urging him to drink. Without complaint, without emotion, the child took the cup and drank. His eyes were bleak and lifeless, as though he knew it was pointless to refuse.
‘What’s in that cup?’ Eden was out of her chair in an instant, David not far behind her. ‘You distract her. I’ll get the cup.’
‘What? Eden! Wait. ’
‘Just call her out of the room. Show her Dart’s MRI scans. I want that cup and I want it now.’
Eden marched into Room 2, pasting an over-bright smile on her face. ‘Good morning. I’ve just come to check on Dart.’
‘The nurse has just been round,’ Mrs Wilman ventured.
There it was. The drinking cup was beside the bed, in full view of all and sundry. It was innocuous, normal, didn’t look at all out of place. Eden was seething inside as she looked at the sick little boy. Sodium. David had said his sodium levels were up. Too much sodium could cause dehydration, stomach pains, elevated blood pressure and a lot of the other symptoms Dart had been admitted with.
She had to get that cup!