Chapter FOUR
THE instant the revelation hit, he emphatically denied it.
It was completely and utterly impossible that he was in love with Eden. She was like a sister to him and the feelings he felt were purely those of a big brother. Although a tiny voice said this was totally different from the way he felt about Sasha.
He’d just seen too much of her today. It was like an Eden overdose, which had brought back so many memories of when he’d been younger.
Even back then he’d had trouble keeping his feelings for her under control, preferring instead to focus on the long slog of medical school which had been before him. That wasn’t the case now. Sure, he had a highpowered, pressured job, but he was well trained and knew how to control his stress.
He’d succeeded in so many of his goals, and yet in others he would never succeed. He would never be a father.
Yes, he was attracted to Eden. He admitted that. But it was the fact that he cared for her so much in a brotherly way and he didn’t want to see her hurt. He knew if he let things get out of hand that he would indeed hurt her. She was a woman made to be the mother of a gaggle of her own children—little imps with wild curls and cheeky green eyes.
He could never give her that.
He could, however, help her to be strong for Sasha. He could even help her to heal the rift she had with her family. He would do everything he could to make her happy, to make sure the pain and vulnerability which remained behind her eyes was protected. He could do all of this as a platonic friend. He could help her help herself. Deep down inside she appeared to be lost, and he could help her find herself.
‘Now,’ she said as she sat back down at the table, an overly bright smile on her face, ‘let the feast begin.’
‘You’ve certainly ordered enough food.’ He took a sip of his wine, pleased he had a more logical footing on his thoughts.
‘You’re not being a tight date, are you David?’ She tuttutted. ‘After all these years we finally make it out to dinner, and you’re complaining about the cost.’
He gulped on the mouthful of wine, swallowing too quickly. ‘I am not a “tight date”, as you so eloquently term it, nor am I complaining about the cost. I was merely stating the fact that you’ve ordered a lot of food for someone so small.’
‘Ahh, I may only be five feet six—which is no doubt short compared to your over-six-foot, muscled and well-toned frame—but I’ll have you know in some countries I’m considered tall.’
He smiled at that. ‘Really?’
‘Don’t sound so surprised—and besides, I’m counting on you to help me eat the mountain of food that’s coming. It’s been ages since I’ve eaten here…well, eaten at any restaurant for that matter…and I intend to thoroughly enjoy myself.’
The smile was back—the true smile of Eden—and David relaxed. Platonic friends. Good company. Flirty banter. He could deal with that. So long as he kept his hands by his sides and didn’t touch her.
When their first course arrived, David watched as she lovingly savoured every mouthful. Again and again she showed her appreciation and delight for the food as they continued to talk about a variety of topics. ‘Mmm…delicious,’ she declared again as she slurped her spaghetti, a drop of the sauce landing on the side of her mouth.
David looked at it. Couldn’t help but focus on it. And he wasn’t at all surprised at the powerful urge to lean over and kiss it away. She had the most luscious lips, full and inviting, and sitting opposite her, breathing in her scent, he was starting to lose his will-power.
‘David?’
He dragged his gaze back up to meet hers, realising he’d been staring at her.
‘Hmm? Sorry? What were you saying?’
Eden took a mouthful from her water glass and swallowed, letting her thoughts calm for a moment. David had been looking at her as though he wanted to toss the table and all its contents aside, scoop her into his arms and devour her one inch at a time. It was heady stuff.
She’d been surprised earlier when he’d admitted that she razzed him up—that she, in essence, got his blood pumping—but to see him gazing upon her in this way was almost too much for her to ignore. She might be tired, exhausted and starting to feel the initial effects of jet lag, but that wouldn’t stop her from encouraging him…if he intended to actually do something about it.
This was David. The man responsible for her first real love. It was a love which had been growing and festering with the passing years. It was quite true that he was the man she measured all others by, but could it be that her feelings for him were far deeper than she’d previously thought?
‘You shouldn’t look at me like that.’ Her tone was soft, barely a whisper, but he heard it. In fact, he felt her words more than heard them, such was the connection between them.
He cleared his throat, shifting in his seat, feeling highly self-conscious. ‘Er…like what? How am I looking at you?’
‘As though you still want to devour me.’ She blinked slowly, then leaned forward onto her elbows. ‘It’s all right, you know. I don’t mind.’
‘Eden!’
The bubble which had encapsulated them burst, and she couldn’t help but laugh sweetly at the expression on his face. It held a mixture of disbelief, doubt and desire.
‘You’re not supposed to say those sorts of things to a man. Is this how you usually conduct your dates?’
‘Ahh…so you’re admitting this is a date? Interesting.’
‘It’s dinner. Between friends.’
‘That look you just gave me said you’d like to be very friendly.’ She was deadly serious in what she was saying, but kept her tone light, jovial. If he thought she was just teasing, perhaps she’d be able to get more out of him. With all she knew about him, for all the history they shared, he was still a difficult man to read—especially when it came to affairs of the heart.
David took a deep breath in and let it out slowly, deciding the best way to calm things down was to be honest with her. ‘Eden, I’m not a blind fool who doesn’t recognise the attraction, the tension which exists between us. Of course I find you attractive, but I also admire and respect you far too much to think of changing the strong friendship we currently have. You have your life. I have mine. Our paths have crossed again because of Sasha. That’s it.’
Eden frowned. ‘What does that mean?’
‘It means that if Sasha hadn’t been in this accident you wouldn’t have come back home. I wouldn’t have been an insensitive clod and we wouldn’t be having dinner together.’
‘But all of that did happen and here we are. Sitting at a candle-lit table in an Italian restaurant, discussing the way you were just looking at me. I know you have your world nicely under control and would rather not have it upset, but sometimes when our worlds are turned on their heads we find out more about ourselves.’
‘Is that what has happened to you? Working overseas, helping so many people—has it helped you to know yourself better?’
Eden thought on his words. ‘In a way it has, and in other ways I think I’ve lost myself even more.’ The mask was off. There was no flirting, no laughter in her words. She was trusting him with a much deeper side of herself. ‘It’s strange. Coming home like this…I didn’t realise how much I’d…
missed.’ She played with her food for a moment before putting the fork down and pushing the plate away.
‘Do you mean your family?’
Eden sighed and met David’s eyes. There he was. In the role of confidant, the man she could trust, could talk to, could rely on to tell her what to do. ‘I left Sydney with such anger, such determination to show my parents that I didn’t need their money to have a wonderful life.’
‘And on the whole has it been wonderful?’
She nodded. ‘It hasn’t been too bad. I supported myself through medical school, and I’ve worked in some incredible places, met some amazing people and travelled the globe. I love helping people.’
‘I know.’
‘It’s very fulfilling—especially where there is poverty. Being able to make such a difference, to see that what you personally are doing is changing things for the better. It’s a nice feeling.’
‘I don’t doubt that. You’ve been helping people for so long, Eden. Even when you were young you were helping those around you. But your family are a part of you. Your parents. Your brother. They’re in your heart and won’t ever leave, despite how long it’s been since you’ve seen each other.’
‘Is that how you feel about your parents?’
‘My parents had an indifferent attitude to their children. Being raised by nannies and housekeepers wasn’t all that bad. Sasha and I had every possible material possession we could need.’
‘But not your parents’ love?’
He nodded. ‘As an adult it’s easier to understand why our parents did what they did. They didn’t know any different. They both came from wealthy families, were raised by nannies and sent to boarding school at young ages themselves. They married because it was expected of them, and they produced offspring.’
‘And all that because of money—because of wealth.’ The sour taste which had made her flee her own house all those years ago rose in her mouth. ‘At least your parents have the excuse of being raised in that environment. They didn’t know any different. My parents did. They won the lottery when I was ten, moved to the upper north shore and changed our lives—for the worst.’
‘That was a long time ago, Eden. Perhaps this feeling you have now of missing something is because you’re ready to see them. Surely the possibility must have crossed your mind when you made the decision to come home?’
‘Of course it did. But Sasha is my first responsibility. She needs me and I’m here for her.’
‘For how long?’
‘You asked me that earlier today. As long as it takes.’
‘What if that’s months?’
‘Then I’ll be here for months.’
David was a little surprised at this. ‘I thought you’d just taken leave for a few weeks?’
Eden shook her head. ‘No.’
His eyes widened. ‘You’ve resigned?’
She smiled. ‘I’ve taken an indefinite leave of absence. In other words, I’ve asked PMA not to send me anywhere just now.’
‘That’s Pacific Medical Aid, right?’
‘Yes.’
‘I have a friend who’s done a lot of work with them over the years.’
Eden was surprised. ‘Who?’
‘Michael Hill. Do you know him?’
‘Yes. Of course. I’ve worked with both Michael and his wife, Chloe, on several occasions in Tarparnii. They have two absolutely gorgeous children.’
‘Two? I knew they had a little girl. She had one of those new-fangled strange names which seem to be so popular.’
‘Meeree is her name—and it’s not new-fangled. She was named after a very good friend of theirs. They’ve also adopted a little Tarparniian boy, Worf, who can climb trees faster than anyone else I’ve seen.’ She shook her head. ‘Wow! I can’t believe you know them.’
‘The world isn’t really that large. When you narrow your parameters it becomes quite small, quite intimate, and that’s why it’s a good idea to see your parents while you’re here.’
Eden listened to his words, watching his expression. The waiter came and cleared their plates, yet she kept her eyes on David. When they were alone again, she asked carefully, ‘Why are you so insistent that I should see my parents? Is something wrong? They’re both well, aren’t they?
David, you would tell me if something was wrong, wouldn’t you?’
‘They’re both fine, Eden.’
‘Which means you’re in contact with them.’
‘Yes. I wasn’t the one who ran away from home.’ He didn’t think it the right time to let her know that her father, Hal, was also his tennis partner.
David had always respected Eden’s parents, and when he’d returned to Sydney he hadn’t seen any reason not to continue the friendship.
‘I didn’t run away. I was told to leave. My father kicked me out—remember?’
‘Actually, I don’t. I was in Melbourne at the time.’
‘You know, if you had been here in Sydney perhaps things wouldn’t have escalated so badly between my father and myself.’
‘Your rift is my fault now?’
‘No. It’s just that you were my sounding board. You were my voice of reason. I listened to you. I looked up to you—especially in your first year of medical school. Until then you were just Sasha’s big brother—my surrogate big brother—there to help us out when we needed you. But that year, David, when I helped you study, when we would talk about anything and everything long into the night, when we became friends—real friends in our own right and not just because of Sasha—that was one of the best years I’ve ever had.’ Tears touched her eyes for the second time that night. ‘And then you left me.’
She dragged in a breath, trying to keep her emotions under control. ‘I missed you so much, and not just because of our attraction. I missed our talks. I missed your voice of reason. Your clarity of mind. Your guidance. Your support.’
‘So are you saying if I’d stayed you wouldn’t have organised a protest march—a public protest march—against your father’s own company?’
‘He was in the wrong. The health of his factory employees was at stake. I’d tried to reason with him. I’d given him fair warning of what I thought, of what I had planned in the way of protest, and still he didn’t do anything about it. The protest was a success. His company was forced to take action. Nowadays there are occupational health and safety measures put in place by the government.’
‘A win?’
‘Politically, yes. Personally, no.’ She sighed. ‘I don’t know if I’d have done anything different. I just know you would have helped me to perhaps look more closely at the possible repercussions—because I would never have guessed that my father would ask me to leave his house.’
‘The past is the past and we can’t change it. I can’t change my parents and I don’t even bother trying. I see them twice a year at their Easter and Christmas parties, and I send an appropriately expensive gift on their birthdays. That’s it. I can’t change them, Eden, but your parents are different. They’ve changed themselves. There have been a lot of hard lessons for them to learn—for you all to learn. Surely it’s time to try and patch things up again?’
‘Do they know I’m in Sydney?’
‘They know about Sasha’s accident. They’re smart enough to figure out the rest. And as you’re planning on staying for a while, the longer you leave it, the harder it will get.’
‘The voice of reason?’
David’s smile was small, but it radiated kindness. ‘If you like.’
‘I’ll sleep on it.’
‘Good—and speaking of sleep, how about I get you back to your hotel?’
‘Nice segue, Dr Montgomery.’
‘Thank you, Dr Caplan.’
As they left the restaurant, Eden realised the temperature had dropped. It still didn’t compare to the wintry weather in the Ukraine, but it was cool enough to make her shiver. Without a word, David slipped off his jacket and placed it around her shoulders.
‘Thank you.’ They’d taken but a few steps when Eden tripped, but David quickly steadied her. ‘Sorry. I told you I wasn’t too good at walking in high heels.’
‘I remember.’ He had his arm about her waist and decided it was probably easier to keep her warm and support her by leaving it there. Glad he’d found a logical reason to hold her close, to torture himself with her soft body against his, he started them on their way back to her hotel. When they stopped at a pedestrian crossing, Eden leaned against him, closing her eyes and breathing in deeply.
‘Mmm. You smell like you,’ she mumbled, and he realised she was getting sleepier by the minute…and more difficult to resist.
‘We’re almost there.’ He put his other arm around her, holding her firmly as they waited for the light to change. He closed his eyes and tucked her head farther into his chest, breathing her in. Eden. Gorgeous, impetuous, delectable Eden. He’d been hard pressed the whole night long to stop himself from doing what he was doing now…holding her close.
He ignored the rational side of his mind—just this once—not wanting to be bothered about analysing exactly what this meant. Instead he allowed himself the luxury of simply enjoying her being this close, snuggled into him, resting sleepily against his chest. Even all those years ago he’d never held her like this, and although they were now surrounded by the sounds and colours of city life it didn’t seem to matter.
The fact that she fitted perfectly into his arms, that her body moulded against his as though they’d been made for each other, did matter—and it was something he knew he’d get used to far too quickly. He’d been surprised and then touched when she’d told him how much she’d missed him the year after he’d left Sydney.
Feeling jostled from behind, David opened his eyes and belatedly realised that they’d missed their turn at the lights. Eden was now dozing against him, her exceedingly long day finally catching up with her. The need to protect this woman surged within him once more, and as he watched the traffic flow by he knew the feelings he was trying to deny wouldn’t stay hidden for ever.
When the lights turned green, he managed to rouse her long enough to get her across the road, into her hotel and in the lift up to her room.
‘Where’s your key, Eden?’
She sighed as she leaned into him, and mumbled something which sounded like ‘purse’. He took it from her hands and found the swipe card to open the door. He managed to prop the door open, but by that time she was barely able to stand on her feet. It appeared jet lag had finally hit, and he sympathised with her.
Lifting her into his arms, he carried her over the threshold and into the room, thankful that the maids had been round to turn down the bed. He slipped his jacket from her shoulders, then laid her down before removing her shoes and the clip from her hair. She snuggled instantly into the pillow and David folded the bedcovers over her.
He leaned forward and placed a kiss on her forehead. ‘I missed you, too.’ He brushed her hair from her face, his fingers grazing the softness of her skin. The touch electrified him and he quickly stepped back, looking at the sleeping woman, his heart pounding out a tattoo.
Never had he felt this way about any woman, and that was a scary thought. She was Sasha’s best friend, she was Hal’s daughter and she would soon become a temporary hospital employee. To become more involved with Eden would not only hurt her…it would hurt him as well.