Doing the Right Thing (38 page)

“You grabbed the wheel.”

A surge of water soaked Ed’s sleeve as Addie tried to sit up.

“No, I did not!” She slumped again. “But it
was
my fault we took the wrong road and now she might have lost the baby. Vee told me their first child died in a car accident.”

Ed chewed his lip as Addie’s eyes filled with tears.

“Not a child, Addie. The baby hadn’t been born. Vee was a couple of months pregnant and the accident was her fault. She drove off in a temper after Will had caught her cheating on him. Vee’s an expert at evading responsibility. Nothing’s ever her fault.”

Ed could almost see the cogs turning in Addie’s head.

“She told Will I’d caused the crash?”

“Yes. She said you were jealous and hoped the baby died.”

“Christ, what a bitch.” Her face crumpled. “I wish
I
was dead.”

Ed grabbed hold of her hand. “You don’t mean that. I didn’t tell you what Vee said so that you’d feel like that. But you need to understand what she’s like. You’re tired and upset, Addie. Everything will look different in the morning.”

“You’re right. It will, because your brother’s not in my world anymore.”

She looked into Ed’s eyes and he wanted to kill Will for hurting her.

“Thank you for helping me. If you pass me a towel you can go. I’ll be fine.”

Ed got to his feet and pulled a large white towel from the rack. He dropped it onto the bath mat and after picking up his jacket, went back into the bedroom. He sat on the bed. He didn’t want to leave until he knew she was all right. He didn’t want to leave, period. He was confused. No, he wasn’t. He knew how he felt about Addie. It was the way he felt about his brother that confused him. He was angry with Will for hurting her and at the same time, glad Will had fucked up.

When there was no noise from the bathroom, not even the sound of the tub emptying. Ed knocked on the door.

“Addie?”

He wasn’t sure he could handle seeing her naked, but the bad part of him hoped she was. She sat slumped against the bath, wrapped in a towel. Ed bit his lip. “God, Addie.”

He picked her up, trying to keep the towel in place between his hands and her body. He was shocked by how cold she felt. As he laid her on the bed, the bottom edge of the towel slid away. Ed saw her lace underpants and swallowed hard. He drew the sheet and duvet around her, and before he could talk himself out of it, he reached under the covers and retrieved the wet towel. She didn’t move. Not even a shiver.

Ed sat on the bed. So much for telling himself not to get involved. Addie had found a way through his wall without even trying. He touched her cheek, ran his finger down the line of her jaw. She opened her eyes. They were so full of sadness, Ed wanted to weep.

“Ed,” she whispered. “Oh, Ed.”

When she said his name, he was lost. He lay down next to her on top of the duvet and tried to hug her through the covers.

“Jesus, Addie, you’re like a block of ice. You shouldn’t be this cold.”

“
Get in bed with me
.”

He froze. Had she said that or was it in his head? In his head. But it wasn’t as bad an idea as it sounded, using his body heat to warm her. Before thinking reminded him he had an ulterior motive, Ed kicked off his shoes, pulled off his socks and unfastened his shirt. He wasn’t sure if he dared take off his trousers, but surely the more of him that came in contact with her skin, the better? And they
were
wet.

“Oh, fuck it,” Ed muttered and chucked his trousers next to his shirt.

He winced when the back of Addie’s wet pants touched his stomach and had to suppress a gasp as he pressed himself against the length of her cold body. It should have been an effective dampener to his ardor, but it wasn’t. Ed put his leg over hers, pressed his chest against her, trying to get as much of his body as possible in contact with hers. With her feet sandwiched between his calves, he moved his arms around her, and held her cold hands in his.

All Ed intended to do was hold her, but he couldn’t help breathing in her scent and found himself pressing his lips into her damp hair. He grew even harder and hoped Addie didn’t notice, but wondered how she could not. He didn’t have much of a choice as to what to do about it. It normally wasn’t a problem when he was in bed with a woman, but on this occasion he either had to think it away—not easy—or slip into the bathroom for a minute. Probably less.

His lips were on her neck. How had that happened? He should stop right now. It wasn’t too late. But he wanted to kiss her. His mouth took charge. He let go of her hands, turned her over and kissed her.

Ed wasn’t sure what he expected. He hadn’t thought that far ahead. But she neither pushed him away, nor slapped his face. Instead, her mouth opened and she tasted so sweet, Ed lost his head. He sucked on her lips, slipped his tongue into her mouth and kept on kissing her. He was slow and gentle, taking his time, savoring every moment.

When Addie’s tongue brushed against his, a strangled cry erupted from his throat.

Ed wanted the kiss to last forever but he was scared of pushing too fast. The back of his hand touched her breast and when he heard the breath catch in her throat, a surge of lust swept over him, scooped him into a riptide and dragged him out to sea. His heart pounded so hard it scared him.

“Addie.” He breathed her name. “Addie.”

His hands were all over her, wanting to touch, cherish and warm every inch of her.

Wrong time, wrong place, but not the wrong woman. Ed dragged his common sense out of its hiding place. “Should I stop?” he whispered.

“I don’t know.”

“Do you want me to stop?”

“No—Yes—I don’t know—I don’t know, Ed. I’m confused. I can’t think straight.”

“Maybe you shouldn’t think.” Ed drew his fingers up her arms. Her hands were on his back, holding him, but she didn’t speak, didn’t tell him it was okay.

This was where he should bring her such pleasure, she’d forget to think. Ed was good in bed. He loved women’s bodies, loved finding the places that drove them wild.

But he couldn’t make her forget Will. Not tonight. So he wasn’t going to touch her.

Well, not in that way. Ed wrapped his arms around Addie and held her tight.

God, don’t let me fall in love,
Ed pleaded, but he knew it was too late.

Vee groaned all the way to the hospital, but with frustration, not pain. How was she going to get out of this? Every few minutes, Will asked if she was okay and she grew increasingly annoyed. When a doctor examined her, it would be obvious she wasn’t pregnant. But weren’t doctors supposed to maintain confidentiality? Maybe her secret was safe. If Will found out she’d tricked him, he’d go through with the divorce.

In an ideal world, she’d be starting her period now, instead of in a couple of days when it was due. She intended to pretend she’d miscarried. A hint of blood and Will would believe her. Vee knew she could make this work.

“How are you feeling?” Will asked.

She pushed back her irritation and moaned again.

“We’ll be there soon,” he said.

Vee curled up against him and wished she could turn the clock back two years.

Things had been perfect then. Will had loved her. He didn’t now. She wasn’t stupid, but she could make him love her again and it wasn’t going to happen while Amazon Addie was around. Vee bristled. What did Will see in her? She didn’t look after herself, her nails were a disgrace. She was far too tall and not super-model elegant, just gangly.

“I hope Addie’s all right,” Vee whispered.

No response.

“What is it you see in her, Will?”

“She’s funny and kind.”

Vee bit the inside of her lip. She was fucking kind. Maybe she wasn’t funny, but how could that be an attraction?

“Is she good in bed?” Vee asked.

“I’m not going to answer that.”

“I suppose you enjoyed fucking a virgin.” Vee remembered losing her virginity at age fourteen in a wood outside Paris. A disappointment. If she could do it all over again, she’d pick someone more experienced. Philippe, her friend’s brother, had barely got inside her before he’d climaxed.

“How do you know she was a virgin?”

“Lisa told me.” And Will had just confirmed it. “You slept with her the first time on the day I arrived in Leeds. And you slept with me afterwards. So were you still thinking of her?” Vee regretted that as soon as she’d said it. She was supposed to be winning him back, not driving him away. She needed to get him to London. Everything would be all right then. Her friends all liked Will. It hadn’t been the same since they’d split up.

Time for more melodrama. “Oh, oh,” she groaned and clutched her stomach.

“Hang on.”

Vee gritted her teeth. She’d spoiled her lovely white coat collapsing onto the snowy drive. It better be worth it.

“I’ll be fine, darling,” she whispered. “And if we lose this baby, we can always try for another.”

* * * * *

They got back to the hotel at three thirty in the morning. Vee slept in his arms all the way back, while Will sat wedged against the door handle, thinking. The doctor had given her a clean bill of health. In fact, Will had the impression the doctor thought they’d wasted his time. The guy was curt, but putting up with Vee complaining at that time in the morning would have made a saint curse.

While Vee was fine, something had happened to Will. As he sat in the waiting room, he thought about what it would like to be a father. Vee was far too needy to survive on her own, and if he walked away another man would bring up his child.

Another man would see the first smile, hear the first word and be thrilled by the first step. Will would have to accept his child calling another man daddy. So unless a paternity test proved otherwise, Will wanted to be this child’s father and he’d make sure he at least shared custody.

He settled Vee in his bed and pulled the duvet over her. She’d not moaned at all on the way back. Will wasn’t taken in by the miraculous recovery because he’d come to the conclusion there had been nothing wrong in the first place. He put his hand in his pocket and his fingers closed around the key to Addie’s room. Will had no idea what to say to her, but she was the one person he wanted to talk to. He didn’t believe Vee’s version of the accident. He knew her too well, but because he hadn’t said anything, Addie would think he didn’t believe her. He’d hurt her and now he had to put things right. Again.

When Will opened the door and saw Ed in bed with Addie, he froze. After a moment, he backed out of the room and closed the door with a gentle click. Leaning against the wall outside, he tried to draw a breath into his lungs and couldn’t. When at last the air rushed in, Will knew he was going to cry and he didn’t know where to go.

He stood on the landing with tears rolling down his cheeks, caught between a woman he no longer wanted, and another he could no longer have, one that he knew he didn’t deserve.

He thought about getting in his car and driving away, but instead he went back to his room and lay down on the couch.

Sleep was impossible. The idea of Ed holding Addie in his arms, putting his tongue into her mouth, fondling her breasts, thrusting his dick inside her, made him feel sick.

The knowledge that they’d slept together had destroyed something inside him. He’d never forgive Ed for this, never. He didn’t blame Addie at all.

Will got up and walked over to the mini bar. He swept all the bottles onto the floor.

He regretted the noise, fearful of waking Vee, but there was no sound from the bed.

Will sat with his back to the wall and picked a bottle at random. He unscrewed the top and tipped it into his mouth. Gin. He thought of Addie and the time she’d caught the piece of lemon in her mouth and eaten it rather than spit it out. The tears began again.

After the fourth bottle, Will didn’t even taste what he was drinking and he didn’t stop until he’d finished everything. He wanted to be unconscious, but instead he was filled with fury.

As Will left the room, Ed opened his eyes and watched him go. He pulled Addie closer. His heart had started to beat faster when he heard the door open. He knew who it was. Ed pressed his lips against Addie’s neck. She was warm now, though not all over. Her toes were little icicles wedged between his calves.

Guilt clawed his stomach because he knew how Will felt about Addie. They’d always steered clear of each other’s women. Until now. Will thought Ed liked the tarty ones with no brain, and that he’d sleep with anything in a skirt, but he was wrong. Ed had slept around, he didn’t deny it, but he was choosier than Will thought. And despite what Will imagined, Ed knew the difference between fucking and making love. Addie had woken something inside him and he hadn’t even had sex with her. His dick hardened and he bit back a groan.

Was it love? Was that what it was? Did he love this mixed-up, funny woman with crazy-colored eyes? If he did love her, he’d not treated her well. It was no good pretending to himself that he hadn’t expected Will to come to her room when he got back. Ed wanted Will to see them together, but as usual hadn’t thought beyond that.

Now he’d pushed Addie into a difficult situation. He should have waited. Maybe he’d messed up any chance he had with her. His heart started to pound.

She lay motionless in his embrace. Then something happened that made Ed feel a whole lot worse. His arm was getting wet. She’d seen Will come in. Would she blame Ed for what Will had seen? Her tears fell faster.

“Trying to drown me?” He rolled her over and tilted her face toward his. Ed brushed away a tear with his thumb and forced himself to ask the question. “What’s the matter?”

“Nothing. It’s not you, Ed. You’ve been kind.”

His stomach twisted. “Do you think I’m in bed with you because I’m kind? I’m not.”

“I shouldn’t have done this.”

Ed felt bursts of pain all over his chest, as though he’d been hit by machine-gun fire.

“You haven’t done anything. I was trying to warm you up. You were cold. You might have had hypothermia. I wanted—”

Addie put a finger against his lips. Her body rolled nearer and he tried to keep his overeager dick from touching her, stop his hands reaching for her breasts.