The Edge of Eternity Read online

  He came over to the foot of the bed, gazing down at her in concern. “Are you feeling better?”

  “Yes, much better. Thanks.”

  “I tried to find you earlier,” he said. “We didn’t get a chance to eat before the party. I wondered if you wanted to have a late dinner.”

  “I’m not hungry—” Her stomach growled loudly, belying her claim, and she knew that Paul had heard it, too. She gave him a contrite look. “I guess I am hungry.”

  He smiled. “Good. We’ll order room service.” He turned and strode into the other room. When he came back, he sat down on the edge of the bed and handed her the menu. “What’ll you have?”

  She took a moment to study the choices. “I can’t believe they actually have homemade chicken-noodle soup. My mother used to make it for me when I was a kid.”

  Paul lifted a brow. “You want chicken-noodle soup at a five-star hotel?”

  Elizabeth shrugged. “Why not? It’s comfort food.”

  He looked as if he wanted to ask her why she needed comfort, but instead he said, “How about a salad or sandwich to go along with it?”

  Elizabeth folded the menu and handed it back to him. “Whatever you’re having. I don’t care.”

  She reached for her robe, but he said quickly, “No, don’t get up. I’ll call you when the food gets here.”

  He left the room then, and Elizabeth snuggled back under the covers. She had almost drifted off again when she heard a discreet knock on the door followed by the low rumble of voices. Climbing out of bed, she went to wash her face in the bathroom. Then, belting her robe around her, she joined Paul in the living room.

  He had the table all set and had even lit a fire. The crackling flames set shadows to dancing along the walls and ceiling, making the room seem cozy and mysterious at the same time. Elizabeth watched as he added another log to the blaze.

  He’d changed into jeans and a sweater, and as he bent to his work, Elizabeth thought he’d never looked more handsome than with firelight dancing across his features.

  “Still hungry?” he asked over his shoulder.

  “Yes, I’m starving.”

  “Good. Let’s eat then.”

  They sat down at the table and removed the stainless-steel tops from the dishes. The soup was still steaming and Elizabeth let it cool for a moment before she took her first taste.

  “Delicious,” she said with a sigh.

  “I’m glad to see that you’ve gotten your appetite back,” Paul said with a smile.

  “I haven’t exactly been wasting away,” Elizabeth replied as she spooned another mouthful.

  “You’re still very thin.” He gave her a worried look.

  “I have to be thin to fit into my own designs,” she said lightly.

  “The dress you had on tonight…was that one of yours?”

  “No, I got it off the sale rack at Nordstrom. Why?”

  “I liked it,” Paul said. “You looked…nice tonight.”

  “So did you.”

  He seemed surprised and pleased by the compliment. “Thanks.”

  Elizabeth put down her spoon. “I guess I’m not the only one who noticed.”

  He glanced up curiously.

  “I’m talking about your assistant, Nina Wilson. She seemed very attentive tonight,” Elizabeth said.

  Paul frowned. “What are you getting at?”

  “I think you know.” She searched his face for a guilty flicker in his eyes, a telltale twitch of a muscle in his cheek, but there was nothing. Just his unrelenting stare.

  He laid aside his own silverware. “If you’ve got something on your mind, then just say it outright.”

  “Are you having an affair with her?” Elizabeth blurted.

  He looked stunned, then his features went tight with anger. “Why the hell would you ask me that?”

  Elizabeth tried to swallow past the bad taste that rose in her mouth. The thought of Paul and another woman…she still couldn’t bear it.

  Closing her eyes briefly, she summoned up her courage. She’d started this. Now she had to see it through. “I saw the two of you together at a restaurant the other day. She looked very attentive then, too.”

  “You saw us at a restaurant so you jumped to the conclusion that we’re having an affair? God, Elizabeth.” He raked his fingers through his dark hair. “You must not have a shred of faith in me anymore.” He shoved back his chair and stalked over to the fireplace.

  Elizabeth clasped her trembling hands in her lap. “It wasn’t just the fact that the two of you were together at the restaurant. I saw her in the bathroom. She didn’t know who I was, but she said something that made me think that she’s in love with you. She is, isn’t she? That woman is in love with you.”

  She could almost see the denial forming on his lips, then he glanced down at the blaze. “Okay, yes. I think she may have feelings for me. But I swear, I didn’t know it until tonight.” He looked up from the fire, his expression earnest. “I didn’t invite her up here, Elizabeth. She just showed up.”

  Elizabeth’s heart had already been pounding, but now it slammed against her chest. “What do you mean?”

  “Just what I said. I was as surprised to see her here as you were.”

  “But…you were talking to her,” Elizabeth said. “Laughing with her. You didn’t look as if you minded that she was here at all.”

  “She came up to me while I was involved in a conversation with Boyd Carter and some of the other investors. I didn’t want to create a scene, and she knew it. She took advantage of the situation.”

  “And that’s all there is to it?”

  His gaze met hers. “Yes. That’s all there is to it. I’m not having an affair. Not with Nina Wilson or anyone else. There’s never been anyone but you since the moment I first laid eyes on you.”

  Elizabeth glanced down. “You don’t have to say that.”

  “Why not? It’s true.”

  “Paul—”

  “As long as we’re clearing the air, there’s something I want to get straight with you, too.” He paused. “I don’t want this divorce.”

  Panic prickled along Elizabeth’s backbone. “But you said—”

  “I said when we get back you can file for divorce and I won’t try to stop you. I meant that. But it’s not what I want.”

  He came back over to the table then. Bending, he put his hands on her arms and pulled her up so that he could search her face as he spoke. “I’m still in love with you, Elizabeth. And I think somewhere deep inside, you still love me, too.”

  “But I already told you that,” she said desperately. Her heartbeat drummed in her ears. “I do love you, Paul. But it’s not enough anymore. It’s not—”

  “Passionate love? I think it is,” he said softly. “Or it could be. I think the passion is still there. We just have to find it.”

  “But I don’t want to find it,” Elizabeth whispered. “I just…”

  “What do you want? Tell me.”

  She glanced away. “I just want to be left alone.”

  Instead of releasing her, he tightened his grasp on her arms. “Yes, I know. You’ve made that abundantly clear. But I let you go once. I let you push me away. I’m not going to make that same mistake again.”

  “But it’s over!” she said fiercely.

  He shook his head, his gray eyes calm and resolved. “It’s not over. Not until the end of this weekend. Not until we get back to Seattle.”

  “That’s ridiculous. We can’t repair the damage to our marriage in the space of one weekend. Besides, that’s not even why we came up here.” She watched his eyes and gasped. “You tricked me into coming up here, didn’t you?” When he didn’t deny it, she said angrily, “What about Boyd Carter?”

  “I don’t give a damn about Boyd Carter. You’re the only one I care about. You’re the only thing in my life that means anything to me.”

  His hands slid up her arms and suddenly he was cupping her face in his hands as she gazed up at him. “Remember t
he way it used to be, Elizabeth? The way you used to tremble when we kissed?”

  “Don’t—”

  But it was too late. He’d already claimed her lips. He was gentle at first and then, when she didn’t resist, he deepened the kiss with his tongue.

  He kissed her as he hadn’t kissed her in years, and an electric thrill shot through Elizabeth’s body. She put her hands on his chest, to shove him away at first and then to cling to his shirt as her knees grew weak.

  Threading his fingers through her hair, he pulled back for a moment to stare into her eyes. Then he kissed her again and kept on kissing her until the ringing of his cell phone caused them to jerk apart.

  Paul swore.

  “You’d better get it.” Elizabeth put quivering fingers to her lips. “It could be important.”

  He gave her a look that told her he knew exactly what she was doing, then he turned and strode over to the end table where he’d left his phone. Glancing at the caller ID, his features hardened as he jerked the phone to his ear. “What do you want, Nina?” His gaze met Elizabeth’s. A fury she’d never seen before glimmered in those dark depths, making her tremble even harder. She’d never seen Paul so angry.

  “No, you listen to me,” he said coldly. “I want you out of here first thing in the morning. Go back to Seattle and clean out your office. I’ll have Accounting cut you a severance check on Monday.”

  He hung up then, his gaze still on Elizabeth. “Does that answer your previous question?”

  “If it was really Nina on the phone.” Elizabeth had no idea why she said that. It wasn’t like her. She wasn’t normally a suspicious or vindictive person, but suddenly she couldn’t help herself. She couldn’t…stop herself.

  Paul approached her slowly, his eyes going colder than Elizabeth had ever seen them. “Why did you say that?”

  She shrugged. “A phone conversation doesn’t prove anything, does it?”

  “You still believe I’m having an affair? After every thing I just said to you. After the way we just kissed.” His expression turned derisive. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe what we had is gone. Because the Elizabeth I knew was never this distrustful.”

  “And the Paul I knew wouldn’t look at me as if he expects me to go off the deep end at any moment,” Elizabeth countered. “Living with you is like living in a goldfish bowl. You watch me constantly. Do you have any idea how unnerving that is?”

  He gazed at her in disbelief. “I’ve got good reason to be concerned about you. Or have you forgotten?”

  “I haven’t forgotten anything. One kiss can’t make me forget the past eighteen months, Paul. I still want a divorce.”

  He turned away, as if he couldn’t bear to look at her.

  Elizabeth drew a breath. “And while we’re still clearing the air, there’s something else I need to know.”

  He didn’t turn, but stood with his back to her. “What?”

  “Did you ask Dr. Summers to come up here this weekend?”

  He faced her slowly. “Dr. Summers? Why on earth would you think that?”

  “Because why else would he be here?” Elizabeth demanded.

  “There must be over a hundred people here this weekend. I’m the only one who could have invited him?”

  “You’re saying his being here is just a coincidence?”

  “I’m saying you’re not his only patient. For your in formation, Annika Wallenburg was the one who recommended him. She’s been taking her grandmother to see him for years.”

  Something crumpled in Elizabeth’s stomach. “He’s here to see Mrs. Wallenburg?”

  “I don’t know why he’s here,” Paul said. “But I can assure you I’m not the reason.”

  “Then I apologize.”

  “For what? Accusing me of being an adulterer and a liar? Apology accepted.” He gave her a disgusted look. “If the interrogation is over, I’m going to bed.”

  He stalked out of the room and slammed his bedroom door.

  Elizabeth stood trembling in the living room. Why had she done that? Why had she provoked him that way? She’d never been the confrontational type, but all of a sudden it was as if she’d wanted to hurt him. She’d wanted to push him away. She’d wanted to drive a stake through the heart of their marriage so there would be no turning back. No second-guessing her decision.

  Why?

  Because he was getting to her?

  PAUL TOSSED AND TURNED. He couldn’t find a comfortable position, probably because he didn’t feel the least bit sleepy. Finally giving up, he rolled over and had just reached for the light when he heard a low moan from Elizabeth’s room. He recognized it. He’d heard the sound often enough in the past year and half. She was in the throes of a nightmare.

  Shoving back the covers, he got up and walked barefoot through the living room to Elizabeth’s door. He started to knock, but he knew from past experience that she probably wouldn’t hear him. He’d have to go in and gently shake her awake.

  He tried the door and assumed when it didn’t open that she’d locked it from the inside. He pushed again and this time it flew open with such force, the knob was snatched from his hand.

  The draft sweeping in through the open terrace door struck him like a physical blow. It was freezing inside her room. Paul stood on the threshold, momentarily paralyzed by the cold. Fog had crept in, too, and now it hovered over her bed, writhing in the wind.

  There was something strange about that mist. For a moment it almost seemed to Paul—

  He wouldn’t even allow himself to finish the thought. Reaching for the switch, he turned on a lamp. The vapor instantly disappeared in the light. He hurried over and shut the terrace door, making sure to engage the lock.

  Elizabeth didn’t stir, but her moaning stopped the moment he closed the door. He went over to sit on the edge of her bed, wondering if he should still wake her up.

  He was reaching to touch her arm when her eyes flew open and she bolted upright in bed. “He’s here,” she said in a strange, breathy voice. “He’s in my room.”

  “It’s okay,” Paul said quickly. “It’s just me.”

  She stared at him, but it was almost as if she didn’t see him. Then she visibly started. Her hand flew to her heart, and she had to struggle to catch her breath.

  “I’m sorry,” Paul said. “I didn’t mean to scare you. You were having a nightmare.”

  She blinked, as if trying to bring him into focus. “A nightmare?”

  “Yes. I heard you from my room. I came in to check on you.”

  She eased herself back against the pillows and pulled up the blanket. “It was just a nightmare.” She squeezed her eyes closed.

  “Do you want to talk about it?”

  She cringed and seemed to shrink even deeper under the cover. “I was in this…awful place. It was cold and dark. Like a grave.”

  A shiver snaked up Paul’s spine. “It was just a dream.”

  She didn’t seem to hear him. “I couldn’t get out. I heard you calling to me, but…I knew you wouldn’t be able to find me. Not in time. And I couldn’t…I couldn’t get to you. And then he was there.”

  “Who?”

  “Roland Latimer.”

  Paul frowned. “Do I know him?”

  “I thought you might,” Elizabeth said almost hopefully. “I met him at the party tonight. I went outside for some air and he…just sort of appeared out of nowhere.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “He was standing in the shadows. I didn’t see him at first. Then he started talking to me, and I guess…he frightened me a little. That’s why I dreamed about him.”

  Paul didn’t like what he was hearing one bit. “What did he say to you, Elizabeth? Did he threaten you?”

  “No, no, it wasn’t like that. He didn’t say much of anything. We only spoke for a minute or two, and then when Frankie came outside, he…disappeared. She thought I was talking to myself,” Elizabeth said with a shaky laugh. “Crazy, huh?” Her gaze met Paul’s. “He was there, though. I
didn’t make him up.”

  “I never thought you did.” He got up and went over to check outside her window. “I’ve never heard of him, but I’ll see if I can find out who he is tomorrow. I’ll make sure he doesn’t bother you again.”

  “No, don’t do that. He really didn’t say or do anything out of line. If you confront him, you’ll just embarrass us all. Please, Paul. Let it go.”

  He came back over to the bed. “If that’s what you want.”

  “It is.”

  He could see that she was still disturbed, though. And it certainly wouldn’t hurt to find out a little more about this Roland Latimer. Just to be on the safe side.

  He tucked the covers around her shoulders. “You’re still shaking.”

  “I guess I have a chill.”

  “No wonder. You left the terrace door open before you went to sleep. The room was like a meat locker when I came in.”

  “I didn’t leave the door open,” Elizabeth said uneasily. “I went out to get some air earlier, but I’m sure I closed it behind me.”

  “It was open when I came in. That’s not a good idea. Especially with creeps like this Latimer guy hanging around.”

  Elizabeth clutched the blanket. “I don’t think he means me any harm. He was just someone invited to the party. And anyway, I’m pretty sure I did close that door. It must have blown open.”

  “Well, in any case, it’s closed now,” Paul said. “And it’s already getting warmer in here. Can you feel it?”

  She nodded. “Yes. I feel much better. You don’t have to stay with me. I’m fine now.”

  “I don’t mind staying for a while. It usually takes you a while to get settled again after one of your nightmares.”

  “You don’t have to do that,” she said. “It’s not your job to calm me down. I’m not your responsibility anymore.”

  “I’m not allowed to still care about you?” he asked softly.

  Elizabeth glanced away. “Of course you are. And I’m glad you came. The nightmare…” She trailed off.

  “It was a bad one.”

  “Yes.” She sighed.

  “Then let me stay for a while.” He got up and walked over to the easy chair by the window. “I’ll just sit here quiet as a church mouse. You won’t even know I’m here.”