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He shook his head. He’d watched her a million times before, flirting or laughing with some guy, at times ending up in their arms—just like she’d watched him before with other girls.
Never once had it ground away so deeply in his stomach like it did tonight.
Viv twirled away, her arms in the air, sequins still sparkling. She sidled through the crowd, jigging in time to the music, back towards the bar. She spotted Duc and yelled, waving at him. The guy behind her was forgotten.
She was still dancing as she reached him, pressing both her hands on his chest. ‘Come on, you promised to take me dancing!’ She gave him a saucy look. ‘You haven’t shown me your moves yet!’
He handed her the bottle of the water. Part of him was relieved, but every cell in his body was still bristling. If Viv had put her hands around that guy’s neck and started kissing him...
He put his hand around her waist. ‘Think you can keep up?’ he said throatily in her ear.
Her eyes were glistening. She grabbed his hands and pulled him back to the dance floor. The beat changed again, it was still fast paced—but not one of the old-type dance tunes. This was more eighties pop.
‘Yeah!’ Viv jumped up and down, happy with the beat. It maybe wasn’t his first choice, but Duc had enough moves to match hers.
Her skin brushed against his as she twisted and turned. One kind of tension left his body, to be replaced entirely by another.
He had to keep his hands off, no matter how much they itched to touch her. They’d both had a few drinks. She was his best friend. The words continued to echo through his head.
Viv turned her back to him, lifted her arms once again and sidled backwards, still moving to the beat. As her body came into full contact with his, his hand automatically slid around to the front of her stomach. As she continued to dance, the bare skin beneath his fingers felt on fire.
He was dancing in time with her. Their bodies moving together. And he knew he should step back. He knew he had to step back.
But then Viv spun around and put her hands around his neck, the whole length of her body up against his. She stood on tiptoe to talk in his ear. ‘Okay, so I guess you can keep up. But take me home—I’m tired.’
As her lips moved from his ear they brushed against the side of his face.
He moved. The action was automatic—he couldn’t help it.
Their lips locked. Her sweet taste against him. It didn’t have the same urgency as their kiss the last time. This one was different. Like a little bubble had formed around them in the crowded club—like an old-fashioned snow globe—holding them in a time and space that was just their own.
Last time it had been him that pulled away, but this time it was Viv.
Her eyes were wide, but she seemed calm. She pressed her lips together and gestured with her head towards the door.
He followed her as she pushed through the club, heading for the stairs. His brain was rushing ahead of itself, wondering what came next.
But as soon as they hit the muggy air outside, she spun around and pointed to a cart across the street. ‘I’m hungry, let’s get some food.’
The streets were quieter in the early hours of the morning and she darted across the road ahead of him. His heart was pounding in his chest. He couldn’t read her at all.
He crossed the street and pulled some cash from his pocket, paying for the food she’d just ordered. Viv walked down the street, chatting as she ate. It was almost like nothing had happened between them.
But it had. He’d felt it. Every cell of his body was on permanent alert right now. Crying out to be next to her again.
It took him a few minutes to realise it was entirely deliberate. She was talking without talking. About the shops, the clubs, the people they worked with.
He took a few long, slow breaths. His brain was spinning. Watching her tonight had been like someone flicking a switch in his brain.
Why had they been such good friends all these years? Why had it never been more?
The swamp of caveman feelings he’d experienced in the club would never go down well with a free spirit like Viv. Truth was, he’d never felt them before—for anyone. So he was having a hard time figuring them out himself.
All he knew was that he had to speak to her.
The buzz was there. The attraction was there. He’d never wanted anything more.
She was still talking. Still filling the air between them with constant chatter.
He wanted to silence her with a kiss.
After some time they reached the outside of the hospital. She put her litter in the nearest trash can on the street and fell silent as they walked through the hospital. One of the nurses glanced at them both and gave them a knowing smile.
Did everyone see what was happening between them?
The silence echoed around them as they crossed the grass towards the bungalow. As Viv pushed open the door he started to speak. ‘Viv...’
She turned and held up her hand. ‘Don’t.’
She walked inside and his chest tightened.
As he closed the door behind him she stood in the middle of the main room. ‘Don’t,’ she repeated. ‘We’re friends. That was all. It was just a moment of madness.’ Her eyes went downwards. ‘Another moment of madness.’
She stopped for a second then tilted her chin in a determined way towards him. ‘It stops now. If we want to preserve our friendship, it stops now. You have one life to lead and I have another.’
Her voice shook a little at those last words then she turned, walked into her room, and closed the door.
Duc tried to breathe in. Last time he’d done this. Last time he’d been the one to step back.
But he’d stepped back without realising exactly how much his feelings for Vivienne had changed. Now they were front and centre to everything.
The closed door in front of his eyes hurt in a way he’d never imagined. He’d wanted a chance to speak to her, to tell how things had changed for him. He hadn’t expected her to stop him dead. Because that was not how Viv functioned.
He wanted to throw open the door and demand that they talk this out.
But there had been something else in Viv’s eyes. He’d known her too long not to see it.
She’d been happy tonight. Laughing and carefree with that other anonymous guy. When she’d come back to him, her eyes had been glistening with mischief and flirtation and he’d lapped it up, reacting to it in an instinctive way.
Because he didn’t have a single doubt about what he wanted to happen next.
But Viv had looked hurt when she’d backed away. Why? This was what she wanted—and he would always respect her decision.
He breathed out, walking back over to the kitchen and pulling a beer from the fridge. As he looked around the house, he noticed things for the first time.
The shoes on the little stand in the corner of the room. T
he cupboard door ajar with coats hanging inside. The litter of things on the mantelpiece and side tables that were all items belonging to his parents.
For a few seconds he hung his head. He hadn’t dealt with all this. And now it was time. Their clothes were still in the bedroom wardrobe. Those shoes and coats were his parents’. It was time to clear out and move on.
Viv’s words about the lives they had to live echoed in his head. It had been a few months. Maybe he couldn’t have faced this at first. But now it was time.
Now it was time for lots of things. And he had to make a new start.
CHAPTER TWELVE
VIV HELD LIEN’S hair back while she vomited in the sink. After a minute or so she grabbed a paper towel and wiped her mouth, straightening up with a huge sigh.
‘I’m sorry,’ she breathed. ‘It just came out of nowhere.’
Viv had kicked the treatment-room door closed so they wouldn’t be disturbed. ‘How often has this been happening?’
Tears formed in Lien’s eyes. ‘Constantly. All day and most of the night too.’
Viv frowned. ‘Please, don’t tell me that you’ve been like this since the last time I caught you being sick?’
Lien gave a sorry nod.
‘And you haven’t told anyone? That’s been more than two weeks!’ Viv sighed and shook her head. ‘What does Joe say?’
Lien wiped her eyes. ‘He has no idea it’s this bad. I don’t want him to fuss.’
Viv rolled her eyes. ‘Oh, I can guarantee he’ll fuss. There’s a name for this, Lien. Hyperemesis gravidarum. Let me take some bloods and hook you up to an IV.’ She gave a sympathetic smile and wrapped her arm around Lien’s shoulders. ‘You can’t hide this any more. Let me take care of you.’ She winked at her. ‘I’m the big bad midwife. You might not know it yet, but I’m actually the boss around here.’
Lien leaned against the wall, giving another sigh. ‘We’ve told Regan. We’ve told our parents. But I haven’t told any of the other doctors—or the nurses.’ Tears still brimmed in her eyes. ‘I haven’t even told Duc yet. He needs all his doctors. We’re still one down.’
