Suprise Valentine: Sexy Holidays Book 1

by Sammi Starlight

  She chewed on her bottom lip, her green eyes filled with disappointment. “Are you sure?”

  I was an idiot. I was literally the world’s biggest dumbass. There was a half naked girl on my lap that wanted to have sex with me and I was leaving.

  I nodded. “Yes. Please know that I want you but I’m not a one-night stand kind of guy and I’m especially not that guy who takes advantage of a drunk girl.”

  She stood up and grabbed a robe from the chair by her bed. “You’re probably right. This probably isn’t a good idea. I’m sorry.” She sat on the bed next to me.

  “Don’t be sorry. We just had too much to drink and got caught up in the moment.” I stood up and kissed her forehead. “I’ll see you tomorrow at the rehearsal, okay?”

  “Ok. Thanks for making sure I got home okay. Good night, Chip.” She got up and went into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her.

  I found my way out of her apartment and when I shut the door, I leaned on the wall behind me. I closed my eyes and let out a deep breath. Fuck, that was one of the toughest things I ever had to do. She probably thought I was a big jerk and maybe I was, but in two days, I would be back on the farm and she wouldn’t even give me a second look.

  Stopping things before they went too far tonight really was the best. So why did I want to kick my own ass the whole way back to the hotel?

  Chapter Five ~ Vivian

  “He did what?” Dani set down her coffee cup so hard, some of the liquid splashed out onto the table.

  “He left,” I sighed. “It was for the best. He was right. It was dumb to start anything between us. We have zero in common.”

  “He’s an idiot,” she mumbled and picked up her phone to scroll through their to-do list for the day. “You guys still could have had some fun this weekend and seen where it took you.” She rolled her eyes. “Just wait until I tell his brother.”

  “Please don’t say anything to Parker. It’s fine, really,” I pleaded with her. “It’s for the best.”

  When I woke up that morning with a killer headache and a slightly bruised ego, I debated even telling her what had happened the night before between Chip and me. Or rather what hadn’t happened. I always told my best friend everything, so I couldn’t help myself when we met for brunch later that morning.

  Chip hurt my feelings last night when he left in the middle of us fooling around, but in the daylight and being totally sober, I’m glad he did. I was really fine with it all.

  “I won’t. Maybe.” She shrugged. “I don’t know. We tell each other everything. But I’ll try not to. Who’s to say Chip doesn’t tell Parker himself? They’re pretty close.”

  “Then fine. But I don’t want you telling Parker so he gives his brother a hard time. It’s all good.”

  We finished our brunch and headed out to run some last minute errands for the wedding. It was the day before the wedding and the city was adorned with hearts for Valentine’s Day. It was enough to make me gag. Of course, all of Vivian’s decorations were pink and red and Valentine’s Day themed.

  The weather couldn’t have been any better for February either. It had been an unseasonably warm winter in Chicago and it was fifty degrees that day. The temperature was supposed to stay around that for the whole weekend. The sun was shining too and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky.

  “When I get married, it’s going to be on a beach somewhere. Just him, and you to stand up with me,” I muttered as we waited to finalize some details for the cake. “I don’t need all of this fuss. If I ever get married. And that’s a pretty big if.”

  Dani turned to me and put her hands on her hips. “I know you just broke up with Gabe and you have a shitty attitude about love, but could you try to be excited for me? I’m marrying the love of my life and the man of my dreams and your support would be great.”

  I instantly felt bad. This weekend wasn’t about me - it was about my best friend. “I’m sorry, Dani. Really, I am. I promise I’ll do better and keep any negative feelings to myself.” I hugged her and we finished our errands for the day.

  I ran home to get ready for the rehearsal dinner tonight. Dani and Parker were getting married right at the hotel, making it easy for everyone since everything would be right there. It would be us there, her family, Chip and their family.

  As I curled my hair and applied my makeup, butterflies fluttered in my stomach. I was so anxious to see Chip. We hadn’t exchanged numbers last night and when Dani had talked to Parker earlier, he didn’t mention a word about it. I had no idea what he was thinking about what happened last night.

  I pinned my hair up on the sides and checked my reflection one last time before heading downstairs to catch a cab to the hotel. I was wearing my favorite black dress and a red cardigan over it since it was sleeveless. I wore my black thigh-high boots with the two inch heel. Since it was an evening affair, I applied my makeup a little darker than usual and a part of me hoped to knock Chip’s socks off and make him regret leaving me last night.

  When I arrived at the hotel, I spotted Chip around the corner, coming from the bathroom. He cleaned up good. He was missing the baseball cap and his dark hair was combed back and still damp like he had just showered. He still wore jeans and his boots, but he had on a blue button down shirt and a black sport jacket. He was drop dead gorgeous.

  He spotted me walking up and gave me a big smile. “Hey there, Vivian. You look amazing!” He looked me up and down, undressing me with his eyes.

  “You don’t look so bad yourself,” I replied shyly.

  He touched the top of his head. “Thanks, no hat! I feel kind of naked without it.”

  There was an awkward pause in our conversation and as he opened his mouth to say something, Dani’s mom walking by and noticed my arrival.

  We didn’t have much of a chance to talk the rest of the night with the families around. We practiced walking down the aisle together and it felt natural to be on his arm, but with all eyes on us, we didn’t say much. Dinner was the same although we were seated by each other and made some small talk.

  When dessert came, Chip leaned over to whisper in my ear, “When things settle down, let’s find a place to talk.”

  I swallowed the cheesecake I was eating and nodded. “Okay.” My palms started to instantly sweat and a feeling of dread washed over me. I agreed we needed to talk, but I probably would have been okay with pretending the other night never happened and going back to our normal lives on Sunday.

  I couldn’t finish the rest of my cheesecake and anxiously waited for people to disburse so we could get this over with. On my way back from the bathroom, a hand reached out and grabbed me, pulling me into an alcove in the hotel lobby.

  “What the heck?” I cried out.

  “Shhhhh!” Chip held a finger to my lips. “I’m tired of waiting to be alone. I saw you walk to the bathroom and waited her for you to come back.”

  “Stalker much?” I teased.

  “Whatever.” There were two chairs nearby and he motioned for me to sit on one. His eyes were so striking - so dark and deep, like I could get lost in them forever.

  “Listen, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about last night. A lot. And I’m sorry I walked out.”

  “It’s okay. You were right. It’s all good.”

  He reached out and took my hand. “That’s just it. I don’t think I was right.”

  “What?” This was an interesting turn of events. “What do you mean?”

  His thumb brushed the back of my knuckles, distracting me from listening to what he was saying. “Well, I talked to Parker about it this morning and he said I should talk to you.”

  “And?” I wished he would just get to it.

  “Well, I know you’re a city girl and I’m a country boy and I live in Mineral Point, Wisconsin, and you live in Chicago, Illinois, but I like you. You’re sexy and funny and smart. I’m attracted to you and I’m pretty sure you’re attracted to me. We’re both adults here.”

  My heart was about to explode from my c
hest. “Yes, we’re adults. Will you get to the point?”

  “My point is, why don’t we have some fun together this weekend? If that leads to sex, great; if not, that’s okay too. We can set the expectations and go from there.” He raised his eyebrows at me, his eyes filled with hope. “What do you think?”

  I glanced around us to make sure there was no one nearby and sat on his lap. I touched a hand to his face and smiled down at him. “For a country boy, I think you’re pretty smart.” I kissed him softly on the lips as he placed a hand on my thigh.

  “I feel like I should be insulted by that comment, but the fact that you’re sitting on my lap is a major distraction.” He gave me that lazy, crooked smile that made my stomach do flipflops and kissed me again.

  “Get a room, you two!”

  I turned around and saw Parker and Dani hand in hand nearby. Dani had a huge smile on her face and I knew the minute we were alone she would grill me on what happened.

  “Shut up, you asshole.” Chip made no move to release me and stand up and I loved it.

  “Let’s go!” Parker and Chip were staying back at the apartment tonight. Dani was coming over to my place and then in the morning we would come to the hotel to get ready. Even though the hotel wasn’t far, I was even getting a room for the night. It was just easier.

  Chip put his finger under my chin and turned me to look back at him. “Okay, I have to go, but tomorrow is going to fun. And remember, whatever happens, happens.” He kissed me again and then patted my thigh so I would stand up. “Oh, I have one more question. Vivian, will you be my Valentine?”

  I laughed and nodded. “Yes, Chip, I’ll be your Valentine.”

  He clasped his hands together. “Great! Now you two ladies have a good night and we’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “Good night.” I watched him walk away with the biggest smile on my face - so big my cheeks even hurt. I couldn’t wait for the wedding tomorrow.

  Chapter Six ~ Chip

  The morning of the wedding, my job was to keep my little brother calm. We went to his gym for a game of pick up basketball, hoping to work out some of the nerves. After, we had a quick breakfast and then back to the hotel to start getting ready.

  “I can’t believe today is my wedding day,” he said with a grin as he buttoned up his dress shirt. “I’m the world’s luckiest man, marrying the woman of my dreams on Valentine’s Day.”

  I leaned over to tie my shoe and shook my head. “When did you get so cheesy and sentimental, little brother?”

  Parker stood in front of the mirror to do his bowtie. “When I met Dani. You wait, big brother, you’ll find someone that does the same for you.” He paused and looked at me in the mirror. “Or maybe you did already. I heard you ask Vivian to be your Valentine.”

  “That was all in fun.” I stood up and put on my tuxedo jacket. “I was going with the flow. You know she and I have nothing in common other than this wedding and we live too far away from each other.”

  “Oh, yeah,” he said with a roll of his eyes. “How could I forget? You only say that every ten minutes. I don’t know if you’re trying to convince me or yourself.”

  I gave him a light punch in the arm as we both laughed. “I’m seriously happy for you, Parker. Dani is a great girl and I’m looking forward to having her in the family.”

  We hugged quickly and I looked at my watch. “It’s time to go get you married!”

  We walked down to the room the wedding was being held in at the hotel. Guests were arriving and we made small talk with family and friends. I kept glancing around, hoping for a glimpse of Vivian. I knew they had been at the hotel since that morning, but I had yet to run into her. I was anxious to see how how stunning she looked in her dress. I heard it was a floor length, red, sleeveless dress with a plunging neckline. She was going to look amazing. Hell, she would look amazing in a burlap sack.

  I teased my brother endlessly about getting married on Valentine’s Day, but Dani had done a fabulous job of choosing decorations for the hotel. There were red and pink and white roses all over along with some hearts. It was tastefully done and looked amazing.

  I snuck a rose from one of the bouquets and stole away from the guests. The wedding was in about twenty minutes, but I couldn’t wait any longer to see Vivian. I checked my phone for her room number and went upstairs. I knocked on the door and when she answered, my heart nearly burst out of my chest.

  “Hi there,” she said with a smile. “Is everything okay?” She slipped outside the door so I couldn’t see Dani yet. And she looked amazing.

  The dress was floor length, but was the sexiest thing I’d ever seen with a slit that came to mid-thigh. Her shoulders were bare and it plunged down the middle of her chest. Her hair was piled high in her head, revealing her beautiful neck.

  “You look like an angel,” I said. “Happy Valentine’s Day.” I pulled the rose from behind my back and presented it to her.

  Her face reddened and she smiled at me. “Thank you. Happy Valentine’s Day to you too.” I reached out to kiss her when the door flew open.

  “Chip, what the hell are you doing here? Is everything okay?” Dani stood there looking amazing in her wedding dress. She noticed the rose in Vivian’s hand. “How sweet!” Her eyes suddenly narrowed and she looked over to me. “Where the hell did you get that flower?”

  I grinned sheepishly and Vivian laughed. “Don’t worry, Dani. Parker is here and everything is going smoothly. I just wanted to give this to Vivian.”

  My phone pinged and I pulled it out of my pocket. It was a text from Parker asking where the hell I was. “I have to go. I will see you guys soon.”

  She waved her fingers at me and I winked back at her. I texted my brother I would be right there. As I rode the elevator down, I couldn’t stop thinking about Vivian and what I was going to do to her later tonight.

  The wedding ceremony went off without a hitch. I thought my brother was going to lose it when he first saw Dani walking down the aisle. She was glowing and it was obvious how much they were in love by the way they looked at each other. I’d never seen my little brother look at anyone the way he did at her.

  I watched Vivian tear up while they said their vows. She sheepishly smiled at me when she caught me watching her. I would be lying if I said that the way they said their vows with such intensity didn’t touch me as well.

  When Parker could finally kiss his new bride, the crowd cheered. Vivian and I walked out behind them, her arm slipped through mine. I touched her arm, taking advantage of any chance I could to be touching her.

  The time between the ceremony and dinner was a bit of a whirlwind. Once again, I couldn’t get Vivian alone. There was always someone talking to her or talking my ear off.

  At dinner, I didn’t even get to sit by her. I was seated on one side of Parker while Vivian sat on the other side of Dani. I kept stealing glances at her and when she gave her maid of honor speech, I was blown away by the emotion in her voice. She truly loved Dani like a sister and there wasn’t a dry eye in the place, including mine.

  My best man speech was more funny than anything and I had the group laughing at my poor brother’s expense.

  After the speeches, the real party was about to start and finally I would get to spend some real time with Vivian. I couldn’t find her and when I finally spotted her, I got stuck talking to one of my aunts I hadn’t seen in awhile. As we chatted, I kept stealing glances at Vivian. She was sitting at a table by herself, scrolling through her phone.

  I told Aunt Edna I had to go to the bathroom and as I started to make my way toward Vivian, a man walked up and sat next to her at the table. She didn’t look very happy to see him and I wondered who it was. Whoever it was, he looked like a douche bag in his expensive suit and slicked back hair. He didn’t look very tall or like he worked out much. He was so thin I could probably snap him in two.

  They started talking heatedly when Dani came up next to me. “I can’t believe that asshole showed up!” She crossed her arms ove
r her chest. Dani was short, but she was fierce. Parker often claimed she was tiny, but not to let that fool you. I’d been around her enough to know he wasn’t kidding.

  “Who is it?”

  “That’s Gabe.” She put her hands on her hips.

  “Her ex?” At least she didn’t look like she was happy to see him.

  “Yeah. I mean, obviously he was invited to the wedding weeks ago when they were still together, but I can’t believe he would have the nerve to still show up.”

  “What’s their deal?” I knew they had broken up and he cheated on her, but that was all I knew.

  “They were together forever. I don’t know why though. Vivian really hadn’t been happy for a long time. He wouldn’t move in with her. We got along okay, but there was something off about it. Turns out he was banging his secretary and who knows who else.”

  My heart dropped when Vivian got up and followed him to the dance floor. It looked like my plans for us tonight may have been in jeopardy.

  “I need a drink.” I went to the bar and ordered a shot. Parker soon joined me.

  “What’s up, big bro? Who pissed in your Cheerios?”

  I downed my shot and waved the bartender over to get another one and one for my brother. I nodded behind me in the direction of the dance floor.

  He turned and looked. “What is that asshole doing here?”

  I shrugged. “He’s here with Vivian.”

  Parker shook his head. “No, he’s not. She doesn’t have any interest in being with him anymore.”

  “Then why is she dancing with him?” I started to feel annoyed and a little pissed off that I was played by Vivian.

  “I don’t think she wants to be.” He nudged me. “Go rescue her. I bet she would be eternally grateful.”