Valentine's Dates

by Rhian Cahill

  She had to stop, had to get herself under control before she faced Brent. Her insides felt scraped, like someone had taken a vegetable peeler to them. The pain in her chest had nothing to do with tonight’s disastrous date and everything to do with the man standing guard outside her door. Vee had no doubt that he was there, listening to her lose control. That thought alone gave her the strength to stop crying.

  Pushing off the floor, she used the tap to pull herself up. Angling her head, she ducked beneath the spray and let the warm water cascade down her head and back. The occasional sob shook her, but for the most part she was no longer leaking like the showerhead above. Smiling at the thought, she switched off the water and got out. She eyed the partially open door and wondered where Brent was. He wouldn’t have gone far, but he wouldn’t be so bold as to peek through the opening either.

  Not that it mattered. He’d just seen her far more vulnerable than being naked made her. She could count on one hand the number of times she’d been at rock bottom. Both times Brent had been there to pick her up. Both times she’d turned to him without thought. The significance of that didn’t escape her. He might have been the one to walk away ten years ago, but she’d let him. Hurt by his desertion, mortified and confused by her neediness, she’d gone back to her life at university and pretended nothing had happened.

  She’d allowed herself to believe he didn’t really want her, except she couldn’t be sure, when the only time she ever permitted him close was when he had no choice but to rescue her. Brent wasn’t the type of man who would walk away from a woman in need. Especially one he’d known from the age of five. He’d never let her down regardless of their fractured relationship. It wouldn’t matter how badly she treated him – and she was ashamed to admit she’d treated him abysmally at times – he’d always been there for her. Still was.

  Her hand slowed as she reached for a towel. What did that tell her? Was he always there because she was Wade’s little sister or because he harboured deeper feelings than sisterly love? Their one night together couldn’t be put in the former category, that was for sure. Her gaze darted to the door. He waited on the other side. There was no mistaking the shuffling of his boots on the timber floor. He’d stayed to be sure she was alright; she knew that as well as she knew her own name. But was it out of duty or something more?

  Grabbing the towel she dried off and wrapped it around herself, then tucked her wet hair into another one. She had to leave the bathroom. Clean clothes were on the other side of the door – with Brent. Her throat was scratchy from all the crying and her heart raced at the thought of facing him again, but there was no point putting it off. Stalling would only delay the inevitable. Taking a deep breath, she straightened her shoulders and, head high, walked from the bathroom.

  He paced on the far side of her room, stopping mid-step when he spotted her. His dark blue gaze travelled down her body before coming back up to meet hers. “You okay?”

  Vee couldn’t speak, not with those eyes glued to hers, so she gave a single nod and headed for her walk-in closet. She knew he could see the evidence of her crying jag; she’d seen her reflection in the mirror. Hopefully he’d ignore her red, puffy eyes like she had.

  Footsteps echoed behind her. She didn’t need his scent to surround her or his breathing to fill her ears to know he’d followed. His arms wrapped around her waist and tugged her backwards until his chest pressed against her back. Heat soaked through the damp towel and sent a shiver along her spine. Her eyelids drifted closed and she leaned into his embrace.

  Neither spoke. The moment charged with a need that soothed and aroused. No man ever made her feel the way Brent did. In all the years she’d convinced herself she was over him, no one had touched her the way he could. She didn’t know what would happen in the morning, but for now she couldn’t deny she wanted him. To the depth of her soul she wanted to lie beneath him and let him love her like before.

  His erection pressed into the curve of her arse, the hot length promising pleasure and relief from the ache in her core. She tried to turn in his arms, but he tightened his grip and held her still.

  “No, not yet.” He leaned forward and brushed his lips over her temple. “I just need a minute and then I’ll go.”

  “No!” She fought to turn, but his hold wouldn’t budge. “Please. Don’t go. Don’t leave me alone.”

  Shocked at the fear slicing through her, Vee wrapped her hands around his wrists and hugged them to her stomach.

  “Shh, I’m not leaving you alone, Vee. I’m just going to wait in the hall while you get dressed.”

  His words should have calmed her, except her heart still raced and she couldn’t unclench her fingers from where they were digging into his arms. Tears stung her eyes and the back of her throat seemed to shrink making it hard to swallow – breathe. She knew her reactions were out of proportion – melodramatic – but she couldn’t stifle the panic rising in her chest.

  “Shh…” Brent pressed closer, his body curling around hers. “It’s okay.”

  He held her in the dimly lit closet until the panic receded, until her heartbeat slowed and she didn’t feel as though she was going to fly apart anymore. She took a deep breath and eased her hands away from his wrists.

  “I’m fine now,” she murmured, her voice barely more than a whisper.

  “You were always fine, Vee.” He let her go and stepped back. “I’ll be in the hall. Come out when you’re dressed and we’ll go downstairs and talk.”

  He left before she could tell him she didn’t want to talk. She knew he’d want her to rehash tonight’s events, and that was the last thing she wanted to do. She’d prefer to talk about their relationship, but she doubted that was on the cards tonight either. What she really needed was something to take her mind off everything. And she knew just the thing. Somehow she’d convince Brent to watch a movie with her. Wade had had a huge selection of new releases delivered a few weeks ago. There was bound to be the perfect distraction among them.

  She pulled on a pair of cut-off sweat pants. Tossing the towels aside, she grabbed one of the soft t-shirts she preferred to sleep in, and threw it over her head. If she was going to curl up in Wade’s movie room she’d be more comfortable without underwear. Besides, she didn’t sleep in any and she planned to silence her turbulent thoughts by numbing her mind with DVD after DVD until she fell asleep in front of the monster screen her brother had installed.

  True to his word, Brent waited outside her door. Leaning against the wall, ankles crossed and hands shoved into the front pockets of his jeans, he made her heart skip and her mouth water. He was one mighty fine specimen of a man. Her hands itched to run up his chest and she wanted to explore every dip and hollow on his body with her lips. Oh boy, she was in trouble. Obviously the blinkers she’d worn for years where Brent was concerned had been well and truly removed.

  He pushed off the wall and held out his hand. “Come on. I’ll buy you a coffee.”

  Vee laughed at his joke. He always ribbed her brother about his expensive coffee-shop-worthy machine. She took his hand and let him lead her downstairs. The house was cool but not cold, the warm late-summer breeze blowing through the open windows filling the rooms with salt-scented air. It wasn’t until she’d moved back home a few weeks ago that she’d realised how much she missed this house, missed the welcoming embrace she felt cradled in whenever she was here. There were so many memories inside these walls. Good and bad.

  Brent tugged her through to the kitchen and urged her onto a stool. “The usual?” he asked.

  “Yes.” She watched him move about efficiently. He might rib her brother about his extravagant machine, but he’d obviously mastered the appliance. “For a machine you’re always poking fun at, you seem well-acquainted with it.”

  “Hey, I’m not stupid. No point cutting my nose off to spite my face.” He grinned at her. “I might not see the point in spending thousands of dollars on a kitchen gadget, but that doesn’t mean I won’t enjoy it if someone else does.”


  “Good thing Wade isn’t above indulging himself then.”

  “Damn straight. That boy can spend ‘til his heart’s content. Nothing will go to waste while I’m around.”

  “Speaking of indulging, would you watch a movie with me?” His gaze snapped up to meet hers and she chewed the inside of her lip waiting for his answer.

  “Chick flick?”

  She smiled. “Probably. Depends on what Wade has.”

  “I think he got the latest Wolverine movie the other week.”

  Vee arched an eyebrow. “You’re a Hugh Jackman fan?”

  “Hell no, but those action sequences are worth watching. You can perv on Hugh.”

  “Ah, I see. You are a Wolverine fan. The character, not the actor.”

  “Guilty.” Steam hissed as Brent frothed milk. “I think I still have my original comic books upstairs somewhere.”

  “Really? I never thought of you as a comic book nut.”

  “Oh, I was never a fanatic, but I did enjoy the odd X-Men comic.”

  “So you were into the whole superhero thing then.”

  “Not really. It was more about beating the crap out of the bad guys.” He pushed a mug towards her. “Here, try that.”

  Steam rose from the cup bringing the unmistakable scent of her favourite coffee blend. And, if her nose didn’t deceive her, Brent had even added a shot of vanilla. She hadn’t been paying too much attention to what he was doing, but now she watched him while he made his own drink.

  “You really do know how to use that thing.”

  “Have you tasted Wade’s attempts to use it?”

  Vee laughed. “Ah, yeah. He’s not the most skilled barista.”

  “No, he’s not. And that’s after he did the course Emily gave him for Christmas.” Brent topped his cup off with frothed milk and, putting it aside, cleaned the machine.

  “He did the course already?” Vee took a sip of her latte. It was as good as, if not better than, any she’d purchased in a café or restaurant. “Damn, this is good.”

  Brent turned towards her, one eyebrow arched.

  She shrugged. “I didn’t expect you to have a talent with coffee.”

  “I have many talents, Vee. Coffee is only one of them.”

  Chapter Three

  Brent scrubbed the milk jug with unnecessary force. The innuendo in his last words echoed in the room. He’d heard Vee’s sharp intake of breath, but he hadn’t been man enough to watch her reaction. Instead he’d turned his back and busied himself with something the dishwasher could do. He was treading on eggshells and planting his size elevens squarely in the middle of them wasn’t a good idea. Not after the night she’d had. Drawing in a deep breath, he concentrated on cleaning up and hoped Vee would ignore his comment.

  She deserved to feel safe – not threatened in any way – now that she was home. He needed to remember that. If she closed up on him again, reverted back to ignoring him, he didn’t know how he’d get through to her. For now, she was open, smiling – something she hadn’t done with him in years – and Brent wanted to make sure she stayed that way. He’d bite his tongue off before he said anything else to unsettle her.

  She’d asked him to watch a movie and, while sitting in Wade’s plush theatre seats appealed, it was sitting next to her knowing she wasn’t wearing a bra that could do him in. He closed his eyes and tried to erase the image of her unconfined breasts moving beneath her t-shirt from his mind. She wasn’t large in the boob department, but what she had was sufficient to keep him happy.

  His hands jerked, the jug crashing against the stainless steel sink as he lost his grip. Cursing, he chased the slick container, making more noise that a troop of tap dancers before he finally got hold of the handle. Slapping at the tap, he turned the water on and rinsed the suds from his hands and clean utensils.

  “Do you want me to dry those?”

  He jumped. She’d snuck up behind him without a sound, or – more likely – he’d been so busy fantasising about her naked breasts he hadn’t heard her approach. “Nah, they’ll air dry before morning.”

  “Okay. I’ll go pick a movie then.”

  Brent breathed a sigh of relief as she moved away. The farther away those tempting breasts were the better. He needed a moment to regain control. She’d always had this effect on him, sent his libido soaring with the twitch of her lips, the swish of her hips, or the sway of her breasts. His jeans tightened as his cock filled with blood. Damn. He’d be lucky to make it through the night without doing himself an injury.

  Glancing over his shoulder, he made sure she’d left the room before he reached down and rearranged his growing erection. If it wouldn’t be obvious he sported a hard-on, he’d change into sweat pants, but he didn’t want Vee to see what she did to him. Not tonight. Tomorrow there’d be a different playing field, one where the rules were clear. No more dates, for a start. He doubted she’d take much convincing on that though. He’d be lucky if Smithe hadn’t scared her off dating altogether.

  If tonight’s debacle had made her skittish it would ruin the plan forming in his mind. Dating Vee, wooing her until she couldn’t resist him, sounded like a good strategy. He might not have much experience or success to fall back on, but what he had was determination and a bone-deep desire to make her see he’d never stopped loving her. Would never stop. He’d spent nearly fifteen years hiding his feelings for Valentine Johnson and it was about time he manned up and let her see the real him.

  He dried his hands on a dish towel and, picking up his coffee, headed down the hall in search of Vee. She had the equipment panel open and was busy loading a disc into the player. Brent stood in the doorway, his gazed trained on her slender body. Sensuous in nature, she moved with a suppleness that spoke of flexibility. Brent knew she swam to keep in shape. Since she’d moved in he could set his watch by her. Every morning without fail, she hit the pool and swam for an hour. Nonstop. Back and forth. Up and down.

  He’d endured more cold showers in the last few weeks than his entire life. And if he didn’t quit staring at her now, he’d need another one. Forcing himself to move, he entered the room and walked over to the couch.

  “What are we watching?” he asked as he put his coffee on a side table and dropped into the soft cushions.

  “I put the original X-Men in.” She came towards him and he tried not to notice the swing of her hips or the sway of her breasts. “Thought we’d do an X-Men marathon if you’re up for it.”

  Brent blinked. Up for it? Jeez, if she only knew how up for it he was. He swallowed over the groan caught in his throat. “Sure. I’ve got nothing better on.”

  “Do you want some popcorn? I could make some before we start.”

  “Nah, I’m good. Unless you want some?”

  “I’m still pretty full from dinn–” She chewed the corner of her lip and he knew she was remembering what had gone down earlier.

  “Come on. Let’s watch this one and we’ll make popcorn for the next. Or maybe a bowl of cookies and cream ice cream would be better.”

  He reached out for her hand and tugged her down beside him. She sprawled out next to him and hit play on the remote. Brent focused on the screen and willed his eyes to remain forward. From the corner he could see a strip of flesh just above her pants where her shirt had ridden up. The creamy skin begged for kisses. Sound exploded from the speakers hidden in the walls and with a push of a button on the remote, Vee turned off the lights. The screen burst to life with colour and after the usual before-movie presentation the real action began. They remained apart for the first few minutes, but then Vee moved. She wiggled her way closer to his side until he slipped his arm over her head and along the back of the couch. It was all the invitation she needed. With her cuddled against him, her head on his chest, it seemed only natural that he drop his arm and pull her in tight.

  Brent stared at the screen, but he wasn’t really watching. He’d seen the movie a number of times, so it didn’t matter that he couldn’t focus on the action in fr
ont of him. Instead every atom of his being was concentrated on the woman in his arms. She’d placed her hand on his stomach, a good four inches above his waistband, but that didn’t stop his cock from getting excited. If she looked she wouldn’t miss the hard-on tenting his jeans. He hoped with equal measure she would and wouldn’t take a peek.

  His coffee had gone cold without him taking a sip because there was no way he’d move and risk dislodging her from his side to drink it. As the movie progressed she shifted lower until she lay with her head in his lap. He idly played with her hair, still slightly damp from her shower, and saw it as a good sign that she didn’t stop him. It was the soft snore that slipped through her lips that clued him in to the reason behind her lack of complaint.

  She’d fallen asleep.

  He debated waking her or carrying her to bed. In the end he decided to sit through the rest of the movie and let her rest. It gave him plenty of time to think and the more he thought, the more he knew his idea to woo Vee was his best chance of winning her love and trust again. He’d start tomorrow. They could take the boat out on the water, just the two of them, no distractions and no pressure. A leisurely cruise around the harbour with a friend on a beautiful summer day was a good way to start his campaign to win Vee’s heart.

  Vee snuggled into her pillow, but when she turned her head she found her nose pressed against a hard wall of flesh. Opening her eyes Vee discovered who the wall was. Brent. The last thing she remembered was watching Hugh Jackman turn into Wolverine. She must have fallen asleep.

  “Morning.” The gravelly tone of Brent’s sleep-roughened voice flowed over her sending a shiver down her spine.

  “It’s morning?” They’d spent the night on the couch?

  “A few minutes after six.” He shifted beneath her, one warm hand cradling the back of her head while the other gripped her hip as he rolled to his back taking her with him until she lay stretched out along his length.