Sweeter Than Chocolate: Valentine's Day Anthology

by Gina Kincade

  It was Brandon’s turn. I wasn’t sure how long we danced. It felt like forever and not long enough. Then his beautiful mouth fell on mine, simmering me as he’d done in the kitchen. This kiss more insistent, almost desperate like I was. Every time his tongue twirled with mine, it scorched me with that inexplicable heat, that longing that I didn’t know how to put into words.

  The clock struck midnight, and the music stopped. Brutally.

  “It’s officially Valentine’s Day, Miss Gibson,” Brandon announced. “Happy Valentine’s.”

  “Happy Valentine’s.” Kyle lifted my hand to his lips and placed a tender kiss.

  “Happy Valentine’s.” Zach kissed me on both cheeks.

  Tears pricked my eyes. This amount of sweetness and beauty was enough to have any girl in tears. If this wasn’t the perfect Valentine’s date ever, I didn’t know what counted as one. I had my red dress. I had my dance, and I was swept off my feet by three amazing men.

  Except…I was left with a heavy weight of confusion my mind couldn’t carry.

  I wasn’t ready for this night to end. Perhaps I never would be. I definitely didn’t want to see that look, that question, in their eyes.

  Because I couldn’t answer it.

  I couldn’t choose.

  I didn’t want to choose.

  “It’s not fair. It’s just not fair.” My breaths hitched, and I felt as if I was about to have a panic attack.

  “Hey, Keera, breathe, beautiful,” Kyle took my hand and sat me at the bar. The other two hovered around me. Despite the shortage of my breath, I felt calmer that they surrounded me. Their strong, kind hands rubbed my arms, shoulders and neck. It didn’t feel weird. It didn’t feel weird at all that I had three men touching me, comforting me at the same time.

  If it was anything, it was soothing. Blissful.

  “Do you think we can make it work?” The question fell out of my mouth without thinking. “The four of us?”

  They exchange deliberating glances before Zach opened his mouth. “What if we can’t?”

  “Then I can’t choose. If I choose just one, it won’t be fair. There will always be these parts of me that want the other two.” I shook my head endlessly, wiping my eyes. “If you can’t work it out… I’ll have to walk away.” More tears fell into my lap. “I just don’t know how I can choose.”

  I cried. Hard. Everything was ruined. The perfection I thought would make me happy made me more miserable than ever.

  Not that I wasn’t grateful, because I was. This night was everything. These men were everything. But to have it all and lose it all at once hurt. Like hell.

  “You already know I don’t mind trying this lifestyle. It’s rather intriguing.” Kyle continued to rub my arms.

  I barely managed to hold Zach’s gaze, desperately waiting for him to speak.

  After a long, nerve-racking pause, he blinked. “I don’t want to lose you. If my options are sharing you or not having you at all. I’ll fucking learn to share. But expect a lot of swearing. And punches.”

  A laugh burst out of me through the tears. Treacherous hope finding its way back to my heart. I summoned what was left of my strength and switched my gaze to Brandon.

  “I have one thing to say,” he said, and my heart thudded. Please don’t shatter me tonight. Please.

  “I choose Keera.” He smiled.

  My heart skipped a beat and then rocketed in my chest. My breaths, laughs and tears trembled all over me. I was sure I looked so ugly, blubbering and laughing like a maniac, yet their warm gazes and smiles were all on me as if I was the most beautiful person in the world.

  “That leaves us with a very important question, though…” Kyle smirked at me.

  My eyes widened, and then I lifted a finger to his mouth to hush him. “Nope. We’re not having this conversation today.”

  Zach cocked a brow. “Why not?”

  “Because I’m not losing it tonight.”

  “Oh fuck me. Are you for real?”

  “Yes. And no, I won’t…do that…tonight.”

  “Virgin or not, you’re a Bio teacher! You know blue balls fucking hurts.”

  Heat rose to my cheeks, and I bit my lip. “Okay…we can, you know, do other things to alleviate that?” I bit my lip again.

  He snarled at me like a hungry animal. “For now.”

  A grin twitched my lips. “I’ll take that.”

  Brandon caressed my cheek. “Maybe if we use the hot tub, you’ll change your mind.”

  “Shut up,” I giggled.

  He shrugged, smiling back. “It was worth the shot.”

  Tonight, I was the girl that would be envied for her red dress and her dates. For the way they looked at me. The way they pampered me.

  The way they wanted me.

  For me, tonight, it was enough.

  I hope you enjoyed this short story as much as I loved writing it. It will be extended into a full length soon, so stalk me for release updates.

  Where To Find N.J. Adel

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  Also by N.J. Adel

  Why Choose Collection: Paranormal, fantasy and historical collection

  All the Teacher’s Pet Beasts

  All the Teacher’s Bad Boys

  Her Royal Harem: Complete Box set

  Seratis Daughter of the Sun

  Seratis War of the Gods

  Dark MC and Mafia Romance: I Hate You then I Love You Collection

  Darkness Between Us

  Nine Minutes Later

  Nine Minutes Xtra

  Nine Minutes Forever

  I Hate You then I Love You Box set

  About The Author

  N. J. Adel, the author of Seratis, Her Royal Harem, The Night Minutes series, and All the Teacher’s standalones is a cross genre author. From chocolate to books and book boyfriends, she likes it DARK and SPICY.

  Bikers, rock stars, dirty Hollywood heartthrobs, smexy guards and men who serve. She loves them all.

  She is a loather of cats and thinks they are Satan’s pets. She used to teach English by day and write fun smut by night with her German Shepherd, Leo. Now, she only writes the fun smut.

  Forever My Valentine

  Raine English

  2 Flames

  Skip To Next Story

  Copyright @Raine English 2014

  Edited by Linda Ingmanson

  About Forever My Valentine

  She left him... He loves her...

  A snowy Valentine's gives them a second chance.

  Returning home after a disastrous job relocation, Miranda Kane is determined to avoid the man she left behind and whose heart she broke, until she finds a hidden treasure in a music box—an engagement ring engraved with a decades’ old date. But the only man who can help reunite the precious ring with its owner is the last man she wanted to see.

  When Ian Anders sees Miranda come into his antique shop, his defenses go up. She walked away from him once without a backward glance. Since then, he’s given up on love. But when their eyes meet and sparks fly, he wonders if maybe there’s a Valentine’s Day miracle in store for them.

  A snowy night’s journey to bring the ring to its elderly owner turns into a second chance at romance for Miranda and Ian. But as the frost melts from around their hearts, it exposes old hurts and deceptions. This Valentine’s Day could be the start of something wonderful. Or the proof that their love was never meant to be.

  Chapter One

  Mira
nda Kane wound the beautiful Victorian carousel music box, and three white porcelain horses adorned with Austrian crystals spun around the base while the Blue Danube Waltz played. The box was a perfect addition to her collection and would look great in the curio cabinet along with the others. As she set it down on the kitchen table, she looked at her mother standing beside her and smiled. Beatrice Kane had been buying Miranda music boxes for Valentine’s Day since she was three years old. “You really outdid yourself this time, but you didn’t have to be so extravagant.”

  “Don’t be silly,” her mom chided. “I’ve no one else to spend money on. I know it’s a few days early, but I thought I’d better give it to you today in case I don’t see you on Saturday. Who knows, maybe you’ll have a hot date.”

  Fat chance of that. More likely she’d be home alone curled up on the sofa watching old movies and eating chocolates she bought for herself. Miranda hugged her mom and whispered against her coiffed hair, “Thanks, Mom.”

  “Besides, Ian gave me a very generous discount.”

  Miranda’s arms dropped to her sides. “I can’t believe you bought the music box from my ex-boyfriend.”

  “My dear, you’re the one who broke his heart. And you know I’ve always had a soft spot for him. If only I were twenty years younger…”

  Miranda couldn’t believe her ears. Her mother knew Ian wasn’t the only one who’d been devastated by the breakup. It was true, Miranda had been the one to call things off. But what choice had she had? It would’ve been impossible to maintain a long-distance relationship. Dallas, Texas was over fifteen hundred miles from Pleasant View, Massachusetts, and the job offer that had been presented to her was one she’d waited years for and was way too good to pass up. Besides, she’d thought she could get Ian to make the move with her. After all, they’d been together for two years. They weren’t getting any younger—both were approaching thirty—and had discussed getting married several times.

  Ian could open another antique shop in Texas. With his knowledge and expertise, he’d have it flourishing in no time. He wouldn’t even have had to close Yesterday’s Treasures if he didn’t want to. Annie, Ian’s sister—a stay-at-home mom—was ready to go back to work and had been hinting that she’d like to partner with him. She could easily take over the business.

  However, Ian hadn’t seen things Miranda’s way. He didn’t want to move. He didn’t want to start a new business, and he didn’t understand why she was ready to give up the life she’d built in Pleasant View for a job in Dallas when she’d never even been to Texas. What if she didn’t like it there? And what if the job wasn’t as great as she thought it would be?

  Sure, there were risks. But she was willing to take them. It was her dream job and might never be offered again. Besides, why was his business more important than her career?

  After a huge argument, she made the decision that they should go their separate ways. And they had. But the job hadn’t turned out as expected. Plus the traffic was awful. She got lost all the time and was downright miserable and homesick. All the things Ian had predicted. Six months later, she was back and ashamed to admit that he’d been right. At least she’d been able to find a cute little condo in town, though. If she’d had to move in with her mother—despite how much she loved her—that would have been the ultimate humiliation.

  “You know I didn’t want to end things with Ian, Mom, but I had no choice.”

  Beatrice lifted a penciled-in brow. “Do I? One always has choices.”

  Miranda set her hands on her hips. “You have this way of making things sound easy. Even when they’re impossible.”

  “Impossible only because you’re both way too stubborn. You two were perfect for each other. I knew it right from the start. Ian couldn’t take his eyes off you, and you, my dear, had been positively glowing.”

  “And your feeling that way had nothing to do with the fact that you set us up,” Miranda said sarcastically.

  “I set you up on many dates, but none had given me the reaction I got when you were with Ian.”

  Miranda bit her bottom lip. Her mother was the region’s best matchmaker, as had been her mother, and her mother before her. Miranda was the first to break with tradition and venture out on her own. Advertising was where she excelled. She couldn’t even find a man for herself. How in the world could she have done so for others? But her mom, on the other hand…

  She sighed, sank into a chair, and buried her face in her hands. “Please, please, please. Do not meddle in my business and try to get us back together. It doesn’t take a genius to realize that’s what you have up your sleeve. It won’t work, Mom. Ian and I are done. Forever.”

  Beatrice pursed her lips, but there was a sparkle in her eyes. Miranda was in for trouble. There just wasn’t any way she’d be able to keep her mother from interfering.

  “Well, I don’t want to outstay my welcome.” Beatrice leaned over and kissed Miranda’s cheek. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

  “Bye, Mom. And thanks again for the music box. I love it.” She watched her mother cross the room and head toward the front door, her short tawny curls bobbing with each bouncy step. Beatrice was a jovial, good-natured woman, and it showed even in her walk.

  It wasn’t until later that Miranda had a chance to pick up the music box again. Having come from Ian’s shop, it would always be a reminder of what could have been. Terrible regrets assailed her. She shouldn’t have left him. As soon as she’d boarded the plane to Dallas, she’d been second-guessing her decision, but Miranda wasn’t a quitter. She’d made a promise to herself to commit one hundred percent to her new venture, and she had. However, she also knew when she’d made a mistake. And leaving Ian had been the biggest mistake of her life. She pictured his handsome face, tan and rugged, with a wide, engaging smile and deep-chocolate eyes, and her heart began to race. She wondered if she’d ever get over him.

  She studied the music box more closely. The hand-painting was impeccable, especially the intricate mosaic pattern covering the base. As she ran her fingers over it, a small drawer, made nearly impossible to see due to the fancy design, popped open and inside there was a ring. Not a piece of costume jewelry, but a diamond ring. What in the world? How did this get in there? Although her mother’s matchmaking business was thriving, she didn’t make near enough to afford something like that.

  She lifted the ring from the box, and the elegantly set solitaire twinkled under the kitchen lights. The platinum setting had an antique quality to it, and inside the band was etched a date—February 14, 1964. Valentine’s Day!

  How did an engagement ring get inside the music box? Could the owner have forgotten it was in the drawer when the box was sold to Ian? Someone must be going crazy looking for this ring. Miranda had to find out who it belonged to and return it, but there was no way she was going ask Ian for help. Picking up the phone, she dialed her mother’s number.

  Beatrice answered on the third ring. “Hello.” Her voice was husky.

  “Did I wake you?” Miranda asked.

  “No, no. I was just dozing, dear. What’s wrong?” Beatrice had always had an innate ability to know when Miranda was stressed or upset without her having to utter a word.

  “I need your help, Mom. I found a ring—an engagement ring—inside a secret drawer in the music box,” she blurted.

  “Oh my. Some poor woman somewhere must be frantic. I’m sure Ian’ll help you find her. He must have a record of who sold him the box.”

  Miranda didn’t bother to hide her annoyance. “That’s why I’m calling. I can’t go to Ian for help. But you can. Besides, you’re the one who bought the box from him.”

  Her mother’s response was immediate. “Sorry, honey. I don’t have a spare moment this week. I’m booked solid with clients.”

  “You don’t have time for a phone call?” Miranda’s voice was louder than she would have liked.

  Unfazed by her outburst, Beatrice went on. “I’ll barely have time for a bathroom break. You’ll have to do this
yourself.”

  Miranda groaned. “I can’t call him. He’ll hang up on me.”

  “Then you’ll have to go to his shop.”

  How convenient. That fell right in line with her mom’s plan to reunite her with Ian. “If I find out that you had time for your weekly Thursday lunch with Inez but couldn’t make a quick call to Ian, I’ll never forgive you.”

  Beatrice chuckled. “Who knows, he just might be happy to see you.”

  There’s not a chance of that. “Good night, Mom.” After Miranda hung up the phone, she padded to her bedroom dreading tomorrow.

  Chapter Two

  Ian Anders watched his assistant dust an Elizabethan-style chair. Holly’s chestnut hair fell over her shoulders, shining like satin in the morning sun. Everything about her reminded him of Miranda, from her hair, to her long, shapely legs, to her size-seven feet. But that wasn’t why he hired her. He needed help. Business had picked up over Christmas and had stayed steady ever since. However, that was why he’d dated her. After a couple of weeks, though, he’d known she was a rebound. It wouldn’t have been right if he kept seeing her. She was a sweet girl and deserved someone who was open to falling in love. And that wasn’t him.

  Holly had appreciated his honesty, and their relationship shifted gears to good friends. The problem was every time he looked at her, he saw Miranda, and that left him with a dull ache in his chest that never went away. It had gotten worse too since Beatrice Kane had come into the shop a few days ago looking to buy a music box for her daughter.

  Ian had always had a great relationship with Beatrice. Three years ago when he moved to Pleasant View, he didn’t know a soul. Trying to get Yesterday’s Treasures off the ground took all his time, so when one of his customers suggested he see a matchmaker, Ian didn’t take much convincing. What did he have to lose? He’d been lonely and miserable for months.