Valentines Heat IV

by Anne Lange, Nikki Dee Houston, Arianna Archer

He gave a wan smile. “Thanks.” He looked suddenly unsure of himself.

  “James, think about what I said. Tell Anna that you’ve got to set the record straight before she commits to marriage. Give her that option.” She drew in a deep breath. “If she loves you as much as you think, she’ll love you even more if you’re honest with her. Tell her you aren’t a banker. No one else need ever know, especially as her father’s going to give you a job in his mining company. It’s a great chance for you to start fresh.”

  Sounds of seatbelts being unclipped told her they’d arrived at the terminal. He stared ahead of him, blindly watching as passengers stood awkwardly, then pushed and jostled to retrieve their overhead luggage before filing off the plane.

  “You know, I think I will.” He turned to face her, and then kissed her cheek.

  She smiled, suddenly touched by this gesture.

  The aisle had cleared, only a few lagging passengers still walking toward the front exit doors. Troy appeared beside them.

  “Time to go now.” He reached up and took out their bags from the locker above. “I hope you had a, er, good flight.”

  Frankie stood and kissed Troy’s cheek, making him blush, and she began moving forward toward the exit door. She didn’t want to say goodbye to James. It was a stupid and irrational feeling, but she just wanted to get off the plane, right now, and go be crushed by the arms of Tom who she knew would be waiting for her as usual.

  Without looking back, she walked swiftly up the long aisle and left the plane. She moved along the aerobridge and emerged into the arrivals lounge of Flight 319 from La Guardia.

  * * *

  Tom stood in front of a small gathering of people who waited for the stragglers to emerge from the plane. A strained smile spread over his face, rapidly replacing a look of anxiety. She broke into a trot and seconds later was in his arms, kissing him.

  “Hey, Frankie. Good to see you.” Tom gently pushed her back from him, searching her face. “I thought you’d missed the flight. Took you a long time to come out.”

  “Yeah, sorry. I was stuck all the way at the back of the plane.”

  “Bad flight? Why didn’t you upgrade?” Tom’s brows drew together.

  “It was a full flight.” Frankie smiled at him. “You didn’t give me much notice, remember?”

  He looked over her shoulder at something in the distance. “Sorry, babe. I just had to see you.”

  “Oh? And why is that?” She ran her hand up the collar of his shirt and touched his neck. “Got something hot in store for me?”

  He surprised her when a look of guilt briefly flitted across his face and he glanced away. “Um, there’s…something I haven’t told you.”

  She’d never seen Tom so lacking in confidence. A ball of anxiety settled inside her. Is he dropping me? Surely he wouldn’t make me fly across the country to dump me. Not Tom.

  “Spill.”

  “Well—” he shifted from one foot to the other, “—it’s like this. Since I last saw you…”

  Suddenly a pretty girl about her own age with long blonde hair and a broad smile rushed over and threaded a possessive arm through the crook of Tom’s elbow.

  “Thomas. Aren’t you going to introduce me to Frances?”

  “Um. Frankie, I, er…I want you to meet Annabelle.” Tom’s face flushed red.

  Frankie stared at this girl, wondering why Tom had brought her to the airport. Usually when she visited Tom, he whisked her away the moment she set foot on Seattle soil, took her to a luxurious hotel or resort, and fucked her silly non-stop for three days before they even bothered with saying hello.

  “Frances. I’m very pleased to meet you at last.” Annabelle’s tone was friendly, but her eyes were guarded. She held out a hand.

  Frankie stared at the recently manicured nails. The lights in the arrivals lounge caught something on Annabelle’s ring finger, reflecting bright flashes of light. It was a diamond ring. A huge diamond. A gorgeous, massive, fucking huge diamond on the ring finger on Annabelle’s left hand.

  Frankie finally had the presence of mind to reach out and take the girl’s hand and squeeze it. Annabelle tightened her grip and, without any warning, pulled Frankie toward her, hugging her.

  “I really am so very happy to meet you. Thomas talks about you all the time. I was over the moon when he said you were coming to the wedding. You two have been such good friends.”

  Frankie pulled back and looked into Annabelle’s face, her gray eyes dancing, her blonde hair falling luxuriantly onto her shoulders.

  “He does? He talks about me?” She glanced quickly at Tom, who seemed most uncomfortable, then back at Annabelle. “Wedding?” The arrivals lounge swam and she couldn’t take a breath. Don’t tell me Tom is marrying this…gorgeous girl. No, no, no!

  Annabelle looked horrified. “Didn’t he tell you?” She turned to Tom. “You didn’t tell her?” She punched Tom none too gently on the upper arm.

  “Um, well…” Tom’s gaze roamed the crowds, looking anywhere but at Frankie.

  “No, I thought not.” Annabelle huffed and her lips drew into a tight line. She leaned close to Tom and spoke in a low menacing, voice. “How could you do this to her? You’ve been friends for ages.”

  Annabelle turned back to Frankie, and her countenance lost its anger. She smiled and placed an arm around Frankie’s shoulder. She whispered, “Don’t worry, we’ll find you something to wear.”

  Clearly Annabelle was in the throes of manic wedding planning and was used to having everything just right, and everyone doing her bidding. Annabelle tossed her blonde mane. “I’ll see you both later.” Then she strode off, seeming to search the crowds in the arrivals hall.

  Frankie cringed. No way was she going to Tom and Annabelle’s wedding. How could he do this to her? OK, it was her own fault for letting Tom slip through her fingers. She was the main instigator of the no-strings arrangement they’d had for nearly three years. And now, when she finally realized she cared for him—actually loved him—he’d found someone else and he was marrying her. She felt sick.

  Finally, Tom found his voice. He leaned in close and tried to put his arms around Frankie. “I’m sorry, Frankie. I thought that if I said anything, you wouldn’t come.”

  She shook his arm off, digging deep to find a morsel of her old spunk.

  “Too damn right I wouldn’t have come. I’ve just flown four hours and you…you hit me with this?” She turned, wanting to run, to get as far away from Tom and his…girl…as she could. But there was nowhere to go. She was stuck here.

  Suddenly tears stung the back of her eyes. She tilted her face in the air in a bid to stop the tears from rolling down her face and adding insult to injury.

  “Please, Frankie. Don’t be upset.” She caught a whiff of Tom’s aftershave as his words whispered in her ear. “It won’t change anything between us. I promise.”

  She swung around to face him, resisting the urge to slap his face. “What? All this time the only thing I’ve been to you is your…fuck buddy? Your whipping whore? And now you…you’re getting married!” The tears burst out from her eyes amid a huge, anguished cry. Shame, disappointment, loss, all washed over her. She had no place to run, nowhere to hide. Hell, she didn’t even have a handkerchief.

  She spun around, took a shaky step, and banged straight into a tall, hard-chested man. Suddenly, a freshly ironed handkerchief was held out to her. She took it, wiped her eyes, and blew her nose. She looked up to thank the Good Samaritan for the handkerchief.

  “You OK, Frankie?” James’s gaze was gentle, concerned, and a frown creased his handsome face.

  She stared at him for a moment. Why was there no giant crevice opening up beneath her to swallow her up, to save her from this disgraceful, hideous, shattering situation? Was this a punishment for being such a slut?

  “Frankie!” Tom grabbed her arm tightly and pulled her close. “Let me explain.”

  “Hey, take it easy, buddy. Let go of her.” James clapped his hand on Tom’s should
er, his tone menacing.

  “Mind your own business.” Tom’s voice rose and people nearby turned their heads to watch them. “This is private.”

  “James! There you are!”

  James looked up as Annabelle’s shrill voice called his name.

  “I’ve been waiting over there for you.” Annabelle ran over and gripped James’s arm tightly, tugging him close. “We need to talk.”

  James, distracted by the onslaught of his wife-to-be and her effusive welcome, glanced first at Frankie, then back to Tom.

  Annabelle looked up at James, and then followed his gaze. “Oh…” She suddenly blushed, then looked down at the ground. “I see you three have already met.” She glanced from one to the other, appearing to be sizing up the tense standoff between James and Tom.

  James tilted his head to one side, looking totally confused. Tom’s already flushed face turned a brighter shade of red as he eyeballed James.

  Annabelle pulled James aside. “I tried to phone you before you left, but…” She glanced quickly at Tom, and then back to James. “You see, I…I’ve fallen madly in love with Thomas.” Her laugh was brittle, forced, and insincere. “Who would have guessed that my daddy’s best employee would turn out to be the man of my dreams?”

  Frankie felt her mouth gape as she stared at James and Annabelle. Anna. Oh my God. This is Anna. The heiress.

  Years of pretending to be someone he wasn’t assisted James to recover first and he looked slightly relieved as he held out his hand to Tom.

  Tom, still seething at this stranger who stuck his nose in his business, and who now turned out to be Annabelle’s previous boyfriend, hesitated a moment before clasping it firmly.

  James’s voice was smooth as silk when he spoke. “I see we’ve had a slight…misunderstanding. I thought that…” James held Tom’s gaze without blinking, then turned to Anna, “I thought that we were getting married tomorrow.”

  Frankie saw James’s eyes shining. Don’t tell me he’s welling up, she thought.

  “James, I can explain…” Annabelle paused, looking toward Tom for help. “You see, Daddy ran a check on you. Called the bank where you work…”

  Tom seemed to find his balls at last, let go of Frankie, and stepped closer to James. “Turns out you’ve never worked for that bank, nor any other bank.” Tom placed an arm around Anna’s waist and pulled her closer, forcing her to let go of James’s arm. “You’re a gold digger, Jardine. You very nearly got your grimy hands on the family fortune.”

  James’s face remained cool as granite. His eyes no longer shone; rather, they began to burn with anger.

  “You can’t just dump me the night before the wedding.” He leaned in, his face only inches from Tom’s. “This is breach of promise. I’ve left my job, my home…I want some sort of compensation. My airfares over here. Somewhere to stay.” James’s lips curled into a snarl, and he edged even closer to Tom. “Or you’ll be hearing from my lawyers.”

  Tom shifted and Frankie thought he was going to swing a punch at James. Anna slipped in between the two men and glared at Tom. “Give James some money. And give him the key to that…love nest…you were going to take Frances to.” Her voice, low and menacing, did the trick. Tom reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet. He took out a few hundred-dollar bills from a large wad.

  “Give it all to him!” Annabelle screamed at her groom-to-be, and Frankie noted with satisfaction that Tom flinched at the bossy tone in her voice.

  “But that’s the cash to pay for the limos tomorrow. And tips for the staff at the wedding reception.”

  Annabelle snatched Tom’s wallet, ripped out the cash, and pushed it at James. “I’ll get Daddy’s lawyer to send you a check. Will ten thousand cover your…hurt and humiliation?”

  Then Anna reached into her bag, pulled out a shiny gold credit card and handed it to Frankie. “The pin is 6868. You’ve got it for forty-eight hours, and then I’ll report the card as missing.”

  Tom reluctantly handed James an envelope, casting a mournful glance at Frankie as he did. “Here’s the booking for the penthouse spa suite at the Majestic on Whidbey Island. You might as well stay there.”

  James snatched it from Tom’s hand.

  When Tom turned to Frankie, he seemed hardly able to make eye contact.

  “I’m sorry, Frankie.” There was no denying the doubt in his tone.

  A ripple of satisfaction coursed through Frankie. Serves him right, she thought. He knows exactly what he’s going to be missing out on for the next two nights at the Majestic.

  Tom still stared at her as though waiting for her reply. Waiting for her to say, hey, no problem-o, Tom, I’ll take you back. All is forgiven. Ha! Frankie forced herself to keep a straight face.

  Before she could reply, Annabelle’s face came into view, sliding in between her and Tom. She flamed crimson with anger, and the gorgeous golden locks that had earlier looked so beautiful now seemed to stick to her neck with perspiration. Anna glowered at Frankie, and then eyeballed Tom.

  “Thomas, if you’d done as I told you and broken it off with her before she came here, this…embarrassing farce wouldn’t have happened. But no. You just had to tell her in person, didn’t you?” She let out an exasperated sigh. “You better not let Daddy know how weak you are. And if he finds out about your…liaison…with this…” Anna glanced at Frankie. “…this nymphomaniac, you’ll be in big trouble.”

  Frankie reached up and pushed Anna’s shoulder to one side so that she could see Tom’s face. “So long, Tom.”

  Frankie looked intently at him, suddenly feeling sorry for him. She wondered idly if the promise of an inheritance and being the son-in-law of the boss would make up for the mundane sex and lack of freedom she had no doubt that Anna would provide. It seemed very clear that she was going to be a tyrant, and Tom—lovely Tom who had the best repertoire of sex positions she’d ever come across—was going to be firmly under her thumb from now on.

  The small crowd that had gathered to watch the melee slowly dispersed. The two men still glowered at each other. Anna turned toward James, stood on tiptoe, and kissed James’s cheek. Tom, looking as though he was going to throw up, stood like a statue, pale and nervous.

  Annabelle tapped her on the shoulder. “Please don’t be cross with Thomas. He really hated doing this to you, but…”

  Frankie struggled to keep a smirk from showing on her face. “Don’t worry, I’ll get over it.”

  It seemed as though Annabelle could maintain her nice face no longer. “Why are you sneering? You’ve got my credit card. Buy whatever you want, but make sure it includes a plane ticket back to New York.”

  “Business class?” Frankie tried to make it sound innocent. Inside, she was dying to laugh at the insanity of this situation.

  Annabelle huffed and then turned to Tom. “I want to go now.”

  Before Tom registered what Anna said, Frankie turned to look at James, only to find his gaze searching her face. She held her breath. Could they both keep their deep, dark secret? They had to. They just must, even if only for their own amusement.

  James took Frankie’s hand and lightly kissed it. “A pleasure to meet you, Frankie.”

  “Likewise, James.”

  “Care to accompany me?” He waved the envelope with the hotel booking and raised one eyebrow. Frankie reached out and threaded her hand through his arm, and together they strolled away, leaving Tom and Annabelle staring after them, their mouths gaping.

  They collected the luggage and then hailed a cab.

  The cab driver stowed their bags in the trunk, and then headed the taxi to Whidbey Island. Frankie turned to James. “Tell me all that never happened.”

  James ran a hand through his hair. “I’m so sorry, Frankie. I really am. Tom should have told you about the wedding. You must be heartbroken.”

  Giggles began deep in the pit of her stomach, and then worked their way up. James couldn’t hold in his laughter any longer, and they both cackled uncontrollably.

/>   James wiped his eyes, moist from laughing too hard, and reached to the inside pocket of his jacket. He pulled out the envelope Tom had given him.

  “What shall we do for the whole weekend at the Majestic? Any ideas?”

  Frankie pulled out the gleaming gold credit card and waved it in the air.

  “Sure, James. I have plenty of ideas.”

  “Happy Valentine’s Day, Frankie.” James leaned in and kissed her tenderly on the lips. “I know I’ve said this before…several times, in fact. But you are good, Frankie. Very good.”

  END

  ~ About Nikki Dee Houston ~

  Nikki Dee Houston is a businesswoman by day, an erotic romance writer by night, and a lover all the time. She lives in an idyllic location in a modest beach shack near the sea.

  Nikki loves to write Erotic Fiction - the ‘behind closed doors’ stuff, where the readers can really get involved with the characters in an intimate way.

  She believes that a good Erotic Romance story must have a strong romantic element, engaging characters, an interesting storyline, and some sizzling hot, steamy sex scenes. Nikki never underestimates the expectations of erotic romance readers and ensures she delivers on all counts.

  Discover more about Nikki Dee Houston here

  Website http://www.nikkideehouston.com/

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  Also by Nikki Dee Houston

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  Nikki Dee Houston

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  Cindy always wanted to be a fire fighter. When she tops the class in the rookie academy, she takes her first job at the small but busy Hillwood Fire Station—as their first female firefighter. Some of the crew don’t appreciate a woman trying to do a man’s job. But when the crew risks their lives in a series of factory fires, Cindy’s determined to not just keep up, but to excel.