“I’m not sure we have any available tonight, sir. We’re booked solid. I’ll let housekeeping know of your request, and they’ll call your room shortly with an answer. Is there anything else I can do for you?”
“I guess not.”
She gave Ian back his credit card along with two keys. “Here you are, sir. Room 410. You can take the elevator on your left up to the fourth floor. Have a good night.”
“Thanks.” Ian stuffed his credit card back in his wallet and, without looking at Miranda, headed for the elevator.
She had to walk quickly to keep up with him. There was no doubt Ian wasn’t happy about having to share a bed with her. Not that she was all that thrilled with the arrangement either. But at least it was a king bed. “How much do I owe you for the room?”
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll write it off as a business expense.”
Ian opened the door to their room, letting Miranda enter first. She flipped on the wall switch, and the room was bathed in a soft golden glow. The bed was adorned with a rich tapestry bedspread and a plethora of plush velvet throw pillows. In the middle of the bed was a silver tray holding an ice bucket, out of which poked a bottle of champagne. Two crystal glasses were beside it, and in front was a heart-shaped box of chocolates. What a smart thing for the hotel to provide in celebration of Valentine’s Day. Too bad they weren’t there as a couple.
Across the room, over by the window, was a table and two chairs. They walked over there, and Ian pulled back a thick brocade drape in order to look out the window. The snow was coming down harder than before, swirling and blowing in drifts. It was a good thing they were able to get a room, but this was going to be one long night.
Ian let the drape fall from his hand, then turned to face her. “Hungry?”
“Starving. I haven’t eaten much all day.”
He handed her the room-service menu lying on the table. “Order what you want and something for me too. I don’t care what. You know what I like.”
Before she had time to answer, he had disappeared into the bathroom, closing the door firmly behind him. It was quite clear he was unhappy with their sleeping situation, but why take it out on her? It wasn’t as if she wanted to share a room or a bed either. No matter how attracted she might still be to him, their relationship was long over, and there wasn’t a chance of resurrecting it.
She sank onto one of the chairs and opened the menu. She decided on two cups of clam chowder, a veggie wrap for herself, and a cheeseburger for Ian. She’d just finished placing the order, when the bathroom door opened and Ian stepped into the bedroom. He walked over to her, and his arm brushed hers, sending a rush of heat through her body. She lowered her eyes, so he wouldn’t see what a strong effect he still had on her.
“What’s it doing outside?” He pushed back the drape and peered out the window. The snow was coming down as heavy as before.
“I sure hope it stops by morning. I don’t want to be stuck here another day.”
Ian looked at her with hardened eyes. “Oh, we’ll get back to Pleasant View tomorrow one way or another.”
“That’s right. You must have plans to celebrate Valentine’s Day with Holly.”
Ian turned away stiffly to stare out the window.
“Shouldn’t you call her to let her know everything’s okay? She must be worried about you.”
He gazed at the falling snow a few moments longer, then said, “You’re right. I should call her.” Ian took his cell phone out from his pants pocket and dialed a number. “Hi, sweetheart,” he said into the phone. “Yeah, yeah, we’re fine. The roads are awful, though. We’re stuck in Summerville. We’ll be back tomorrow after we see Lily.”
Miranda wondered what Holly would think about Ian spending the night here? She seemed like a level-headed girl. Not at all the jealous type. But then she didn’t know how much Holly knew of her relationship with Ian. What did it matter, though? It wasn’t as if something was going to happen between then tonight. They’d eat dinner, watch a little TV, and then fall asleep.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. She opened it to a busboy, waiting to roll in a cart with their meals.
Ian said a quick good-bye to Holly, took some money from his wallet for a tip, then signed the dinner bill.
After the busboy left, Ian glanced at the steaming cups of chowder and said, “Good choice, Miranda. These look great. I didn’t realize how hungry I was until just now.” He sat down across from her and took a bite of his burger. After he finished chewing, he said, “How does it feel being back home?”
“A little strange sometimes. I’d kind of gotten used to big-city life. And other times, it feels like I never left.” She studied him closely, waiting for a reaction.
He was silent for a moment, then said, “Except you can’t turn back time. The past is the past. Things change…”
“And people move on,” she said, finishing his sentence, annoyed at the cynicism of his remark.
His jaw tightened. He opened a pack of oyster crackers, poured them in his soup, then began to eat it, making it quite clear he didn’t wish to continue with that particular conversation.
“I got my old job back at Patterson.”
His dark eyes softened. “I’ll bet they’re glad to have you back.”
“Yeah, I guess.”
“Any regrets?”
She raised her brows. “About leaving Patterson?”
“About moving to Texas in general.”
Now it was her turn to want to talk about something else. She stirred her soup and thought how best to answer him. She had lots of regrets. Leaving him was what she regretted most, but she couldn’t tell him that. Especially since he was involved with Holly. She still had her pride.
He stared at her with a look she couldn’t decipher, but then it quickly changed to bitterness so that she wasn’t sure if she’d seen something else there at all.
“Of course I have regrets. It was really hard leaving my mom. Despite her meddling, you know how close we are. Leaving her alone bothered me a lot.” Miranda’s dad had died when she was a toddler, so with a young child to care for and a business to run, Beatrice had never remarried. She spent her days fixing up others, and her nights reading bedtime stories to Miranda. Maybe that was why Miranda had been able to walk away from Ian. And why Ian had let her go. Neither of them had grown up in a two-parent household. Ian’s dad had walked out on him and his mom when Ian was only seven, and that memory made Miranda’s breakup with him that much more terrible. But she had to do what she’d thought best for her future. She’d wished Ian could have understood how important her career was to her, just as important as his business was to him. But her leaving was something he would never understand.
“That’s all you regret?” His eyes probed hers, and she knew what he was getting at.
She leaned back in her chair and took a deep breath. “No, of course not. Some things I regret even more…” She let her words trail off. He wasn’t going to get her to go into detail. He knew exactly what she meant, and he wasn’t going to get her to explain any further. The damage that had been done between them had been so extreme there was no going back. Not ever. But just in case he tried to cajole her into opening up to him with her true feelings, probably to feed his bruised ego, she pushed her chair back, then walked over to the huge wooden console that held the TV and turned on the news. “Let’s see what they’re saying about the weather.”
“Good idea.”
They ate the rest of their dinner in silence while watching the news. Thankfully, the weather forecast was predicting the snow to taper off overnight and be completely gone by midmorning. That fit perfectly with their plan to see Lily after breakfast and then head back to Pleasant View by noon, giving Ian the rest of the day to spend with Holly. A needlelike pain shot through her heart. She remembered their last Valentine’s Day together, and more explicitly their night. Ian had gone to great lengths planning an elegant candlelit dinner for two and afterward a se
xy night between the sheets. The memory of his big, strong hands stroking her body sent shivers up her spine, and she could feel her face getting warm as she remembered his luscious kisses. Enough. I need to push those thoughts away and never think of them again.
Miranda dropped her napkin onto her plate. “Well, I’m stuffed,” she said getting up from the table. “Thanks for dinner, Ian. If you don’t mind, I’m going to take a shower.” She picked up her handbag off the bed, then headed toward the bathroom.
After she closed the door behind her, she pressed her back up against it and squeezed her eyes shut. She had no idea when she’d agreed to go on this trip with Ian that her feelings were still this raw and close to the surface. How in the world was she going to get through the rest of the night?
*
As Ian swallowed the last bite of his burger, it felt like sawdust going down his throat. This night was going to be much more difficult than he’d thought. Being alone with Miranda like this in a hotel room with that huge, plush bed just feet away was really testing his willpower. Every part of him screamed to take her in his arms and make love to her like never before. But that was simply a crazy, ridiculous, testosterone-filled daydream. His pride, if nothing else, would never let that happen. She’d broken his heart once before, and he’d never give her the opportunity to do it again. No, he had to keep his distance. That was the only way he’d resist the temptation of feeling her soft, warm body curled against him. And where the hell was that cot?
He went over to the phone on the bedside table and called housekeeping. A woman with a thick foreign accent answered. “I’m calling from room 410. I’d ordered a cot.”
“Oh, so sorry, sir. We have none available. Is there anything else I can do for you?”
“No, that’s all I needed. Well, thanks for your help.”
“Good-bye, then.”
Great. Now he’d be forced to sleep beside Miranda. There wasn’t even a chair large enough for him to curl up in. And he’d be damned if he was going to sleep on the floor. The only good thing was the fact that the bed was king size.
After he hung up the phone, he propped some pillows up against the headboard, then took the silver tray off the bed and set it on the table beside him. He looked at the bottle of champagne. Why not have a drink? Maybe it would calm his nerves and help him fall sleep. He popped open the cork, then poured himself a glass. The champagne went down easily. Too easily. He’d better be careful. He didn’t need anything that might cloud his judgment, tempting him to make a move on Miranda.
As he took another sip, she emerged from the bathroom, wearing a hotel bathrobe. It was too big for her, despite having it belted tightly around her tiny waist. The left shoulder had slipped down enough for him to get a glance at the top of her chest. He wouldn’t mind at all if it slipped down some more, giving him a full view of her perfectly rounded breast. But that was wishful thinking. There was no way she’d let that happen, and, sure enough, she pulled the shoulder back up and held the lapel closed with her hand. Her hair was wet from the shower and fell in gorgeous auburn waves around her face and down her back. Her cheeks were as rosy as her lips, and he had a strong urge to kiss her. Had to be the champagne.
She walked toward him and the scent of vanilla and pomegranate wafted over to him. He loved that smell, and Miranda, knowing that, had always worn it for him. Why was she wearing it tonight? Probably because that’s all she had in her handbag, fool.
He quickly downed the rest of his champagne, then poured himself another, along with one for Miranda. He handed her a glass, saying, “We can’t let a good bottle of champagne go to waste. Care for a chocolate too?” He opened the lid to the heart-shaped red foil box and held it out to her.
“Sure. Why not? Champagne and chocolate, two of my favorite things.” She selected one with a caramel center and immediately took a bite. A small piece stuck to her bottom lip.
“You have something right here?” He touched her mouth with his fingertip. He’d forgotten how soft her lips were.
She took a step back, causing him to drop his hand to his side. “Thanks for pointing that out.” She walked over to the mirror and leaned over the dresser to study her reflection, giving him a good view of her very shapely backside. “Got it,” she said after licking her lips.
When she turned around to face him, he’d settled in among the pillows. “That’s your side.” He pointed to the other side of the bed.
She raised a finely arched brow at him. “I thought you were getting a cot?”
“I did too. I called housekeeping while you were in the shower. They don’t have any available. So looks like we’ll have to share the bed.”
“Doesn’t bother me. I don’t take up much room. Besides, I’m a light sleeper.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
She padded over to the bed, then plopped down beside him. “You’re a man. Figure it out.”
Ian nearly choked on his champagne. He couldn’t believe she’d just said that. “Oh, honey, you don’t have to worry about me. I wouldn’t touch you if I drank three bottles of champagne.”
“Good, now that that’s settled. Let’s polish off this one.” She finished her glass in two gulps, then held it out for a refill.
“Are you sure? You’re not much of a drinker. I thought one glass would be your limit.”
“I’m sure. Go on, fill it up.”
“Okay, if you insist.” After he refilled her glass, she propped her pillows up in the same way he had his, then swung her legs over the side of bed, exposing her shapely calves.
She leaned back among the pillows and studied him through a fringe of dark lashes. “How long have you been dating Holly?’ she asked after taking a sip of champagne.
He was surprised she’d brought up Holly again. Could there be more to her wanting to know than curiosity or small talk? Could she possibly be jealous? He looked deep into her eyes, hoping to get an inkling of what she felt for him, but she quickly looked away.
He didn’t want to continue with his lie, but what could he say? How about a half truth? He had dated Holly only a couple of times. He could answer her with that and not be telling a total falsehood. “Not long. Just a few weeks.”
“Really? I got the impression yesterday it’d been longer than that. I guess things must be moving along pretty quickly between you two.”
Without answering, Ian set his glass on the table, then got off the bed and walked over to the window. He pulled back the drape. “Look! The snow’s letting up. I guess the weather forecasters were right. We will be able to get home tomorrow.”
Miranda set her glass down too and came to stand beside him at the window. Her hair brushed his arm. “I guess you’ll be able to celebrate Valentine’s Day after all.”
There was something about the tone of her voice, or maybe it was the slight tremble of her bottom lip, that made him wonder if what she was feeling was something other than jealousy. Could it be regret? Maybe she realized what a mistake she’d made leaving him? Without overthinking things, Ian pulled her into his arms. She gasped in surprise but didn’t pull back, and when he brought his mouth down on hers, she kissed him with all the passion he’d hoped for.
She relaxed against him, letting him kiss her again and again; then Ian picked her up and carried her to the bed. He gently laid her down, and her long auburn hair splayed out like a fan around her. As he was about to untie the belt to her robe and expose her beautiful, slim body, she put her hands over his, stopping him.
“Ian,” she whispered, “I want to do this, really I do. I’ve missed you so much…but I can’t. Not when you have a girlfriend.”
He should have known when he started the charade with Holly that it would backfire. She’d even warned him of that, but he didn’t listen. No, like a fool, he’d let his ego take over, and now he was going to have to tell Miranda the truth and risk losing her again.
He kissed the side of her neck where her pulse thrummed, then sat beside her on the bed. �
�I don’t have a girlfriend, Miranda.”
Her eyes opened wide with surprise. “You don’t? But…but what about Holly?”
“I dated her a couple of months back. Only a few times. It just didn’t feel right.” He picked up a strand of Miranda’s hair and rolled it between his fingers. “Not when all I could think about was you.”
The heavy lashes that shadowed her cheeks flew up. “So you lied to me?”
“I wanted you to think I’d moved on and was doing okay without you.” For a moment, he thought she might push him off the bed. Instead, though, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down on top of her.
“Don’t ever do that again,” she said softly.
Then she kissed him hard, making him want her more than he thought possible. With one hand, he opened her robe, then he caressed her entire body until he thought he’d explode with desire. He quickly undressed, then took a condom from his wallet, letting Miranda work magic with her hands as she slipped it on him. When she was ready, he slowly entered her, and they moved together as one. They made love over and over, until they were both exhausted and Miranda fell asleep in his arms.
The next morning, though, he woke with a knot in his stomach. Last night had been a mistake. Maybe it had been the champagne clouding his judgment, or his raging male hormones, but he wasn’t ready to get back with Miranda. No matter how much he might want her, he didn’t fully trust her. If he got involved, she could get another job offer and leave him again…or something else could come along. Whatever… He couldn’t go through that pain… Not again.
He watched her sleep a moment longer, wishing things could have been different, then he brushed a curl from her eyes and gently kissed her forehead. “Wake up, sleepyhead. We’ve got to get a move on if you want to see Lily today.”
Miranda’s eyes flew open. “What time is it?”
Ian slipped his arm out from behind her head, then sat up and looked at the bedside clock. “It’s eleven. I had a feeling it was late. I just didn’t know we’d slept the entire morning.”
“Wow! That is late. I can’t remember a time I got up past eight. We must have both been exhausted. Well, I’m not surprised after last night,” she said with a huge smile.
Love, Valentine Style Page 11