Valentine's Dates (2 page)

“Emily and Wade brought him in to meet everyone last month. I hadn’t seen him since the week he was born. He’s grown so big.”

Vee’s heart swelled with love for her nephew. “He seems to grow bigger every day. Did Wade tell you he’s trying to crawl?”

Morgan laughed. “It would be simpler to ask what your brother didn’t tell me about that boy.”

She smiled. “I know. He’s the proudest father I’ve ever seen.”

“And he’s happy. Truly happy,” Morgan added.

“That’s Emily’s doing.” Vee retook her seat. “She’s brought back the old Wade, only better.”

Morgan nodded. “Agreed. Now, I know you ordered the cheesecake for dessert, but I’ve been playing with a new recipe and I’d love for you to be the first to try it.”

“Oh, Morgan, I’d be honoured. What it is?” Vee’s taste buds watered. Morgan’s desserts were famous and getting to sample his latest creation was not only a privilege, but a thrill.

“It’s pastry-based, but that’s all I’m telling you for now.” His cheeky smile made her laugh.

“Oh, you. Fine, don’t tell me, but I expect you to join me for coffee while I eat this mysterious wonder.”

“Done.” Morgan leaned down to kiss her cheek and whispered, “If you need rescuing you know the signal.”

Vee’s heart rose to her throat. From the moment she was old enough to date Wade, Brent, and Morgan had been her watchdogs, each of them looking out for her, but not stepping over the line into overbearing. Swallowing, Vee dredged up a smile. “Thank you.”

Morgan squeezed her shoulder. “You’re welcome. I should get back to the kitchen. There’s no telling what trouble my staff will get into left alone.”

She watched Morgan walk away and wondered why she’d never felt anything but brotherly love for him. He was an amazing guy and it would have been so much easier if she were attracted to him. Instead her traitorous heart wanted Brent. Snapped from her thoughts by Edward clearing his throat, she turned to face her dinner companion.

“That was rather rude,” he grumbled.

“What was?”

“Him.”

“Morgan?”

“Yes. Not once did he look my way and you didn’t even bother to introduce me.” Edward’s thin bottom lip attempted a pout, but without any real substance he couldn’t pull it off.

Vee wanted to laugh at his childish behaviour, but doing so wouldn’t improve their evening. “You know Morgan already, so there was no reason to introduce you.” She ignored the rest of his accusation.

“Well, still, I expected better of you.” He crossed his arms over his chest.

She arched an eyebrow. “Really? After the way you used my name to get a reservation this evening?”

He had the grace to blush, but he brazened it out by saying, “I would have thought using your name to gain a table was acceptable under the circumstances.”

“Which circumstances?” Vee wasn’t about to let him off the hook. In fact, she was close to getting up and walking away.

“I couldn’t exactly take you to a lower class restaurant.”

The indignation in his voice brought her up short. Did he think she was some pampered socialite who demanded nothing but the best? “Edward, if you knew me at all you’d know I’m not a snob and would happily eat anywhere as long as the food was good.”

Their strained discussion was derailed by the arrival of their appetisers. Vee took a deep breath. Picking up her fork, she speared a juicy looking scallop. Taste exploded on her tongue and she couldn’t hold back the small moan of delight that slipped past her lips. She concentrated on her food with little trouble. Talking to the man across from her held no appeal at all.

They ate in silence, the tension surrounding them thick enough to slice with the butter knife on her bread plate. As dates went, this evening was a stark reminder of why she’d removed herself from the dating scene. There was a good chance she would be giving Morgan the signal before the night was over.

Chapter Two

Brent flicked through the channels once more. Nothing had changed in the last few minutes. He turned his wrist to look at his watch. He’d spoken to Morgan over half an hour ago and knew Vee’s date wasn’t going well. The knowledge didn’t bring a smile to his face like it should. Knowing Smithe hadn’t won Vee over did give him pleasure, but he ached for her having to endure a meal with a man she didn’t like. And his friend had been quite certain of Vee’s animosity towards her dinner companion.

He closed his eyes and let the quiet of his apartment engulf him. The entrance to the main house was open, so he could hear her when she came in, not that he expected her yet. He’d be ready though. They wouldn’t go another night without her hearing his apology, and this time he’d tie her to a chair and gag her to keep her still long enough to hear what he had to say. It wouldn’t guarantee Vee would be receptive to any future advances, but it would finally close the door to a past neither of them seemed able to leave behind.

A gentle breeze blew through the open windows and warm, salt-tinged air filled his nose. He loved living this close to the water, loved the smell of summer mixed with the scent of the sea. His apartment was large, three bedrooms – one set up as a home office, a large combined dining-living area, and, of course, a kitchen bigger than boasted by most suburban houses. When Wade had offered to convert this section of his house for Brent to live in, he hadn’t needed to think twice. Although, recently, Brent was beginning to wonder if perhaps he’d outstayed his welcome.

It wasn’t like him to question his life, to doubt the choices he’d made. But Vee was the one situation he could never get right. He blew out a stream of air. The woman had him tied in knots so fucking tight he couldn’t think straight. He’d tried to move on, tried to connect with other women, but every time he did he found himself comparing them to Vee, and he couldn’t sustain a relationship for longer than a few weeks. It was a wonder he’d gotten laid at all in the last ten years.

His phone rang, snapping his head up and his eyes open. Vaulting over the couch, he dashed across the room to where he’d left his iPhone on the kitchen counter. Snatching it up he didn’t bother looking to see who it was.

“Hello?”

“She just left.”

Morgan
. Brent breathed a sigh of relief. “Thanks.”

“No worries, mate. She looked tired and he looked smug. God, I wish I could have decked the prick,” Morgan said.

“You’re not the only one. But I’m glad you didn’t. He’s not worth it.” Brent paused before adding, “Did he pay by cash?”

Morgan laughed. “No. But he had two cards rejected before the third one accepted the charge.”

Brent smiled. “I hope you made a big deal out of the cards bouncing.”

“What do you think?” Morgan chuckled. “Of course I did.”

“Thanks for keeping me in the loop tonight.”

“Not a problem. Just tell me you’re going to do something about Vee soon.”

Brent stilled. “What do you mean?”

“You know what I’m talking about, Brent. Wade isn’t going to beat the crap out of you if you go after his little sister now. Not like he would have when she was a teenager.”

Morgan knew? “How?”

“Jesus, mate. Anyone looking can see it. Although for some reason I think Wade is still completely oblivious.” Morgan’s sigh travelled over the line. “Look, I know something happened years ago. I don’t know details and I don’t want to know, but I do know this. Whatever the fuck you did to screw it up, you didn’t kill Vee’s feelings.”

Brent laughed, but there was no humour in the sound. “Ah, goes to show what you know. Vee hates me with a passion.”

“Exactly.”

“What?”

“There’s a fine line between love and hate, my friend, and our lovely Valentine is very much in love with you.”

“Bullshit.”

“Brent, do you honestly think I’d lie about this? This is Vee we’re talking about. I’d protect her with my life if I had to. She’s like a sister to me and I want her happy. And as much as it pains me to admit, I think you’re what will make her happy. Well after she makes you beg for forgiveness, of course. You deserve to beg, Brent.”

Brent swallowed hard. “I never meant to hurt her. If it’s any consolation, I think I’ve suffered more than she has over the whole thing.”

“Not a consolation, but then it’s not me you need to convince, is it?”

“No.”

“Look, I gotta go. Good luck winning her over.”

Morgan hung up before Brent could say any more. Dropping the phone back on the counter, he walked over to the window and stared out over the water. Sydney Harbour was quiet this time of night, but a few lights bobbed on the surface as boats made their way from one port to another. On any other night the view soothed him. Not tonight. Too much was riding on what happened between now and sunrise. If the only thing he got out of the confrontation with Vee was her friendship, he’d have to accept her decision. But it wouldn’t stop him from using everything he had to convince her they could have so much more.

For the first time since Vee moved in, Brent felt settled. He knew the road ahead would be bumpy, but he had a destination in mind and he was determined to get there.

The next time Vee went out on one of her dates, he’d be damned if it would be with anyone but him.

Vee settled into the soft leather seat with a sigh. Morgan had outdone himself. His latest dessert was to die for. The light flaky pastry base held a hint of vanilla, the raspberry cream layer was sweet but not sickly, and the thin coating of chocolate mousse unlike anything she’d ever put in her mouth. Add in the scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream and generous dollop of double cream and it had been the perfect end to a perfect meal.

The evening hadn’t been a complete disaster. After their initial tension, she and Edward had fallen into a neutral conversation, but even with the improvement, Vee was ready for the evening to be over. Only Edward turned left instead of right, and she realised he had other plans.

“Where are we going?”

“I thought we’d take a walk along The Gap. It’s a beautiful night for a stroll and a stretch of our legs may help aid digestion.”

His reasoning sounded solid and the beautiful summer night was tempting. Although Vee wasn’t sure she wanted to spend more time with him, she couldn’t deny it was a lovely night for a walk. Starting an argument seemed silly when another half an hour or so wouldn’t hurt. Besides, her satisfied stomach had put her in a generous mood, so she leaned her head back on the seat and watched the houses flash by.

It only took a few minutes to reach their destination and Edward found a parking space without any trouble. A slight breeze ruffled the trees lining the roadway and Vee hoped it wouldn’t be stronger along the cliff edge. Warm air greeted her when she opened her door and stepped out of the car. The sky above sparkled with a thousand stars and low to the east hung a full moon that she knew would be spectacular reflected off the ocean.

Suddenly enthusiastic to stand on the cliff high above the waves, Vee headed to the path that led to Sydney’s famous lookout. The warm night had drawn a few others from their homes and it eased Vee’s nerves to know they weren’t the only ones in this secluded spot. She didn’t wait for Edward, knew he’d be busy securing his car, and she was impatient to stand by the safety railing and feel the breeze on her face.

As she cleared the low bushes at the end of the path the wind kicked up a notch and whipped long strands of hair across her face. There were at least ten others leaning against the railing looking over the jagged cliffs and out to sea. Vee headed towards a spot between an older couple and a man and woman with two small children. She avoided the couples further along who appeared to be more interested in each other than the gorgeous view. The last thing she needed was for Edward to get any ideas about snuggling up with her.

Her efforts went unrewarded. The second Edward stepped up beside her he slipped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. She tried to move away, but his hand tightened, his fingers digging into her upper arm. Vee turned her head and found he’d bent towards her, his thin-lipped mouth only inches from hers. Her head jerked back but with his arm trapping her to his side she couldn’t completely avoid the kiss he forced upon her.

His lips connected with the corner of her mouth, his tongue thrusting out in a hard stab of wet flesh as he tried to deepen the kiss. It was like being French kissed by a dog and Vee twisted her head farther to the right, managing to break the contact. Not to be put off, Edward trailed sloppy kisses across her chin to her jaw. She managed to free the arm trapped between their bodies and, in a move hidden from view, she cupped his crotch, squeezing until he loosened his hold and pulled back.

“What the
_–
”

Vee leaned in, her hand still gripping his testicles, her fingers digging in. She gave an extra squeeze to get his attention. “Don’t ever touch me without an invitation.” Stepping back, she made sure to give his groin a sharp tug before she let go.

“You bitch,” he growled, anger lacing his words. “You’re nothing but a cock-tease.”

Laughter bubbled up her throat. The man had to be joking. They’d barely spoken the first half of the night and she’d made it clear she was not pleased with the way he’d used her. Unable to hold back, she snorted in the least lady-like sound she could make before almost doubling over in a fit of giggles. He stared at her incredulously which only made her laugh harder. If he truly believed she’d led him on, he was insane or stupid. Or his ego was seriously overinflated. She’d place money on the latter.

When she finally got herself under control she noticed those around them had moved away. Suddenly uncomfortable, Vee scrambled for the best way to diffuse the tension between them. But she never got a chance.

“I think it best to end the evening now,” Edward said.

She would have agreed, but he was already making his way towards the path. Vee tried to keep up, but in three-inch stilettos it was hard to do on the uneven ground. He was moving far quicker than she could and when her heel caught in a crack in the concrete path she was forced to stop and tug it free. By the time she had rescued her shoe and arrived at the street, Edward had not only gotten to his car, he was burning rubber as he peeled away from the curb and sped down the street.