Valentine's Dates (3 page)

Mouth agape, Vee stared at the rapidly fading tail lights in astonishment. He’d driven off without her. If this evening hadn’t been a disaster before, it was now. Not only had he left her stranded, he’d taken her purse and phone with him.

“Oh my God, I’ll kill him.” The breeze picked up her words and whisked them away. Goose bumps rose on her arms and a shiver skipped down her spine.

Vee swivelled her head and scanned the area. She spotted what looked like a payphone about fifty metres down the road and headed in that direction. She’d have to call reverse charges. If the phone even worked. It was rare to find one un-vandalised in Sydney. Worst case, she’d be forced to walk and hope an unoccupied taxi came along. If not, she’d be facing a good hour’s walk, possibly longer in the shoes she was wearing.

Her heart hammered in her chest as she walked to the phone box. The area was deserted and the street light above her was out. To her relief she heard a dial tone when she picked up the receiver. She read the instructions beside the callbox and punched in the appropriate numbers. When an operator answered, Vee gave the woman her name and the number she knew by heart, but never rang.

She tried not to fidget during the long seconds it took for the call to go through. She turned her back to the wall and kept watch on the street. It only made sense to be cautious; a lone woman on an empty street late at night wasn’t ideal. There were still people near the lookout and on the path, but they didn’t make her feel anywhere near safe. Clicking in her ear made her jump and she stifled the gasp that burst from her throat with her hand over her mouth.

“Vee?”

Hearing his voice brought tears to her eyes and she struggled to get words out around the lump in her throat. “I n-need you t-to come g-get me.” Her hand trembled where she held the receiver tight against her ear and her knees shook, threatening to give way under her.

“Where the hell are you?”

She could hear Brent moving around, the clicking of a keyboard, and she knew he was pulling up the system they used to track their cars and phones in case of theft. “He took my phone.”

“What? Who? Smithe?” More clicking sounded in her ear. “Never mind, I’m coming. Don’t hang up, baby. Keep talking to me.”

It was the endearment that finally undid her. A sob racked her chest and tears slid down her face as she whispered her location.

“Vee, baby, please, don’t cry. I’m on my way. Just hold on and talk to me.” Brent’s voice echoed in her ear as her knees gave way and she crumpled to the floor in the bottom of the phone box.

Brent cursed the slow vehicle in front of him and gauged how safe it was to pass on the quiet back street. He dropped the bike down a gear and, gunning the engine, swerved out and sped past the car. Vee hadn’t said a word in long minutes, but he could hear her crying through the Bluetooth device in his helmet. His gut clenched tighter with each sob. He’d kill Smithe. Whether the jerk was responsible for her distress of not didn’t matter to Brent. As far as he was concerned it had been Smithe’s job to see Vee safely home.

He zipped through an amber light and didn’t give a shit if the intersection had a red light camera fitted. The only thing he cared about was getting to Vee.

“Vee, I’m not far now. I want you to watch for me, baby.” He glanced down at the screen of his phone. It was mounted in a special bracket attached to the bike’s hand bars. “Okay, I should be coming up now.”

Her stifled sob ripped through his ears and stabbed his heart. “You’re here?”

“Yeah, I’m on the bike. Can you see it?” Brent scanned the road ahead of him looking for a phone box. When he spotted it, and the crumpled figure in the bottom, his heart jolted against his breastbone before stuttering into a gallop that rivalled the speed of the powerful engine between his legs.

The road ahead was clear so he cut across to the wrong side and zoomed up to where Vee was pulling herself to her feet. He downshifted and slammed on the brakes causing the back wheel to fishtail under him. But he had it under control and pulled up the curb beside the phone. Brent switched off the engine, kicked the stand down, and ripped his helmet off. Swinging his leg over the seat, he moved towards her. She met him halfway, her slender arms wrapping around his neck and her body trembling against his as he pulled her in close.

Vee buried her face in his neck, her tears scalding his skin and burning his gut. He wanted to punch something.
Someone
. But first he had to get her home. Her arms tightened when he tried to ease her away and his stomach clenched harder. Smithe would be lucky if Brent
did
kill him. Death would be too merciful.

“It’s okay. I’m not going anywhere.” He tucked her into his side and moved over to the phone box where he replaced the dangling receiver. Checking the area for her jacket and purse Brent realised her phone wasn’t the only thing she was missing. “Come on. Let’s get you home.”

Brent managed to strip out of his jacket to wrap her in it and got his spare helmet out of the saddle bag, but he couldn’t manage to get a word out of her. Her trembling had stopped, but the occasional sob still jerked her body and each one broke his heart a little more. She was normally so tough and independent, never taking shit from anyone. He’d only seen her this distressed once before and his actions had made that situation worse. There was no way he’d fuck this night up too.

He kept her close as he straddled the bike. Helping her on behind he had to scrunch up her dress so she could swing her leg over the seat. Any fears he had about her being able to hold on were instantly squashed when she plastered herself to his back and wrapped her arms around him in a choking grip. Turning the key, he revved the engine and, putting the bike in gear, eased off the clutch and slowly pulled away from the curb.

Brent took the ride home slower than the race to reach her. He knew her legs were cold but he couldn’t do anything about it. If he’d been thinking clearly when he’d left the house he’d have taken the car, but he hadn’t been thinking of anything but getting to Vee as fast as possible and that meant the bike. It seemed like hours before he turned onto their street, although it couldn’t have been more than fifteen minutes. Pulling up next to the security box, he punched in the code and waited for the gates to open.

He’d left the garage door up so he drove straight in. Killing the engine he swung his leg over the handlebars and, never letting go of Vee, got off the bike. He stood beside her as he removed their helmets. She leaned into him and he scooped her into his arms and headed into the house. Brent took a second to check the alarm before taking the stairs to Vee’s room. She’d moved into her old room. The room he’d made love to her in. The room he’d snuck out of in the early hours of the morning.

A shudder rippled through his body as he remembered the feel of her naked against him. Shaking off the memory he concentrated on getting Vee into her bathroom. She needed to warm up and the quickest way to do that without them both getting naked was a warm shower. He sat her on the closed toilet lid and made sure she was steady before he let go. Reaching in to the shower stall, he turned the water on. Steam rose from the glass enclosure and he returned to help Vee out of his jacket.

“Will you be okay to get in on your own?” he asked as he tugged a leather sleeve off her arm.

She nodded, but he wasn’t convinced. He also wasn’t man enough to help her any further without touching her. He stepped back to give her room to stand. Her legs wobbled as she stood and turned her back to him. Brent watched as she struggled to lower the zipper on her dress. With a groan, he reached for her again. Clenching his jaw, he fought the urge to touch her while he helped her strip bare. Creamy white skin was revealed inch by inch as the fabric parted. From neck to arse, every ridge of her spine beckoned his lips.

Need arrowed through his groin, tightening his pants as it lengthened his cock. Would she still taste the same? If he didn’t leave the room now, he’d never resist the urge to find out the answer.

“I’ll wait outside.” Brent spun on his heel and exited the bathroom.

Her bedroom didn’t offer any respite from the burning desire sweeping though him, but he couldn’t go any farther. He had to be close in case she needed him. A snort left his throat. As if she’d want his help. Then again, she’d called him tonight. Brent eyed the door separating them. That had to be a good sign. It certainly indicated that she trusted him on some level. And if she trusted him to keep her safe, then maybe Morgan was right. Maybe he hadn’t destroyed her love when he’d walked away.

He moved closer to the door. He’d left it ajar and he could hear her crying again, her sobs muffled by the running water. It took everything he had not to barge in there and hold her, but he gave her privacy. For now.

Vee curled up in the bottom of the shower and cried. The water poured down around her, but it didn’t muffle the sound of her tears. She couldn’t stop. Her altercation with Edward didn’t warrant this level of distress, and yet the minute she’d heard Brent’s voice the tears had come. And so had he. Without question, he’d dropped whatever he’d been doing to come rescue her. Another sob tore at her throat, the raw cry echoing in the tiled enclosure.

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.