Sweeter Than Chocolate: Valentine's Day Anthology

by Gina Kincade

  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?

  Chapter Six

  Ian swallowed the last bite of his burger, and 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 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.”

  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 wasn’t 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 it being belted tightly around her tiny waist. The left shoulder had slipped down enough for him to get a glance at her milky skin. He wouldn’t mind at all if it slipped down some more, 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.

  “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 it looks like we’ll have to share the bed.”

  She shrugged. “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 the 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 she was feeling 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, really I do. I’ve missed you so much…but I can’t. 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.

  “Don’t ever do that again,” she said softly, then pulled him down beside her and kissed him hard.

  He untied the belt to her robe, then slid his hands across her silken skin. She curled into the curve of his body, and then they were exploring and giving each other pleasure. Later, much later, when they were both spent, 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.

  “Come on.” He patted her leg. “Get up. While I’m in the bathroom, order us some coffee and bagels, okay?”

  She stared at him with bewilderment, no doubt wondering why he was acting so distant. But he had to. It was his only defense against her. Otherwise, she’d be back in his arms.

  “Sure. Go on. I know how you like your coffee.”

  Ian didn’t miss the hurt look in her eyes, and when he walked away from her, a sharp pain stabbed his stomach, then traveled up to his heart. At some point today, he was going to have tell Miranda that what happened between them last night would never happen again.

  Chapter Seven

  Miranda watched Ian disappear into the bathroom. Something was wrong. It wasn’t like him to jump out of bed in the morning after a night of making love. He used to always cuddle with her, if nothing else. So she knew his talking about how late it was was merely an excuse to get up. They could see Lily any time today. There was no hurry. And since Holly wasn’t his girlfriend, there was no rush to get back to Pleasant View. Could he be regretting last night?

  She looked over at the empty bottle of champagne on the bedside table. Ian wasn’t a big drinker, but he could certainly handle sharing a bottle of champagne. No, he knew exactly what he was doing last night. If anyone would’ve been fuzzy headed, it would’ve been her, and she’d had all her wits about her. So why the change in his behavior today? Could he have slept with her as a means of revenge? Maybe he hadn’t forgiven her. Maybe he never would.

  She hated to think that Ian would do something so low. The Ian she used to know never would. But people can change. Maybe he wasn’t the man he used to be. After all, he had lied to her about his relationship with Holly.

  She could be making too much out of nothing. He might simply have decided to tread carefully, that was all. And that might not be such a bad idea. Last night, she’d been willing to give their relationship another chance, but that was when she thought he was too. But if he wasn’t able to fully forgive her, why should she forgive him? They’d both been hurt. Maybe it wasn’t such a bad idea to take things slow…or not at all.

  Mixed feelings surged through her. With a heavy heart, she reached for the phone to order room service. When Ian came out of the bathroom a few minutes later, he sat at the table without looking at her.

  “Nice day today,” she said, hoping that by keeping the conversation light and off last night, she’d get through the wall he’d put between them. “The sun’s out, and it’s not snowing.”

  “I’m glad we won’t have any trouble getting home,” he said flatly.

  “Me too. Well, I’m going to get dressed before breakfast arrives. I’m anxious to meet Lily.” Miranda headed toward the bathroom without making eye contact with Ian. Let him wonder what her feelings were. She had her pride, if nothing else.

  She took a quick shower, not wanting to give herself time to dwell on what could have been, then dressed, did her hair and makeup, and went to join Ian for breakfast with a phony smile on her face. Ian was pouring them each a cup of coffee when she arrived. She sat across from him at the table and tried hard to pretend nothing was wrong.

  “Miranda, about last night…” Awkwardly, he cleared his throat, then looked away, but not before she saw the guilt on his face.

  Alarm bells went off in her head. He didn’t want to take things slow. He didn’t want to see her at all. Well, she wasn’t about to give him the satisfaction of knowing he’d hurt her. “You were going to say last night was a mistake. And I agree.”

  Ian shifted his gaze back to her, locking eyes with her. “Really?”

  Miranda made sure to keep her voice calm and steady. “Absolutely. There’s still too much resentment between us. We can’t go back.”

  Ian’s face paled, and he stirred uneasily in his chair before pushing it back to stand. He glanced down at the uneaten food on the table and said, “Guess I wasn’t hungry after all. I’m ready to go when you are.”

  Miranda had no appetite either. She took a quick sip of coffee, then said, “All set. Let’s go.”

  Luckily, the drive to see Lily was only about five minutes. The silence between them stretched on, as unsettling as a road to nowhere. Miranda was glad to see the Sterling House sign up ahead.

  Ian pulled the car down a long driveway flanked by a row of huge fir trees. At the end was a stately brick building adorned by a pair of large white pillars. After he parked the car, he came around to help her out; then they walked across the lot and through the front door into a reception area. They still weren’t speaking.

  “We’re here to see Lily Douglas,” Ian said to a woman seated at the front desk.

  “Please sign in,” she said, pointing to a guest book, “then you can have a seat in the waiting area while I call for someone to show you to her room. Mrs. Douglas has been a little under the weather lately. I’m sure she’ll be glad to have visitors.”

  Miranda wondered if losing her ring had something to do with Lily not feeling well. Ian scribbled his name in the book, then pushed it in front of Miranda and she signed it also. As they walked toward the waiting area, a heavyset woman with bright red hair came rushing toward them.

  “You’re here to see Mrs. Douglas?” she asked.

  “Yes, we are. I’m Ian, and this is Miranda.”

  “Pleasure to meet you both. I’m Jamie, Lily’s nurse.” After shaking hands, she led them down a long hallway, then up a flight of stairs and over a glass walkway that overlooked an outdoor courtyard. A few moments later, she stopped in front of a door open a mere sliver.

  Jamie knocked and said, “Lily, you have visitors.”

  A frail, silver-haired woman with a head full of curls was seated in an armchair by the window. She wore a pink bathrobe and slippers and had a floral throw draped over her lap. She didn’t turn her head, or acknowledge their presence. She continued to stare out the window as if she were alone.

  Jamie walked over to her and knelt down in front of the chair. “Lily, dear, there’s a nice man and woman here to see you. Wouldn’t you like to say hello?” After getting no response, she walked back to Miranda and Ian, who were standing in the doorway. “I’m sorry. She hasn’t been very responsive the past few days, and today’s been the worst so far. Maybe you could come back another time.”

  There was no way Miranda was leaving without giving Lily
her ring. “I have something that belongs to Mrs. Douglas. Do you mind if I give it to her?” Before Jamie could answer, she reached into her handbag and pulled out the music box.

  “That’s so lovely.” Jamie touched one of the carousel horses, running her fingers over its smooth back.

  “It was a gift from my mom, but it used to belong to Lily. However, it’s what’s inside that’s the reason we came here.” Miranda opened the drawer and pulled out Lily’s engagement ring.

  Jamie gasped. “Oh my! Is that her—”

  Miranda didn’t need to hear the rest of the sentence to know what Jamie was going to say. “Yes, it is.”

  “Well, my goodness. Yes, go give it to her.”

  Miranda put the music box back in her handbag, then gingerly crossed the room so as not to startle Lily. When she reached her, she held out the ring. “Hi, Lily. I’ll bet you’ve been missing this.”

  The old woman’s faded blue eyes were dazed when she shifted her gaze from the window up to Miranda’s face, then down to the ring. Her brow wrinkled with confusion as she tried to comprehend what was happening, but then a moment later, she covered her face with her hands and cried, “That’s my ring. You found my ring.” When she took her hands down, her cheeks were wet with tears.

  Miranda handed Lily the diamond engagement ring. The old woman turned the ring around, causing a prism of light to flash off the diamond; then she suddenly shifted her attention back to Miranda.

  “Do I know you?” she asked.

  Miranda smiled. “No, but I feel like I know you. At least a little. I know you like music boxes.” She reached into her bag and pulled out the carousel.

  Lily’s eyes grew wide. “That’s mine too. My Charlie gave it to me.” She held out her hands, and Miranda placed the box into them. Lily popped the ring into the drawer, then cranked up the box and giggled as the music poured out.