by Starla Kaye
Shit. He should have signed his stupid name to at least one of them!
* * *
Valentine was bone-deep tired from all the remodeling work she’d supervised and helped with these last three weeks. She’d found this little B&B near Manhattan, Kansas over the Internet while still in Maui. Everything about it had called to her. Including the ridiculous idea that maybe if she were somewhere near Sam, she might run into him sometime. It hadn’t happened yet and she’d started to become a bit depressed about that.
Until last week. The first week in February.
She stood behind the front desk of the newly remodeled Valentine Inn and smiled thoughtfully. In her entire life she’d only received a few valentines. And she’d always hated being teased about her name, especially around Valentine’s Day. But valentines had started arriving daily last week. Valentine cards, boxes of valentine candy, goofy valentine stuffed animals that sang, and even yesterday she’d received a huge valentine bouquet of red roses. There’d been no cards with any of the gifts. No outward hints of who might have sent them.
An outrageous red lobster, which she’d secretly named Sam, wearing a straw hat and a lei sat on the corner of the desk. He was her absolute favorite gift. She reached over to press the button on one of his claws to have him sing the “Hot, hot, hot” song for possibly the hundredth time since he’d arrived. It always made her smile. And remember.
“Not again,” moaned Aaron, Jonathan’s significant other, from across the room where he was hanging a new clock over the fireplace.
“He’s cute,” she protested in defense. “Feeling hot, hot, hot. Ole, ole. Ole, ole. Everybody now,” she sang along, adding a snappy little dance that had Aaron rolling his eyes but smiling indulgently.
When the Sam The Lobster’s song ended, she played it one more time purely out of mischief. Her not-so-silent partners, Jonathan and Aaron, had wanted her to get rid of it. They’d wanted her to get rid of each of the valentine gifts, worried about who’d sent them. They’d been certain the items had come from some lunatic stalker. Possibly a twisted serial killer who liked to play on women’s sentimental feelings. But she’d refused to throw them away, especially the lobster. And the rest of the various gifts were now safely in her room at the back of the inn.
As the Lobster’s song ended and she contemplated playing it one more time just because it had lightened her mood, Jonathan walked in the front door. He shivered and so did she when a blast of wintry cold air swept around him and through the entire lobby area.
“Why didn’t we buy a B&B in Maui?” he asked not expecting a reply, since he asked hat nearly every time he walked inside.
Merely the mention of Maui brought back the depression she’d been dealing with this morning. She’d loved Maui. Actually, she’d fallen in love in Maui. But sometimes simply thinking about the island made her want to fling herself on her bed and have a good long cry. A pouting time, as Sam would have called it. Sam. Why hadn’t the big, stupid cowboy called her? Shelby had told her he’d asked about her numerous times. He knew she’d returned to Kansas and bought a B&B. If he asked about her so much, why didn’t he call? Okay, she could have called him, but he had been the one to leave first. They were quite a pair, both stubborn to the core.
With a huff of annoyance, she started to reach for Sam the Lobster once more.
“No!” Jonathan pleaded, rushing across the gleaming wooden floor and tossing the large box of mail on the desk to distract her. He reached into the box and lifted out yet another package with her name clearly printed on it. “Even though I still hate you getting these little gifts, please open this one. Just don’t make that ugly lobster sing again. Please.”
Usually she would have chosen to torment him just for the fun of it, but as always, her curiosity won out. Her heart danced with excitement as she snatched the package. Although she was smart enough to know that getting these mysterious gifts from some stranger could be dangerous, some instinct told her these gifts were special. They weren’t from someone out to do her harm.
She studied the shoebox sized, brown paper wrapped package. There again was “Valentine Hart” printed in big, bold black marker. She always felt like she should recognize the signature, but, again, she didn’t.
“We really should take these to the police,” Aaron said, as he walked over, frowning.
“I don’t like this situation, either,” Jonathan added, looking ready to grab the package.
She scooted further back behind the desk so he couldn’t reach it and then pulled the brown paper off. This time as the inner box was revealed, she faintly smelled something. Something familiar. It annoyed her that she couldn’t place the smell, because she felt certain it was a big clue to the sender. Opening the inner box, she found a crimson-furred stuffed gorilla wearing something like a caveman’s one-shouldered outfit that said “Wild Thing.” Her pulse raced as she stared at it. He was so ugly he was adorable, much like Sam the Lobster. She couldn’t resist pushing the button on his foot and grinned in pure delight as it crooned, “Wild thing, I think I love you.”
Jonathan tore around the desk and tried to grab it from her hands. “This is just wrong! It’s scary.”
She glared at him and hugged the gorilla to her chest. “Don’t make me hurt you! Back off! It’s from Sam!”
He blinked at her in shock, and then she realized what she’d said. Sam. Her subconscious had finally recognized the smell. Sam’s aftershave. She was sure of it. All of these valentine gifts had come from him.
“Oh, he’s so sweet,” she whispered, holding the little gorilla out so she could gently smooth his fur with shaking fingers. Tears misted her eyes. “So sweet.”
She grabbed the lobster and carried it with the newest gift over to the large, over-stuffed chair in front of the fireplace she loved to sit in. Aaron and Jonathan started to follow her, but stopped and went on alert as they all watched through the big front window as a massive red dual-cab pickup truck pulled up outside in the driveway. They weren’t expecting anyone today. The workmen were all finished. The first of the guests wasn’t due until next week.
Aaron and Jonathan stood rigidly beside her. They looked like some kind of male protective wall between her and whoever had arrived at the Valentine Inn. She’d never seen either of them look so fierce. But, again, she didn’t sense danger. Even before the driver’s door opened, she turned to race around her partners toward the front door with her precious gifts in her hands.
“Val!” Jonathan called out in horror as both he and Aaron hurried after her.
She didn’t even hesitate. She cradled both the gorilla and the lobster in her left arm and jerked the front door open. Oblivious to the bitter cold, and the spattering of icy patches on the sidewalk, she headed for the truck. “Sam! Oh, Sam!”
Her feet went out from under her. As he sped toward her, she did an amazing imitation of a crazed, double-sided windmill. Then landed with a bone-jarring thud on her bottom. Her treasures had flown away as she’d gone down and, even though every inch of her hurt, she scrambled on her knees after them.
Sam tugged her to her feet just as she was about to latch onto the lobster. “Are you crazy? Running on ice?” She could see the worry for her safety etched on his handsome face. A face she’d missed seeing so very much.
She gave him a quick kiss and from the corner of one eye noticed how Aaron and Jonathan were slipping back inside the inn. Smart guys. Satisfied that she’d calmed Sam down for the moment, she bent down to pick up the lobster, hugging it to her.
“That’s about the ugliest thing I’ve ever seen,” he said grumpily, and then picked up the gorilla. “This one is almost as bad.”
She held the lobster out and carefully brushed off some bits of grass and ice clinging to it. “So why did you send them to me?”
His face turned red and he avoided looking directly at her. “When I found the lobster, I thought of Maui. Thought of you.”
He shuffled a boot awkwardly. “Like you’ve been
out of my thoughts for a damn second since I left there.” He thrust the gorilla at her and added in a mumble, “There’s absolutely no sane reason for buying you this.”
Except she was almost positive now once he’d heard what it said, he’d bought it as a roundabout way of telling her his feelings. He’d once told her that he’d never settle down into marriage, that he didn’t want another commitment. Clearly, with all of these gifts that so obviously related to loving someone, he’d been struggling with finally loving someone enough to want something long-term, something serious. But then, she was a trained therapist, an analyzer of people and feelings. She could be reading more into these gifts than he really meant. She hoped not. She prayed not.
“Want to come inside?” She shivered. “I can get you some coffee, maybe some hot cocoa.”
“Sounds good, either one.” He put his arm around her and started to urge her toward the inn.
She moaned and stopped.
“Sore butt?” he questioned, amusement lingering in his warm eyes.
She snorted and gave him a narrowed look. “Get your mind off my gluteus maximus, cowboy. I just landed hard.”
He chuckled and scooped her into his strong arms and trudged up the porch steps. “But, darlin’, I like your sweet gluteus maximus. Even when it’s balanced on my knee for a bottom warming.” He chuckled again when she pursed her lips in annoyance. “Damn but I’ve missed you.”
Jonathan opened the door for them, glancing pointedly back at Aaron behind the desk sorting the mail. “The place is empty. Or will be as soon as Aaron and I leave. We’re going into town for dinner and a movie. Probably be gone a long time.”
Aaron put the mail aside and went to grab his coat from the halltree. “Right. We’re gone.” Then he nudged Jonathan out the door and closed it behind them.
Sam settled her on her feet. “They live here, too?” He didn’t look happy with the idea, but seemed resigned to the idea anyway.
“They’re my partners in the inn. Actually, we make a pretty good partnership. Much better than the other one I was in back in Kansas City.” She leaned against the desk, and then carefully set the lobster and gorilla down. “Not that I haven’t enjoyed getting all these gifts, but why did you send them?”
Again he couldn’t look directly at her. “Crazy, huh. I’ve never done something like this before. If I even remembered to give a gal a box of candy for Valentine’s Day… well, I didn’t often think about such things.”
She beamed, heart pounding. Her cowboy was a very strange man. Stubborn and dominating. Hot and sweet. “Truthfully, I’ve only received a few Valentine’s gifts over the years. And I sort of hated the day, because of all the teasing I’d get about my name.”
When he looked worriedly at her, she added, “But I’ve loved every one of these surprise gifts. Somehow I knew they were from you, although Aaron and Jonathan were sure they were from some nutty stalker.”
She reached around to press the lobster’s claw, grinning in amusement at his horrified expression as the lobster sang his little heart out. After the first round of “hot, hot, hot,” she turned it off. “I’m feeling a little hot myself. What about you?” She gave him her best come-hither glance.
He moved toward her, but she snagged the gorilla from the counter and spun away to run down the hallway, calling over her shoulder, “Are you coming?”
They hadn’t even made it to Valentine’s bed before Sam had tugged her down to the thick Victorian-style rug in her bedroom, did some frantic rearranging of clothes, and made quick, hot love to her.
Now, as he sat up naked in the middle of her four-poster bed, propped against the headboard, he felt guilty for his lack of control earlier. After they’d recovered, she’d gone to the bathroom to dab on some perfume and make herself pretty for him—her words, not his. He didn’t care about perfume. And, hell, she was always pretty to him. He just wanted her back and up on this bed with him so he could do things right this time.
The second she stepped into the room, he said, “I’m sorry, darlin’. You deserved better than that.”
She planted her hands on her hips, her nicely naked hips. “Who are you to say I ‘deserved’ or wanted better than that? I wanted to slam you down on the floor in the lobby and have my way with you. But Aaron and Jonathan were there.”
His pulse raced and he patted the bed. “Well, come on over here. I’m more than willing to let you have your way with me right now.” His cock had shot up like a flagpole at her comment. He was most definitely ready for another round of sex.
She walked over and his gaze was riveted to each sexy sway of her hips, to the way her full breasts bounced. Then she stopped by the side of the bed and worried her lower lip for a second. He didn’t want her stopping for anything; he wanted her right now! “Something wrong?”
Nervous? She looked nervous, but he couldn’t imagine why. “Darlin’?” he prodded again.
“You’re going to think me nuts,” she started, glancing at him and then away. “I’ve had daydreams about us doing something…”
His heart pounded; his cock throbbed. “Doing what? I’m game for anything. Just tell me what.”
She scrambled onto the bed, stretched out on her stomach, and reached for his hard cock. He sucked in a breath when she took hold of it. As she started massaging him, he said on a groan, “If this is what you had in mind, I’m sure as hell for it.”
Still holding him, she looked anxiously at him. “I’ve dreamed of taking you like this.” She hesitated, and finally added, “While you spanked me. Slowly. Gently. Sensually.”
Although he already knew he loved her, now he loved her even more. Valentine Hart was definitely his kind of woman. Challenging. Playful. And sexy as hell. “Like this?” He swatted her creamy bottom with just enough force that she barely felt it.
She smiled, and his cock jerked within her hold. “Perfect.” She lowered her head, holding his cock and licking it up and down.
He moaned, squeezing his eyes closed for a second in pure pleasure, until she said on a pout, “Hey! Do your part of this little scenario.”
He spanked her bottom again, a little harder.
She hissed, but went back to paying serious attention to his aching rod. She swirled her tongue around the head, making him groan again, making him smack her again. Before long she was sucking on him, licking him, massaging him, sweetly torturing him. No woman had ever given him this kind of wild pleasure. And in return he gave her what she wanted, spanked her over and over in gentle swats. He’d never given this kind of spanking before, but he found he liked it. He liked watching that cute little ass of hers turn pink, turn warm.
Finally he’d had enough of the foreplay. He lifted her head from him and said, “I’d rather shoot off inside you, darlin’.”
She smiled again, sassy and sensual and motioned him to slide down on the bed. When he did, she immediately straddled his legs, and then impaled herself on his long, thick cock. “So good, cowboy,” she purred, lifting up to slide slowly down again. “So very good.”
He couldn’t have agreed more, and he couldn’t manage to say so. All he could do was lie there while she rode him hard, fast, desperately. He thrust upward harder, faster, and intently. He could barely hold back at this point, but he wanted her to climax first.
His entire body was covered in sweat from his efforts to wait, when she finally leaned back and cried out his name.
He let go of his resistance then, and gripped her hips as he drove frantically upward until he, too, shouted out his release.
When he could finally breathe again, think again, he said on a contented sigh, “Damn that was good.” He pulled her down to lie beside him. “We’re always good together.”
She rolled over until she faced him, smiling gently, fingering his sprinkling of chest hairs. “About the gorilla…”
“The gorilla?” he asked in confusion.
Annoyed when he clearly didn’t give her the answer she’d wanted, she scooted off the bed.
She returned a few seconds later with that ridiculous stuffed gorilla he’d bought her. When he still didn’t respond, she pushed on the animal’s foot and it said loudly, “Wild thing, I think I love you.”
He blushed, remembering hearing that in the store. Feeling crazy for doing so, he’d bought the gorilla and sent it to her. It had said the words he wanted to say to her. Now he needed to say the words himself, and on the whole ever-after part he wanted as well. He was just afraid he would screw up this special moment somehow. Get her mad at him again.
His stomach churned with nerves. His palms felt sweaty. “Damn, this is hard. Good thing I only plan on doing this once in my life.”
“Would you get on with it?” she questioned testily and climbed up to sit on the bed, crossing her legs tailor fashioned.
Hell. Now he couldn’t take his gaze off her woman’s place, still moist from their recent lovemaking. He swallowed hard, trying to concentrate.
“Sam!” she bit out, bristling and making him look up. “If you ever want back inside that place you can’t seem to stop staring at, you’d better…”
Her little bit of fit brought him out of his lust-filled daze. He reached over to bend her down just enough to smack her bottom. Hard. Then he pushed her back.
She pouted at him, but didn’t say anything.
“Sure hadn’t planned on spanking you before I asked you to marry me. But, darlin’, you can be so aggravating sometimes.”
She waved away his comment. “What did you say?” Her eyes were wide, glowed with happiness, and with love.
He couldn’t resist teasing her. “The part about spanking?”
