A Big Surprise for Valentine's Day

by Jackie Lau

  Because this would be the last time.

  There would be no experimenting with grapefruit and donuts in the bedroom. No more swapping pieces of pizza at lunch and clutching the table in laughter.

  A tear fell from her eye, and she swiped it away angrily.

  She would not cry.

  They had no future together, and she was starting to get too attached. This was the way it had to be, and she could handle it like an adult.

  She strutted out of the bedroom, chin held high, one hand on her hip.

  Sebastian’s mouth fell open. He stalked toward Amber, his gaze riveted on her.

  “You look...wow.”

  His mouth collided with hers. One hand came up to squeeze her ass; his other hand was in her hair.

  When he slid his lips to her neck, she said, “Don’t you want to eat your tiramisu?”

  “Later.”

  “You have something else you’d rather eat?”

  “Mm-hmm.”

  “Well, too bad for you. I want my tiramisu.” Admittedly, it would be torture for her as well, but she thought it would be worth it.

  “Alright.” He led them to the table. “Let’s make this fair.”

  He whipped off his shirt and placed it on the chair next to him.

  She swallowed.

  He looked particularly good without a shirt. Her eyes lingered on his arm muscles, then followed the light trail of hair...

  “We’ll eat the tiramisu later,” she decided.

  “Nope, you wanted to eat it now. So we will.”

  He held a spoonful of mascarpone cream up to her lips. It was rich and delicious.

  It was not the most interesting thing in the room.

  “Good girl,” he murmured, then had a bite of the dessert himself. He licked his lips slowly, almost obscenely, before feeding her again.

  She, in turn, fed him a bite.

  “Now keep eating,” he said, pulling her into his lap so she was facing the table. As she ate the next few bites of dessert, he slid his hands up and down her bare legs and dipped his fingers inside her barely-there thong, which matched her babydoll. She pressed back against his bare chest.

  He hissed out a breath when he touched her wetness.

  She was supposed to keep eating, though. So she raised the spoon to her mouth, her hand shaking, and slid it between her lips.

  He slipped his finger inside her, and his thumb circled her clit.

  She gasped.

  “I love the noises you make,” he murmured. He continued to stroke her leisurely as she swallowed. “You’re so fucking sexy.” His other hand rubbed the bottom of her babydoll. “Did you buy this just for me?”

  She shook her head. “I’ve worn it for a bunch of guys.”

  It was the truth, and she didn’t want him to feel special. Because this was all they’d have together.

  He plunged two fingers deep inside her, and she shuddered. She rode his fingers, trying to get the right angle, but she couldn’t. She groaned in frustration.

  “More tiramisu?” He held the spoon to his lips.

  “Later. When I can enjoy it properly.”

  “Why can’t you enjoy it properly now?”

  “You can be infuriating, you know.”

  He laughed.

  When it was just the two of them, he had a soft, commanding presence. She didn’t know how else to describe it. She felt like it was all for her, nobody else was in on this little secret, and she loved it.

  He swiped up a small amount of mascarpone cream with his finger and held it to her mouth. She sucked it off, careful to use lots of tongue to drive him wild.

  But really. Enough with the tiramisu.

  She turned in his lap so she was facing him, her legs wrapped around his waist. The juncture of her legs pressed against his erection, and she groaned again.

  How did he feel so good?

  How could this be the end?

  She unbuttoned his pants and removed his cock through the slit in his boxers, stroking the hard length of him. His size was less intimidating than it had been the first time, but she still required lots of preparation and lube to take him.

  He slid his hand into her thong again and worked her into a frenzy. His fingers were no longer enough.

  “Sebastian. Please. I need...”

  He rolled a condom onto his length, then pulled a small bottle of lube out of his pants—she appreciated that he was prepared.

  When he was ready, she raised herself up and pushed her thong to one side. She eased herself down on him, nice and slow, gasping with each additional inch she took of him.

  It felt like he was splitting her open, and she would never be able to completely put herself back together.

  She didn’t care. She kept going.

  Finally, his cock was fully inside her.

  “Yes, Amber.” He sounded in awe of what was happening between them. “You’re amazing.” He cupped her cheeks and bestowed a single kiss on her lips before shifting his hands to her ass. “Now move.”

  They thrust together, up and down, in perfect harmony, and she ached. Oh, she ached. This would be it for them.

  Why couldn’t he be someone else? Someone she hadn’t known all her life, someone whose parents were strangers to hers. Someone who wasn’t friends with her brother.

  What if...

  No, it was impossible. She couldn’t start something real with him unless she was positive it would last. Otherwise, it wasn’t worth the risk. She didn’t love him.

  But it’s already real.

  Amber rode him harder to drown out her thoughts. She kissed him long and deep and held him against her. She took his hand and shoved it into her thong, and he immediately began rubbing her clit.

  “Was it like this with anyone else?” he asked as he thrust particularly deep inside her.

  She shook her head, unable to be anything but honest when they were together like this.

  On and on she rode him. Every inch of her skin sparked with energy, and when her breaths came faster, he pounded into her even harder from below, one hand gripping her thigh, the other moving furiously on her clit.

  “Sebastian, I’m going to...”

  And then it happened. She shook as though she was breaking into a million pieces, and beneath her, he cried out and tightened his hold on her.

  He stayed inside her for a moment, and they simply looked at each other. She felt too raw, though, too naked, and she raised herself up and straightened her clothes.

  “Let’s finish the tiramisu,” she said.

  If they were in a real relationship, maybe they could get tested and she could go on the pill. They could stop using condoms; she could feel him go soft inside her.

  But none of that would happen.

  “Friday is Valentine’s Day,” he said. “I don’t have any plans. Want to come over and spend the evening in bed?”

  “Yes,” she said before she could stop herself.

  She’d sworn this would be the last time, but she couldn’t seem to keep away, and she was weak after that incredible orgasm. It was too good with him. They laughed and they ate and they talked and they fucked.

  But then she imagined her parents barging into her apartment while she was trying to eat a honey cruller off his dick. An embarrassing situation with any guy, but ten times worse with Sebastian, who knew her family, and it was exactly the sort of thing that would happen to her.

  Okay. One more night and then she would end it.

  For real this time.

  * * *

  It was Valentine’s Day, and Sebastian was nearly ready.

  Amber was coming over at eight. As far as she knew, they were going to have sex and order pizza. Cheap pizza, not the thin-crust stuff they’d had the other day.

  But he had different plans.

  To start, there was a plate of fancy crackers and cheese, as well as wine.

  Next, he had a mixed green salad with pear slices and nuts, which he would toss with the balsamic vinaigrette r
ight before they ate.

  Then, they would have mussels. He wouldn’t cook those until she got here, but everything was ready to go.

  For dessert, there was a box of four donuts. Sebastian had driven to London to get them after work. He hadn’t known which flavors she’d like, so he’d gotten a selection. He didn’t plan on putting one on his dick; he just hoped she’d see the donuts and laugh.

  He loved making her laugh.

  As soon as she saw everything he’d prepared, she’d know something was up. So before they ate dinner, he planned to tell her the truth. I’m falling in love with you and I want to have a relationship.

  He wasn’t sure what she’d say, to be honest. It was possible she’d walk out before they even got to dinner, but he suspected her feelings toward him had changed, too. Just from the way she’d been with him last weekend, when they went to a cozy restaurant and had sex on a chair afterward, Amber wearing that stunning red slip. It didn’t seem like the sort of sex you had with a friend with benefits, even though she hadn’t gotten that slip just for him.

  There was a knock at the door.

  He frowned. It was five minutes to eight, and Amber was never early.

  Or maybe she was as excited to see him as he was to see her?

  He walked to the door, trying to be all casual and not show his nerves, but when he turned the doorknob and saw who was standing on his porch, his mouth fell open.

  It wasn’t Amber.

  It was his parents.

  Chapter 11

  Shit.

  Shit, shit, shit.

  Fortunately, Sebastian managed not to say any of that out loud. He was thirty years old, but it still seemed wrong to swear in front of his parents.

  “Sorry, I have plans,” he said to his mom and dad. “I told you to call before you visit.”

  “What is the point of living so close if we cannot stop in and see you?” Mom said.

  “I don’t live all that close to Ashton Corners. It’s nearly an hour’s drive.”

  And part of the reason for that was to avoid these situations.

  But apparently he still lived too close to avoid the unexpected drop-in.

  “You don’t have plans tonight,” Mom insisted. “It’s Valentine’s Day and you don’t have a girlfriend. Only couples have plans tonight.”

  “I have plans,” Sebastian repeated. “So you have to go before my visitor arrives.”

  “Who is your visitor?”

  “It’s a secret.”

  Bad call. Now his mother was even more intrigued.

  “It must be a girl, don’t you think?” she said to his father. “He was lying to us about not having a girlfriend.”

  Sebastian pinched the bridge of his nose. “I was not lying to you.”

  “Maybe you are having other single men over?” Mom suggested. “Like a Bro-entine’s Day? Let us see what you are preparing.”

  She ducked under his arm and entered the house.

  Sebastian sighed and followed her into the kitchen.

  There was a bottle of white wine in an ice bucket. The table was set. There were even candles.

  “Looks like a date to me,” Dad said. “Your date is a woman, yes?”

  Sebastian nodded.

  “Ha! You nodded. You agreed you have a date!”

  “Yes, I have a date. She’s not technically my girlfriend, but we’ve been seeing each other for a little while. Now, can you please leave? Having my parents here when she arrives would spoil the mood.”

  “We brought food.” Mom lifted up two plastic bags that Sebastian hadn’t noticed before. “I need to put it away.”

  “I’ll deal with it,” Sebastian said.

  “No, I can do it.” Mom was already opening up the fridge, and she noticed the box on the counter. “You bought donuts for her! You know, a good chocolate cake would be more romantic. Why donuts?”

  Obviously Sebastian wasn’t going to mention his conversation with Amber.

  He shrugged. “She really likes donuts.”

  “Tell me more about her. What is her job? Where did she study? Where is she from?”

  “She’ll be here any minute. Can you please leave?”

  He’d been nervous before, and now he was very agitated.

  Of course, if everything went well, he’d tell his parents about Amber eventually, but he wasn’t ready for that yet—not here, not like this—and without a doubt, she wasn’t, either. She’d made her thoughts on family interference clear.

  “We’re not going anywhere,” Mom said as she put a bag of bok choy in the crisper. “I want to meet her. See if she is good enough for you.”

  “Please, Mom. She’s shy. She won’t appreciate being ambushed like this. I’ll bring her over soon, okay?”

  “Hmph.”

  “Why do you have grapefruit?” Dad asked, holding up the two grapefruit from the fruit bowl on the counter. “I thought you hated grapefruit.”

  “I changed my mind.”

  “Or does she like grapefruit?” Mom asked. “Grapefruit is breakfast food. You are thinking she will stay overnight? She is not even your girlfriend.”

  Once again, Sebastian hadn’t actually intended to use the grapefruit for any weird sex acts, just as a joke he shared with Amber, but his cheeks flamed.

  “Mom.” He grasped her hand and started leading her to the front entrance.

  Just then, there was a knock on the door.

  Shit, shit, shit.

  “Ah, I am going to meet her!” Mom pulled her hand out of Sebastian’s grasp and hurried to the door. She wrenched it open. “Amber, what are you doing here?”

  * * *

  Sebastian’s mother was here.

  Oh, God, no.

  “Hi, Auntie Cecilia. Uncle Randall,” Amber said, out of instinct. “Haven’t seen you in a while.”

  She was certain Sebastian hadn’t invited his parents over, since he looked as desperate to get out of this situation as she was. His mom and dad must have turned up unexpectedly.

  Cecilia glanced between Sebastian and Amber, and then her gaze lingered on Amber. Amber’s long coat was undone, and underneath, she was wearing a little black dress and high black boots.

  She looked like a woman who planned to have sex tonight.

  “What are you wearing, Amber?” Cecilia asked. “That barely counts as a dress. It is a shirt!” She turned to Sebastian. “Amber is your mystery woman. Amber?”

  “Yes, Mom,” Sebastian said, pulling Amber inside. “Now can you please leave?”

  “She is the one you are making a romantic dinner for?”

  Amber’s head snapped toward Sebastian. “What are you talking about?”

  “It was supposed to be a surprise,” he muttered.

  Well, this was certainly a big surprise for Valentine’s Day.

  It was all wrong. A romantic dinner was the last thing she needed. She’d just wanted to order fast food and fuck one last time.

  And now she had to deal with his parents. What terrible luck.

  She wanted to sink into the floor.

  “Mom, you’re making a mess of this,” Sebastian said. “Could you leave now so I can talk to Amber alone?”

  Cecilia clucked her tongue. “I do not approve of you being with Amber.”

  “Why not? You’re friends with her parents. I thought you’d be thrilled—a little too thrilled.”

  “Look at her.” Cecilia gestured to Amber’s barely-there dress. “She is dressed like—”

  “Don’t say it, Mom!”

  It was the first time Amber had ever heard him raise his voice.

  “She is not good enough for you,” Cecilia went on. “Rosemary and Stuart let her get away with too much. Yes, they are friends, but that doesn’t mean I approve of all their parenting methods. Did you know her grandmother caught her buying condoms when she was only seventeen? And she used to give Diana dirty books when they were teenagers.”

  That had happened a grand total of once.

  “You are a d
octor,” his mother continued. “She went to Laurier.”

  No surprise that Amber’s university hadn’t been prestigious enough for them.

  Amber wanted to talk back, but she couldn’t manage it. Cecilia was a family friend, someone she’d been taught to respect.

  Randall placed his hand on Cecilia’s shoulder. “You have made your point. Let them talk by themselves.”

  He didn’t disagree with anything his wife had said, though.

  “Mom.” Sebastian’s hands were clenched at his sides. “I don’t want you to ever, ever talk like that.” He reached for Amber. “I lo—”

  “Nice to see you again!” Amber chirped, waving at his parents.

  Sebastian had been about to declare his love for her, hadn’t he?

  No, she couldn’t take it.

  Cecilia sniffed, and then she and Randall headed outside. Finally.

  Sebastian turned to Amber and wrapped his arms around her. “I’m so sorry. I’ll make sure she never says stuff like that again. I promise.”

  “How would you manage that?”

  “Threaten to stop talking to her.”

  “And you would mean that.”

  “Yes,” he said, “I would.”

  Admittedly, a part of Amber was thrilled at the firmness in his voice. He was Mr. Perfect Son, but apparently he was willing to throw his parents’ approval away for her.

  “I told you she didn’t like me,” Amber said.

  “I never heard about the dirty books and the condoms.”

  “You were away at university.”

  “It was ten years ago. How can she...” He shook his head. “Listen to me, there is nothing wrong with any of the choices you made. You’re perfect just the way you are.”

  He led her into the kitchen, where the table was set for a nice dinner. There was a vase of roses in the center. Even a tablecloth—she doubted any of her exes knew what a tablecloth was.

  He took both her hands in his and looked her in the eye. “I mean it, Amber. When I met you at the grocery store, I thought we’d just have a bit of fun together. I didn’t expect to fall for you, but I did. I love your unabashed sexiness, the way you created the life you wanted for yourself, the way you’ve put yourself out there again and again. I love your cross-stitching and your crochet peacocks and...” He grabbed an envelope off the counter. “Here.”