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Valentine Fantasy
Cait tried not to flinch at the solid click of the door behind her, or the
sound of Jordan turning the deadbolt, and failed.
"Would you like something to drink?" she
asked nervously. She slipped off her wool coat and hung it in the closet, needing
something to do with her trembling hands.
"All right," he said. She thought she
detected a hint of amusement in his voice, but when she turned to look at him, he was all
seriousness.
Not knowing what else to say, she nodded, then headed
into the dining room for a bottle of wine, glasses and the silver serving tray, followed
by a quick stop in the kitchen for some cheese. By the time she returned to the den,
Jordan had a fire burning in the hearth. He'd tossed his jacket over the back of the
loveseat and loosened his tie, looking every inch the relaxed male. It wasn't fair, she
thought. She was strung so tight, she was afraid she'd snap in two if he so much as
touched her.
His welcoming grin, just a tad wicked, did little to
lessen her nervousness, nor did his fingers brushing hers when he took the tray from her
and set it on the cocktail table. He straightened and looked at her. "Cait, are you
nervous?"
She thought about lying, but she'd done enough of
that with him already she didn't want to push her luck. "A little," she
admitted.
Okay, a lot. She'd been a little nervous when they'd
walked into the house, but the romantic stage he'd set had increased her nervousness,
which was silly when she thought about it, especially after everything they'd already done
this week.
His grin widened. "Come here," he ordered
gently.
She did, and he captured both of her hands in his.
"Your fingers are like ice." He covered hers to generate warmth.
"It was cold outside."
"We were in a heated vehicle," he
countered, amused.
She shrugged. "You know what they say about cold
hands." She tried to manage a sultry tone, but all that came out was a hushed
whisper. When he was looking at her with that heated intensity, she was lucky she could
form a coherent thought let alone speak aloud like a reasonable adult.
He let go of her hands, and skimmed his up her arms
to her shoulders to gently guide her down to the sofa. Reaching into the pocket of his
trousers, he pulled out a small, red velvet, heart shaped jeweler's box.
Her heart thundered in her chest when he sat beside
her. "Happy Valentine's Day," he said, holding the box in the palm of his hand.
She was afraid to take it, then mentally shook
herself. Good grief, he wasn't proposing. And there was no engagement ring in that box
either. To prove her point, she smiled weakly and lifted the box carefully from his palm.
Easing open the box, she gasped in surprise. Nestled
against the red velvet lining sat a pair of earrings. The setting resembled a flower, with
a small cluster of tiny diamond and emerald chips for the stem and leaves, and a delicate
pearl at the center of each.
"They're beautiful," she said, unable to
keep the delighted smile from her face. No one had ever given her such a thoughtful gift,
but that wasn't the cause of her happiness. Jordan
had given her these earrings. Because he'd given her back the money she'd paid him,
she knew this wasn't part of some fantasy. This was real. "Thank you."
"Put them on," he said.
Grinning, she started to remove the plain gold hoops
she'd worn.
"Cait?"
She slipped the first hoop from her lobe and glanced
in his direction.
His eyes darkened. "Only those." |
