The Valentine Grinch (7 page)

Grandpa hooted. “Elvira and I used to — you know —
like rabbits.”

Amanda thought,
Go away, Gramps
. And in
a poof of white light, he vanished.

Dane shifted away from her and squinted at the car
window. “Seriously?”

“Serious as a heart attack. I
am
never
getting
that picture out of my head,” she said, only to realize she’d
already replaced the offensive image with a much better one of Dane
climbing out of the shower to greet her at the door, wearing
nothing more than a towel and a smile. Still, he looked so serious
and uptight, she had to do something to loosen him up.

Unfortunately, grabbing him by the shirt front,
mashing up against him, wasn’t an option ... yet.

Dane turned his head, caught her gaze and smirked.
“It’s kind of cute.”

A snort of disagreement escaped her. “What? That my
parents are screwing their brains out in the backseat of a car like
a couple of teenagers? They have a bed. Not to mention they have a
door they can shut.”

“You have to admit, there’s something really hot
about pretending you’re sixteen again. Making out with your girl in
the backseat of a car. Pretending it’s her father’s car and you’re
doing it for the very first time.”

There was heat in his eyes and something more,
something that made her knees weak and her heart ache. “I wouldn’t
know. I never made out in the backseat of my dad’s car when I was
sixteen.”

He paused ... and took the bait. “Your mom’s
car?”

“Not even my date’s car. I was a poor, deprived,
sex-starved teenager.” She shifted to stand toe-to-toe with him and
even though he kept his arms at his sides, she grabbed his shirt
front, tugged him toward the car and gave him her best leer. “Want
to show me how it’s done?”

“Geez, Mandy.” Grabbing her wrist, he attempted to
pull back, but she could tell he wasn’t trying all that hard. “Do
you want to ruin our friendship?”

“No.” She softened her voice and hoped he’d
understand. “I’m trying to figure out if you could be my first
honest to goodness Valentine.”

The heat in his gaze turned up a notch and despite
his lagging footsteps, he continued to follow her. “We might never
be able to go back.”

“I know.” Doubt mingled with need but she had to
know, had to find out. “Haven’t you ever wondered what it would be
like to kiss me? I’ve wondered what it would be like to kiss
you.”

Against the back of her legs, she felt the edge of
the car seat. When he didn’t respond to her question, she let
herself fall, toppling backward into the car and giving his shirt
front a tug that pulled him down on top of her.

He landed with a soft satisfying bump and grind,
managing to absorb most of his body weight with an arm on either
side of her head. It was full body contact, more pleasure than
she’d experienced in eons.

“Are you sure this is what you want, Mandy?”

“No, but I’m done thinking about it. Just kiss me
already, will you?”

He lowered his head, his eyes wide open, the green
flaring into molten lava, and at the first brush of his lips, she
felt a zing all the way to her toes.

As his eyelids drifted shut and
his mouth meshed with hers, Amanda realized she’d never felt
anything so sweet or so heady. Everything inside her paused to feel
the soft desperate slant of his mouth across hers, and to imprint
the warmth of his lips on her memory.

He tasted of toothpaste and coffee, and she wrapped
her arms around his back to hold him closer still.

There was passion in his kiss. A passion that
infused her body with desire and need and hope. But when she tugged
the tail of his shirt out of his jeans, he suddenly jerked back.
“Whoa there, princess.”

She tunneled her hands under his shirt and felt the
smooth warmth of his back. Her body pulsed with need and she
wiggled against him. “Don’t stop, Dane.”

She could see the struggle in his eyes and on his
face. Desire warred with common sense, and when he bent his head
and kissed her neck, she knew desire had won the battle.

One by one, he undid the buttons on her shirtfront
and as he pushed the material aside, cool air touched her skin and
made her shiver. But then he lowered his head and through the thin
material of her bra, suckled her nipple, and the heat of his mouth
infused her once again.

Amanda swallowed a groan of pleasure, yanked the
rest of his shirt out of his jeans, and along with the heat of his
mouth, was rewarded with the warmth of his belly against hers.

Outside, a car door banged and Dane jerked up,
pulling Amanda into a sitting position against his chest.

Heart pounding, she somehow found her voice. “We
should probably lock the door.”

But the moment she glanced up at his profile, the
moment he looked down at her, she knew they were done. Finished.
Back to being friends.

If that was even possible.

Pride swelled inside of her, quickly followed by an
ache that she knew would never go away. She took the easy way out,
gave him a shove out of the car and without meeting his eyes,
forced a smile. “Whew, saved by the parents.”

Sliding out after him, she turned her back on him,
the heat of his body against hers still fresh in her mind, the
woeful thought of the lost opportunity bringing tears to her eyes.
One by one, she refastened the buttons on her shirt.

He might never let down his guard again.

“Mandy, look at me.”

His rough voice sent a shiver of longing up her
spine. Closing the last button, she turned to face him, but
couldn’t quite meet his gaze. So she focused on his chest. His
shirt was wrinkled and still untucked, and everything in her body
wept for the feel of him against her. “What?”

“I can’t do this. To you. To us.”

She shrugged. Chose to make it simple for him.
“Absolutely. I totally understand.”

His gaze was intense, his frustration evident in the
clench of his jaw. “That’s it? That’s all you have to say?”

She looked into his eyes, deep into his eyes, and
knew the only way back to their friendship was to treat the
experience as nothing but an experiment. “You should probably get
straightened up before my parents or grandma decide to come out
here to check on our progress. Come on, let’s get this car
decorated.”

His expression was closed, distant.

In the silence between them, she could hear her
heart crack wide open.

Chapter Six

That evening, Amanda decided to walk downtown to the
Cranberry Cove Restaurant, where her mom and dad were hosting the
rehearsal dinner. As she maneuvered the slippery sidewalks, she
thought about her encounter with Dane.

It had been hot. Beyond hot. But there’d been
feelings involved too, emotions that weren’t just one sided. And
now it was obvious Dane was avoiding her. Even though she’d
considered that this might be his reaction, it still hurt.

He couldn’t avoid her forever. Tonight, she’d see
him at the restaurant, and again tomorrow at the Community Hall
when they both stood up beside their grandparents.

And after that, it would be up to him to make a move
because she was heading back to the city, where it might be lonely,
but at least her heart was safe.

Her cell phone rang, drawing her thoughts away from
how badly she might have screwed up. She glanced at the number on
the screen, saw it was her sister and thumbed the talk button.
“Hey, Steph. Where are you?”

“Still in Seattle. Work is crazy busy and I’m having
problems getting away. How’s everything there?”

“Mom is driving Dad nuts with the wedding
preparations, and Grandma is as nervous as a new bride.”

“Whether you’re twenty or eighty, getting married is
a big step.”

“I suppose.” She steadied herself over a patch of
ice on the sidewalk. “Are you bringing anyone to the wedding?”

“You’re kidding, right? You know Mom would start
clipping out pictures of engagement rings and wedding gowns and
baby strollers. How about you?”

“No way. She’s already given me the grandbaby
lecture. You’d think she would’ve given up by now.” Amanda
hesitated, wondered if she should mention her encounter with Dane
or wait till she saw her sister in person. But she might not have
another opportunity. Stephanie preferred to show up for family
gatherings at the last minute, then escape the first chance she
got. “Do you remember Dane Weatherby?”

“Sure. He’s that nerdy kid who used to live across
the street. Morty’s grandson, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Did you know he used to have a crush on you?”

On another patch of ice, Amanda nearly lost her
footing. She found her balance and stepped off the sidewalk onto
some snow, then stood there. “No he didn’t.”

“Yes he did. You were oblivious because you had a
crush on one of the football players.” The line crackled and
cleared. “So what’s up with Dane?”

Amanda closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Might
as well admit the truth to someone because she didn’t think she
could keep this to herself any longer. “Steph, I think he’s the
one.”

“The one what?” The line went
silent and then Stephanie exclaimed, “You mean
the one
?”

Misery turned her stomach. “Yeah.”

“Holy smokes, Sis.” Silence filled the line again,
broken only by the crackle of Stephanie moving around wherever she
was. “Have you told him yet?”

“No, and I don’t think I can.”

“Look, I only have about five minutes before I have
to run, so hurry up and spill. Why not?”

She pinched the place between her brows and tried
not to panic. “Well, first I saw Mom and Dad making out in the
backseat of the car—”

A gagging noise came over the line. “You’re not
going to give me details, are you?”

“Next time we meet. Hey, why should I suffer
alone?”

“Great. Just get to the good stuff, will you?”

“Then Dane gave me this Valentine note—”

“What did it say?”

“Be my Valentine Grinch Forever.”

“Okay. Not exactly romantic, is
he?”

Romantic? He’d accused her of being the least
romantic person he knew. And yet— “But he gets me, Steph. He showed
up at the door almost naked and gave me coffee.”

“Wait, let’s go back to the naked part. I hear you
guys have snow. Did he have boots on?”

She knew her sister. She’d rather hear about the sex
than discuss the emotions. Amanda wrapped up the story in a
breathless rush. “No. I went to his house, and then he came to help
me decorate the wedding car and before I could stop myself, I tried
to get him naked in Mom’s car.”

“So did you? Get him naked?”

“No. And now he’s avoiding me and I think I’ve
ruined our friendship, and now I don’t know what to do.”

A breath of air blew through the phone. “So it was
all one sided.”

She recalled the way he’d kissed her, as though he’d
wanted to inhale her. “No, I don’t think so.”

“So he tried to get you naked too?”

Amanda thought of his hot mouth on her nipple. “Oh
yeah.”

“Was it good?”

“The best I’ve ever had.”

“Right, like you’ve had a lot of experience.”
Another voice came through the line and Stephanie said, “Hold on a
sec.”

Up the street, Amanda saw Dane come out his front
door and head for his truck. When he saw her standing on the edge
of the sidewalk, he paused, one hand on the door handle, the other
in his pocket. Her body reacted in a rush of heat and breathless
joy.

What would it be like to make love with him? Would
she ever get the opportunity to find out?

After a moment, he took his hand off the door handle
and headed her way.

Panic bubbled up inside of her. She lowered her
voice to a whisper. “Steph, are you there? He’s coming this
way.”

“Yes, I’m back. So is he worth a repeat? Maybe
another rejection?”

She didn’t hesitate for even a second. “Not if it
means losing my best friend.”

“Then there’s your answer, Sis.” Stephanie swore
into the phone. “I really have to go. Give Grandma and Mom and Dad
a hug from me. Tell them I’ll see them all tomorrow.”

And then the line went dead. Amanda slipped the
phone into her coat pocket and watched Dane approach.

Guilt hit her square in the gut.

Stephanie was right. What had she been thinking? Her
seduction attempt had pushed him away. The smartest thing she could
do was keep her hands to herself, then immediately after the
wedding, return to the city.

There was a huge difference between lust and love,
she reasoned. She loved Dane like a friend, but she lusted after
him like a lover. Lust could be controlled, but love—

He reached her, his hands in his jacket pockets, his
face void of expression. “Your Grinchness. Still talking to
me?”

The tightness in her stomach eased and the pinching
sensation between her brows went away. “Always.”

“So what are you doing standing out here in the
cold? I thought you were catching a ride to the restaurant with Mr.
and Mrs. G.”

“They disappeared. I was going to go out to the
garage to see if the car was gone, then thought better of it.” She
pulled a face which at least got a chuckle out of him. “Then my
sister called and with the icy sidewalk, I didn’t want to get
distracted and fall.”

He glanced down at the sidewalk, then raised his
gaze to her face. “We can take my truck, or if you want to walk,
I’ll walk with you.”

There was something there. She knew it by the way he
held out one hand to her as though he had all of the time in the
world to wait for her. She put her hand in his. Warmth skittered up
her arm, infused her body, and then he tucked her hand into his
pocket and held on.