Once Upon a Valentines

Note: I'd like to send a special thanks to my editor, LadyCibelle.

**

"Damnation! You refused him."

Anabel continued pacing, ignoring her sister's indignation. "You should have heard him, Bre. He thinks that I would suit him very well and be an asset to him. An Asset! I refuse to marry any man who only thinks of marriage in terms of business."

"He did not say that."

"What? That our marriage was a business venture? No, but he might as well have."

Brenna sighed as she sat on the bed watching Anabel stalk back and forth. "It really doesn't matter what he said. You can't refuse him. Dad and his old man are merging companies. They made –"

"I don't care! If it is so important then Dad can marry him!"

"Yesterday you were happy being his girlfriend."

Yesterday, she had thought that she had meant more to him than the trophy of a business merger. Anabel relented with a scowl. She sat besides her sister thinking of the disquieting moment when he had so mechanically proposed, no announced their marriage. "Bre, how did you expect me to respond? How would you have responded?"

"I would not have been flattered...Maybe he was nervous."

"I don't think he was nervous about anything."

"What do you plan to do Ann? Dad will not be happy about this. I think he wanted to announce your engagement at the Annual Family Valentine's Ball."

"I think I'll travel. I have always wanted to see Europe. Yes, that's just what I need, a little time to myself."

****

Two Years Later.

David Hawkins leaned against the wall at the British Airways gate and thought about how much he'd like to wring the neck of a certain Brenna Christina Willman, wife of his best friend Andrew, and a woman who was supposed to be his friend.

"Please do this little favor for me, David," she'd said. "I just need you to take care of my sister Ann for two weeks, until the Valentine's Ball. She is coming back from Europe and she doesn't know anyone in Texas. Andrew and I will be back in time to host the ball and will take her off your hands. "

So, here he was almost falling asleep in the deserted terminal. Just then, a pair of noisy businessmen entered, followed by other arriving passengers. One passenger in particular caught his eyes. She wore a gauzy white dress with printed sunflowers.

The first thing he noticed about her was her eyes. She had long dark curling lashes, shading eyes the color of the sky. Good God, she was lovely. Whatever makeup she had started the day with, had long ago worn off. Yet, even without lipstick she had the sexiest mouth he had ever seen. Her mouth was wide, with a distinct bow at the center of her upper lip, and a plump bottom lip. She had a button nose that gave her cheeks a baby doll look. Her bones were fine and she had a firm jaw.

While David was busy assessing her, Anabel made an inspection of her own. His navy blue T-shirt displayed a wide chest, and faded jeans molded to his lean hips and muscular legs. He had a narrow nose, strong cheekbones, and a well formed mouth. And his eyes. The color of butterscotch with gold flakes around the edges. There was a flicker of something unmistakably carnal in those half-lidded eyes.

She repressed a little shiver as she approached him. "Mr. Hawkins?" He nodded in response to her. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Hawkins." Beaming she dropped her parcel, grabbed David's hands and began to pump it. "I'm Anabel Catherine Ravanall."

****

"I'm not staying here. This isn't a Hotel." Anabel had dozed off and upon awakening noticed that they were in a residential area. She had tried to stay awake because she wanted to see Texas, but the jetlag had made her sleepy.

She annoyed the hell out of him from the moment she opened her lovely mouth, and he wondered, after one short day, how he was going to survive the next two weeks. But then he noticed her chew on her delectable bottom lip. "In bed", came his answer. The idea popped out of nowhere and refused to go away. Well, if he wanted to avoid killing her then the best thing he could do was get her naked fast. Yes, the sooner the better.

"Since I'm your guide and I will be driving you around, I thought you might want to stay at my place instead of a hotel. It would also save you money." He pressed a button and parked the car in the garage. "It a big place, you can have the room next to mine."

"Yours? You mean you will stay here too?" " 'Course, this is my house. If you don't want free lodging, I'll take you to a hotel." So saying, he began to reverse his car.

"No, I'm sure this is fine."

****

David rose early. He couldn't sleep anyway, he'd tossed and turned all night, visions of a naked Ann, keeping him awake. The more he thought of it, the more convinced he was that bedding Anabel was exactly what he needed. This last week, she had driven him crazy. He had watched her a dozen times with frank male interest and a heaviness in his groin.

Not ten minutes later, David joined Anabel for breakfast. He paused in the doorway imagining what lay beneath the tantalizing curves of her gown. His gaze focused on her mouth and he had to fight the abrupt desire to lay her down on the table and take her.

"Good Morning," he said, crossing the room as she stood.

"Good Morning."

Anabel had noticed the way he always looked at her. He wanted her. His desire for her was as clear as water. Ann shivered as she imagined the two of them together, of David's strong hands holding her against his naked body, of him kissing her, touching her, pinning her with his hard body. She closed her eyes trying to drive the image away, but it only grew stronger, more real.

****

The rest of the week was uneventful. They spent the morning sightseeing; the evenings were spent shopping for the perfect gown to wear, and putting together her sister's ball. The whole town was abuzz with preparations for the Valentine's festival and the perfect conclusion to the festivities was Brenna Willman's Valentine's Ball. Invitations and reservations were all made and confirmed.

All that was left was for Brenna to decorate the halls in red, pink, and white. Ann shuddered to think of all the Valentine-ish colors and themes her sister expected. 'Course Brenna and Andrew were still not back from their Honeymoon, so the duty to decorate fell to Anabel. And as Andrew's best friend, David too was coerced into giving a hand.

Anabel and David disagreed on everything but with each day they grew a little closer. He would make jokes and she would find herself laughing. She would cook and he would pretend to enjoy it. They shared childhood stories and life experiences. She told him of her near engagement and her flight to the continent. He told her about his experience with the military and how on Valentine's Day his fiancé left him. They discovered that family meant a lot to both of them, that they both enjoyed reading, that they shared a love for gardening and a dislike for Valentine's Day. And as the days past their passion for each other only grew stronger.

If cupid had been flying by he must have struck his arrow, because Anabel and David had not just fallen in lust but were falling in love.

****

It was Valentine's Day. Anabel sat at the table trying desperately to figure out where to place the twelve-piece orchestra in her sister's ballroom so it didn't look crowded. David was on his way back from the airport with Brenna and Andrew. She wished that Brenna had mentioned the orchestra to her prior that morning. Surprisingly, David had been calm and helpful. He hadn't once argued, instead he reassured Anabel that the ballroom looked lovely and he trusted in her judgment.

The ballroom was draped in red and pink silk. Two hundred or more red candles burned brightly across the room. Refreshment tables were draped in white lace with a single pink rose at the center of each. The orchestra was set at the end of the room under the soft lights of the chandelier. The effect was magical.

****

The Valentine's Ball exceeded Brenna's wildest expectations. By nine o'clock cars were lined along the avenue in front of the house for almost a mile. Anabel stayed with Brenna in the front hall greeting the guests and issuing orders to the servants.

"Oh Ann," Brenna said for the hundredth time, "you have outdone yourself."

"I didn't do it alone," Anabel replayed smiling at David.

David couldn't take his eyes off Anabel all night. She looked stunning in her pale blue gown. The color of the gown brought out the blue of her eyes making them more vivid. Her lips were painted a deep red that reminded him of strawberries and they made him want to devour her. "Dance with me," he said, drawing her towards the dance floor.

It was perfect. Holding her close, with her swaying in his arms, he felt a sense of rightness he never felt before. This woman in his arms was special, she was sexy, smart, and bossy and she was his friend. He hoped that after tonight they could be more than that.

In his arms she could forget that she was in Texas, forget that a hundred other guests milled around them, forget that she hated Valentine's Day. He had somehow given her a new dream and she wished to give him one in return.

They spun around the room until they reached a dark corner. David yanked Anabel up against him and lowered his head. He kissed her with a ferocity and hunger that left them both breathless and taut with desire.

"Someone will see us," she managed as she tangled her fingers in his hair.

"I don't care."

"I do."

"Then meet me at your room when this dance finishes," he said lifting his head and gazing down at her with glittering eyes.

****

Anabel and David stared at each other over what seemed like a gulf of space, but in reality was only a yard of space between their bodies. He raised his hands and traced the tops of her breasts with his index finger. She gasped. She felt a wave of dizziness as he caught hold of her shoulders and pulled her towards him. They kissed. She held on to him, slipping her bare arms beneath his coat. She could feel his torso and cursed the layer of linen preventing her from touching him directly. She wanted to touch him, to smell him, to taste him.

David kissed her deeply; she arched her neck and threw her head back, opening herself to his exploration. He slid his lips down her neck, and for a moment his tongue filled the hollow at the base of Anabel's throat. He undid the top few buttons of her gown and pulled it down her shoulders. She wasn't wearing a bra moaning, he buried his face in her breasts.

His tongue flicked against her nipples weaving and darting he teased her. Sensations cascaded through her, making her feel week. She pressed herself into him. Slowly, she rubbed her belly and pelvis against him, grinning as she felt his erection throb and swell. Good, she thought, I'm not the only one aroused.

He drew her nipple between his lips during that unguarded moment. Oh my, she thought as he pulled it between his teeth. He bit down, not hard enough to hurt her, but hard enough to give her pleasure. She grasped his shoulders and shuddered. "I want you to undress for me," he said.

Slowly, David loosened his hold on Anabel and she backed away from him. She stood in a pool of golden candle light. She loved being the object of his desire. But she was not only an object to him, she was more and she could see it in his eyes. Preening, she reached behind her to undo the back of her gown. She slowly slithered the dress down her body, baring herself a little at a time. His gaze traveled downward. His eyes stopped at her center, intently watching as she slid the silk thong off. His mouth opened and his hands flexed as he gazed at the triangle of curls on her mound.

David thought she was beautiful. He pulled her into his arms and muzzled her breasts while moving his hands downward. He traced the cleft between her buttocks, then crept forward between her legs and into the wet opening. She breathed out a long ohhh as he found her clit and moved his finger against it.

Anabel frantically tried to undress him, pulling away his clothes and flinging them on the floor. All along he kept moving his fingers on her and she gasped and moaned with pleasure. When she had his top bared, she kissed down his naked chest. She dragged her lips along every inch, rolling his nipple between her fingers and rubbing her cheeks along the thin line of hair that bisected his belly. She teased him, not giving him what he wanted until he showed her.

David took his finger out of her, and gently pushed her down on her knees. Anabel smiled up at him and moved to unzip his pants. She kissed and stroked and ran her tongue along the length of his cock. She cupped his balls, and explored the head and shaft with her tongue. Finally, she drew him into her mouth. His belly trembled and he lengthened still more. He grasped her hair and guided her head, sometimes slowing and sometimes speeding the movement of her mouth over him. She was just beginning to learn what he liked when he drew himself out of her mouth.

"Come here," he said lifting her off the floor. She wrapped her legs around his waist while he moved into place beneath her. Slowly, he lowered her onto him. Groaning he leaned against the wall as she moved herself up and down. She leaned towards him nibbling and licking the shell of his ears. Repressing a shiver, David took her mouth in a hungry kiss. His hands cupped her butt and his hips began to move upwards to meet her downwards motion.

Anabel's nails bit down on his shoulders. She ground herself against him urgently, and cried out when he drove, hard and deep, inside her. She was on fire and she wanted more. His hips pistoned in a bid for speed but still it wasn't enough. "Hold on," he murmured, and carried her to the bed.

She was on her back now. He wanted to drive more deeply into her. Smiling down at her, he lifted her legs over his shoulders. He thrust into her again and again. She moaned and frantically moved her hips to his vigorous rhythm. They rode together in a race towards release. Her heart thundered, his vision blurred and then they came to a quivering finish.

His lips moved against her hair, "You okay," he asked.

"Okay? I think I was better than okay. I was great."

He laughed, turning her face and pressing a kiss on her lips. "You were. You are," he admitted.

David and Anabel lay beside one another, resting, considering. He reached out and pulled her into the curve of his body. She irritated him, amused him, aroused him and simply fascinated him. He couldn't believe how strongly he felt for her and how much he'd come to value her in the short two weeks. What was is about her? He didn't really know but he did know that he didn't intend to let her go, now that he had found her. She knew what drew her to him. It was his passion, his intelligence, his persistence, his humor and everything else that made him, simply him. She realized that she loved him and she intended to make this love last.

****

Three Years Later

Anabel hummed and scrambled eggs while the coffee brewed. She was full of energy and full of happiness. It was Valentine's Day and David was her escort to Brenna's Valentines Ball. He had turned out to be quite a romantic and she wondered what he had planned for later that night.

The ball was wonderful but David couldn't wait to get home. He had decided to give her his family ring, it had been passed down from his great grandmother and he wanted Anabel to have it. No, he wanted her to be the one to pass on that tradition to their child. He wanted to marry her and make a family with her. He had thought hard for a unique way to give her the ring and he finally came up with the perfect idea.

That night after they reached home David gave Anabel a small gift bag. She took the colored tissues out to find a little stuffed cat, his favorite pet name for her was "Kitty", with a gold bracelet looped around its neck and at the center of the bracelet hung a ring with two perfect Diamond accents and an Emerald center piece.

She carefully took off the bracelet and put on the ring that had belonged to the women of his family. It was a perfect fit. She finally looked up at him with glowing eyes. With a laugh of delight she threw her arms around him, and kissed him. David had asked his question with his actions and Anabel had just given him her answer.