His temples were throbbing as he turned over and buried his face in her pillow, breathing in her sweet, fresh scent one last time. God, it hadn’t been an hour yet and he already missed her so much he felt as if his heart had been ripped out. How was he going to get through the rest of his life without her?
CHAPTER 6
Valentine was tired of feeling horrible. In the days following their last lesson, Shane didn’t call, write or text her at all. So apparently their long friendship was over. With no warnings or explanations she suddenly found herself without the most important person in her life.
God, she missed him.
The worst thing was that her birthday fell on a Saturday this year and she had been planning to have Shane over for a home-cooked dinner, a bottle of wine and a movie. It was their normal routine, one she’d grown to depend on, the same way she had depended on having him around when she needed someone to talk to, someone to watch out for her. There were so many ways he was vital to her existence she couldn’t even count them. For instance, she’d never bothered to sign up for any kind of roadside assistance program because whenever she had a flat tire, Shane would come and change it for her. And if she was lonely and needed someone to talk to, she could always call him and he would never brush her off. And when?—
Oh, stop being so mopey and pathetic, she scolded herself as she dragged herself outside to check the mail on Saturday morning. Maybe she’d get a Valentine’s Day/birthday card from Peter to cheer her up. If only her big brother wasn’t so far away—if only she could talk to him maybe he could shed some light on the trouble between her and Shane. Of course, the idea of telling him what had almost happened between them was a little uncomfortable—Peter probably wouldn’t be too happy with the idea that she’d nearly had sex with his best friend. In fact, he’d be royally pissed at both her and Shane. Peter had practically entrusted her safety, security and happiness to his best friend the day he left town for basic training and if he found out that Shane had almost…
“Duh!” Valentine stopped in front of the row of mailboxes and slapped her forehead. “God, sometimes I can be so dense.”
“Well, if you say so dear.” Mrs. Rosenblatz from the apartment below her gave her a doubtful look as she perused the packet of mail clutched in her bony hands.
Valentine gave her a distracted smile as she unlocked her mailbox. “No, it’s true,” she continued, not even caring that she sounded crazy. “Shane isn’t upset with me—he’s mad at himself. He probably feels like he let Peter down by nearly having sex with me.”
“Excuse me?” Mrs. Rosenblatz put a hand to her skinny chest, obviously offended.
“I never really thought about it seriously before but he must consider me seriously off-limits. So when I blackmailed him into give me those bondage and D/s sex lessons—” Valentine broke off abruptly. Not because her elderly neighbor was staring at her in horror—because there was something from Shane in her mailbox.
It was in one of those padded envelopes that are hell to get open but Valentine attacked it with the edge of her house key and before she knew it a long, narrow velvet box was sliding out into her hand. She opened it with trembling hands to see a silver chain with a heart-shaped marquisate locket dangling from it.
“Oh, my.” Mrs. Rosenblatz leaned forward, peering at the locket nosily, Valentine’s offensive sex talk apparently forgotten.
“Oh my is right.” Valentine lifted the chain clear of the box and found the hidden catch that held the locket closed. There was a small picture inside, one that had been taken years ago at her high school graduation. Peter had taken the picture and it was of her and Shane. She was wearing a black cap and gown and Shane had an arm around her and both of them were grinning like idiots. Valentine remembered how he’d kissed her on the cheek and whispered she was gorgeous just before the camera snapped. She’d felt lighter than air that whole night, reliving the feel of his lips against her skin and his deep, gravelly voice telling her she was beautiful over and over. It had been a wonderful moment.
Why would Shane choose this particular picture to put in the locket? Was he trying to tell her something? Trying to remind her of what they used to be to each other before she’d muddied the waters of their friendship with sex?
Biting her lip, Valentine felt around in the envelope again and pulled out a single sheet of paper. On it, scrawled in Shane’s spiky handwriting, was a short note.
Valentine,
Happy Birthday. Hope this reminds you of better days.
I’m so sorry.
Shane.
“That’s lovely, dear,” Mrs. Rosenblatz said softly, making Valentine jump. She’d forgotten that her elderly neighbor was still standing beside her in front of the bank of metal mailboxes.
“Thanks.” She tried to sniff back the tears that suddenly stung her eyes and didn’t quite manage—they came rolling down her cheeks anyway. “But I don’t…don’t think I’m going to see the guy who sent it to me ever again.”
“That would be the Shane person who gave you sex lessons?” Mrs. Rosenblatz raised one pure white eyebrow at her and Valentine blushed.
“Yes, that’s the one. Only I pushed him too far. I think he thinks we can’t be together because it would make my brother mad. But I really think Peter would understand if he knew we loved each other. Except we don’t. I mean—I love Shane but I’m pretty sure he doesn’t love me.”
“Oh, I don’t know about that.” Mrs. Rosenblatz looked at her sharply. “That’s a lovely gift, obviously chosen with care. I don’t think a man who doesn’t love you would take the time and trouble to find something like that. Do you?”
“I don’t know.” Valentine frowned. “Do you really think he cares? But then, why would he kick me out the other night just when we were about to…uh…” She suddenly remembered who she was talking to. “Sorry, Mrs. Rosenblatz.”
“That’s all right, dear. You girls these days seem to have more liberal views than we did in my day.” Valentine’s neighbor shook her head. “But back to your problem—does this Shane person know how you feel?”
Valentine sighed. “Even if he did it wouldn’t matter. Shane is so stubborn that once he gets an idea in his head he’s like a dog with a bone. If he’s decided that we can never be together because I’m his best friend’s sister then that’s it, we’ll never be together. Besides, I don’t even know if he feels the same way about me as I feel about him.”
“Then the first thing to do is find that out. I’d say that this beautiful locket speaks volumes about his feelings but if you’re really unsure, sound him out.”
“How?” Valentine frowned at her, wondering how her elderly neighbor had suddenly turned into a love guru.
