Valentine's Dates: Holiday Love, #3

By Rhian Cahill

She's done with dating. He wants a lifetime of Valentine's Dates.

 

Brent blew his chance with Valentine years ago. But loving his best friend's little sister from afar isn't working. When she calls in tears his only choice is to ride to her rescue. And now he's got her safe in his arms he'll do everything he can to keep her there.

 

Vee has spent years trying to convince herself she doesn't love Brent. Except he's still the first person she calls when the date from hell leaves her stranded. She never intended to break down in front of him. Or kiss him. But Brent is impossible to resist.

 

To rekindle the love still burning between them they'll have to forgive each other—and themselves—for past hurts.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Rhian Cahill
• Release date: Feb 14, 2024
• ISBN: 9781925375589

Rhian Cahill

Rhian Cahill is the alter ego of a former stay-at-home mother of four. With motherly duties rapidly dwindling Rhian is able to make use of the fertile imagination she used to keep herself sane for all those years of slavery. Having spent some years living overseas and visiting tropical climates has helped inspire some steamy stories. Multi-published in erotic romance and contemporary romance, Rhian, with the help of Mr. Muse, spends her days and nights writing. When not glued to the keyboard you'll find her book or knitting in hand avoiding any and all housework as much as possible.   To find out more, visit Rhian on her website and subscribe to her newsletter.  You can also follow Rhian on Facebook ,Instagram and Twitter. 

Book preview

Chapter One

Brent Coleman’s gut clenched when the doorbell echoed through the house, heralding the arrival of another of Valentine’s Dates.

Watching from the window, he committed the license plate to memory as the expensive car eased down the driveway and out of sight.

His fingers tightened on the frame, his knuckles turning white with the effort to rein in his jealousy.

The sequence of beeps behind him indicated the front gate had been passed and the following three longer and one short beep marked the activation of the perimeter alarm.

He let go of the window frame with exaggerated care and turned to check the control panel.

The property was broken up into zones, each linked in an overall system that protected the premises of the sprawling three thousand-square-meter estate.

It was overkill, but it was a valuable testing ground.

Being able to work out the bugs in his latest programs on the harbor-side mansion meant real-life experience and he wasn’t stuck in the office twenty-four-seven.

Luckily, Wade, his business partner and best friend, more than welcomed his need to regularly tweak the security systems their company built.

Satisfied the alarm was armed, he made his way back to his office.

Working and living with Wade had never been a problem, even once his best friend married and had a baby.

Vee moving back in, however, made him uncomfortable.

The woman had been a thorn in his side since the day she turned eighteen and made it clear any attention he gave her would be willingly received. But he couldn’t bring himself to admit he’d fallen for his best friend’s little sister. Talk about a walking cliché.

Until that one slip up, where he’d fucked everything up royally.

He dragged a hand down his face. Taking her virginity had been bad enough, but doing it the night they’d buried her parents?

Fuck.

He was such a fucking asshole. If Wade ever found out, he’d kill him. Not that Brent would blame him.

Some days he felt his only option was to walk away, except he had no clue where he’d go or what he’d do. Besides, the sick, twisted side of him thought he deserved the torture of watching her find happiness with another man.

Even if none of the guys she dated—and she dated plenty—were worthy of her.

There wasn’t a man on the planet that would treat her better or love her more than him.

It was a shame she’d made it clear he was the last man she’d trust with her heart now.

Trying to shake off his thoughts, he headed for the kitchen and the bottle of Jameson scotch he kept in the cupboard above the stove.

The bottle wasn’t cracked and he had no intention of opening it anytime in the future, but he wasn’t above using it as a reminder of why he needed to stay in control.

A reminder of what he’d lost.

Taking the bottle down, he placed it on the breakfast counter and pulled out a stool.

For full minutes he stared at the deceptively innocuous fluid.

He couldn’t blame his lack of control completely on the scotch he’d consumed during the day and night of the Johnsons’ funeral.

Honesty compelled him to acknowledge he’d been close to breaking point before that gut-wrenching day. Add in alcohol, Wade’s emotional withdrawal, and her heartbreak, and he couldn’t stop himself from comforting her the only way he knew how.

With his love.

A love he’d taken back in the cold light of morning, under the heavy weight of guilt.

He’d snuck away like a thief, not realizing until she returned to university the mistake he’d made. By then it was too late to mend the rift his actions had caused.

The agony of watching her date all these years was a just payment for all the pain he’d caused her, and, until recently, he’d taken it as his due.

But at some point, probably when she’d moved back into her family home, his tolerance level had been reached.

He knew he had to gain control of his turbulent emotions. With control came clear thinking and clear thinking would be the key to getting the one thing in his life he’d let slip through his fingers.

The one thing he was now determined to have.

Valentine Johnson.

Chapter Two

Taking the hand the valet offered her, Vee wasn’t surprised to see Edward had taken her to Morgan’s. It was Sydney’s top seafood restaurant and Edward would want to be seen there.

What did surprise her was that he’d managed to obtain a reservation on such short notice. Normally the waiting list was months long.

Unless your brother happened to be good friends with the owner and head chef—then you could get a last-minute table.

Edward was delivering a lecture to the poor young man tasked with the job of parking his precious Mercedes. And too impatient to wait, she walked the few feet to the front door where she was greeted by Jennifer, the manageress.

Vee, it’s wonderful to see you. I took the liberty of seating you at your usual table. Jenn picked up two menus and glanced over Vee’s shoulder. Your boyfriend isn’t here yet?

Boyfriend? She couldn’t be talking about Edward, could she? A niggle of suspicion took root in her mind.

Yes, he was very specific when he called this morning and made tonight’s reservation, Jenn explained. He apologized you couldn’t phone yourself and speak to Morgan, but promised you’d catch up with him while you dined.

Oh, he did, did he? It took everything she had not to make a scene.

Edward deserved a dressing down for his liberties, but she wouldn’t be delivering it in public. Besides, the least the presumptuous ass could do was pay for her meal.

She’d be sure to pick the most expensive item on the menu, of course. "Edward is not my boyfriend and I’m a little