Valentine's Dates Read Free Page A

could say any more. Dropping the phone back on the counter, he walked over to the window and stared out over the water. Sydney Harbour was quiet this time of night, but a few lights bobbed on the surface as boats made their way from one port to another. On any other night the view soothed him. Not tonight. Too much was riding on what happened between now and sunrise. If the only thing he got out of the confrontation with Vee was her friendship, he’d have to accept her decision. But it wouldn’t stop him from using everything he had to convince her they could have so much more.
    For the first time since Vee moved in, Brent felt settled. He knew the road ahead would be bumpy, but he had a destination in mind and he was determined to get there.
    The next time Vee went out on one of her dates, he’d be damned if it would be with anyone but him.
    Vee settled into the soft leather seat with a sigh. Morgan had outdone himself. His latest dessert was to die for. The light flaky pastry base held a hint of vanilla, the raspberry cream layer was sweet but not sickly, and the thin coating of chocolate mousse unlike anything she’d ever put in her mouth. Add in the scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream and generous dollop of double cream and it had been the perfect end to a perfect meal.
    The evening hadn’t been a complete disaster. After their initial tension, she and Edward had fallen into a neutral conversation, but even with the improvement, Vee was ready for the evening to be over. Only Edward turned left instead of right, and she realised he had other plans.
    “Where are we going?”
    “I thought we’d take a walk along The Gap. It’s a beautiful night for a stroll and a stretch of our legs may help aid digestion.”
    His reasoning sounded solid and the beautiful summer night was tempting. Although Vee wasn’t sure she wanted to spend more time with him, she couldn’t deny it was a lovely night for a walk. Starting an argument seemed silly when another half an hour or so wouldn’t hurt. Besides, her satisfied stomach had put her in a generous mood, so she leaned her head back on the seat and watched the houses flash by.
    It only took a few minutes to reach their destination and Edward found a parking space without any trouble. A slight breeze ruffled the trees lining the roadway and Vee hoped it wouldn’t be stronger along the cliff edge. Warm air greeted her when she opened her door and stepped out of the car. The sky above sparkled with a thousand stars and low to the east hung a full moon that she knew would be spectacular reflected off the ocean.
    Suddenly enthusiastic to stand on the cliff high above the waves, Vee headed to the path that led to Sydney’s famous lookout. The warm night had drawn a few others from their homes and it eased Vee’s nerves to know they weren’t the only ones in this secluded spot. She didn’t wait for Edward, knew he’d be busy securing his car, and she was impatient to stand by the safety railing and feel the breeze on her face.
    As she cleared the low bushes at the end of the path the wind kicked up a notch and whipped long strands of hair across her face. There were at least ten others leaning against the railing looking over the jagged cliffs and out to sea. Vee headed towards a spot between an older couple and a man and woman with two small children. She avoided the couples further along who appeared to be more interested in each other than the gorgeous view. The last thing she needed was for Edward to get any ideas about snuggling up with her.
    Her efforts went unrewarded. The second Edward stepped up beside her he slipped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. She tried to move away, but his hand tightened, his fingers digging into her upper arm. Vee turned her head and found he’d bent towards her, his thin-lipped mouth only inches from hers. Her head jerked back but with his arm trapping her to his side she couldn’t completely avoid the kiss he forced upon