A second note, resting on top of the chocolate, awaited her. Pretty confident I’d open the chocolate right away. She popped a piece of chocolate into her mouth. Like I could resist. She hummed when the rich confection melted on her tongue. Oh yeah. Almost as good as sex. She chuckled to herself. Almost.
A surge of anticipation gripped her. Jess had never done anything like this before. What’s next? She read the new note. It was even more cryptic than the previous one.
Kim,
Let your heart be your guide. The eye in the sky will lead you to your fated destiny.
Love, Jess
What the heck? Kim indulged in another piece of chocolate to stimulate her thought process as she puzzled it out. She picked up the heart-shaped box filled with chocolates. Not finding anything, she put it back on the seat. She looked out the windshield at the sky. The eye in the sky? She glanced around the car. Did I miss a clue? She looked closer for anything she might have missed. Her gaze landed on the lid of the chocolate box resting on the dash, right next to her GPS unit. Oh. That’s sneaky, Jess. She laughed.
She flipped on the unit and sure enough, a new destination had been entered. All she needed to do was press Go. Her eyebrows shot up at the sight of the address. Wow, Jess. You’re really going all out. The Beach House Hotel. As she picked up the lid to put it back on the chocolates, she spotted something written on the inside of the lid in Jess’s distinctive handwriting. Room 377.
I can’t wait to see what else she has up her sleeve. Kim started the car, then froze. Dang. She had been so excited about Jess’s surprise, she had forgotten about her own plans. She glanced at her watch. It was too late to cancel the elaborate dinner she was having delivered to the house. Maybe Debbie and Joel would like the meal. If not, at least they could take delivery of some very expensive leftovers. On such short notice, Kim wasn’t sure who else to ask except their closest neighbors.
Dinner doesn’t matter. Jess had obviously put a lot of thought and planning into making the day special. Kim’s hand went to the ring box in her pocket. She’s done a great job of surprising me, but I still have a big surprise of my own.
Her heart was light and overflowing with love as she headed to fulfill her destiny. I’ll be there soon, love.
Jess leaned against the balcony railing, the soothing sounds of the surf washing over her. The sun had begun its final descent. Vivid hues of red, orange, and purple painted the darkening sky. She was barely aware of the stunning vista laid out before her. Her thoughts were focused on one person. Kim.
Her hand went to the ring box in her pocket. While she had planned for over a month to ask Kim to marry her, it had become imperative after Kim’s latest attempt to get pregnant had been unsuccessful. Jess would never forget the sight of Kim curled up on their bed, her beautiful face streaked with tears. Or the sound of her cries and repeated apologies. Jess had never felt more helpless. With Valentine’s Day looming, it had seemed the perfect opportunity to avow her commitment and propose.
I wish she were here to share the sunset. Jess glanced at her watch for probably the thirtieth time in the last thirty minutes. Kim would be leaving work soon. Wonder what she thought of my riddles? Jess grinned. Hope she figures them out. She snorted at the ridiculous thought. Of course she will. Her anxiety flared anew. I just hope she didn’t think they were too dumb. I suck at riddles.
Unable to stand still, Jess walked back into the hotel suite and checked her preparations one more time. A table covered with a snow-white tablecloth waited just inside the glass patio doors. It was already set with two place settings. An unlit candelabra with rose petals surrounding its base graced the center of the table. A gas log was burning brightly in the fireplace opposite the couch. Looks good. She wanted everything to be perfect for Kim.
Jess made her way into the bedroom that was separated from the rest of the suite by a waist-high wall. She ran her hand over the thick terrycloth of one of the robes draped across the bottom of the bed.
She glanced at her watch. The waiting was making her anxious. Barely resisting the urge to pace, she returned to the balcony doors.
A knock on the door made her heart race. Relax. It’s too early to be Kim. She’s probably just now leaving work.
Jess peered through the spyhole in the door. Her heart, just starting to calm, shot into overdrive. Kim. But how? She pulled the door open. “Happy Valentine’s Day,” she said as she stepped back to let Kim enter.
“Hi.” Kim walked past her and into the room.
No kiss?
Kim set her flowers and chocolates down on the small table just inside the room. Free of her burdens, she spun around and pinned Jess against the door.
Jess moaned as Kim took her lips in a searing kiss. When Kim’s tongue slid into her mouth and she tasted chocolate, Jess smiled into the kiss. She was panting by the time the kiss broke. Wow.
“Happy Valentine’s Day.”
Jess took Kim’s hand and led her into the suite. “Do you like your surprise?”
Kim looked around. “Wow, Jess. This place is amazing.” She headed for the balcony doors.
Following her outside, Jess smiled at Kim’s reaction. The sun was almost down, but she could still make out the fading colors of the sunset. The roar of the surf added to the ambiance. Jess moved behind Kim and wrapped her arms around her, pulling her close to her chest.
Despite the chill, they watched in silence until the last sliver of the sun had disappeared.
Jess rubbed her hands up and down Kim’s arms, trying to warm her. “Let’s go inside. The fireplace will warm you right up.”
“Good idea.” Kim headed straight for the fireplace. She sat down on the raised stone hearth and stretched her hands out toward the fire.
Jess joined her. She took up a spot on the carpet near Kim’s feet.
Kim bent down and kissed her gently on the lips. She stroked her fingers though Jess’s hair. “Thank you for doing all of this. It was a wonderful surprise.”
“It’s not over yet.” Jess let a little half-smirk appear.
Kim narrowed her eyes at Jess. “What else do you have up your sleeve?”
Jess laughed and made a show of looking up her sleeves. “Nope, nothing there.”
“Maybe I should check for myself.”
The smoky timbre of Kim’s voice sent shivers down Jess’s spine. Check anything you want. She leaned toward Kim.
“Maybe I should check your pockets as well.”
Oh. Yeah. Kim’s words finally sank into Jess’s aroused brain. Whoa! Not a good idea. She pulled away from Kim’s questing hands and stood. She resisted the urge to check her pocket to make sure the ring was still there.
“What’s wrong?”
Jess gazed down into Kim’s passion-filled eyes and bit back a groan. It took every ounce of her formidable willpower to keep from giving in to the want in Kim’s vivid blue eyes. Jess took a big step back and bumped into the coffee table. “I just realized dinner will be arriving shortly.” Her gaze bore into Kim’s. “And once I start making love to you, I don’t want anything to interrupt us.”
Kim growled. “Cancel dinner.”
Laughing, Jess offered her hand to Kim. “You better eat. You’re going to need your strength for later.” She tugged Kim up to stand next to her.