Harmony Evans - Loving Laney

“Your choice of attire for the gala,” he stated matter-of-factly.

She froze and her mouth dropped open. First Austin unwittingly scared her and now he was openly judging her.

“Two minutes to midnight, folks!”

She ignored the singer’s gleeful warning and smoothed her hands along the side of her royal blue full-length gown. This wasn’t some department store knock-off, but rather it was custom designed for her. Not because she was a Broward and could afford it, but because she wanted to remain true to herself: one-of-a-kind. Unique. And right now, steaming mad.

Not sure if Austin was teasing or not, Laney met his gaze head-on. “What’s wrong with it?” she blurted.

Austin shook his head. “It’s far too different than your usual T-shirt and jeans,” he stated, without a hint of a smile.

How dare he insult me, Laney thought. As a child, her brothers, Wes and Jameson, had teased her relentlessly about her tomboyish wardrobe and the memories came flooding back. Now that she was older, she knew they hadn’t meant to hurt her, but the pain was still there.

Just as she was about to tell Austin where he could stuff his unwanted opinions, he tilted his Stetson back slightly with the tip of his thumb.

“And on you, that gown is far too stunning to ignore.”

10...9...8...

Was it the music or her heart that suddenly stopped as Austin stepped closer and draped his hands on her bare shoulders?

7...6...5...

Austin seemed not to hear the drum roll or the guests chanting the countdown. He tilted her chin up and she stared at his lips, slightly bewildered.

4...3

She’d never been this close to Austin, never smelled his rough, masculine scent, never dreamed she’d want to be even closer.

...2...

Laney closed her eyes, suddenly aware that she wanted to grasp onto something she wasn’t even sure was going to happen, but a part of her hoped that it would. The part that foretold regret.

...1...

Austin cradled her face in his hands and lowered his mouth to hers.

“Happy New Year, Laney.”

Ignoring all sense and logic, amid the fireworks and distant gun shots, she slipped her hands around his waist and caved into the spell of his kiss. He was gentle at first, exploring the edges, feathering the center, his movements tugging at long-buried desire. The nerve points of her mouth jolted awake, as if from a deep sleep, reminding her of how much she’d missed the touch of a man’s lips. Now the feel of Austin’s lips was branded upon her senses forever.

Their embrace was like a blanket they huddled underneath against the clamor of noisemakers and strains of “Auld Lang Syne.” They owned the dark, the passion and the promise.

The old was made new. And when Austin lifted his mouth from hers, she felt more than sudden, unexpected desire. There was also the innate fear that she might never be kissed that way by Austin again, and the excitement that maybe she would.

She bit her lip, plumper now from his kisses.

He tipped his hat, bowing slightly and her heart fell when he started to walk away.

Her independent spirit willed her not to run to him, while at the same time her caring nature compelled her not to disturb the horses she loved so much.

She dropped her voice to a whisper. “Where are you going?” she called out.

He turned around and seemed unperturbed by what had just occurred between them. His world was unshaken, while hers tilted crazily on its axis.

“Home.”

Laney arched a brow. She knew Austin had a large estate that included two huge stables just outside of Dallas. But she couldn’t just let him leave, at least not until she found out why he had kissed her.

“Now? But what about the party? Aren’t you a sponsor?”

Austin nodded, and then chuckled. “I think the festivities will go on without me.”

He was moving away from her again, easing toward the door, away from something he had started.

She took a few hurried steps and managed to tap his shoulder before quickly drawing back. It was hard and muscular under the black cloth of his tux.

“You probably shouldn’t be driving,” she advised. “It’s New Year’s Eve and it could be dangerous on the roads.”

Austin folded his arms and smiled. “Don’t worry about me, I’m staying close tonight.”

“Really? Where?” she asked, for once not caring if she sounded overly curious.

Austin pushed open the service door and leaned against it. “A couple of years ago, I sold the owners of this estate two of my best thoroughbreds, both of which have made them a ton of money recently on the circuit. In exchange, there’s a little cottage on the grounds and they let me stay in it.”

“Wow. That’s really nice. Much better than a hotel.”

He nodded and there was a sudden gleam in his eye. “Yeah, it comes in handy those times when I’ve partied a little too hard. But I’ve been good tonight.”

Laney thought back to the lukewarm champagne and smiled. “Me, too.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Well, in that case, would you like to see it?”

Although she didn’t know Austin very well, he wasn’t a total stranger. He was a friend of the Browards and highly regarded by her mother, Gwen. Still she knew it was crazy to go with him. But something inside her wanted to go against the grain of her own personal conventions. It was, after all, New Year’s Eve.

She let her eyes travel across Austin’s broad shoulders. If she couldn’t be in his bed, she had the odd wish to be positioned under it, hidden from view. She wanted to listen to him breathe and feel the weight of his body dangerously close to hers.

She looked into Austin’s eyes and nodded her answer.

What would Mara and Robyn think? she thought.

They’d be jealous as all get out.

Laney hid a brief smile as they emerged into the chilly air. She hitched up her dress slightly and followed him down a wide dirt path.

The sky was clear and brilliant with stars and the temperature seemed to drop even more as they walked. By the time they arrived at the little home, which was located adjacent to a large pasture, she was shivering.

Laney rubbed her bare shoulders and read the hand-carved sign on the door. “‘Shepherd’s Cottage.’ Cute name. What does it mean?”

She stepped inside and Austin closed and locked the door behind them.

“This place was built a long time ago for people hired to mind the cattle. If they didn’t want to go home, they could sleep here. Since this ranch is now primarily used for breeding and raising horses, the owners use it as a guest house.”

She rubbed her bare shoulders again and shivered when Austin ran his hands down her arms. Her skin immediately goose-pimpled under his gentle touch while his reassuring smile warmed her in places his eyes couldn’t see.

“I’m sorry it’s so cold in here. It will only take me a minute to get the fireplace going.”

He shrugged out of his tuxedo jacket and helped her into it. “In the meantime, you can wear this.”

His jacket was way too big, but it was warm. She wrapped it around her body and inhaled the hint of spicy cologne that came with it.

“Make yourself comfortable.”

She nodded and took a few steps forward. As she looked around, she realized that the cottage had only one room.

On her left, fairly close to the door, there was a sitting area facing the fireplace, a galley kitchen with a breakfast nook and a door she assumed led to the bathroom. The white-washed walls held various pen-and-ink drawings of landscapes, horses and mountains.

She pivoted to the right and spotted a small alcove with two steps leading up to an old-fashioned iron bed, covered in a thick ivory satin duvet.

Cozy was one word that came to mind.