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.
The other caused her to bite her lip. She quickly turned back toward the living area. Austin was down on one knee, tending to the fire. The muscles beneath his shirt rippled under the white fabric as he arranged the kindling and the logs. Her breath caught in her throat as he struck a match and set the wood aflame.
But it wasn’t until Austin stood up, grasped his Stetson with one hand and placed it on a peg by the front door in one fell swoop, that she lost it. To her, that simple gesture meant that he was home, and just for tonight, she was right here with him.
“Why did you kiss me?” she blurted.
“I don’t know,” he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. “Why did you kiss me back?”
Laney opened her mouth, as if an explanation would simply form without any thought. Kissing Austin back wasn’t that simple. Neither was the reason.
She shrugged, a little too hard, and his tux jacket fell to the floor.
“I think we both need to find out,” he said, approaching her. “Don’t you?”
His low voice, a rich undercurrent to the pop and hiss of the kindling, made her knees shake.
A moment later, Laney felt herself nod, so intrigued by him that she found herself holding her breath as he unbuttoned his shirt.
He shed it quickly, not saying a word, not inviting her to look away. Somehow he knew that her eyes had been opened to something that needed to be explored.
The
