“No hurry,” Taylor said, wrapping her hand around her husband’s arm. “We’re going to browse.”
Classical music played subtly in the background and she dodged waiters in red jackets carrying trays of appetizers. She grabbed a flute of champagne but refused the food. She was too nervous to eat.
“Harlow, this is Governor Ray Bloomford and his wife, Pearl.”
“Nice to meet you.” The governor of New York. Wow. She shook their hands, knowing it was her name that brought them to the gallery, but it was great exposure for Cherise.
“I’m friends with your parents,” Governor Bloomford told her.
“We’re having them over for dinner tomorrow,” his wife said. “We would love for you to attend.”
“Thank you, that’s very generous of you.”
“You’ll see at least one of your paintings on the wall,” Governor Bloomford said. “We’ve both fallen in love with your style.”
Emotion clogged her throat. Maybe they were just saying it to butter up to her family, but it still warmed her heart. She thanked them and accepted their offer for dinner. She was just about to take a small bathroom break when Taylor came hurrying over.
“Can I borrow you for a moment?”
“Sure.”
She followed the other woman, smiling and greeting people as they passed, until they stood in front of Serenity. Dante was there studying it. “It’s our lake,” he said.
It wasn’t a question. Harlow nodded. “Yes.”
Taylor grabbed her arm. “It’s amazing. We want to buy it.”
“It’s not for sale,” a deep voice said from behind her.
Harlow spun around so fast, she almost teetered over on her four-inch heels. Sawyer was there to steady her. “We already bought it.”
That one word caused all of the happiness she felt at seeing him flee. “We?”
He nodded. “My date and I.”
“Date?” Great, now she was repeating things like a well-trained parrot.
“Come here, date.”
She closed her eyes, afraid of what she would see when she opened them. Would the woman be tall and willowy, her blond hair a perfect match to his? Or a short and spunky red-head with porcelain skin? She blinked them open and her heart lifted with delight. “Duke!”
“Woof.”
She crouched down and he rushed up to her, jumping up to lick her face. “Oh, he’s wearing a tux and a top hat.” He was the most adorable thing she’d ever seen. She picked him up and cuddled him close. “He’s grown so much in a month.”
“If the vet hadn’t confirmed he was a Lab, I’d have thought he was some type of pig the way he eats.”
She blinked through the tears to meet his gaze. “You bought it? Serenity?”
He nodded.
Cherise slinked over, her crimson lips twisted in a knowing grin. “I know you said it wasn’t for sale, but he made me an offer I couldn’t refuse.”
Harlow couldn’t take her eyes off Sawyer to acknowledge Cherise. He looked so handsome in his tux. She didn’t hear the patrons murmuring or the cameras snapping pictures. He moved closer, slid his hands in her hair. “You look stunning.” And then he kissed her in front of everyone. Duke got in on the action, squirming to give them both doggie kisses. They broke apart laughing.
“You came,” was all she could manage.
“Always.”
She wanted to grab his hand and run away but she had hours yet before the show ended. Having him by her side calmed her and she was able to smile and truly enjoy herself as she greeted people as they filtered in at a steady rate. She was stunned when his parents arrived. They had an air of wealth, but his mom hugged her warmly. His dad looked like a dashing older version of Sawyer.
“You sold out!” Cherise came rushing over. “Every single painting!”
“What?” Harlow took a step back, stunned. Sawyer’s hand to her back stopped her. She thought maybe one or two would sell, just because of her name. She never dreamed she’d sell out.
“Start painting fast, Sugar, because we’re doing this again,” Cherise proclaimed, lifting a flute in the air to toast her statement before drinking the bubbly down in one gulp.
Harlow laughed and hugged her, thanking her for taking the chance on an unknown painter.
“I know talent when I see it.” Cherise winked and then fluttered away.
The smile was permanently attached as she thanked people for attending the showing. A couple of teenage girls wanted her to autograph their brochures, which she felt undeserving, but scribbled her signature anyway.
“Congratulations, Harlow,” Taylor said as she hugged her goodbye.
“Right back at you, my pregnant friend.”
They made plans to have lunch together tomorrow. She had a busy day with dinner at the governor’s house. She wondered if Sawyer would be around to attend as her date.
Finally, Cherise locked the door and it was just her and Sawyer and Duke.
“Congratulations,” Sawyer murmured as he folded her in his embrace. “You were a hit, as I knew you would be.”
“Thanks.”
Cherise glided over and clutched their arms. “What a fabulous night! You two, get out of here. I need to take care of the receipts and close up.”
While she hugged the woman, Sawyer collected Duke from Cherise’s office, where he’d curled up on the couch and fallen asleep. All the hoopla had worn him out. He’d long ago ditched the top hat and it was curled around Sawyer’s finger as he carried the puppy against his side. He held the door for her and she smiled up at him. He linked their fingers together.
“You up for an adventure?”
“Sure.”
“Come-on.” He led her to a limo idling at the curb. After she slid inside, Sawyer followed. Duke climbed over and plopped in her lap. She stroked his silky black fur. Sawyer lifted a bottle of champagne and poured them each a glass, handing her one. “To many more sold out showings.”
She clinked glasses and took a sip. “How did you manage to get away to come tonight?”
“Some things are more important.” He ran the back of a finger down her cheek before he leaned down and touched his lips to hers. He tasted of champagne and Sawyer and she whimpered. She’d missed him so much.
He’d just eased back to stare into her eyes when the car glided to the curb. “Ready?”
She nodded. “Where are we?”
Instead of answering, he opened the door and climbed out, then reached back inside to scoop Duke off her lap. He held out a hand and helped her from the car. She glanced up to see the massive art deco structure rising majestically in front of them. It was such an impressive sight.
“Did you know the exterior of the Empire State Building was constructed with Indiana limestone mined just a few miles south of the COBRA Securities compound?”
“I did not know that.”
He smiled. “Now you do. The same stone was used to build the Pentagon, the National Cathedral, the Biltmore Estate, among other buildings and universities. It was also used extensively to rebuild the city of Chicago after the Great Fire of 1871.”
“Wow. I had no idea.”
He ushered her inside and even at this hour, the marble-tiled lobby was crowded with tourists decked out in Yankees, Giants and I Love New York gear. She headed for the long line of people waiting to ride the elevators to the observation deck but he tugged on her hand. Her brows lifted in surprise as they were whisked up an elevator all by themselves. He obviously had this pre-planned. When they arrived at the 86th Floor, the highest open-air observatory in New York, they proceeded outside. The air was chilly and the wind brisk. Using one hand because he was still holding Duke, Sawyer slid off his jacket and arranged it over her shoulders. It smelled like him and she tugged it close.
He guided her to an open spot along the rails. It didn’t matter how many times she took in this view, it awed her every time. The city glowed with multi-colored lights. Standing sentry in Upper New York Bay was t
he iconic Statue of Liberty. Even this late, the city was alive with energy.
Sawyer tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and when she turned to him, his hand lingered on her cheek. “I’ve missed you.”
“I missed you, too,” she whispered, leaning into his touch.
“Duke misses you.” To prove his point, Duke licked her hand.
She laughed and tickled his nose. “I missed him, too.”
“We had a man to man talk…or man to dog…and we both decided we don’t want to be away from you anymore.”
Her heart stopped. “I don’t want to be away from you both, either.”
He tilted her chin so that she was staring into his beautiful blue eyes. “I love you, Harlow.”
She sucked in a quick breath. She hoped for it, dreamed of it, but to hear him say the words without the threat of death was a joy she’d never known. “I love you, too.”
He leaned down and kissed her and this time, it was full of love and hope and possibilities. She whimpered when he broke contact.
Sawyer smiled and then held Duke up. “He has something for you in his bow tie.” He placed him on the ground.
She looked at him and knelt to examine the tie. She felt something solid and had to untie the bow. Something clinked to the ground. Her hand shook as she reached for it. A large platinum cut diamond winked at her. A hand covered her mouth as she slowly rose to her feet. “Oh, my God. It’s beautiful. Duke, are you asking me to marry you?”
Sawyer’s deep chuckle washed down her body. “He is.” He took the ring from her trembling hand and slid it on her finger. Then his voice turned serious. Gruff. “And so am I. I know we haven’t known each other long, and we can wait as long as you want—”
Words were impossible past the lump in her throat, but she shook her head frantically to stop him, tears shimmering in her eyes. When she could speak, she said, “I don’t want to wait. Yes, Sawyer, I’ll marry you.”
He let out a hearty laugh and grabbed her up, spinning her around. Duke was jumping up and barking in doggie happiness.
Sawyer stopped abruptly and muttered, “Uh, oh.”
Her head was still spinning, both from the proposal and the subsequent celebration. “What uh oh?”
“We’ve drawn a crowd.”
She slowly turned her head to see several people staring at them, most smiling and a few clapping. At least a dozen were filming with their cell phones.
“We’ll be trending on Instagram before we can tell our parents.”
“They all know.”
Her eyes widened. “They do?”
“Yes…well, not that you agreed, but that I was going to ask. Your parents gave me their blessing.”
She covered her mouth with her hand, charmed that he thought to ask her parents.
“Also, I’m meeting with my father tomorrow to beg for a job.”
She pulled back and gaped at him. “What? Why? You have a job, Sawyer. You love it. You excel at it.”
“But it’s in Indiana and you’re here.”
She clutched his biceps and almost got lost in the feel of the steely muscles. He was as solid as a rock. She had to refocus. “Sawyer, I would never ask you to leave your job for me. I know how important it is to you. I can paint anywhere.”
“But what about tonight? You had a smashing debut. I’m guessing a record for Cherise’s gallery. You’re a superstar and you’re going to be in demand.”
“I can always fly back if necessary. Besides, I think I’d like to own my own gallery. Not so I can display my work, I mean, I might some pieces, but I’d love to find new artists as well and display their talent.”
He laughed and picked her up, twirling them around again. When he placed her feet on the ground, he brushed another kiss against her lips and then asked, “What do you say about that, Duke?”
The black lab tossed back his head and barked.
“That’s Duke-speak for let’s go home.”
###
Notes
I hope you enjoyed Hunted, the twelfth book in the COBRA Securities series. As with many places or settings in my books, La Grande, Coslos is a completely fictional city and country that only exists in my mind, as are the drug cartels, Dominar and Victor11. There is one aspect of this book that is one-hundred percent true…the story about Harlow finding a leg lying in the middle of the road. That was actually me who found the leg! I was with my dad and we rounded a bend in the road and there it was, just lying there. We travelled a few hundred feet and passed a man standing with his motorcycle. We’d seen him almost daily riding with his two prosthetic legs.
We turned around, picked the leg up and took it to him. He was so thankful since he couldn’t go back and get it and manage the bike. He had just been fitted for new prosthetics the day before, so the fit wasn’t quite right. The sad thing is, we never saw him riding again.
Several characters from previous books made appearances in Hunted. If you would like to read their stories, you can find them here:
Lauren Dianetti from The List and The Fan
Logan Bradley from The Fan
Luke and Grant Colton from Face the Music
Kai, Dante and Taylor Costa and Wyatt Hollister from Hide and Seek and Kidnapped
Hunter McGrath and Talia Cohen from Total Surrender
About the Author
Velvet Vaughn is the author of The List, The Fan, Committed, Violets are Blue, Trust No One, Hide and Seek, Killer Cuisine, Vigilante, Face the Music, Tough as Nails, Total Surrender, and Hunted, the first twelve books in the COBRA Securities series, as well as Saving Santa, and Kidnapped, COBRA Securities Short Stories. In addition, two novellas: A Christmas Miracle and Flying High Christmas are available as stand-alone books or in the anthologies All I Want For Christmas and Yuletide Treasures, respectively. The thirteenth book in the COBRA Securities series, Say Goodbye to Melody, will be published soon.
Connect With Velvet
Website: www.velvetvaughn.com
Facebook Fanpage: https://www.facebook.com/authorvelvetvaughn
Blog: http://www.velvetvaughn.com/blog.html
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/velvetvaughn/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/velvetvaughn/
Email: [email protected]
From Velvet
Thank you so much for purchasing Hunted. I hope you enjoyed Sawyer and Harlow’s story. If you did, I would appreciate you leaving feedback at Amazon.com or Goodreads. Thank you!
The thirteenth book in the COBRA Securities series will be out in early summer. Say Goodbye to Melody is Grant Colton and Melody Franklin’s story. Former Navy SEAL and current COBRA Securities agent Grant and Chemist/Entrepreneur Melody first crossed paths in Face the Music, the ninth book in the COBRA Securities series.
If you would like to read the story of one of the characters from my books, let me know. You can reach me through the contact page on my website or my Facebook Fanpage. I'd love to hear from you. And be sure to like my Fanpage so you can take part in giveaways.
Thank you again for your support!
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