A tiny grin tipped the corners of Brooke’s mouth. “Is that a threat or a promise?”
He sighed deeply, feeling contentment roll through him like a golden river. “Either works. How do you feel about an after-Christmas wedding? With all the trimmings. I’m not a fan of the way we were headed the first time.”
Brooke pouted. “I don’t want to wait that long to be your wife.”
“I’m open to debate, but we’re staring down the gun at this auction thing. I have promises to keep. More importantly, I’ve decided you and I are going to take a grand honeymoon. Like in the old days, when couples went to Europe for a month. I want to take you to all those art galleries before the baby comes. How does that sound?”
She beamed up at him. “I think it sounds amazing. But I’d still be willing to do a quickie courthouse ceremony.”
“Nope. We’re going the whole nine yards. An engagement ring, for starters. And a bridal gown that will be the envy of every woman in Royal. Empire waisted, of course,” he said with a grin.
“I love it.” Brooke tried to dance around the kitchen and had to stop and grab the counter when her ribs protested.
“Plus,” he said, “I’d like for my bride to be able to take a deep breath without being in pain.”
“Details, details.” Brooke waved a dismissive hand, but she was pale beneath her excitement-flushed cheeks.
“Then it’s settled.” He took her in his arms and kissed her slowly, long and deep. Lust filtered through his body, overlaid with gratitude and tenderness. Brooke’s lips clung to his, her ragged breaths matching his own.
He wanted her so badly, he trembled.
But her injury made his hunger for her problematic. He released her and brushed a strand of hair from her forehead. “I can’t sweep you off your feet right now, can I?”
“Not unless you want me to pass out.”
“Duly noted. How do you feel about really, really careful sex?”
“I thought you’d never ask.”
* * *
Brooke climbed up onto the mattress and watched Austin undress. She would suffer a dozen broken ribs if this were the payoff. Hearing Austin say he loved her made up for endless days of heartache.
He ditched the last of his clothing and joined her. Brooke had done her own restrained striptease moments earlier, because Austin was afraid of hurting her.
Now here they were. Both of them bruised and broken in different ways.
She ran a hand down his warm, hair-dusted thigh. “Did I ever tell you that my grandmother was a twin?”
Austin raised one eyebrow as he coaxed her nipples into tightly furled buds with his thumbs. “You might have forgotten to mention that.”
“How do you feel about multiple babies?”
He nibbled the side of her neck. His big body was a furnace. “I like making them. A lot. And though I prefer them to arrive one at a time, I’ll keep an open mind.”
He scooted lower in the bed and kissed her still-flat tummy. “You’re going to be the most beautiful pregnant woman in Royal.”
“You might be a tad prejudiced.”
“Maybe.” He kissed the inside of her thigh.
Her breath hitched. “When you finish Matt Galloway’s house, will you design one for us? I thought we could start looking for land in the meantime. And don’t get all prissy about my inheritance. We can split the price fifty-fifty if it makes you feel better.”
His grin was brilliant. Carefree. It made her heart swell with happiness and pride. “I could live with that.” He eased her onto her side and scooted in behind her, joining their bodies with one gentle push. “Is this hurting you?”
She gasped as he shifted and his firm length hit a sensitive spot in her sex. “Yes, Cowboy. But only in the best possible way.”
He kissed the nape of her neck, his breath warm. “I adore you, Brooke.”
Pleasure rolled through her body in a shimmering wave. “You’re mine, Austin. Now and forever. Don’t you forget it.”
Then, with a gentle, thorough loving, he took them home...
* * * * *
Will Gus and Rose succeed in keeping their grandchildren apart? Will the bachelor auction go off without a hitch?
Find out in His Until Midnight by Reese Ryan!
When shy beauty Tessa Noble gets a makeover and steps in for her brother at a bachelor auction, she doesn’t expect her best friend, rancher Ryan Bateman, to outbid everyone. But Ryan’s attempt to protect her ignites a desire that changes everything...
Don’t miss a single installment of the six-book
Texas Cattleman’s Club: Bachelor Auction.
Will the scandal of the century lead to love for these rich ranchers?
Runaway Temptation
by USA TODAY bestselling author Maureen Child
Most Eligible Texan
by USA TODAY bestselling author Jules Bennett
Million Dollar Baby
by USA TODAY bestselling author Janice Maynard
His Until Midnight by Reese Ryan
The Rancher’s Bargain by Joanne Rock
Lone Star Reunion by Joss Wood
Keep reading for an excerpt from Love in Catalina Cove by Brenda Jackson.
We hope you enjoyed this Harlequin Desire story.
You want to leave behind the everyday! Harlequin Desire stories feature sexy, romantic heroes who have it all: wealth, status, incredible good looks...everything but the right woman. Add some secrets, maybe a scandal, and start turning pages!
Enjoy six new stories from Harlequin Desire every month!
Connect with us on Harlequin.com for info on our new releases, access to exclusive offers, free online reads and much more!
Other ways to keep in touch:
Harlequin.com/newsletters
Facebook.com/HarlequinBooks
Twitter.com/HarlequinBooks
HarlequinBlog.com
Join Harlequin My Rewards and reward the book lover in you!
Earn points for every Harlequin print and ebook you buy, wherever and whenever you shop.
Turn your points into FREE BOOKS of your choice
OR
EXCLUSIVE GIFTS from your favorite authors or series.
Click here to join for FREE
Or visit us online to register at
www.HarlequinMyRewards.com
Harlequin My Rewards is a free program (no fees) without any commitments or obligations.
In her brand-new series, New York Times
bestselling author Brenda Jackson welcomes you to Catalina Cove, where even the biggest
heartbreaks can be healed...
Keep reading for a sneak peek at
Love in Catalina Cove
Love in Catalina Cove
by Brenda Jackson
CHAPTER ONE
New York City
VASHTI ALCINDOR SHOULD be celebrating. After all, the official letter she’d just read declared her divorce final, which meant her three-year marriage to Scott Zimmons was over. Definitely done with. As far as she was concerned the marriage had lasted two years too long. She wouldn’t count that first year since she’d been too in love to dwell on Scott’s imperfections. Truth be told there were many that she’d deliberately overlooked. She’d been so determined to have that happily-ever-after that she honestly believed she could put up with anything.
But reality soon crept into the world of make-believe, and she discovered she truly couldn’t. Her husband was a compulsive liar who could look you right in the eyes and lie with a straight face. She didn’t want to count the number of times she’d caught him in the act. When she couldn’t take the deceptions any longer she had packed her things and left. When her aunt Shelby died five months later, Scott felt entitled to half of the inheritance Vashti received in
the will.
It was then that Vashti had hired one of the best divorce attorneys in New York, and within six weeks his private investigator had uncovered Scott’s scandalous activities. Namely, his past and present affair with his boss’s wife. Vashti hadn’t wasted any time making Scott aware that she was not only privy to this information, but had photographs and videos to prove it.
Knowing she wouldn’t hesitate to expose him as the lowlife that he was, Scott had agreed to an uncontested divorce and walked away with nothing. The letter she’d just read was documented proof that he would do just about anything to hold on to his cushy Wall Street job.
Her cell phone ringing snagged her attention, the ringtone belonging to her childhood friend and present Realtor, Bryce Witherspoon. Vashti clicked on her phone as she sat down at her kitchen table with her evening cup of tea. “Hey, girl, I hope you’re calling with good news.”
Bryce chuckled. “I am. Someone from the Barnes Group from California was here today and—”
“California?”
“Yes. They’re a group of developers that’s been trying to acquire land in the cove for years. They made you an unbelievably fantastic offer for Shelby by the Sea.”
Vashti let out a loud shout of joy. She couldn’t believe she’d been lucky enough to get rid of both her ex-husband and her aunt’s property in the same day.
“Don’t get excited yet. We might have problems,” Bryce said.
Vashti frowned. “What kind of problems?”
“The developers want to tear down your aunt’s bed-and-breakfast and—”
“Tear it down?” Vashti felt a soft kick in her stomach. Selling her aunt’s bed-and-breakfast was one thing, having it demolished was another. “Why would they want to tear it down?”
“They aren’t interested in the building, Vash. They want the eighty-five acres it sits on. Who wouldn’t with the Gulf of Mexico in its backyard? I told you it would be a quick sale.”
Vashti had known someone would find Shelby by the Sea a lucrative investment but she’d hoped somehow the inn would survive. With repairs it could be good as new. “What do they want to build there instead?”
“A luxury tennis resort.”
Vashti nodded. “How much are they offering?” she asked, taking a sip of her tea.
“Ten million.”
Vashti nearly choked. “Ten million dollars? That’s nearly double what I was asking for.”
“Yes, but the developers are eyeing the land next to it, as well. I think they’re hoping that one day Reid Lacroix will cave and sell his property. When he does, the developers will pounce on the opportunity to get their hands on it and build that golf resort they’ve been trying to put there for years. Getting your land will put their foot in the door so to speak.”
Vashti took another sip of her tea. “What other problems are there?”
“This one is big. Mayor Proctor got wind of their offer and figured you might sell. He’s calling a meeting.”
“A meeting?”
“Yes, of the Catalina Cove zoning board. Although they can’t stop you from selling the inn, they plan to block the buyer from bringing a tennis resort in here. The city ordinance calls for the zoning board to approve all new construction. This won’t be the first time developers wanted to come into the cove and build something the city planners reject. Remember years ago when that developer wanted to buy land on the east end to build that huge shopping mall? The zoning board stopped it. They’re determined that nothing in Catalina Cove changes.”
“Well, it should change.” As far as Vashti was concerned it was time for Mayor Proctor to get voted out. He had been mayor for over thirty years. When Vashti had left Catalina Cove for college fourteen years ago, developers had been trying to buy up the land for a number of progressive projects. The people of Catalina Cove were the least open-minded group she knew.
Vashti loved living in New York City where things were constantly changing and people embraced those changes. At eighteen she had arrived in the city to attend New York University and remained after getting a job with a major hotel chain. She had worked her way up to her six-figure salary as a hotel executive. At thirty-two she considered it her dream job. That wasn’t bad for someone who started out working the concierge desk.
“Unless the Barnes Group can build whatever they want without any restrictions, there won’t be a deal for us.”
Vashti didn’t like the sound of that. Ten million was ten million no matter how you looked at it. “Although I wouldn’t want them to tear down Shelby, I think my aunt would understand my decision to do what’s best for me.” And the way Vashti saw it, ten million dollars was definitely what would be best for her.
“Do you really think she would want you to tear down the inn? She loved that place.”
Vashti knew more than anyone how much Shelby by the Sea had meant to her aunt. It had become her life. “Aunt Shelby knew there was no way I would ever move back to Catalina Cove after what happened. Mom and Dad even moved away. There’s no connection for me to Catalina Cove.”
“Hey, wait a minute, Vash. I’m still here.”
Vashti smiled, remembering how her childhood friend had stuck with her through thick and thin. “Yes, you’re still there, which makes me think you need your head examined for not moving away when you could have.”
“I love Catalina Cove. It’s my home and need I remind you that for eighteen years it was yours, too.”
“Don’t remind me.”
“Look, I know why you feel that way, Vash, but are you going to let that one incident make you have ill feelings about the town forever?”
“It was more than an incident, Bryce, and you know it.” For Vashti, having a baby out of wedlock at sixteen had been a lot more than an incident. For her it had been a life changer. She had discovered who her real friends were during that time. Even now she would occasionally wonder how different things might have been had her child lived instead of died at birth.
“Sorry, bad choice of words,” Bryce said, with regret in her voice.
“No worries. That was sixteen years ago.” No need to tell Bryce that on occasion she allowed her mind to wander to that period of her life and often grieved for the child she’d lost. She had wanted children and Scott had promised they would start a family one day. That had been another lie.
“Tell me what I need to do to beat the rezoning board on this, Bryce,” Vashti said, her mind made up.
“Unfortunately, to have any substantial input, you need to meet with the board in person. I think it will be beneficial if the developers make an appearance, as well. According to their representative, they’re willing to throw in a few perks that the cove might find advantageous.”
“What kind of perks?”
“Free membership to the resort’s clubhouse for the first year, as well as free tennis lessons for the kids for a limited time. It will also bring a new employer to town, which means new jobs. Maybe if they were to get support from the townsfolk, the board would be more willing to listen.”
“What do you think are our chances?”
“To be honest, even with all that, it’s a long shot. Reid Lacroix is on the board and he still detests change. He’s still the wealthiest person in town, too, and has a lot of clout.”
“Then why waste my and the potential buyer’s time?”
“There’s a slim chance time won’t be wasted. K-Gee is on the zoning board and he always liked you in school. He’s one of the few progressive members on the board and the youngest. Maybe he’ll help sway the others.”
Vashti smiled. Yes, K-Gee had liked her but he’d liked Bryce even more and they both knew it. His real name was Kaegan Chambray. He was part of the Pointe-au-Chien Native American tribe and his family’s ties to the cove and surrounding bayou went back generations, before the first American settlers.
A
lthough K-Gee was two years older than Vashti and Bryce, they’d hung together while growing up. When Vashti had returned to town after losing her baby, K-Gee would walk Vashti and Bryce home from school every day. Even though Bryce never said, Vashti suspected something happened between Bryce and K-Gee during the time Vashti was away at that unwed home in Arkansas.
“When did K-Gee move back to Catalina Cove, Bryce?”
“Almost two years ago to help out his mom and to take over his family’s seafood supply business when his father died. His mother passed away last year. And before you ask why I didn’t tell you, Vash, you know why. You never wanted to hear any news regarding what was happening in Catalina Cove.”
No, she hadn’t, but anything having to do with K-Gee wasn’t just town news. Bryce should have known that. “I’m sorry to hear about his parents. I really am. I’m surprised he’s on the zoning board.”
For years the townsfolk of the cove had never recognized members of the Pointe-au-Chien Native American tribe who lived on the east side of the bayou. Except for when it was time to pay city taxes. With K-Gee on the zoning board that meant change was possible in Catalina Cove after all.
“I need to know what you want to do, Vash,” Bryce said, interrupting her thoughts. “The Barnes Group is giving us twenty days to finalize the deal or they will withdraw their offer.”
Vashti stood up to cross the kitchen floor and put her teacup in the kitchen sink. “Okay, I’ll think about what you said. Ten million dollars is a lot of money.”
“Yes, and just think what you could do with it.”
Vashti was thinking and she loved all the possibilities. Although she loved her job, she could stop working and spend the rest of her life traveling to all those places her aunt always wanted to visit but hadn’t, because of putting Shelby by the Sea first. Vashti wouldn’t make the same mistake.
Million Dollar Baby Page 17