Mountain Laurel
Page 16
She saw that he did. The look they shared was so full of emotion that neither one of them seemed able to move.
“Look, lady,” the red-haired ranger said, “I can’t help you with your acting lessons, but if it’s a tire change you need, I’d be more than happy to give you a hand.”
Michael clapped his colleague on the shoulder. “That’s all right, Joe. I’ll help the lady out.”
Laurel watched Michael move toward her, and she slipped into his outstretched arms like a weary traveler finding a safe haven. He held her to him, planting tiny kisses along her jaw before covering her mouth with his.
Joe looked over at the receptionist with raised eyebrows and shook his head in wry amusement. “I have a strong suspicion that this has nothing to do with a flat tire.” He jerked his head toward his office. “Let’s go have a cup of coffee and give these two a little privacy.”
“I’m not much of an actor, either,” Michael whispered against Laurel’s lips. “I was never acting. It was awful trying to show you how I felt without scaring you away. I knew from the beginning that you were the only one for me, but I thought you couldn’t feel the same.”
Laurel sighed happily when he kissed her neck.
“I thought I’d lost you,” he said. “I thought I’d pushed you too far too fast. I needed more time to let you know how I felt. When your mom told me she wanted you to stay, I thought I’d been given a gift.” The air left him in a rush. “But when you were so bent on leaving, I knew you didn’t care…”
“I wanted to leave,” Laurel confessed, “because I wanted you so badly that I was sure I would make a fool of myself if I spent any more time with you.”
He leaned away from her without releasing his hold. “We were both fools. Do you know that?”
“Yes,” she said wearily, laying her head against his chest. “I know that now. I’m just glad the acting’s over.” She nestled against him.
Michael tipped her chin up and brushed the dirty streak from her cheek, his fingers lingering to caress her skin. “You didn’t really ruin that new tire, did you?”
Laurel grinned sheepishly. “It’s nothing that a little air won’t fix.”
He threw his head back and laughed, then looked down at her tenderly. “I should have known. I love you, Laurel.” His whispered words tickled her neck, even as they sent fire through her veins. Then his mouth covered hers in a kiss filled with endless promise.
~
A note from the author
I hope you enjoyed this updated and expanded version of Mountain Laurel. I completed the original book in 1989 after spending several summers in Western Maryland with my husband and children. Those fun-filled vacations left me with wonderful memories of hikes along lush mountain paths, crisp autumn days filled with a kaleidoscope of colorâand s’mores!
To my great surprise, Mountain Laurel won a finalist spot in an international contest called The Golden Heart that is sponsored by Romance Writers of America. The manuscript went on to be published by Silhouette Books.
I’d like readers to know that I have written and published women’s fiction under my real name, Donna Fasano, and I hope you’ll look for those books and other Donna Clayton titles at your favorite bookstore or on-line. For more information about me and the books I’ve written, please visit my website at:
www.DonnaFasano.com
~
Other Donna Clayton titles coming soon!
Taking Love in Stride
Return of the Runaway Bride
Wife for a While
Nanny and the Professor
Fortune’s Bride
Daddy Down the Aisle