She licked her lower lip, liking the way his gaze caught the movement and sparked to life. “Maybe you’d like to give Thor an actual bedroom?”
He shifted the lower half of his body against hers. “What are you suggesting?”
She let her finger slide between his pecs. “You could move in with me. Is it too soon?”
He shook his head. “Not at all, for lots of reasons. I’d love to live with you.”
“Okay, roomie.” She threw out the comment without thinking. “Oh, well, not exactly roomie.”
“You aren’t offering me your spare bedroom?” he said in a deadpan voice.
She knew him just well enough not to panic. “Ha. No. I think I’m going to want to be a cuddler. Can’t do that at three in the morning without someone beside me.” She let her finger drift lower, down his abdomen.
His lips curled up at the edges. “Very true. And it’s economical. Saves on laundry.”
“Which we will have a lot of, with all this cave dirt.”
“I’m making a mess of your clothes, aren’t I. I didn’t think.” He started to shift away but she pulled him back.
“Don’t move away, Crowe. Please. I love you just the way you are.”
His voice had an unruly tremor when he spoke. “Love?”
She nodded, her grip on his strong body keeping her upright. Time for honesty like never before. “You’re quite simply the coolest man I’ve ever met. I love your sense of adventure, and the way you treat your family and friends. You’re the Pied Piper, the Robin Hood. I love that.”
He grinned. “I appreciate you letting me know how great you think I am.”
She matched his smile. “Sometimes I can force the words out.”
He curled his hands around her cheeks. She tilted her face to his. “I love you, too. We’ve got this, Jenny. Maybe I’m building a tribe, but you’re gonna be the queen. You’ve got what it takes and we need you. A bunch of guys on their own are just barbarians. I’m so lucky I met you when I did.”
“I believe you’re right.” She did, after all, know how to manage an operation. And young men. “Speaking of handling the nicer parts of life, let’s take you back to Justin’s house and get you in the shower. Then we’ll pack you up and you can move in today.”
“What about the dinner rush here?”
“Taylor can handle it,” Jenny said. “We have to trust our lieutenants.”
Crowe touched his lips to hers. Jenny gasped as a rush of liquid heat zipped down her body. Her open mouth was an invitation to possession. He took the challenge, his erection showing her that the moment was as hot for him as it was for her.
“I may have to join you in that shower,” she murmured, when he paused to breathe.
“Definitely.” He pulled back, but she could still feel his heart pounding. “Let’s go.” He released all of her but one hand, which he tucked into his own. Dirt grooved into every nook of his fingers and nails.
She’d never seen a sexier sight in her life. Her man. His life’s work. Their life, now. She pulled him forward, turning off her office light as they passed through the door.
One month later…in New York, NY…
Jenny stood up from tying Crowe’s shoelace as he settled a pair of black microphones on his head. The recording booth hadn’t been designed for comfort and he’d have to stand for a couple of hours. She didn’t want him tripping. He adjusted the headphones and listened intently, his mouth centered on the microphone as he’d been instructed. The process was more complicated than she’d expected, with studio employees firing instructions at him.
“You’ve got this,” she told him, rubbing his shoulders. He leaned to the side and kissed her. Her fingers threaded through the hair pressed against his cheek. Heaven. The last month with them officially living together had been like a dream. Her world had gone from black and white to full color.
The red light of a camcorder flashing through the window caught the corner of her eye and she pulled away. “We’re being recorded,” she told him.
“What’s new? Some days I think this show is as much about our romance as it is about the treasure.”
“As long as we keep it classy on camera.” She blew him a kiss, then stepped out of the booth and shut the door as he laughed.
He flashed a grin at her through the window and gave her a thumbs-up sign, then positioned the notes he’d worked on for weeks, his voice-over for the first episode of California Gold, their very own high-class, reality TV show.
Roger Dalton had made magic happen as soon as Crowe had formally signed on with him, including this two-hour narration session. Josh Welsh’s family venture-capitalist firm had officially invested in the corporation Crowe had established so they’d have the equipment they needed. The past week had been a whirlwind of activity as they signed the official paperwork with A&E Networks for the television show. The entire cast—Crowe, Jenny, Thor, Justin, Delilah, and Beau—had been photographed and interviewed in New York City. Editors were being hired to splice together the footage, both Thor’s original work and what the professional crew had shot over the past two weeks with proper lighting and recording equipment.
Thor and Beau had returned to Southern California, settling into a hotel in Los Angeles to work with the editors to shape the first three episodes. Justin had traveled north to Berkeley to grind through the archives at the Bancroft Library, ready to pinpoint their next treasure dig.
The network had ordered a six-episode first season. They planned to have the first three episodes center around the Laguna Beach find, then move onto something else. Crowe and Justin had generated a list of possibilities over the past year and now they had a month to pick one and get permission.
Jenny suspected they’d be doing a hunt on private land near the Laguna Coast Wilderness Park, right in the San Joaquin Hills near home, because Crowe had already obtained permission to search there, but Justin had work to do in the archives. With any luck, they’d delay the actual search until September. It was already mid-July and August in the Hills would be a slog. Of course, it might look good on camera, a bunch of sexy young men panting and covered in sweat as they searched for gold.
The thought had her remembering the night before in their hotel room, tangled in the sheets, a fine sheen of sweat covering them both after hours of lovemaking, but she forced her attention away from the sexy memories as the segment producer spoke to Crowe through her microphone.
Jenny had seen early drafts of his notes, but she had been doing a solo interview during Crowe’s cold read. She couldn’t wait to hear the final version. He had a great voice for this. The producer had told him to find a warm, authoritative style for the voice-overs he’d need to do for the show, and he’d easily pleased her with his interpretation.
“Deep breath, Crowe,” the producer said through her microphone. “Start after you hear the three beeps.”
Crowe nodded and listened intently. Half a minute later, his gorgeous baritone slid over Jenny like warm, silky butter as he began his narration.
His gaze captured hers as he spoke from memory. “My family has been looking for treasure in California for four generations. I’m twenty-eight now, and this year I talked my family into following a hunt of my own. Treasure comes in all forms and this season of surprises in the Laguna Beach, California area, has taught me about many of them. Gold is good, but love is even more precious, and these past few months have brought me both kinds of treasure…”
Laguna Beach
LAGUNA BEACH is a sexy modern romance series by author Kaira Rouda, set in beautiful Laguna Beach, California. The stories feature the cast of a high school based reality TV show, ten years after the show wrapped. Inspired by the original reality show, Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County, the LAGUNA BEACH series is beach reading at its best.
Start with the original series by Kaira Rouda:
Laguna Nights
Laguna Heights
Laguna Lights
Laguna Sights
Then move on to these amazing reads from the Laguna Beach Kindle World!
Reckless in Laguna by Barbara Ankrum
A Laguna Beach wedding reunites a pair of ex-lovers, but letting go of the past is not as simple as saying “I do.”
Lucky in Laguna by Rachelle Ayala
Scriptwriter Lucky Lenigan regrets writing dog walker Tally Tallahan into a reality show as another man’s love interest.
Last Night in Laguna by C.M. Albert
Bexley Rue has a gypsy soul. Kai Donovan wants nothing but love. Is one night together enough to heal her fractured life and tame her wild heart?
A Treasure in Laguna by Heather Hiestand
While searching for gold in Laguna Beach, treasure hunter Crowe Erickson finds the real adventure is love…
One Night in Laguna by Melissa Keir
Can former reality TV star, Cole Hayes and schoolteacher, Melanie Whitman create a relationship that will last a lifetime or will their one night stand crash in the waves of Laguna Beach?
Lost in Laguna by K. N. Lee
Isla wanted to be alone—to repair her broken heart... and then Garrett Thorn came home.
Weddings in Laguna by Cheryl Phipps
When déjà vu and ‘I do’ collide, hearts are destined to break.
Sleepless in Laguna by Suzanne Rock
A radio shock jock tries to convince his straight-laced ex he’s ready to cease his wild ways and settle down.
Sunset in Laguna by Melanie Shawn
Can an artist who's lost her inspiration and a novelist with a decade-long case of writer's block let go of their pasts long enough to embrace their future—together?
True Love in Laguna by Lacey Wolfe
Two lost souls find true love when they least expect it.
Acknowledgments
Kaira Rouda’s Laguna Nights series was fantastic inspiration for me and I loved working with the reality television subject matter, along with the Laguna Beach locale and some of the characters she created. Melissa McClone originally brought me into the project and did a bang-up job critiquing a late draft of my story. Eilis Flynn did her usual thorough work with the copyediting. Other commenters on early drafts were Katie Hiestand (who will recognize one key bit of dialogue she suggested), Madeline Pruett, Delle Jacobs, Judy Di Canio, and Mary Sutton, along with my classmates in a couple of courses I took last winter. Moral support came abundantly from these ladies as well as my agent, Laurie McLean, and my writing group buddies, Peggy Bird and Marilyn Hull. An article on the Oak Island treasure hunt sent me into discussions on treasure hunting with my father, David Hiestand, which all too directly led to this story.
I had so much fun with A Treasure in Laguna that I wrote another novella, That Gold in Laguna. Look forward to Thor’s story and another treasure hunt, coming this fall!
More From Heather Hiestand
Novels:
The Marquess of Cake (The Redcakes)
One Taste of Scandal (The Redcakes)
His Wicked Smile (The Redcakes)
Christmas Delights (The Redcakes)
Wedding Matilda (The Redcakes)
Trifling Favors (The Redcakes)
If I Had You (The Grand Russe Hotel) (September 2016)
I Wanna Be Loved By You (The Grand Russe Hotel) (February 2017)
Cards Never Lie (rerelease July 2016)
Wear Black (with Eilis Flynn)
Novellas:
Dancing in Red (with Eilis Flynn)
The Kidnapped Bride (The Redcakes)
Victoriana Adventure
Steampunk Smugglers 1: Captain Andrew’s Flying Christmas
Steampunk Smugglers 2: Captain Fenna’s Dirigible Valentine
Steampunk Smugglers 3: Captain Gravenor’s Airship Equinox
Anthologies:
“The Burro” in Murder Across the Map
“Victoriana” in Holiday in the Heart
www.heatherhiestand.com
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Laguna Beach: A Treasure in Laguna (Kindle Worlds Novella) Page 11
