The Sunstone Brooch : Time Travel Romance Katherine Logan (no david read aloud TXT) 📖

and I appreciate what you did last night. The roses, champagne, and romantic music made a wonderful evening even more spectacular.” She kissed Ted’s cheek and then Laurence’s. “It was an incredible surprise. Thank you.”

Laurence gave her a lopsided grin as he nodded in Austin’s direction. “He told us not to upstage him too much. The evening needed to be memorable because of him, not the ambiance. We hope he did his part.”

Her penetrating blue eyes flickered, and Austin knew he was about to get busted. “Well, I had a plan to show him how I rode bulls, but—”

Austin tilted her face up with a gentle tug on the silky braid hanging down her back and hushed her with a kiss as promising as he could make it.

She broke the kiss and looked up at him. “Well, now. That demonstration proves kissing isn’t a dying art.”

Laurence clapped Ted’s shoulder, laughing. “I think Austin’s found a woman as ballsy as JL.”

“I don’t know,” Ted said. “Let’s see how hard she’ll work when she’s hungover and exhausted.”

That’ll hit a nerve.

A red patch burned over Ensley’s cheekbones. “I’ll show you how hard North Dakotans are willing to work when facing adversity. Let’s get this done!”

That’s my girl.

“The yoga studio’s empty since all the women are running or walking in a 10K in Richmond,” Ted said. “Let’s go there for an evaluation and then yoga.”

“Why didn’t anybody tell me?” she asked, holding up her hands in faux disappointment. “I missed a chance to bond with them. Day-um.”

“I can tell how disappointed you are,” Ted said, deadpan.

Austin watched her closely. He was pretty good at detecting when she was in pain or when she was pissed—or his personal favorite—when he had her so turned on she could come with a flick of his tongue. And right now, her hip ached more than usual. If she’d gone on a run, she’d have finished the race in a respectable time but afterward wouldn’t have been able to walk to the car to go home.

Austin turned his back to Ted and Laurence and kissed her again, and the soft sounds they made together became a love song. He rarely let anything get in the way of a workout, but right now, he’d rather be in bed with her. What he wanted didn’t matter, though. The two men standing behind him would bar the door and sound the alarm if either he or Ensley tried to leave the building. It was Ted and Laurence’s job to keep them healthy and sound.

“If you finish before I do, I’ll see you back in the room. Don’t forget Elliott’s meeting at eleven thirty.”

“Why do we have to be responsible?” she whispered against his lips.

“Because that’s the kind of people we are.” He kissed her once more and then left for the gym before Ted shooed him out of the way.

He followed the sound of bouncing basketballs from the recently constructed full-size gym on the opposite end of the fitness center. The next generation of MacKlennas had more basketball players than soccer players these days. And because of that, it was only a matter of time before they demanded a state-of-the-art facility, and their Second-Gen Arena opened the prior year. He remembered thinking that one day he might have a son or daughter playing on the court.

That idea seemed more possible today than it ever had. He glanced through the glass hallway at Ensley sitting on a yoga mat, and his heart was so full of love for her that he nearly wept.

Alicyn and Rebecca burst through the arena and almost ran into Austin.

“Whoa!” Austin said. “Where’s the fire?”

“There’s no fire. We’re just going to the fridge to get water,” Alicyn said. “We’ve been working on our shooting technique.”

“Will you give us some pointers?” Rebecca asked.

“Sure. Let’s see what you’ve got.”

Within minutes eight more kids showed up ready to play, and for the next hour, Austin held a basketball clinic. He didn’t work as hard as the kids, but they didn’t let up, and the McBain girls even challenged him at the basket. His height didn’t intimidate any of them. MacCorp’s second generation was full of kids with guts and determination, and they accepted praise as more of a challenge to do better than a reason to rest on their accomplishments.

Toward the end of the session, Austin’s half brothers Blane and Lance bounded into the gym, tore across the floor, and ran straight to him. He knelt to gather both boys into his arms.

“Austin! When’d you get here?” Blane demanded. “Why didn’t you tell us?”

Lance’s big brown eyes opened wide. “Yeah, Austin. Why didn’t you tell us?”

“My bad.” Austin released his hold but stayed on the floor to be at eye level with them. “Sorry, I’ve been busy, but I was already planning to call you today.”

“You don’t have to call us now cause we’re here,” Lance said. “Have you been adventuring with that girl? What’s her name?” Lance looked up at his big brother Blane. “Do you remember?”

“Ensley. Right, Austin?”

“You got it, bro. Ensley MacAndrew Williams. She’s from North Dakota. Do you know where that is?”

“I do,” Lance said. “It’s above South Dakota. But it’s colder there because it’s in the north instead of the south.”

“That makes sense,” Austin said.

“We met her before. She was here for a Fourth of July celebration, and we talked about polo. She’s cool. Does she play basketball, too, like your other girlll…friends?”

Austin laughed. “I don’t know how good she is with a basketball, but she used to ride bulls.”

“Bulls?” Lance exclaimed. “I saw bull riders on TV. They bounce up and down”—he demonstrated by jumping around in a circle—“and then they fall off”—he dropped on the floor, laughing. “A girl bull rider. That’s funny. I bet her boobies bounce up and down.”

“I doubt it,” Blane said. “She probably wears one of those sports bras like JL wears when she runs.”

“Oh. Makes sense.” Lance picked up the ball, dribbled toward the basket, and threw it up, hitting