Playing Dirty (28 page)

BY THE TIME Mattie and Ford finally pulled into the upscale, lakeside community of Possum Kingdom, the sun was already riding low on the horizon. They’d gotten a late start, because not only had she and Griffen stayed in Dallas longer than expected, but she’d decided to wait for Ford to get home from work so they could make the drive together.
 

Phoebe had been thrilled to spend the next two nights with her Aunt Griffen, who would no doubt spoil her rotten. Griffen must’ve said something when she’d picked up Phoebe from their dad’s house, because Lily had sent her a text with an offer to take care of the weekly family dinner. Mattie had jumped on the offer, so now all she and Ford had to do was show up at her dad’s place around five on Sunday. They truly did have an entire weekend to themselves, spent in the luxury of her brother-in-law’s multi-million dollar lakeside home.

After two quick stops, one for weekend supplies, and the other at a rustic, hole-in-the-wall café, where they’d lingered over a dinner of to-die-for tamales, carnitas and ice cold bottles of Corona, the two hour drive to the elite community had taken them closer to four. Not that she minded. Ford drove, so she relaxed and tried to look forward to being in the middle of nowhere with her husband for the next forty-eight hours.
 

“We didn’t exactly grow up dirt poor,” Ford said, as he took the exit off the highway. “But isn’t this a bit much?”

As they neared the lakeside community, more and more high-end homes dotted the landscape. “Maybe a little,” she said with a soft chuff of laughter. She spied a newly built home that looked as if it belonged in the Antebellum south, not bordering a lake in northern Texas. “Griff said she’d heard some country music superstar recently built a home up here. I wonder if that’s it.”
 

Ford slowed the Edge as they passed. “Did she say who?”

Mattie wiggled her toes, then slid her feet back into her sandals. “No. She couldn’t remember. The street’s coming up next.”
 

“She sure seems to be taking all this lifestyles of the rich and famous thing in stride,” he said as he made the turn onto the Bluff Creek Pointe. “Doesn’t that surprise you?”

“A little,” she admitted. Griffen, while not the oldest, was very much the older sibling. She was extremely pragmatic, lived with her feet planted firmly on the ground, and was the least frivolous person she knew, and the polar opposite of her husband, Jed. Dani, their oldest sister who’d died several years ago, had been gentle and kind. Much too gentle for someone as larger than life as Jed Maitland. But from what Griffen had told her, Jed and Dani had been college sweethearts and were wild about each other. They’d planned to elope, but then Dani had come home suddenly, heartbroken and pregnant with Austin. Even when she was dying, Dani had never said a word to anyone about who had fathered her child, and it wasn’t until Austin was thirteen that Griffen had learned the truth, all because of a forgotten safety deposit box.
 

For as much as Dani had loved her son, having Austin had taken a toll on her sister’s health. She’d been far too ill to care for a newborn, let alone the active toddler Austin had become. Dani had convinced Griffen and her then husband, Ross, to adopt Austin and raise him as their own. Griffen’s ex had never wanted children, but Griffen had, so she dug in her heels until Ross finally capitulated. Eventually, Ross’s midlife crisis hit, leaving Griffen broke and alone to raise a teenaged boy.
 

“She’s cautiously adjusting.” Mattie pushed up her sunglasses and settled them on top of her head as she told Ford about her and Griffen’s conversation earlier that day. “After what Ross did to her, I don’t blame her for wanting to maintain at least some level of independence.”

“I’m sure Jed appreciates that.” A heavy note of sarcasm laced his voice.

“You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

He glanced quickly in her direction. “Call me old-fashioned,” he said, “but it’s Jed’s responsibility to provide for his family. From what I’ve seen, money isn’t an issue.”

Her frown deepened. He couldn’t be serious. Could he? “How about I call you a misogynist instead?”

“Ouch,” he said. “That’s harsh.”

“You’re kidding, right?”
 

“Okay, what am I missing?”

“Oh, I don’t know.” She crossed her arms and glared at him. “How about the past forty years of progress? And a little thing called equal rights for women?”

He chuckled and smiled at her. “Did I step on your feminist toes?”
Even though she quickly figured out he was jerking her chain, she said, “You’re damned right you did.”

“I’m sorry.”

He didn’t sound contrite. Not in the least. “No, you’re not,” she said with a laugh of her own. Not quite an acceptance, but his teasing apology would suffice. For now. “You’ll pay for that later, sailor.”

His smile turned naughty. “That a promise?”

Awareness spread languidly through her limbs. Regardless of whatever problems they still had to face, sex was apparently not one of them. She cleared her throat. “Anyway,” she said, changing the subject to a safer topic, “Griffen is adjusting just fine. Plus, Jed is careful to keep her and Austin out of the limelight as much as he can.”

“I imagine that’s not easy to do,” Ford said. “He doesn’t exactly scream low profile.”
“That’s just an image. And an inaccurate one,” Mattie corrected him. In the months since Griffen and Jed’s marriage, she’d come to adore the guy and thought of him as her big brother. He could be a little rough around the edges on occasion, but he was sweet, funny and he worshiped her sister. “The guy I know can be a real marshmallow. And he loves Griffen in a way Ross never could.”

He shot her a quick glance, but his aviator sunglasses shielded his eyes. He quickly turned his attention back to the road.

“What?” she asked, as he slowed to make the turn into the long driveway.

He parked near the flagstone staircase leading to the front door of the lavish, picture perfect, Mediterranean-style home. “It’s nothing.”

She settled her hand on his arm. “Are you sure?” The last thing she wanted to do was fight with him, but after last weekend, it was more than obvious to her he still had issues with her relationship with Trenton. She wanted to be understanding, but she was a little tired of defending her actions to him. He needed to accept the fact that she had eventually managed to go on with her life. What he didn’t need to know is what she went through to make that happen. What’s more, she’d found a man she could trust, and Trenton had made her happy. And that was something he needed to come to terms with, or they’d never make it.

He killed the engine before he reached across the console to take her hand and give it a light squeeze. “Yeah,” he said. “I’m sure.”

“Okay, then.” She flashed him a smile, although she had a feeling the conversation had been tabled for another time rather than dismissed.
 

He let go of her hand and hit the button for the lift gate on her Edge before sliding from the vehicle. She dug in her purse for the set of keys Griffen had given her. The bulky key ring with the Texas Wranglers emblem held every key related to the house, from the front door to the twin freezers in the massive walk-in pantry, along with a specialty fob to operate all four garage door openers. There was also a private dock and a boat house where the boat and jet skis were kept. Griffen had told her Jed had replaced the fancy speed boat with a more sedate vessel, one complete with cabins to sleep eight and an efficient galley below deck, should they decide to spend some time on the lake. Since her pregnancy, anything to do with water travel made Griffen seasick, so the water toys were on hiatus for the time being.

She joined Ford, and pulled a few of the grocery sacks from the back, then started up the impressive flagstone staircase to the massive, heavy wooden door. After a few tries, she found the appropriate key just as Ford joined her on the stoop, the weekender bag she’d packed slung over his shoulder, along with the last of the supplies they’d purchased. “You’re in for a treat,” she said, as she unlocked the door and pushed it open.
 

He followed her inside, letting out a long, slow whistle as he looked around the enormous three-story foyer. “Wow,” he said, peering down the roughened brick steps to the impressive den, complete with an antique mahogany bar and an old-fashioned brass, foot rung. Memorabilia from Jed’s football career adorned the walls, and she suspected Ford was itching to take in the sight. She imagined he’d enjoy the seventy-inch, 3D, flat-screen television, too.
 

“This way,” she said and led the way to the other staircase to the main living area with the gourmet kitchen. The formal dining room could easily seat two dozen, and a large living room, tastefully decorated in soft, cool white and shades of gray with bursts of bright yellow accents, held a breathtaking view of the lake.
 

An open-air staircase that looked as if it were suspended, stood off to the left, leading to the upper floor with the master suite and three guest bedroom suites. Every room in the enormous house boasted lake views, but nothing was quite as impressive as the view from the living room and den with their floor to ceiling windows.
 

Ford left the weekender bag by the open staircase and followed her into the kitchen to help her unload the groceries. “This kitchen must be nirvana for you.”
 

“I won’t lie,” she said, setting the seafood and New York strip steaks they’d bought on the counter. “It is spectacular, but I really do love the upgrades I made to our kitchen. It’s so much more efficient now, and I like how it opens into the family room.”
 

“That’s a plus with Phoebe.” He opened the fridge. “Hey, Matt? I think they were expecting us.”

She walked to the fridge and peered around him, then let out a sigh. “This is Jed’s handiwork.”

 
Sometime between Griffen’s text message to Ford to confirm their weekend in Possum Kingdom and their arrival, her sister must’ve told Jed she’d loaned them the lake house for the weekend. As a result, her very thoughtful brother-in-law had somehow managed to have someone stock the fridge with Ford’s favorite brand of beer, wine for her, and a bottle of very expensive champagne with a notecard attached that said, “Enjoy! Love Jed and Griff,” tied to the bottle with a red ribbon.
 

“We have enough food to survive Armageddon,” Ford said.
 

He wasn’t exaggerating, either. There was fresh milk, butter, eggs, several types of cheese and lush fruit. Green veggies, fresh herbs and a variety of steaks, ribs, both pork and beef, and even two giant lobster tails. Thick sliced bacon, ham steaks and fat sausages for breakfast. There were plenty of ingredients for just about anything she might want to whip together.

Ford laughed. “Does he have a food obsession or what? Our freezer at home is still stocked to the gills, too.”

“No, but he knows I love to cook, so this is just his way.” She pulled two imported beers from the fridge and closed the door. “Moderation is not a part of Jed’s vocabulary.”

Ford took the beers from her and twisted off the caps before handing one back to her. He tapped the long neck of his bottle to hers before he took a drink. “I have to admit,” he said, “the guy has style.”

“Are you hungry?”

“No, I’m good.” He took another drink from the beer bottle. “Wanna sit on the deck for a while? Watch the sun set?”

She set her beer on the counter and slowly walked toward him. “I was thinking of unpacking, then taking a shower.”

Heat immediately filled his gaze. “Who needs sunsets?” His voice went all low and husky. “Want some help?”
 

Need pulled low in her belly. She gave him a sassy grin. “What could you possibly do for me that I can’t do for myself?”
 

He snagged her hand and playfully pulled her to him. “If you have to ask,” he said, dipping his head to nibble on the side of her neck, just below her ear, “then it’s been way too long. But if you want to show me what you have in mind...”

She wrapped her arms around his neck, sifting her fingers through his hair. “I guess I’ll just have to show you, then,” she said, before guiding his mouth down to hers for a tongue-tangling kiss.

* * *

Two orgasms and a hot shower later, Mattie opted for a soft, comfy pair of pajama bottoms and low-cut, scoop-neck tank. For about half a second she considered wearing the new, sexy slip of a nightgown she’d bought at the lingerie store while she’d been in Dallas with her sister, but decided to save it for tomorrow night. The lingerie had been a bit of an extravagance, but when she’d tried it on at the store, she’d loved the way the champagne-colored silk had whispered across her skin like a caress. She’d even indulged in a decadent silk thong, decorated with strategically placed ostrich plumes, knowing Ford’s eyes would pop out of his head when he saw her.

She carefully slid the tissue-wrapped garments into the dresser drawer with the other items she’d already unpacked. Not comfortable utilizing her sister and Jed’s master suite, they’d selected the larger of the two remaining guest rooms. Austin had chosen the smaller bedroom at the end of the hallway, far from his parents’ master suite, and the room was now very much the domain of a teenage boy. That left them with what Griffen referred to as the blue suite or the purple suite, or one of a trio of smaller bedrooms on the lowest level off the extensive game room, none of which had their own private bathroom. Having been a guest here on one other occasion, she had shared the purple room with Trenton, so she opted for the blue room that really wasn’t blue, but more of a soft turquoise with antique-white furnishings.