by Jodi Redford
His grip tight on the steering wheel, he took the first turnoff after the bridge and followed the main road snaking parallel with the river. It took exactly two seconds for Kait to notice the change in course. On the bright side, he was about to have something else to contend with than bitter memories of his dad.
She twisted in her seat, her brow furrowed. “You exited too soon.”
Time to come clean. Hopefully he wouldn’t regret spilling the beans while they were in a moving vehicle. He could see things going south, and them somehow ending up in the Guadalupe. Probably should have reconsidered signing that rental insurance waiver. “Yeah, about that, darlin’...I mighta cancelled the hotel reservation this morning.”
The interior of the Yukon grew deathly quiet. He couldn’t bring himself to meet her gaze just yet, but the side of his face burned from the intensity of the stare he caught from the corner of his eye.
“Want to swing that by me again?”
“You agreed to let me plan your stay,” he reminded. No damn way that’d get him off the hook, but worth a try.
“Yes, after the wedding and once you were gone. It didn’t extend to you switching things I booked months ago.”
He rubbed the beard scruff overtaking his jaw. “Didn’t see any sense in us having to unpack twice.”
“Wait, what do you mean by us? I’m the only one doing the double unpacking here.”
“Yeah, about that...”
“Ford.”
He risked a look in her direction. No question about it, smoke was beginning to funnel from her ears. He was gonna have some major ass kissing to do to calm her quick temper. Fortunately there was nothing he’d enjoy more than smooching that luscious fanny of hers. “Yes, darlin’?”
“You’ve used that endearment on me more in the last six hours than the entire time I’ve known you. Your country boy charm will not work on me, got it?”
“Whatever you say, sugar.”
The sound that emitted from her would have made a lesser man’s balls recede for cover. “You better explain to me what’s going on. Now.”
“Well, me and Hairy didn’t want you to get lonely. So we decided to hang out with you the next few days.”
“Are you out of your goddamn mind?” She tossed up her hands. “That’s a rhetorical question, by the way. No need to answer.”
“Good, because I’m kinda busy looking for the address.” Shifting in his seat, he dug in his pocket for the slip of paper he’d scribbled the street number on.
“There’s also no need for that. Turn this car around. Immediately.”
“Why? We didn’t miss the turnoff.” He scanned the address. “Should be coming up on it soon.”
“Would you stop deliberately misinterpreting everything I say? Take me to the hotel. Now.”
“Well, see, that there will be a problem. With the amount of out of town guests in for the wedding, I reckon our rooms are already taken.”
Her expression turned several shades of suspicious. “And you expect me to take your word on it?”
“Not at all. Call them yourself. You can even use my phone.”
Rather than accept his offer, she grabbed her cell from her purse. “What’s their number?”
“It’d be easier using my phone.”
Growling, she tossed hers down and grabbed his from the cup holder. He relayed the useful info that she’d be able to find the hotel’s number in his recent calls, and a couple seconds later she was on the line with the reservation desk. “Yes, hello. Two reservations for Ford Beckett were accidentally cancelled earlier. I’ll need to rebook them.” She frowned as the person on the other end of the line said something at length. “Okay. Do you at least have one room available?”
He didn’t need to hear the clerk’s response. Kait’s colorful curse filled in the blank. After gritting out a thank you for their help—or lack of it—she hung up and glared at him. “They’re not the only hotel in town, right?”
“No, but they’ll all be filled. If you don’t believe me, you can—”
“Take a two-by-four to your head? Because that’s really what I’d like to do right now.”
He flashed a smile that she didn’t seem to appreciate. “I reckoned as much, darlin’. But I promise you’ll love our new accommodations. Way better than a hotel.”
“I don’t care if it’s the Taj Mahal. We still have the problem of you being there for four days with me.”
“You left out Hairy.”
She stacked her arms over her chest and continued to pin him with her death glare. “He’s not the one I’m worried about.”
“Hear that, Hairy? Think she’s insinuating I’m the troublemaker here.”
“Understatement of the century.”
Tuning out the remainder of her grumbles, he concentrated on the addresses marked on the mailboxes. At last he found the one he was looking for and he pulled into the drive. A Texas limestone two-story cabin squatted in a wooded setting directly in front of them. He knew from the listing he’d perused online that the expansive timber-framed porch wrapped around the entire structure and formed a terrace of multi-level decks leading down to the river bank. He’d wanted a cozy and intimate place for them to hang their hats, and he’d hit the motherlode with this place.
Truthfully, he could easily sleep anywhere. So long as he had a roof over his head and a lump-free mattress beneath him, he was content as a fat tick on a sheepdog. But he’d wanted to spoil Kait and give her an experience that wouldn’t be found in a standard hotel room. The fact that the cabin set the ideal scene for seduction? Yeah, it’d sealed the deal. He hadn’t been able to click that Book Now button fast enough.
He shifted the gear into park and took a gander at Kait to gauge her reaction. Impossible to tell if she was happy with his choice, but her scowl had vanished. He’d call that a victory, and work hard to get some smiles out of her over the length of their stay. That outcome was just as important to him as wringing orgasm after orgasm from her. Yeah, this trip was partly about burning her out of his system, but it was also his way of making up for the headaches and long hours she put in for him. “What do you think?”
“It’s very nice. Doesn’t mean I’m not still mad at you, though.” Chin tilted at an obstinate slant, she climbed from the SUV and walked toward the cabin. The slight spring in her step filled him with hope. She might not have let him out of the doghouse yet, but she hadn’t slugged him or tossed him in any bodies of water. Of course, with the river right outside their back door, that possibility might still be on the horizon.
He fetched Hairy and they joined Kait to check out their digs. After he keyed in the entrance code and deactivated the security alarm, he surveyed the rustic decor of the living room. A brown leather sectional faced the fieldstone fireplace and the enormous flat screen TV anchored above the mantel. A billiards table and an old Centipede arcade machine occupied the opposite corner of the room. Plenty of entertainment options, though not the kind he currently craved. He followed Kait into the kitchen while Hairy dug through the chew toys piled in the wicker basket on the hearth. Kait bee-lined for the French doors and journeyed out onto the main deck. Her gasp carried to his ears and he gave himself a mental pat on the back. If nothing else, he got this part right.
The fridge had been stocked ahead of time in preparation for their arrival—something else he’d gotten right, hopefully. He scanned the food and beverage items, satisfied to note that the rental agency staff appeared to have accommodated all of his requests. He might not be the next Top Chef, but he did know how to grill a steak like nobody’s business, and he intended to impress the hell out of Kait with that fact.
He grabbed the bottle of perfectly chilled Chardonnay and hunted down a corkscrew. A moment later he carried the freshly poured glass of wine out to her. She shifted her attention away from the stunning panorama of the landscape as he approached. “I’m still ticked, but thank you...for this.” She waved her hand, indicating their surroundings.
“You like it?”
“Yes, damn it. I suspect you knew full well I would when you booked it.” She frowned as he held out the glass. “What is this?”
“Wine. It’s best appreciated by sipping it instead of glaring at it.”
She accepted the goblet but didn’t lift it to her lips, instead treating him to her patented stink eye. “Why is this beginning to remind me of a scene from one of your shows?”
“If that were the case, we’d be naked right now.” He stroked his chin. “Come to think of it, I like the sound of that. We could make good use of that hot tub over yonder.”
“I am not getting in a hot tub with you. Naked or otherwise. Besides, we’re due at the rehearsal in a little over an hour.”
He checked his wristwatch. Damn. They were. He’d have to sweet talk her into reconsidering her stance on hot tub nudity with him—and God willing, sex—later tonight. “Guess I better bring the luggage in.” He held up his hand when she started to set her glass down on the deck rail. “I’ve got this, darlin’. Relax and enjoy yourself.”
“Is there a shot in hell you’ll stop calling me darling, hon, or sugar any time soon?”
“Nope.” Whistling, he returned to the living room. Hairy had dumped the entire lot of chew toys and wasn’t the least bit interested in lending a helping paw with the unpacking. Typical. Taking the burden entirely upon his shoulders, he set out to the Yukon.
The unloading took hardly any time and gave him the opportunity to dictate the sleeping arrangements. They weren’t entirely to his liking. He’d prefer setting Kait’s things in the master suite with him, but that presumptuousness wouldn’t get him anywhere beyond an ass-kicking down to the river. Instead, he placed her bags in the queen room right next to his. It was better than her being all to her lonesome upstairs in the loft, and it’d have to suffice until he could put the proper time and energy into his quest. Before the night was done, he’d convince her to forsake the adjoining room and spend every moment in his bed.
And once he had her there? He’d give her the kind of sex that’d make every single poor shmuck after him curse the day his cock entered the picture. Because if there was one thing he excelled at in this world, it was sex. He was a fucking machine. Literally. When he set his mind to shattering a woman completely, he didn’t stop until she was wrung out and thoroughly come-drunk. And that was on a slow day without a two-month abstinence and the woman of his kinkiest desires fueling his libido.
In Kait’s case? It’d be a damn miracle if she could stand afterwards.
CHAPTER THREE
She was doomed. Plain and simple. Gripping the stem of her wineglass until it threatened to snap between her fingers, Kait stared at the fallen branch buffeted to and fro by the swirling currents of the river. She had a strong empathy with that hapless piece of wood. She too knew the desperate scramble for secure footing. No matter how hard she fought it, she was caught in the middle of an uncontrollable force that seemed hell-bent on only one direction.
The death of her willpower.
Ford brought her here to seduce her. There was absolutely no question of it. Even before the crack about the naked hot tubbing, her mind had landed on that obvious conclusion and refused to let go.
As if intent on throwing in their two cents worth, his words from the previous week ghosted through her brain. “I’m gonna give you the best damn time of your life. You wait and see.”
That promise was scary as hell. Because she had a terrifying feeling it wasn’t a mere boast on his end. He’d fully deliver on it.
She was ill equipped to handle a sex god. And Ford wore that title with supreme confidence. She didn’t want to be one of the countless women who’d fallen victim to his legendary bedroom skills. God, she’d rather be rolled over hot coals than become precisely what she despised. The mere idea of turning into another Penelope who didn’t possess a backbone, a clue, or a scrap of self-respect was completely abhorrent to her. Only it’d be a million times worse for her since she worked for Ford. She wasn’t some damn floozy who went around sleeping with her boss, for Pete’s sake. There were enormous consequences for that brand of foolishness. The kind of consequences she couldn’t afford. For starters, how could she look herself in the eye the next morning? Or if she was still in bed with Ford, how would she look him in the eye?
Of course, if he was spooned behind her it’d solve that problem.
Why the hell am I thinking ridiculous shit like that? Worse still, she couldn’t get the image out of her head, and it came with the undesired side effect of her nipples tightening as she mentally conjured the warmth of Ford’s palm cupping her breast, his thumb running a slow circle around the hardened nub while his free hand performed a similar gesture between her legs, his fingers gliding over her clit. Meanwhile his cock—
“I’m ready whenever you are, darlin’.”
She jerked so hard, it was a damn miracle her glass didn’t go flying. Blinking, she whirled to face him. He held up the car keys, and it took a moment for her fogginess to clear. Hell. For a second there, fantasy and reality had blurred, and she’d thought he meant...
Nope. Not letting her mind travel that slippery slope. “Sure.” She slammed her wine in one long gulp and set aside the glass. Meeting his amused gaze, she nodded. “Let’s go.”
“You’re going to regret that later.”
She winced at the accuracy of his statement. No doubt he was referring to the wine, but it could easily apply to the entire four days ahead of her. And beyond.
After telling Hairy to behave and hold down the fort, they made their way out to the Yukon. The drive downtown flew by in the blink of an eye. Thank God, because the wine was already beginning to loosen her inhibitions enough that she kept staring at the dark stubble on Ford’s jaw and imagining it’s delicious scrape on the inside of her thighs.
They pulled in front of the Baptist church and she made a concentrated effort to push away any further dirty thoughts in order to not erupt in flames the second she stepped through the doorway. A small crowd of people were congregated up by the pulpit. A familiar blonde glanced their way and a huge smile lit up her face. “Kait!”
Excited to see her friend, she hurried down the aisle and met Mary at the halfway mark for a tight hug. She was dimly aware of Ford stepping around them to greet Jason. Tuning out their male chitchat, she pulled back and grinned at Mary. “I love the new short do and the bangs. Totally adorable.”
Mary twitched her nose. “I was going to let it grow out for the wedding, but I have zero patience for such things. And you look absolutely stunning, as always.” She squeezed Kait again. “How is Charlie?”
“Blissfully in love, like someone else I know. Seriously, you lovebirds are revolting and make the rest of us look bad.” She chuckled as Mary playfully slugged her in the arm. “Charlie sends her love and best wishes. I know she’s bummed she couldn’t make it.”
They spent a few seconds catching up before Mary led the way to the group clustered around Jason. Other than him, Mary’s parents, and obviously Ford, Kait wasn’t familiar with anyone else. Ten to one she’d get their names wrong at least once tonight. Apologizing in advance of that certain outcome, she exchanged handshakes with everyone. The last fella who greeted her—Isaac McCoy? Yeah, sounded in the right ballpark—offered up a sympathetic smile. “You look a little overwhelmed. Promise only a few of us are scary once you get to know us,” he said with a wink.
Jason approached them and bumped fists with Isaac before hugging Kait. “Glad you could make it. And even happier to see you haven’t killed Ford yet.”
“The day is still young,” she muttered darkly.
Jason leaned sideways and clapped Isaac on the shoulder. “Kait’s sister, Charlie, is an audio book narrator. Might be somethin’ your missus would be interested in.”
Kait perked up at the news. If there was a way to funnel some work in Charlie’s direction, she was all for it. “Is your wife an author?”
Isaac inc
lined his head. “Yes, ma’am. Pens some mighty hot romances too. Reckon it’s due to all the inspiration I give her.” He glanced over Kait’s shoulder and a wicked gleam lit up his eyes. “Ah, speaking of my angel...”
A petite woman with the loveliest long chestnut curls Kait had ever seen stepped into Isaac’s waiting arms and stood on tip toe for his kiss. Despite smacking Isaac’s hand away when he squeezed her butt, her giggle made it perfectly clear she was the eager recipient of her husband’s lusty attention.
Great. More lovebirds obviously getting loads of steamy nookie. I’m freakin’ surrounded. As if her surly thoughts had been a beacon for him, Ford stepped into Kait’s line of sight. She struggled to kill the image of the two of them tangled up in a sweaty, naked heap.
After making the intros, Isaac shifted his attention to Ford. “Apologize for missin’ out on the bachelor party in Vegas. I had to attend to some family drama.”
“With the McCoys, that amounts to pretty much every month,” Jason joked.
Isaac snorted. “There’s the God’s honest truth.”
“I’m plenty familiar with family drama myself, so don’t feel bad.”
She frowned at Ford. There’d been an unmistakable dark undertone to his words. Deeply unusual for him. As far as she knew, there wasn’t any bad blood between him and his siblings.
“Beckett...” Isaac said suddenly, breaking through her musings. “Any relation to Zander Beckett?”
“Yeah, he’s my kid brother.”
“No shit.” Isaac squinted at Ford and then blinked. “Wait a sec, you’re Ford Frisco.”
Ford winced at the mention of his porn moniker. “Stupid name is going to haunt me the rest of my days. If I could fire my damn agent all over again I would. Merely for suggesting it.”
Isaac chuckled. “I dunno. I kinda like it. But I’m gonna have to give Zander crap for not telling me he’s related to one of the biggest legends around.”
