Playing with Danger (Desire Bay 2)

Still, Grant’s money was his, and he sure as hell wanted nothing to do with his mother.

He did, however, want his father’s company and what he’d left him. Not because he was interested in the extra money or power. It was because he wanted to carry on what his father had built. To add to it. Make him proud. And there was no way in hell he’d let his mother ruin all his father’s hard work. She’d sell off the company, bleed it dry, or God knew what. No. He refused to ever let that happen.

“I see your grapevine of spies are still earning their paychecks,” Grant said coldly.

“I hardly need spies when three different millionaires come running to one small town. Wasn’t exactly detective work, dearest.”

Grant took a calming breath, although there was nothing calming about it. His mother had shown up to cause trouble and monitor Grant. Now she knew about the event. He didn’t know if she’d go so far as to show up there, but he wanted her gone. At the end of the day, Grant needed her to accept the situation she was in and move on. She had enough money to live on comfortably, but still no technical job, other than a taste for making his life miserable, and Grant had everything to gain.

“I hope you enjoy the Pacific Northwest. Now, if you’ll excuse me,” he said and started to walk toward the front door when he heard a set of car tires come to a stop in front of the house. He turned and found Hannah getting out of her little car with a bag of groceries in hand.

“Can I help you?” she asked, looking at his mother, who was still in front of her monstrosity of a limo, taking up the entire driveway.

“I highly doubt it, my dear,” she said to Hannah.

Hannah frowned, and Grant hustled back to try to head her off.

“Well, this is my driveway you’re parked in,” Hannah said, walking up.

His mother had that condescending grin again. “Ah, now I see what you’ve been doing out here,” she said to Grant, just as he reached by Hannah’s side.

He felt rage radiate from Hannah, and Grant couldn’t blame her. Hell, he felt it, too. Instead, Hannah turned to Grant and smiled. “Sweetie, if you want to order bitches to be delivered to the house, make sure they come in their original packaging. I think Amazon Prime throws in that option for free now.”

Grant wanted to laugh and high-five his wife all at the same time. No one ever spoke to his mother that way, and he liked Hannah’s sass coming out. Also nice to know it wasn’t reserved for just him.

“Oh, she’s a foul-mouthed one.” His mother spoke like Hannah wasn’t even there, which clearly made the rage boil higher. “Well, take all the time you want in this place. I’ll see to things in New York.”

She turned and went to get back in her limo.

“You know that’ll never happen,” Grant said.

“It already is. Have fun with your mistress.” She gave another dismissive wave.

Hannah hiked the groceries on one hip, and with more anger and pride than he’d ever heard come from her, she said, “I’m not his mistress, I’m his wife.”

That made his mother stop.

Turn.

A look of pure horror washing over her face.

Jesus Christ, what the hell am I doing?

Hannah’s brain was churning out a million emotions a million miles a minute. She’d just gone to get groceries, never expecting there to be a fricking limo in her driveway and to be insulted by Joan Rivers’s long-lost sister.

And she didn’t know what this lady’s deal was, but it was clear Grant didn’t like her, so she’d felt the need to stand up for him. For herself. For them.

The woman was still by her open-door limo, but for the first time, she looked Hannah in the eye.

“Grant wouldn’t be stupid enough to get married,” she said.

“I don’t know who you think you are, or who you actually are, but you’re on my property,” Hannah said. “So you can take your overly diamonded-up ass out of here.”

The woman smiled wide, and it looked evil. The Botox tried to contain it, but she somehow managed to at least muster a grin.

“Why, my dear, I’m Grant’s mother.”

Hannah’s entire heart dropped to her feet. She had no idea what to say or how to even process that this woman was responsible for Grant’s life. She was starting to wonder if this clearly awful woman had something to do with the permanent sadness behind his eyes. The same sadness she