Playing with Danger (Desire Bay 2)

“I think you should. Maybe say something nice,” Laura offered.

“I was going to start with, ‘Hey, jackass, congratulations—you wore me down. Wanna bone?’”

Laura rolled her eyes. “Well, that’s one of the most romantic things I’ve ever heard you say.”

Hannah waved to her friend and headed out. She needed to find the only nonlocal in town and admit she might want to give their marriage a shot after all.

“What do you mean, you can’t get here? You’re my lawyer, Harvey, and I have a big investing deal that is set to close tomorrow night.”

“Grant,” Harvey said from the other end of Grant’s cell phone, “you need to get to New York. Your mother is taking you to trial over contesting the will, and the board is meeting tomorrow to vote on you. She’s wreaking havoc here.”

“Then why the hell did she come here for a day?” Grant said, but his mind instantly churned out the answer. She was checking up on him. Seeing if he was up to something. Spreading misery. She never wanted to go to the investment event. She’d come out for just a day to make his life miserable.

“She’ll be around for that meeting tomorrow?” Grant asked.

“Yes,” Harvey said. “Her lawyer has been calling me all day. She lands today. She’s bringing the full-court press.”

“She doesn’t have a case.”

“No, but she can still try to take over your spot as CEO, which will give her power and access to Laythem holdings. Grant, I’m telling you, as your attorney, you need to get back here.”

He closed his eyes for a moment and knew Harvey was right. If he wanted to save his father’s company, he needed to get to New York and talk to his board.

Grant paced in the living room. The event was tomorrow. But so was the board meeting.

“I’ll be on the next flight to New York.”

He hung his phone up and threw it, cursing his mother, God, and every other thing in the world that was keeping him from the woman he loved.

A woman that he wasn’t sure would ever give their marriage a chance. And he had to save something . . . at least he’d save his father’s company, if nothing else. Even if the cost was blowing a chance with the only woman he’d ever loved, who might never love him back.

But he had to be sure.

Had to hear it from her.

His father had died telling Grant that the most important thing in life was finding genuine happiness with a genuine person you could spend your life with. His father had never had that. He’d had his heart ripped out by a gold digger, and Grant had been around the social scene in New York enough to know that Hannah was the only woman he’d ever met with real warmth to her.

He loved her.

But he couldn’t make her love him, want him, or their marriage. Despite his best efforts.

“I still have to hear it from her,” he said to himself as he grabbed his jacket and headed out the front door. He walked quickly down the side street that came out to hit Main. Several blocks down, he finally made it to Goonies.

The afternoon sun was bright but not warm. His chest hurt from the cool air, or maybe it was his nerves. Knowing he was walking into one of the biggest conversations of his life.

He opened the bar door and saw Hannah.

She was behind the bar, wearing a black tank top, her hair in a long braid, making her creamy skin sparkle. He watched her tuck a lock of hair that came loose behind her ear, then wipe the counter down.

She was beautiful.

He wanted to watch her, remember this moment. Because right then, Hannah was his wife, and she was happy.

He walked toward her.

“Hey,” she said with a smile. “What can I get you, Mr. Laythem?”

He placed his hands on the bar. “An answer,” he said.