His dark brows lowered as he caught her chin with a fingertip and lifted her face for his study. After a moment, he dropped his hand and faced front. “Change of plan, Dan.”
Dan met his gaze in the rear view mirror. “DFW?”
Max nodded curtly.
“Wait. What? Why are we going to the airport?” Confused, she blinked and bounced her gaze between Max and the back of Dan’s head.
“That’s where the plane is waiting.”
“Plane? To where?” She met Max’s steady gaze. “I can’t go anywhere tonight. They’re expecting us in the hotel dining room for the after party.”
“Will they put a stop pay on the check if you don’t show up?”
“No, but—”
One dark brow lifted. “Kick you out of the country music club?”
“There’s no such club, funny guy.”
“Then there’s no problem.”
That wasn’t quite true. “Spence will be pissed.”
Perhaps it was a trick of the low light, but she could’ve sworn Max’s eyes gleamed with satisfaction.
Beneath his overcoat, his shoulders lifted in a quick shrug. “He’ll get over it.”
She cocked her head. “Just out of curiosity, where is this plane supposed to take us?”
“To a quiet place.” Intent and sober, his gaze held hers captive as he slid the bottle from her fingers and opened it. Shaking out a pill, he offered her his open palm. “A place where you won’t be bothered by the pressures of your career or the demands of your family. Someplace you can decompress and find yourself again.”
If he hadn’t already owned her, heart and soul, she became his at that moment. Her heart fell in a dizzying spiral and settled in a whisper-soft landing. Tears sprang in her eyes as she took the pill from his hand, placed it on her tongue, and swallowed. She spoke without looking away from his beautiful gray eyes. “Take us to DFW, Dan.”
The shadow of a smile moved over Max’s lips, and she couldn’t resist. Fate sealed, she leaned toward him and hoped against hope he would finally see what was right in front of him. Brushing his lips in a brief kiss, she whispered, “You had me at ‘quiet’.”
* * * *
“Are we there yet?” Jessi opened her eyes and yawned as the wheels of the private jet touched down on the runway of the small, regional airport.
“Almost.” Max unclipped his seat belt. “It’s about a thirty minute drive around the lake to Alton Bay.”
“There’s a lake?” She pressed her nose to the tiny window. Other than the runway lights and trees in the distance, there was nothing to see. She spun back around at his quiet chuckle.
“A big, frozen lake. A good portion of Winnipesaukee ices over during the winter months. Like they do in boats during the summer, the locals cross the lake on snow machines come the freeze.”
He rose to his feet as the plane came to a stop. She scrambled to follow. Retrieving their bags and her guitar case, which Dan had miraculously pulled from the trunk of the limo, Max shook the pilot’s hand before leading her out the dropdown stairs. Frigid wind blasted them as they hurried across the tarmac to an idling SUV.
A tall, muscular boy in his late teens jumped from the driver’s seat. He tugged a hat with earflaps over his head at their approach. “Good evening, Mr. Grayson. Miss.” He touched the brim of the hat and offered Jessi a dimpled smile.
“Kip, right?”
He nodded at Max and took the bags from his hands. “I left a light on and the fridge is stocked with enough food for a couple days. Mrs. Malone has my number on the small board near the door if you need anything else.” He jerked his head toward the open door of the vehicle. “I set the GPS for you. Should deliver you straight to the front door.”
Max pulled several folded bills from his pocket and tucked them inside the neck flap of Kip’s coat. “Thanks for coming out on such a cold night.”
“Oh, man, that ain’t necessary.” Clearly embarrassed by the tip, the teenager had no way of returning it with his hands full of bags. “The Malones are special people and you being their friend, I’m happy to help.”
Max thumped him on the shoulder. “All the same, I appreciate it. You take your girl out for a nice dinner and a movie.”
His dimples reappeared with his smile. “I’ll do that. Let me stow these in the back and you can take off.”
While Kip loaded the bags in the back hatch, Jessi climbed into the passenger seat and Max settled behind the wheel. As they pulled away, she blew the teenager a kiss and grinned when he blew one back.
“There’s a heartbreaker if I ever saw one.” She turned to catch Max smiling.
“No doubt. From what Jake says, he’s a local football star with the talent to make it to the pros someday.” They passed through the guard shack and the GPS indicated a left turn. Max guided the vehicle onto the two-lane road. “He’s earned a free ride at Boston College starting next fall, but his mom’s a single parent and he’s ambitious. Apparently, he runs his own handyman and gopher business in the area. Gracie throws him work whenever she can.”
“So, this quiet place belongs to Gracie and Jake?”
He nodded. “Jake bought the house as an investment property a couple of years ago. At over two hundred years old, the main structure needed a lot of work, but Gracie took one look and fell in love with the area.” He flashed her a grin. “Jake claims he’s financed Ivy League educations for half a dozen local kids thanks to all the remodeling they’ve done, but the results are worth it.”
Jessi nodded and chewed on her bottom lip as she studied his strong profile. He hadn’t said a word about what had happened at the press conference, and she was dying to ask. Rightful heir to the Krandall empire? Why had he been in foster care if he had a family? An incredibly rich family. If he’d ever mentioned his connection to the famous football Krandalls, she hadn’t heard about it. Had Tuck?
Max had to know the press would be all over them when they returned to Manhattan. He’d face further questions, and so would she, which meant she needed to know what was going on. More importantly, she loved him and wanted to help if she could, but from his angry reaction earlier, the Krandalls were another sore spot. A dark and icy mountain road wasn’t the best place to bring up an obviously touchy subject, but when they got where they were going….
As late as it was, they met with little traffic on the winding road. Occasional breaks in the dense pines surrounding them afforded Jessi a moonlit view of the snow-covered lake on their left. Small, dark cottages dotted the coastline, mixed in with larger, more modern homes here and there. She counted three bed and breakfasts before they exited the two lane road for a single stretch of blacktop leading deeper into the woods.
The GPS signaled an imminent arrival at their destination, and Max pulled the SUV down a long, tree-lined driveway. They passed by a small outbuilding he said housed a private gym before he brought the vehicle to a stop. A boathouse hung over the frozen lake to their right. A long dock stretched out beside it.
Pale in the bright moonlight, a tall, narrow house sat on a peninsula, the shoreline hugging the rocky strip of land on three sides. Someone, probably Kip, had cleared the snow from the brick walkway leading to the front door.
Max handed her a set of keys. “Go let yourself in. I’ll get the bags.”
Chapter 13
While Max collected their things, Jessi climbed the gentle rise to the house. A grand old oak clung to the steep strip of land dropping to the water’s edge. Bare at the moment, its wide reaching branches would shade the house during the hot days of summer and thrill the Malones, and anyone passing by on the lake, with its brightly colored leaves when fall arrived to cool things off.
Three steps delivered her onto a wide, covered wooden deck wrapping around toward the back of the house. Shivering, she resisted the urge to investigate and pulled open the glass storm door to slide the key into the lock.
The heavy paneled door swung i
nward. Jessi stepped over the threshold into a well-lit, large modern kitchen. Tucked between glossy white cabinetry, industrial appliances gleamed beneath strategically placed recessed lighting. A gray stone cook island gave way to a charming table nook. Beyond two walls of windows and a set of French doors, a stunning expanse of moonlit lake was visible.
The last wall contained a gas fireplace where cozy flames danced beneath a flat screen TV. A set of stairs ascended on one side and, on the other, another set led to a lower floor. She turned as Max closed the door.
“Would you like a tour?”
She nodded, set aside her canvas bag, and shed her coat to lay it over the slatted back of one of six high stools tucked beneath the island.
Larger than it appeared, the house was like nothing she’d ever seen—built in six staggered levels. Switching back and forth between the front of the house and the back, all but the forth level guest suite contained a single, spacious room. From the basement, at the front of the house, a short staircase led to the Malone twins’ bedroom/playroom at the back. Six steps up toward the front once more, a den designed for comfort offered several seating areas as well as a second, larger flat screen above a huge stone fireplace that took up most of the central wall of the house.
They returned to the kitchen, and Jessi collected her coat and canvas bag before they climbed again to the guest floor. Without a word, Max dropped his duffle on the queen bed in one of two modest sized bedrooms. The other, he explained, would soon be converted into a nursery.
Jessi eyed her suitcase, gripped in his hand. Apparently, she’d be sleeping elsewhere, but not for long. Whether he knew it or not, Max had claimed her heart. She would be using this “quiet” time to do some claiming of her own.
He shuffled her down the hallway. She blinked as they stopped in the doorway of the common guest bath. The six head shower stall and oversized Jacuzzi tub would be at home in any five star resort.
“Wow.” She shot him a sidelong glance in time to catch his heavy swallow, as if he, too, had some interesting ideas on how to put that tub to good use. She shivered in anticipation.
That’s right, big guy. Think about it. You and me, naked and slippery. Soap, water, and steamy possibilities.
He cleared his throat and crooked his head to indicate the stairs at the end of the hallway. “You’re one level up.”
In the master suite, French doors led to a private deck overlooking the lake and a third fireplace warmed the air. Max crossed the hardwood floor to deposit her suitcase and guitar on the tufted leather ottoman at the foot of the huge four-poster bed. Jessi wandered deeper into the comfortably elegant room and ran her fingers over the smooth wood of a gorgeous antique writing desk.
“If you need anything, give me a shout. Good night.”
Jessi turned from her study of a watercolor on the wall above a pillowed lounge as Max headed for the door. Disappointed, she scrambled for an excuse to extend the evening a little longer. “Wait. Are you hungry? I could make us something.”
He stopped at the top of the stairs and turned back. “I don’t think that would be wise.” His lips curled into a teasing smile. “It’s late and the local fire department is an all-volunteer force. We probably shouldn’t piss them off on our first night in town.”
She rolled her eyes but couldn’t help returning his grin. “Ha ha.” The grin slid from her lips. “About the press conference.”
He stiffened visibly and a muscle jumped in his hardened jaw. “It’s nearly four AM, Squirt. Get some rest. I’ll see you in the morning.”
He quickly disappeared down the steps. Growling beneath her breath, she stalked over to the bed and flopped onto her back to stare at the ceiling. Her canvas bag buzzed, and she rolled over to dig for her phone. She’d turned it to vibrate when Spence’s first text arrived demanding to know what was keeping her. He’d left three more since, each one increasing in anger. The latest was from Tim.
Just spoke to Spence. He’s pissed and worried. R u ok?
“Shit.” She’d need to tell the family and Spence something if she was going to enjoy that quiet time Max had promised her, and there were appointments on her schedule that needed attention. Chewing her lip, she thumbed in her reply. I’m fine. Max and I decided to take some private time. B back 4 the super bowl run-through on Friday. Promise. Will u take care of rescheduling events this week & let Spence know? Alicia & Dad 2?
Tim’s reply buzzed several seconds later. Sure, throw me 2 the wolves.
She grinned. U can handle Dad.
U r gonna owe me big time.
A laugh gurgled in her throat. I’ll buy you a case of meatballs.
LOL where r u?
She started to type the answer, then deleted it. Gracie and Jake obviously knew where they were, and she’d have to ask Max if he’d told them to keep the information to themselves. She and Max were less likely to have surprise visitors if no one knew where they were, and that’s how she meant to keep it. The whole point of this exercise was to prove to her family she was her own woman, and seducing Max would be difficult enough. An audience would only complicate the issue.
A grim smile played on her lips as her thumbs moved over the screen. None of ur business.
Brat.
The emoticon she sent stuck out its tongue.
Shit, Jess. Did u know he was related 2 the Krandalls?
She glanced toward the door and back. No.
Has he said anything?
Not yet.
It’s gonna cause a stir.
She sighed. I know.
At the time, she’d assumed Max’s comment about the paparazzi being a problem had to do with what had happened to Gracie and Jake. Now she had to wonder. Had he been concerned about what the press would dig up on him instead? As far as she was concerned, who his family was didn’t matter a bit, but he obviously felt differently. Max was a deliberate man. If he’d kept his heritage a secret, even from his friends, he had to have a good reason, but if he thought she’d let him call a halt to their deal now that his concerns about the press had come to pass, he had another think coming.
Unfortunately, she didn’t have a clue how she would stop him if he chose to walk away, and she was too tired at the moment to figure it out. It’s late & I’m beat. Talk to you in a few days.
Ok, b good appeared along with a smiley face.
Her lips curled into a determined smile. Not a chance in hell. She tossed the phone aside and rolled off the bed to dig through her suitcase. She’d been good her whole life—well, with one disappointing exception—and look where it had gotten her. In love with a stubborn man who insisted on keeping her at arm’s length. Screw that. The stunning revelation of Max’s family connections aside, she meant to make the most of their time alone.
* * * *
Though Jessi dozed, sleep was elusive. After several hours of tossing and turning, she finally gave up. Yawning, she stretched beneath the down comforter, opened her eyes, and quickly squeezed them shut against the bright shards of early morning sun stabbing through the French doors. She reached out blindly for the bedside table where she’d left her phone. The last time she’d rolled over to check, it had been five thirty-eight and not a hint of daylight had shown in the stretch of sky visible from the bed.
Cracking an eyelid, she checked the phone’s screen. Seven sixteen. Her stomach growled, and she shoved aside the comforter to pad into the master bath. Once she’d taken care of pressing business, she went to the sink to wash her hands—and yelped at her reflection. Exhausted, she’d fallen into bed without a thought for her usual skin care regimen. Definitely a mistake. The smeared streaks of her stage makeup resembled those of a manic clown.
If her fans could see her now.
She scrunched her nose in a horrified grimace. Forget her fans. If Max caught a glimpse of the disaster she was, all hope for his seduction would be doomed. The T-shirt and socks she’d pulled on to sleep in hit the floor, and she stepped i
nto the shower stall that was a perfect twin to the travertine tile and brushed pewter playground one level below.
Six high power heads blasted the mess from her face and the grogginess from her brain. Wrapped in a towel, she returned to the bedroom to dress and applied a quick coat of makeup before she straightened the room.
Cocking her head, she listened for signs of activity elsewhere in the house. Not a sound reached her ears. In her mind, she pictured Max, his big body sprawled out in slumber one level below. She caught her bottom lip in her teeth as she considered the possibility of tiptoeing into his room to slide under the covers beside him. That kiss they’d shared proved he wasn’t immune to her physically, just determined to ignore the pull. Half asleep with his guard down, would his body’s natural attraction to hers overrule whatever roadblocks his mind had built?
Eyeing the open doorway, her shoulders slumped with guilt. Sometimes the old clichéd moves worked best, but a quick round of sex wasn’t what she was after. If she wanted his heart, she was going to have to win it, and trickery wasn’t the way to go. Still, the concept of having nothing on her schedule but implementing Max’s seduction left her almost giddy.
Like a shot of adrenaline, anticipation blasted away the fatigue that had dogged her for months. Skipping down the steps, she skidded to a stop in front of his open bedroom door. The room was empty and his bed made.
“Max?” Silence met her call and she descended the stairs into the kitchen. “Max, are you here?” The hum of the refrigerator was the only reply. A glance out the tall window beside the door proved he couldn’t have gone far. The SUV sat in the driveway where he’d parked it last night.
She spun around with a sigh. Wherever he’d gone, he’d be back soon. In the meantime, the shiny black, single brew coffeemaker on the counter called her name. Three minutes later, steaming cup in hand and braced for the cold, she stepped beyond the French doors and gasped at the stunning view.
The deck perched thirty feet above the snow-covered lake in a cove of sorts. Not a soul moved about in the cold morning air. The closest shoreline was a half mile across. To the left, the lake opened up for several miles. In a breathtaking backdrop, misty, tree-covered mountains shimmered in the distance. The irresistible serenity was broken only by the whisper of wind through the trees—until her stomach growled again. Shivering suddenly, she returned inside to find some breakfast.
To Win Her Heart (Players) Page 12