Playing For Fun
Page 28
“Not here.”
Ford slanted a glance past her shoulder and grimaced. “No one in this neighborhood will call the cops because of a couple making out in an unknown parked car. Nobody wants that kind of attention.”
Holly ran her fingers up Ford’s chest and traced the full line of his lips. As much as she wanted to kiss him…not here, not in this place where he’d been so brutally betrayed by someone who should’ve loved him.
“Let’s find a more romantic spot to make out; what do you say?”
For the first time since they’d left Oban, the grin on his face reached his beautiful dark eyes. “I know just the place.”
Ford started the car, and they peeled away from the curb. Holly waved at the little boy, who sat watching them, thumb tucked firmly in his mouth.
They cruised to the Port Hills, saying nothing, but Ford holding her hand said enough. Driving up the winding road with Christchurch and the surrounding area spread out beneath them, Holly at last allowed herself to feel the pleasure of her surroundings.
Ford drove into a summit parking area, finding a spot that overlooked a stretch of the snow-covered Southern Alps. The engine died with one last defiant rumble, and Holly unclipped her seat belt, sliding across the bench seat. Ford wrapped his arm around her, tucking her close to his side. She breathed him in—leather and spicy cologne and the hint of to-go-coffee that had dripped onto his jeans during the long drive.
“When Betsy suggested we find you a woman, do you know what the first thing that popped into my mind was?” Holly asked. “That I wanted to be that woman. I’ve wanted to be yours for a long time.”
Ford kissed her temple. “Took you long enough to make a move, baby. I was getting tired of waiting.”
“I thought big, strong, wolfy males like to pursue?”
He chuckled. “I was pursuing…in my own way.”
“Yeah? Well, it wasn’t working for either of us. I had to learn to ask for what I wanted. I was so used to accepting what I was given that I found it hard to admit to anyone—especially you—that I wanted you. And not just to play around with.”
His voice roughened. “So I’m more of a long-term renovation project, then?”
Holly angled her head so she could meet his eyes with a narrowed glare. “Don’t you even think of sanding off your flaws and slapping on a coat of varnish.”
Ford sang a line from Bruno Mars’ Just the Way You Are.
She laughed then slipped out from under his arm and straddled his lap, squeezing herself tight against him. He slid his seat back as far as it would go, but the steering wheel still jammed into her lower spine. Worth the pleasure of being close to him again. Ford hummed his approval and nuzzled her neck. She gripped his shoulders and pushed, pinning him against his seat.
“Before we completely steam up the windows, I’ve a couple of questions.”
“Shoot.”
“Do you promise not to shut me out again?”
“I won’t do anything to risk losing you.” He gave her a lopsided smile. “You’re my kryptonite and my ring of power. My weakness and my greatest strength.”
“Aw, listen to you get all mushy.”
“I got more where that comes from, baby. Game on.”
“You’ll let me love the good, the bad and the ugly?”
“I’m all yours. Every inch of me.” Ford arched his hips, reminding her of where some of the inches he talked about were. “As long as I can love every part of you and your stumpy toes in return. And that you’re willing to keep me around,” he added.
Holly rolled her eyes and covered his mouth with her palm. “Just a yes or no answer, thanks. Blink once for yes, twice for no.”
Ford’s eyes sparkled at her, and she could feel the width of his grin under her fingers.
“Will you always be my best friend, even when as lovers we don’t agree on stuff?”
Ford winked at her.
“I said blink, man, not wink like some sleazy wedding singer.” She pretend glared at him, her heart wildly whizzing and fizzing because she was about to take the biggest risk of her life.
Ask for what you want. Just ask.
“Considering it took you three years to kiss me for the first time, I’m speeding things up by asking a question that I want you to think about very carefully.”
Ford’s dark eyes widened, and his fingers dug into her hips. Before he could peel her hand from his mouth, she blurted, “Will you stick around forever, sweet? Will you marry me?”
Ford stared at her a moment, then deliberately closed his eyes and opened them—then after a flickering pause, repeated the action.
Holly’s heart plummeted into the pit of her stomach, and her hand fell from his mouth.
Oh, shit-balls! He said no.
The shocked horror lasted approximately two seconds until she spotted his huge grin.
“Two questions, silly girl,” he said. “Two questions, two blinks. Yes to both.”
“Yes?” She might’ve squeaked a little bit since her heart had traversed in one gigantic bound from her stomach into her throat. “You want to marry me?”
“I do.” Ford ran his hands up from her hips to her rib cage, lightly brushing his thumbs on the undersides of her breasts. “But there’s no way in hell we’re telling anyone we know that you proposed to me.”
The movement of his thumbs made logical thought extremely difficult, but she managed an indignant huff. “And why not?”
“Because you love me enough to want to save me years of humiliation at the hands of my mates if they found out I didn’t get down on bended knee and put a ring on it.”
She cocked her head. “True. You kinda would be a laughing stock.”
“And while I’m happy to be a laughing stock for you, maybe you’ll give me a chance to prove I can be romantic, too.”
He kissed her—a deep, soul-blistering kiss that made her forget they were parked in a public area, made her good bits vibrate with pleasure—
Holly pulled back, ending the kiss. “Your groin is vibrating.”
Ford chuckled. “So is your butt.”
Holly lifted her hips, and Ford dragged out his phone from the front pocket of his jeans. He glanced at the text and burst out laughing.
“What?” she said.
He turned the screen to show her the text message—an all-capitals text message.
MY DARLING FORD I’M SORRY FOR BEING A BITCH COME OVER STUD AND I’LL MAKE IT UP TO YOU LOVE HOLLY
Holly dug out her phone. A text message from “Betsy Taylor” had arrived on hers too. She scanned it, laughter bubbling in her chest, then showed Ford.
BABY I’M SORRY I WAS A DICK. I’M COMING OVER TO FIX THINGS UP AND REV YOUR ENGINES LOVE FORD
“That woman,” Ford said. “Still light years behind understanding how text messaging works.”
“Her heart’s in the right place. She knows we were meant to be together.” Holly slid off his lap and across to her side of the car. “So let’s head to the nearest hotel, and you can show me what you got, stud.”
Ford laughed and started the Thunderbird.
“Do you think the devious old woman planned for the two of us to hook up right from the beginning?”
“Yeah.” Holly linked her fingers with Ford’s as he drove them out of the parking lot. “I think Mrs. Taylor knew we weren’t just playing for fun, even before we did.”
###
Thank you for reading Playing For Fun! I hope you enjoyed diving into the Due South world. If you did…
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Maori Glossary
These are simplified for the sake of brevity.
whānau – family
whānau pani – chief mourners, bereaved family
kaumātua – elder or elders, senior people in a kin group
hapū – tribe, sub-tribe
whāngai - fostered or adopted child
tipuna – ancestor
whaea – mother
whakapapa – ancestry
tuahine – sister of a man
kia ora – greeting
marae – A marae is a fenced-in complex of carved buildings and grounds that belongs to a particular iwi (tribe), hapū (sub tribe) or whānau (family)
kuia – elderly woman, grandmother, female elder
tangi – rites for the dead, funeral
karanga – to call, call out, summon
hongi – to press noses in greeting
irāmutu – niece or nephew
waiata – song (or to sing)
Pākehā – New Zealander of European descent
aroha – love
hangi – traditional New Zealand Māori method of cooking food using heated rocks buried in a pit oven
kai – food
manuka – a common native bush/small tree
kēhua – spirit, ghost
kōrero – to talk, speak or address
makutu – black magic, witchcraft, curse
hei matau – a highly stylised fish hook shape
kaka – cheeky native New Zealand parrot
rātā – native forest tree
ruru (morepork) – small New Zealand owl
manuka – a common native bush/small tree
ponga – New Zealand tree fern
koru – is a spiral shape based on the shape of a new unfurling fern frond
Te Rerenga Wairua – Cape Reinga, New Zealand. In Maori belief, the leaping-place of the spirits
matai – native tree often used as a flooring timber
More from this Author
The Due South series focuses on family, community, and of course, each book contains a scorching hot romance.
Don’t miss any of the Due South series!
In Too Deep (Book #1)
Melting Into You (Book #2)
Ready To Burn (Book #3)
Christmas With You (Book #4)
My Forever Valentine (Book #5)
Playing For Fun (Book #6)
Drawing Me In (Book #7) Coming May 2016
Click the above links to find out more at Tracey’s website, with free chapter excerpts and buy links.
Coming in May 2016…
Drawing Me In
She’s drawn by his wild spirit…
Bree Findlow’s ordered world slides into chaos when the man who broke her heart arrives back in their small New Zealand home-town. But with years of avoidance tactics under her belt, she figures ignoring the sexy-as-sin artist whose touch colors her red hot, is a practical solution. Until her mother arrives with an announcement jeopardizing Bree’s livelihood, and her sister also shows up…along with the nine-year-old secret Bree has kept hidden from everyone. Especially the father of that secret.
He’s drawn by her quiet strength…
Harley Komeke is back in Oban to rest, regroup and hopefully re-find his missing muse. He also isn’t against rediscovering every inch of the icy-cool treat, Bree Findlow—after falling under her spell in what felt like a lifetime ago at Art College. Only his pursuit takes an unexpected turn when, hello, insta-fatherhood. Reeling from shock, Harley knows he should despise the woman who allowed her sister to informally adopt their son, but he can’t. Because Bree, more than anyone, understands that with his past, he never, ever wanted to risk having a wife and family.
They’re drawn to each other over and over…
Like the formidable tides that surge around Stewart Island, Bree and Harley can’t resist the heat generated between them. Push and pull, kiss and retreat, touch after breathless touch—until a moments’ recklessness has consequences neither can brush aside.
Passion won’t hold them together when past fears threaten to tear them apart.
Click here to visit Drawing Me In on the author’s website to pre-order your copy today!
About the Author
Tracey Alvarez lives in the Coolest Little Capital in the World (a.k.a Wellington, New Zealand) where she’s yet to be buried under her to-be-read book pile by Wellington’s infamous wind—her Kindle’s a lifesaver! Married to a wonderfully supportive IT guy, she has two teens who would love to be surgically linked to their electronic devices.
Fuelled by copious amounts of coffee, she’s the author of contemporary romantic fiction set predominantly in New Zealand. Small-towns, close communities, and families are a big part of the heart-warming stories she writes. Oh, and hot, down-to-earth heroes—Kiwi men, in other words.
When she’s not writing, thinking about writing, or procrastinating about writing, Tracey can be found reading sexy books of all romance genres, nibbling on smuggled chocolate bars, or bribing her kids to take over the housework.
Questions or comments? E-mail Tracey at tracey@traceyalvarez.com or find her on the following social networks:
Website: www.traceyalvarez.com
Facebook: TraceyAlvarezAuthor
Twitter: @TraceyAlvarezNZ
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com
Acknowledgements
As always, I’ll apologize profusely if I’ve left anyone off of this list of thanks, and attempt to cover my butt by saying I have a terrible memory! So, before the dreaded ‘Writer’s Brain’ takes over, I’d firstly like to thank my husband for all the behind the scenes work he does to keep my life as stress free as possible, and for his help with all things car-ish. Any screw-ups are mine – as you know, DH, my knowledge of cars extends to the color and possibly make (on a good day).
Also thanks to Mike G. for his invaluable knowledge of Maori culture, so far as it extends to his iwi and whanau.
Thanks to my lovely hairstylist, Racheal C. who has been hearing about Ford’s dreadlocks for well over a year now, and who kindly let me watch her work her magic and ask hundreds of questions. Again, I’ll take the blame if my character Holly screwed something up.
Thanks also to Rose Sheppard O’Toole who won my giveaway to name Holly’s quiz team name – Madame B’overies.
A big BOO-YAH and thanks to fellow author Sherilee Gray. What would I do without you my co-dependent friend? I’d never have gotten this book finished without our daily sprints and bitch-fests. You rock.
Cyber-hugs go out to my beta readers Julie-Ann, Rach, Rose, Siobhan & Aquila editing – thank you for helping me tell a better story! And lastly, another huge hug to my Be-Amazing editor, Jill Noelle Noble, who saves my literary ass from looking like an ass.
ONE LAST THING
I do hope you enjoyed reading PLAYING FOR FUN. Please share your thoughts by leaving a review on the retailer where you purchased this book.
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