Playing for Keeps (The Game #2)(49)
Author: Emma Hart

“That’ll be the shots you threw back last night,” Kay remarks.

“Nope. It’s definitely from you guys.” Maddie shakes her head. “Okay, Megan and Aston had a saucy one-nighter, leaving them dying and in desperate need of each other’s company. This resulted in them starting and maintaining a secret relationship while Megan continued to fake-date guys Lila pre-approved and set her up with to keep up the facade. She then had enough, told Lila where to stick her blind dates, and spilled the beans. Then Lila covered for her until last night when they had enough, got sloppy, and Braden caught them. Now we all know, everyone is happy, and they can have unlimited one-nighters, therefore never needing to worry about being caught with their pants round their ankles while bumping uglies against a tree.”

Megan snorts. I grin.

“We have never had sex up against a tree,” she mumbles.

“Hey, not yet …” I squeeze her waist.

“Is that it, though?” Maddie looks at us. “Well, basically.”

“Um, I guess so … Kinda elaborate, but yeah.” Megan answers for us. “Maybe a little less desperation, though.”

“I’m not sure. I’ve been pretty desperate to get inside your pants since I saw you,” I tell her.

“Just my pants?”

“Well, we could go for inside you, but I was trying not to be f**king crude about it.”

Her eyes twinkle.

“Okay, usually I’d be totally up for sex talk, but the girl is like my sister. No next morning f**k stories.” Braden puts his hands up and looks at me. “Try and keep that shit to a minimum around me.”

“You know,” Maddie muses. “Aston doesn’t swear nearly as much since him and Megan did the nasty. Maybe you should try it, Bray.” She taps his cheek, and he rolls his eyes.

“Of course, Angel,” he deadpans.

I smirk.

“I can’t believe you were f**king each other and I never figured it out.” Kay looks at us.

“Relationship,” Megan corrects. “There’s a difference.”

“Sex was involved. It’s all relative. I just can’t believe I didn’t know.”

I resist the urge to roll my eyes. “You’re not going to shut up about it, are you?”

“No,” Kay replies, leaning back on her hands. “It’s not damn likely.”

~

“What are we doing?” I ask as Megan tugs me toward my car.

“It’s Sunday,” she says simply. “We’re going to see your Gramps.”

“Okay, but that doesn’t explain why you have a damn picnic basket with you.”

“Fine – we’re going to see your Gramps and take him out for the day. Better?” She raises an eyebrow at me, and I grin, starting the engine up.

“Much. But where are we going?”

“You’ll see.”

She settles back in her seat, smiling to herself. If I’d hoped to get any clues from her outfit, I’ve definitely not got any luck. Her jeans, jacket, and boots are nothing out of the ordinary – but her tied up hair is.

Not that it means anything in particular … Apart from making me want to nuzzle her bare neck.

We pull up outside Gramps’ house and get out. When I open the door, I’m not greeted by the usual smell of cigar smoke. It’s there, but fainter.

“Gramps?” I call out, worry trickling its way through my body. Worry shoots through my veins at a lightning speed when I see his empty chair by the window. He always sits by the window. Where is he?

“Gramps!” I shout loudly, spinning around and heading for the stairs. “Gramps!”

“You could wake the damn dead you could, boy,” his voice grumbles from the back door. I rush through the kitchen and find him wiping dirt off his hands.

I stop. “You were gardening?”

“No need to sound so surprised.” He chuckles. “It’s been known to happen.”

“But you haven’t done it for years.”

“That’s because I got lazy, boy!” He drops the cloth on the counter. “I planted them bushes I got a couple weeks back – the hydrangea ones. For your Gran.”

“I thought you weren’t ready to,” I say softly.

“I wasn’t! Then me and you had our little chat, and I thought to myself what a miserable old bastard I was. Decided to get out of that damn chair and do something about it. You should go take a look at that vegetable garden. Not much growing there right now, but by spring it’ll be bloomin’!” He beams, a light in his face I haven’t seen for so long. He glances over my shoulder and his face brightens even more. “And you brought Megan! Well, gardening and a chat about books with a beautiful young lady. This is the best Sunday I’ve had in a while.”

Megan laughs softly. “I was hoping you’d be out of that chair. I’m taking you out for the day.”

I clear my throat, amused. “Who’s taking who?”

“Okay so you’re driving, but it’s most definitely my treat, Mr. Banks.” She looks at me pointedly, humor dancing in her pretty blue eyes.

“And the beautiful lady wants to take me out?” Gramps rubs his hands together. “I best get my coat. Aston, I’m stealing your girl!” He kisses Megan on the side of the head as he passes her, a bounce in his step.

“Not a chance, old man!”

Megan smiles fondly at him, and I walk across the room to her, stopping in front of her.

“Yes?” She looks up at me.

I cup her chin, running my thumb along her jaw to her bottom lip. I trace it softly. “Nothing.” I smile, tilting her chin up and bending my face to meet her lips.

“Hope you’re not seducing my girl!” Gramps calls. “We have a date to go on!”

I laugh, taking Megan’s hand and leading her out the house. Gramps grabs his stick and points it at the car.

“Least that beast is clean.”

“Of course it’s clean. You really think I’d let her get dirty?” I glance at him.

He grunts. “No. Guess not.”

I grin, helping him into the car, and shut the door. I get in the front next to Megan and she’s smiling to herself.

“Gonna tell me where we’re going yet?”

She shakes her head, eyes twinkling. “No. I’ll just give you directions. It’s a surprise. Go right at the end of the street.”

I sneak glances at her as I drive and make the turns she orders me to. I’m not really paying attention to the direction we’re going in. I’m too preoccupied by the excitement she’s showing. It’s infectious – I’m excited and I don’t even know what for.