Out of My League: a Hope Valley novel

by Prince, Jessica

  My back shot straight at the sound of it, and I slowly shifted in my chair to turn and face Lincoln as my cheeks blushed a furious red at his sudden appearance.

  God, he looked good. Unbelievably good. His cheeks and chiseled jaw were covered in several days’ worth of sandy blond stubble. His long-sleeve thermal was a deep forest-green color that complemented his tanned skin and gemstone eyes, hugging his muscled form like it was made just for him. Amazingly worn-in jeans hugged his thick thighs—and undoubtedly his incredible ass—and led down to dusty, scuffed black boots that looked like they came from a Harley Davidson store. The whole package was incredible, and all of a sudden I couldn’t string together a single coherent thought.

  “Hey, Linc,” Sue Ellen said on a breathy sigh that immediately caught my attention. But it didn’t seem to register to him at all. In fact, it appeared the only one he was paying a lick of attention to was me. And that made me blush even deeper.

  “You okay, buttercup?”

  Why was it suddenly so hard to breathe? Oh hell, I was going to pass out. “Uh….”

  “Buttercup?” Sue Ellen squeaked, her face going pale as she looked back and forth between Lincoln and me. “You call her ‘buttercup’?”

  Ah damn. From the crushed expression on her face, it was obvious she and Lincoln had hooked up. If I had to guess, she wanted a repeat of whatever they’d done, but he hadn’t felt the same.

  “You startin’ your usual shit, Harley?”

  At the angry voice, everyone’s attention shifted to the man at Lincoln’s side. He was just as handsome as the man who’d been the center of my daydreams for the past few months, but in a different way. He stood maybe an inch shorter than Lincoln, which still made him at least 6’2, if not taller. He was strong and stocky, built like a football player, and had attractive chocolate-brown hair and deep brown eyes that looked like they could see into a person and read all their thoughts and feelings.

  Where Lincoln dressed like a biker, this dude sported a long-sleeve pearlsnap shirt, jeans, and cowboy boots. And he rocked that mountain man look just as perfectly as Lincoln rocked the biker look.

  “Oh, so now you’re talking to me?” Harley snapped, crossing her arms over her chest in an obvious attempt to enhance her cleavage. However, when a woman was as skinny as she was they were usually lacking in the chest and behind, which just so happened to be the case with her. She was long and lithe, but also very close to unnaturally thin, my guess from insane and unnecessary dieting.

  “Only came over here to tell you to move along, Harley. And I suggest you do that pretty damn fast.”

  “Real nice, Hayes” she bit out, her words dripping with disdain. “Let me guess, now that perfect little Tempie is back in town, you’re done fuckin’ me. Well I got news for you, Officer. She doesn’t want you.”

  I didn’t know what the hell she was talking about or even who Tempie was, but by the way the man’s jaw hardened and those brown eyes went wired, it had been the wrong thing to say.

  “Woman, clue the fuck in,” he growled. “I was done when the promise of you failed to live up to the reality.”

  “And what the hell’s that supposed to mean?”

  How she could ask that was beyond me. It seemed pretty clear what he meant by that.

  “It means what you gave in the sack wasn’t worth puttin’ up with your goddamn mouth. Move the fuck along, Harley, before you really piss me off.”

  A shiver worked its way up my spine, and I found myself actually pitying her. Not because this guy was in the wrong—I didn’t know either of them well enough to have an opinion on that—but because she’d just been dressed down brilliantly in front of what looked like half the town.

  Harley stood there for a second longer, looking like she wanted to scratch his eyes out, but wisely decided to give up. Grabbing hold of Sue Ellen’s elbow, she twirled around and started to storm off when Lincoln’s friend spoke again.

  “Oh, and just a word of warnin’. You put Tempie’s name in that nasty mouth of yours again and we’re gonna have some serious problems. And that’s not somethin’ you want, princess. Don’t give a shit if your daddy’s mayor or not.”

  Harley Madison’s dad was the mayor? Well hell.

  She shot one last scathing look over her shoulder in his direction before finally shoving through the crowd of gawkers.

  I was so busy staring off at where the two women I didn’t really care for had disappeared to that I jumped at the unexpected brush of Lincoln’s fingertips against my jaw as he tilted my face back up to his. “You didn’t answer me, darlin’. You okay?”

  “Uh….” For the love of god, Eden, say actual words! “Y-yeah. I’m good. Wasn’t my first run-in with her, doubt it’ll be my last.”

  Lincoln’s forehead wrinkled with displeasure, and his voice took on a growly timbre when he asked, “She started shit with you before?”

  “Well, not exactly.”

  “She was being ugly to a checkout girl at the market, and Eden jumped to her defense,” Nona exclaimed with far too much excitement in her voice.

  The other man let out a smooth, husky chuckle that would have probably made my knees shake if Lincoln hadn’t already turned them to jelly. “You willingly went head-to-head with her? That takes some guts.”

  My face drooped into a frown. “She was in the wrong. And she was being mean for no reason at all.”

  His mouth pulled up into a smirk that made him even better-looking, but it was the warm, approving smile tugging at Lincoln’s lips that made me melt. “Like I said, guts. You got my respect, sweetheart. I’m Hayes Walker. Nice to meet you.”

  I reached out to shake his hand, doing my best to ignore the little thrill the contact sent through my body. I wasn’t sure I was ever going to get used to the men in Hope Valley. It was like there was something in the water or the air that made some of the finest men to ever walk the planet.

  “You too. I’m Eden.”

  Just then a voice rang out from the speakers by the stage, and I turned to see Rory leaning into the microphone. “Ladies and gentlemen, put your hands together for The Makin Hardware Store Guys!”

  Everyone started clapping and hooting as the men on stage went right into a Luke Bryan song that I really liked.

  “The Makin Hardware Store Guys?” I leaned in to ask Nona, who was whistling and catcalling at the men on stage.

  “Yeah!” she called over the music. “Told you, these are just folks who like to play around as a hobby. They all work at Makin Hardware for their day jobs.”

  Lincoln’s fingers brushed against my skin again, only that time it was to take my hand and pull me from my chair. “Come on, buttercup. Dance with me.”

  “Oh, but… I can’t.” I tried pulling against his grip as he led me out to the dance floor. “I’m not a very good dancer.”

  Giving my hand a jerk, he sent me flying into the solid wall of his chest, wrapping his other arm around my waist as he looked down at me and winked. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll lead, you just hang on and follow. I got you.”

  Oh sweet merciful hell.

  Chapter Eight

  Eden

  The band sounded great, and the guy singing had an incredible voice, but as soon as Lincoln’s arm wrapped around my waist, I went completely wooden. He tried moving me around the floor, but when I wasn’t tripping over my own feet, I was stepping on his. It was a complete disaster.

  To most women, it would have been a dream come true: the man of their fantasies walking up to them in a crowded bar, taking them by the hand, and leading them to the dance floor while a slow country ballad whispered through the air. But to me, it was a nightmare. I was too uncomfortable in my own skin to be able to enjoy what was happening at that very moment.

  A deep, sexy chuckle that did crazy things to my insides resonated from within his chest when I stepped on his booted foot for the millionth time in the thirty seconds we’d been dancing together.

  “Relax, darlin’. You’re
liable to break something, you keep holding yourself so damn stiff.”

  God, I wanted the floor to open up and swallow me whole.

  I wasn’t sure if someone could actually die of embarrassment, but if they could, I was in serious danger. Casting my eyes down to our feet, I muttered, “I told you I couldn’t dance. I’m making a fool of myself, and I’m probably humiliating you.”

  Lincoln’s arm came from around my waist, and for a second I thought he was going to take pity and lead me off the floor. That upsetting thought made my stomach plummet, but maybe it was for the best.

  But instead, I felt a pressure beneath my chin as his fingers pressed upward, forcing me to lift my face to his. Those gemstone eyes glimmered with humor as he grinned down at me.

  “I have a pretty girl in my arms, there’s good music playin’, and ice-cold beer just a few feet away. You think I give a shit about anything else, you’d be dead wrong, buttercup.”

  Oh. My. God. Lincoln freaking Sheppard just called me pretty! I was still fairly certain I was going to die, only now it wouldn’t be from embarrassment. No, it would be because my heart filled with joy to the point that it exploded right in my chest.

  Nerves made it impossible for me to look up at his criminally handsome face any longer, so I cast my gaze around at anything but him as I stammered, “Uh… well, um… thank you.”

  “You’re very welcome. Now try to loosen up. Just sink into me and let me guide you, yeah?”

  “Y-yeah.”

  It took a few seconds, and extreme effort, but I eventually got my limbs to cooperate and melted into him, leaning so close that only an inch of space separated us. Apparently, unhappy with even that amount of space, Lincoln pulled me closer, until our bodies were pressed together from hip to chest.

  We lapsed into silence, and I finally felt like I was getting the hang of the steps when I felt his jaw brush against my hair before coming to rest against my temple. The close, intimate touch nearly made my knees buckle, and I had no doubt I’d have gone down had it not been for Lincoln’s strong hold on me.

  “You do something different with your hair, darlin’?”

  Man, oh man. He noticed my hair. Wasn’t that something most men never paid attention to?

  “I, uh… Nona did it.”

  His hand at the small of my back traveled upward until his fingers were twisting the ends of the long strands. “Looks nice. I like it.” His head dipped lower until his nose met my neck. I felt his chest rise against mine on a deep inhale, and I nearly burst into flames. His voice was as thick and rich as melted chocolate as he said, “Like the perfume too, Edie. You smell fantastic.”

  My feet were moving as if on autopilot as I lifted my head to meet his gaze from beneath my lashes. “I’m, um… I’m not wearing perfume.”

  What I saw in his eyes as he stared back at me was nearly as perplexing as the way he was touching me and the things he was saying. It was almost as if he was shocked, like he was seeing me for the first time.

  “Fuck me, that’s all you,” he mumbled in a voice so low and full of bewilderment that I had to strain to hear it. When his words registered, I was hit with a tidal wave of shyness. I couldn’t even begin to comprehend his reaction, and I didn’t have the first clue how to respond, so instead I changed the subject to something more neutral.

  “So how’s Rocky doing?”

  Lincoln seemed to shake off whatever was clouding his head, and his eyes cleared just before a tiny smile pulled at his lips. “Rocky’s doin’ great.”

  I returned his grin and tried not to get too overwhelmed when Lincoln’s focus darted to my lips. “Good, I’m glad. He seemed like a terrific dog.”

  “He is.”

  “So… has he warmed up to Crystal?” I managed to ask without the slightest hint of bitterness in my tone.

  His brow creased in confusion. “Who?”

  “Crystal? The, uh, woman you were… the one there when Rocky and I first met? At my trash cans?” God, I wished I hadn’t just brought that disaster up again.

  Recollection dawned on his face. “Oh. No, he didn’t. But doesn’t really matter since she’s not in the picture anymore.” I tried not to be too excited about that, but it was impossible. “And speaking of… I have to go out of town on business early tomorrow morning. The job should only take a few days, but is there any way your offer to dog-sit is still open?”

  “Oh yeah, of course!”

  His grin went from warm to downright sexy in a blink. It was only then that I realized for the first time that I’d never gotten a full-blown smile from him. His little smirks and playful grins were sexier than most regular mens’ smiles, but my gut told me I was only seeing a shadow of what was really there. “Thanks, Edie. I appreciate it.”

  Oh man, I loved that he called me Edie. I’d never had a nickname before. Heck, I’d never been close enough to anyone to warrant having one. I liked “darlin’.” I really liked “buttercup.” But something about hearing him call me Edie made me all gooey.

  “N-no problem. I’ll take good care of your dick—I mean dog! I’ll take good care of your dog! Oh god.” I dropped my forehead to his chest on a loud, humiliated groan, giving it a few bangs for good measure. “Do me a favor, would you? Just kill me now. Right here. Just do it. Put me outta my misery.”

  Lincoln’s whole body shook on a deep laugh. “If I killed you, then who’d take care of my dick?” My head shot up, and I gave him the best evil eye I could muster. “I mean dog.”

  “That’s not funny.”

  “Oh I disagree, darlin’. I think it’s fuckin’ hilarious.” He continued to laugh, and the damn sound was so nice I couldn’t stay prickly.

  The song finally ended and, sooner than I was ready, Lincoln let me go. But what had started as a horrible dance had ended on a much higher note, and I spent the rest of the night walking on a cloud.

  * * *

  I shot up in my bed, startled awake by a knock at my door that was followed by the loud bark of a dog.

  A quick glance at my clock showed it was barely seven in the morning. It took a second for me to get my bearings and realize the night before hadn’t just been a really good dream, and that Lincoln and Rocky were actually standing on the other side of my front door.

  “Shit!” I squeaked when another knock, accompanied by a second bark, sounded. “Coming! Coming!” I shouted as I grabbed my robe and quickly slipped my arms into the sleeves as I scurried toward the front door. “I’m so sorry,” I said as soon as I got it open. “I didn’t realize when you said you were leaving early that it would be so… well, early.”

  Lincoln didn’t say a word as he scanned me from my face all the way down to my toes. I thought it was the intense look in his eyes that sent a shiver down my spine—until a chilly breeze ruffled the edge of my robe, and I realized that, in my rush to answer the door, I’d completely forgotten about my penchant for silky, frilly nightgowns and the fact that I hadn’t cinched my equally silky and frilly robe closed.

  I was currently wearing a peach satin nightie with ivory lace at the bust and up the two-inch slit at my thigh. The thin spaghetti straps didn’t do much for support, but the nightgown hugged around my ribs well enough that it kept my girls nicely in place. However, it showed off an abundance of leg and not a small amount of cleavage.

  Up until last night, bedtime had been the only time I ever allowed myself to wear something so formfitting and girly. My sleepwear made me feel pretty, and even if no one else got to see it, I felt like it had been my way of combatting my family’s insults all these years. I did the same with my underwear, always wearing matching bra and panty sets with lace and bows in pretty feminine colors.

  Snatching the lapels, I jerked the robe closed and tied it so tight it cut into my skin. I was thankful the sun hadn’t fully risen in the sky yet, or else Lincoln would have seen the utter humiliation burning on my face and neck.

  “Sorry, darlin’. Should’ve told you how early I was gonna be.”

/>   “No, it’s totally fine.”

  Rocky, having decided he was done with being ignored, barked once more and head-butted my hand, demanding my attention.

  Looking down at the eager dog with a smile, I rubbed at the scruff of his neck and greeted, “And good morning to you, monster.”

  Stepping out of the way, I lifted an arm and waved Lincoln inside.

  Having him in my house was totally surreal, and I couldn’t help but watch him as he looked around, taking everything in as I recalled the feel of his arm around me and the brush of his nose against my neck the night before. Just the memory of it made my skin break out in goose bumps while my nipples pebbled into hard peaks beneath my nightie and robe.

  Lincoln seemed totally comfortable in my home as he dropped the bag he’d been carrying onto my couch and bent to unclip Rocky’s leash, giving him pets before standing so the curious dog could explore, all the while saying, “I’ll leave his leash here if you wanna take him on a walk or something. He does pretty well on it. I brought enough food to last through Monday. His food and water bowl are in here, and his favorite toy too.”

  He turned back to me, and I quickly crossed my arms over my chest in an attempt to hide my body’s reaction to him.

  But his attention wasn’t on me. It was on my front door.

  “Shit, Edie. You don’t have an alarm system?”

  “I….” I’d been too busy staring at his butt to pay attention to what he’d just said. “Huh?”

  “An alarm. Babe, there’s a dude runnin’ around town breaking into people’s houses, and you’re a single woman living alone. You need an alarm.”

  “I… have a deadbolt,” I defended lamely, because honestly I hadn’t given a single thought to needing anything else. “And one of those little chain thingies.”

  He gave me a look as if to say you’re kidding, right?

  “Someone who has even the hint of a clue what he’s doin’ could pick that in a second. And one kick, that chain’s popping right the hell off. You need a security system.” Before I had a chance to say anything in response, he continued, “I’ll see what I can do when I get back into town.”