Out of My League: a Hope Valley novel

by Prince, Jessica

  “Baby.”

  I hated the sympathy on his face, so I ignored it and pushed on. “Imagine the worst parents in the world, then multiply that by a hundred, and you’d have mine. And my brother wasn’t really any better. I’ve basically been alone all my life. Even when they were all around, I was still alone.”

  “Edie, don’t.”

  But I was too far gone to stop. “I’m happy for you that you have a wonderful family, Lincoln. Truly. I just get like this sometimes.” My voice cracked with the strain of hiding the emotional tidal wave building inside me. “You didn’t do anything wrong. It wasn’t you. It’s me. I just—”

  Lincoln was suddenly on the move. He crossed the room in four quick strides, his long legs eating the distance from one blink to the next, and before I could pull in a full breath, I was in his arms.

  “Enough, baby.”

  Burrowing deeper, I pulled in his manly scent and tried my best not to be embarrassed by the little scene I’d just made.

  “I-I’m s-sorry,” I whispered brokenly.

  “Hey.” With his fingers under my chin, he forced my face up so I could meet his eyes. “There’s nothing for you to be sorry about, okay? Nothing. That’s their loss, not yours. If they couldn’t get their heads outta their asses long enough to see how fuckin’ amazing you are, that’s on them. They were blessed to have you in their lives. I’m sorry they were too stupid to realize it. And it kills me that they made you feel like that.”

  My head felt like it was spinning all of a sudden, like there wasn’t enough air in the room. “You think I’m amazing?”

  His chin jerked back, and his eyes narrowed in surprise. “You kiddin’?” I gave my head a shake and his eyes grew dark with something that made me shiver in delight. “Edie, you’re the most amazing woman I’ve ever met. Every time I think you can’t get any better, you blow my mind and I’m floored all over again.”

  Then he kissed me.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Eden

  There was something different about the way he kissed me that time. There was something almost desperate in the way he forced my tongue to battle with his, how he nipped and licked like he couldn’t taste enough.

  I fed on it like a junkie, quickly becoming addicted to him in every possible way.

  I could hear the sound of a phone ringing in the distance, like it was coming from deep within a tunnel. It wasn’t mine, that much I could tell.

  “Lincoln,” I moaned as his lips slid down my jaw to my neck. I hummed as the tip of his tongue flicked against the cord of my neck. “Honey,” I managed through the fog of lust surrounding me. “Do you need to get that?”

  His head came up and his heated eyes hit mine. “Hell no,” he snarled, diving back for my mouth. “Whoever it is can fuck off.” Reaching into the pocket of his jeans, he pulled the phone out and tossed it onto the counter.

  “Thank god,” I groaned, fisting his hair and deepening the kiss.

  His hands traveled down my sides, grabbing the material of my flimsy dress and bunching it up. A second later, I felt the rough pads of his fingers against the skin of my ass as he grabbed hold and lifted me like I was light as air. As soon as my legs came up to wrap around his waist, we were on the move, heading out of the kitchen, down the hall, and into my bedroom.

  I kept my limbs locked tight around him as he bent, lowering us onto the bed. “Christ,” he grunted as the erection behind his fly rubbed hard against me, causing my back to arch on a gasp. “So goddamn beautiful.”

  It was finally happening. I’d been dying for this, to feel him all over me. “Don’t stop,” I panted, clinging to him like my life depended on it as he lifted up.

  “Relax, baby.” That dimple made another appearance, and the sight of it made me hot and wet. “No way in hell I’m stoppin’. I just need to see you.”

  I laid there, my whole body trembling as he slowly lifted my dress, revealing an inch of skin at a time like he was unwrapping a present and wanted the anticipation to last as long as possible.

  Usually this was the time self-consciousness would kick in, clawing at me and tainting the moment with thoughts of Do I look too fat? or Is he going to be turned off by my belly roll? But none of those thoughts were present now. I couldn’t concentrate on worrying about how I looked when Lincoln’s eyes were flashing with fire the higher my dress rose. I felt the heat of his gaze as it trailed up up up, leaving a delicious sting across my skin.

  I lay perfectly still, happy to revel in the adoration shining from those deep green depths until I was finally forced to lift my arms so he could pull the dress completely off, leaving me in nothing but my bra and panties.

  “Fuck me,” Lincoln growled as his eyes darted all over. It was as if he couldn’t decide where to look and was trying to take everything in all at once. I silently crowed in excitement, glad I’d picked the right undies for the occasion.

  I cried out when his lips came down on my belly. My entire body felt like a live wire as he trailed wet kisses along my ribs. The heat of his mouth caused a rush of arousal to flood my panties just before he sucked my nipple through the lace of my bra.

  “Oh god.” My body bowed up, eager to get closer as my nails dug into his scalp. “Yes! Lincoln, baby.”

  A ragged rumble drifted up from his chest as he moved to my other breast to pay it the same attention. I writhed beneath him, linking my legs tighter around his waist and lifting my hips to rub against him, desperate for more.

  He pulled away, just long enough to unhook the clasp and whip my bra off. “Jesus, baby,” he grunted, palming one of my breasts in his massive hand. “Most beautiful tits I’ve ever seen.” Then he dove back in, sucking and biting at my nipples as his other hand skated down my body. I sucked in a sharp gasp as his fingertips brushed along the damp fabric between my legs. “And so fucking wet. You want me, Edie?”

  “Yes,” I breathed, my lungs so tight they felt like they were about to burst. “God, Linc. I’ve wanted you for so long.”

  Something in his gaze shifted just then. I couldn’t place the emotion I saw shining down at me, but whatever it was left me unsettled.

  “Linc?” I started, but before I could get another word out, he shoved the lace of my panties out of the way and buried two fingers deep inside me.

  And just like that, I was lost.

  * * *

  Lincoln

  Fuck. I was such a fucking idiot.

  How I could have let months pass and not realize the beauty who was living just two doors down was beyond me.

  She’d wanted me since practically moving to town, and I’d been too fucking stupid to see the perfection standing right in front of me this whole time.

  She was so much more than beautiful. She was smart and kind and funny. Jesus, so goddamn funny.

  I’d left the Marines jaded and world-weary, having seen firsthand the ugliness people were capable of. But when I was with her, all of that drifted away. She made me laugh when I hadn’t had much to laugh at the past several years, and she did it easily.

  “Linc?”

  Her low, husky voice pulled me back to the present, and as I looked down at all those sweet, sinful curves wrapped in that pale green lace, my cock grew even harder. My need to see her face as I brought her to the brink pushed every other thought from my mind, and I drove two fingers inside her tight, wet heat.

  “Yes!” Her arms went up to brace against the headboard while her hips began circling, and fuck me, it was the most gorgeous thing I’d ever seen. No reservations or inhibitions. Those light brown eyes grew darker and her creamy skin flushed pink as I drove in and out, fucking her with my fingers.

  “You like that?”

  “Yeah,” she moaned, using the leverage on the headboard to drive herself down on my hand even harder. “Please, baby. I’m so close.”

  I could hear my phone ringing again from the kitchen, but I didn’t give a shit. I had the most beautiful woman in the world beneath me, only seconds away fro
m coming, and as far as I was concerned, that was all that mattered.

  Slamming my mouth down on hers, I drove my tongue inside, tangling with hers in tune with each thrust of my fingers.

  That was all it took for her to snap. Her pussy clamped down as Eden flooded my hand, and she let out a long, low mewl as she came, tightening her legs around my waist. It was the most intoxicating sound I’d ever heard.

  Lifting my head, I watched her face as it washed over her. I touched and stroked her through every tremor as her release slowly left her, and by the time she finished, it was a goddamn wonder I hadn’t blown in my pants.

  “Shit,” she gasped, sucking in a breath as her arms lowered to wrap around my neck. “That was….” A dreamy, lust-drunk smile stretched across her lips.

  A chuckle rumbled up my throat as I pressed my lips against hers. “Having trouble there, darlin’?”

  “I think you fried my brain,” she replied. “I can’t think of words.”

  “Then I did my job.”

  Her tiny fingers pulled at the hem of my shirt and pressed into my skin at my back as her eyelids lowered to half-mast. “So does that mean it’s my turn?”

  Jesus. Fucking amazing.

  “We’ve got all night, baby. And I’m nowhere near done with you.”

  Just as I went in for another kiss, my phone started ringing again.

  “Goddamn it,” I snarled, lifting my head and glaring in the direction of the kitchen.

  “Honey,” At the sound of her voice, I looked back down at her. I didn’t think I’d ever get tired of hearing those endearments come from her sexy, plump lips. “I think you need to get that. Whoever it is is pretty insistent. We can pick this up after.”

  Pushing off the mattress, I gave her a hard look and pointed at her. “Don’t you move from this bed. I’ll be right back.”

  “Sir, yes, sir,” she said with a mock salute.

  With another laugh, I started down the hall. The moment I saw the seven missed calls from Hayes, the smile on my face fell away.

  Hitting a button, I held the phone up to my ear and waited for half a ring before Hayes answered.

  “Fuck, brother, I’ve been trying to get ahold of you for half an hour.”

  “Been a little busy,” I grumbled into the line as I adjusted my erection to a more comfortable position. “What’s so goddamn important that you—”

  “Hate to say this, but we’re on the way to your girl’s place right now to pick her up. You might want to get to her fast as you can.”

  My back went straight, and every muscle in my body locked tight. “What happened?”

  “Don’t have time to give you all the details, but there was another break-in about an hour ago. Problem is this time the owner was home.”

  Ice filled my veins as dread clamped hold of my chest like a vise. “What’re you sayin’?”

  “I’m sayin’ that this just turned into a murder investigation, and your girl’s front and center of the whole goddamn thing. We’re five minutes out, comin’ in heavy on Cap’s orders. You need to brace her for what’s to come. I suggest you do it now.”

  With that, he hung up, and the world fell out from beneath my feet.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Eden

  Lincoln’s entire demeanor had changed, and the moment he hit the room, the air around us went heavy and charged. He barely looked at me as he bent to retrieve my bra and dress from the floor.

  “Linc?” I slowly lifted to sitting, pulling a pillow around me to cover my breasts. “What’s wrong?”

  “Need you to get dressed, baby.”

  “What?”

  He tossed my clothes onto the bed and let out a sharp whistle for Rocky. “There’s no time to explain, but I need you to get up and dressed right now. I gotta take Rock home, but I’ll be right back.”

  Anxiety started slashing at my chest, making me grip the pillow tighter. “Why are you taking Rocky home?”

  Bending at the waist, Lincoln wrapped his hands around the sides of my neck, tangling his fingers in my hair. “You trust me, Edie?”

  “I… y-yes. You know I do.”

  The pads of his fingers pressed deeper. “Then I need you to trust me now. I swear I’ll explain it all to you when I can, but for now I need you to put on some clothes. Please. I’ll be right back, and we’ll get this all worked out. I swear.”

  Fear formed a ball that sat heavy and painful in the pit of my stomach, but I didn’t know what else to do except follow Lincoln’s orders. “O-okay.”

  “Quick, baby. I’ll be right back.”

  Then he was gone.

  I scooted from the bed and moved as fast as I could, donning my bra and slipping my maxi dress back into place. I’d just finished getting myself back to rights when my front door opened and slammed closed, and I nearly jumped out of my skin before Lincoln appeared in my bedroom doorway.

  “Shoes and a jacket, darlin’.”

  “What? Why?” My worry had risen to a painful height. “Linc, what’s going on? You’re starting to scare me.”

  At the loud, hammering pound on my front door, our heads jerked in the direction of the living room.

  “Fuckin’ shit,” he hissed, drawing my attention back his way. His jaw ticked wildly, which only frightened me more.

  “Lincoln?”

  Whoever was at the front door started banging again. I moved down the hall fast before the person could draw the attention of the neighbors. When I hit the living room, the first thing I noticed was the flood of blue-and-red lights coming through the big windows.

  My mouth went dry and a knot formed in my throat, making it hard to breathe and impossible to speak. I knew those lights all too well, and from my experience, seeing them was never good.

  I threw the door open to find the man I’d seen at The Tap Room standing at the threshold with a guy I didn’t recognize, both of them in plain clothes. Behind them stood two officers in uniform.

  “Eden Brenner?” the man I didn’t recognize asked.

  “Uh, y-yeah. That’s me.”

  “I’m Detective Wanderly, and this is my partner, Detective Walker. Sorry for the disturbance, ma’am, but we’re gonna need you to come with us down to the station.”

  My skin went cold and my hands started to tremble. “Is everything all right?”

  Detective Walker offered me a polite yet sympathetic smile. I thought I remembered his name being Hayes, but at the moment, I couldn’t recall much of anything. “It’ll be okay, but we need to ask you a few questions.”

  “You can’t just ask me here?”

  “I’m sorry,” he said softly, and I knew that, in spite of their gentle tones, I wasn’t going to have a choice.

  “Edie.” At Lincoln’s voice, I turned to look over my shoulder and reached back, grabbing his hand and holding on tightly for support. “It’ll be all right.”

  “Can you go with me?” I asked in a barely-there whisper.

  “I’m afraid not,” Detective Wanderly answered.

  Lincoln’s head jerked around and his eyes flashed murder. “The fuck I’m not,” he growled.

  “Brother,” the other detective said before Lincoln could rip Wanderly’s head off. “We gotta do this by the book.”

  His top lip curled threateningly. “And you can do that with me in the car beside her.”

  “Linc, man, you know it doesn’t work that way. You can meet her down there.”

  “Hey,” I interrupted the standoff, spinning around to place a calming hand on his chest. “It’s okay. I’ll go with them. You meet me down there, all right?” His jaw ticked, and a vein at his temple throbbed. “All right?” I repeated, needing to hear an answer before I could go.

  His shoulders finally dropped, and a bit of the tension eased out of him. “Yeah.” His hands came up to grasp my cheeks. “But I’ll be waiting for you as soon as you’re done to bring you home.”

  Well at least there was that.

  * * *

  Now I
understood why Lincoln demanded I put on shoes and a jacket. The room was freezing.

  I was slowly and thoroughly losing my shit. The longer I sat in that cold metal chair in the empty interrogation room, the more I stressed until my skin grew so tight and uncomfortable I thought it might split.

  Neither of the detectives had said a word to me as they put me in the back of the cruiser and followed us to the station in their unmarked car.

  They might not have placed me in cuffs, but that didn’t stop me from feeling like a criminal as all the people who lived on Rosewood Lane stood on their porches and watched the police haul me off.

  That feeling got even worse as I was led through the bullpen in the police station and into interrogation. Every cop in that room had their eyes pinned to me as I took my walk of shame, and the tension in my belly grew thicker and heavier.

  The detectives escorted me here and then left, saying they’d be back in shortly.

  That had been twenty minutes ago.

  I only knew what I’d seen on cop shows, but I hadn’t been informed that I was under arrest or read my rights, so I was pretty certain I wasn’t locked down in the room. I was just about to get up and storm out to demand answers when the door suddenly opened and Detectives Walker and Wanderly came in.

  “Sorry for the delay,” Walker apologized.

  Wringing my hands in my lap, I pulled my bottom lip from between my teeth. “That’s fine. Now could you please tell me what’s happening? I’m a little freaked.”

  Detective Walker took the chair across from me while Wanderly leaned his back against the two-way mirror and crossed his arms over his chest. I could tell by the kindness in his eyes that he wasn’t meaning the stance to come off as intimidating, but it still very much was.

  “What can you tell us about Shepley Brenner?” Detective Walker asked, flipping open a folder and scanning through the first few sheets.

  My eyes widened and my mouth dropped open. “My brother?” I asked incredulously. “That’s why I’m here? Because of my brother?”