Love to Hate You: a Hope Valley novel

by Prince, Jessica

  With that, he turned on his boot and headed out the back door, taking my daughter her popsicle while I tried to get my knees to work.

  * * *

  Micah

  Lying on my back, legs spread, one knee bent, my hips lifted off the mattress as my grip tightened around my aching cock. My hand moved faster up and down the shaft as images of Hayden flashed across my eyelids like a slide show. Images of her smiling, of her full, pouty bottom lip glistening from where she’d just licked it. The way her eyes glazed over as she stared at my mouth.

  Pre-cum leaked from the tip, making my hand slicker as I jacked myself harder, twisting my wrist each time I reached the swollen, purple crown. I was so close, but I didn’t want to blow just yet. I wanted to make this lasted as long as possible.

  The pictures of Hayden shifted, going back to that night. I let out a grunt as I remembered how tight her pussy had squeezed me. When I recalled the little mewling sounds of desperation she made as she clamped down tighter around me, my eyes rolled back in my skull.

  I hadn’t been lying when I told her she was the best I’d ever had, and weeks upon weeks of coming from my own hand to the memory of one . . . fucking . . . night were proof of that.

  I pictured her mouth as her lips formed around my name, the way her eyes widened for just a second before falling to half-mast every time an orgasm washed over her. I imagined I could feel her nails digging into my skin and raking down my back.

  And that was as long as I could hold off. On a groan, I went off, shooting all over my hand and stomach. I came until I was out of breath, until stars danced in front of my vision. Each time I thought I was finished, my dick would twitch and leak more cum until my balls were completely drained from nothing more than a goddamn memory.

  That was how good she’d been. And that was why I’d laid it out for her earlier. I hadn’t been bluffing when I told her we were inevitable. If I had to handcuff her to my bed to keep her from running, I would have her again. And again. And a-fucking-gain.

  A minute later, still feeling breathless, I got up and shuffled into the bathroom to clean myself up. Once I finished, I pulled my underwear back on and fell into bed.

  After the exhausting day I’d had, coupled with a good meal and a release that nearly made my head explode, it didn’t take me long to find sleep. And for the first time in what felt like an eternity, when I crashed that night, I did it hard and uninterrupted.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Hayden

  “That’s right, dearie. You’re a natural, just like your mommy and me.”

  I blinked my dry eyes and turned from the computer screen to where Sylvia was helping Ivy make her very own fairy garden in a big glass bowl to keep in her room. Some days I liked to take her with me to the shop instead of sending her to daycare because I wanted my little girl to have as many memories with Sylvia as possible. I wanted her to cherish them just like I cherished the ones I’d made with that spectacular woman.

  As much as I wanted to believe my aunt was going to live forever, I realized our time with her was limited and getting shorter every year.

  Watching them together, seeing the joy on my baby girl’s face and knowing it was my aunt who’d put it there, made warmth bloom in my chest. All I could do was hope and pray for many more days and months and years just like this.

  That’s why I was doing the mind-numbing administrative work at the computer in the front of the shop instead of the one at the cozy desk in the back office. I preferred to be up here, especially on the days I could watch my two favorite people interact.

  “Hey, so what do you think?” At Sonya’s voice, I turned from my family to the floral arrangement our assistant set on the wide counter in front of me.

  Two other employees worked at Divine Flora. Raul, a young twenty-something who didn’t care much for flowers and plants, but needed a job. He dug my aunt, so she’d hired him to do the heavy lifting—literally—and deliveries. And Sonya, a fresh-out-of-school eighteen-year-old who was trying to discover what she wanted to do with her life, so she was taking a year to do her own thing before college. She mainly helped keep the shop clean and handled the transactions, but she was also learning from Sylvia—and now, me.

  “Does it look okay?” Sonya chewed nervously on her thumbnail as I grabbed the fat, squat vase and slowly turned it so I could see all sides. “I remembered to snip the stems and pull the wilted petals off. And I added just a bit of Sprite to the water like you suggested.”

  “It looks beautiful, honey. You did a fantastic job.”

  Her face lit up. “You really think so?”

  “Absolutely. In fact, if you’re willing, I think we could sell it.”

  “Totally! That’d be so cool!”

  I smiled at the girl’s enthusiasm. “Mark it up and add it to the display case. I bet we’ll have it sold in no time.”

  She skipped off excitedly, and I turned back to the computer, catching Sylvia’s wink before focusing once more on the dull spreadsheets. I lasted all of thirty seconds before my vision grew fuzzy and mind drifted to Micah . . . again. It had been doing that since last night, making it harder than usual to fall asleep. To make matters worse, when I woke up this morning, I was all kinds of tense and antsy. I hadn’t been this sexually frustrated during what I’d thought was a dry spell with Alex. Which had to be telling.

  I was pulled from my daydreaming when the bell over the door jingled. I sat up straight and smiled big when Sage and Dani came waltzing through. “Hey, guys. This is a nice surprise. How’s it going?”

  “It’s good,” Dani said brightly. “We’re on our lunch hour and thought we’d stop in to say hi.”

  “Well, I’m glad you did.”

  Ivy came skipping over, stopping beside Sage and tugging on the hem of her shirt. “I like your boots.”

  Sage was wearing kickass biker boots with a pair of black leggings and a long, loose-weave gray sweater that fell to her hips and had a wide, droopy neckline, showing a metallic camisole underneath. Her whole look screamed biker babe in the fall, so it wasn’t the least bit surprising my girl had taken a liking to it.

  As it was, my girl looked like a mini-biker chick in flashy colors. Her leggings were covered in pink and silver sugar skulls that matched her shimmery silver sweater and glittery silver Dr. Martins.

  “Oh my God,” Sage said on a squeal. “Aren’t you just the most adorable thing ever?” In reaction, my girl beamed big and let out an enthusiastic giggle.

  “Is this your little girl?” Dani asked.

  She and Sage both looked like they were about to melt from cuteness overload, when my daughter said with that adorable little toddler lisp, “Hi. I’m Ivy. Are you friends with Mommy?”

  “That they are, love bug. This is Ms. Dani and Ms. Sage.”

  Sage crouched down in front of Ivy and held out her hand to shake. “I like your boots too, munchkin. I think I need to get me a pair just like them.”

  “We can be matchy buddies!” Ivy declared excitedly.

  “She’s so cute,” Sage squeaked, looking up at me. “I want her to be my bestest friend ever.”

  “I can’t be your best friend ’cause I already told Mike I’d be his best friend, and he’d be really sad. But we can be second best friends.”

  Dani looked at me with a teasing smile. “Ooh, who’s Mike?”

  “He lives next door,” Ivy informed them. “He had supper with us last night and almost kissed Mommy at the sink.”

  My head shot down, my eyes nearly bugging out. “What?”

  Sylvia joined us then, grinning like she knew a secret. “Next time you feel like neckin’ with the neighbor, maybe don’t do it standin’ in front of a window.”

  Shit! Shit, shit, fuck!

  “Wait.” Sage’s eyes bounced all over the place. “Who’s Mike?”

  Dani didn’t say anything, and when I looked at her she was watching me so intently I began to squirm. “What?”

  Her brow’s lifted high onto h
er forehead, nearly kissing her hairline as a smile tugged at her lips. “Doesn’t Micah live next door to you?”

  “I—” Merciful hell.

  Sage stood to her full height, her smile matching that of Dani’s as she crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m so glad we decided to stop in here today,” she proclaimed.

  “Look, it isn’t what you guys think. It’s not like that. We just . . . well, we came to an understanding yesterday, that’s it.”

  “An understanding that required his mouth on yours?” Sage asked.

  “We didn’t technically kiss,” I insisted. “I wasn’t going to let it go there.”

  “Sure as heck looked like you were to me,” Sylvia added unhelpfully. “In fact, it looked like you were the one about to take it over the finish line.”

  Ivy’s gaze bounced around the group like she was watching a tennis match. “Mommy, was you and Mike gonna race?”

  “Nah. From what I hear, Micah’s the type to let the woman finish first,” Sage teased.

  Dani and Sylvia both started cracking up while I threw my hands up in exasperation. “Okay, this conversation’s over. Nothing’s happening between Micah and me, and that’s how it’s going to stay. End of story. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have work to do.” I lifted my chin haughtily and turned back to the spreadsheets I had no interest in.

  “All right, we’ll cut you some slack,” Sage said, then added cheekily, “for now.”

  The bell over the door rang, alerting me to a new customer. It took a second for my brain to register where I knew the man, but once recognition clicked into place, my stomach sank.

  “Greg, hi,” I greeted, pinning a smile on my face. The air in the shop suddenly changed, growing heavy and charged. My eyes did a quick sweep, and I noticed the shift was coming from Dani. I didn’t know what was going on, but she suddenly looked tense and on alert.

  “Hey, beautiful.” He gave me a wink before scanning the group. Tilting his head he offered a somewhat distracted, “Ladies,” before leaning his elbows on the counter and focusing solely on me. “You having a good day so far?”

  I’d totally forgotten about meeting Greg that night at The Tap Room and inviting him to come see me at the shop. In my defense, I’d been pretty buzzed that night. But the only reason I’d led him to believe I was interested in talking to him again was because Micah had pissed me off, and I wanted to get back at him. Not my finest hour.

  It didn’t sit well with me that he’d all but disregarded the other women around us, but I did my best to remain cordial. “I’ve got no complaints so far.” Ivy rounded the counter just then, squeezing up beside me and wrapping her little arms tight around my thigh. “Greg, this is my daughter, Ivy.” I looked down at my girl and brushed my fingers through her hair. “Can you say hi, honey?”

  Instead of being her usual loud, personable self, she gripped my leg tighter, like she was trying to fuse herself to me as she mumbled, “Hello.”

  “Well, hey there, Ivy. My, aren’t you a pretty girl? You look just like your momma,” he said, looking up to shoot me another wink. “It’s real nice to meet you.”

  She turned her face away, burrowing into my skin. The sudden shift in the happy vibe that had filled the shop coupled with my daughter’s strange reaction to Greg left me feeling a bit unsettled. I let out an awkward laugh. “Sorry about that. Guess she’s feeling a little shy today.”

  “Didn’t realize she had a shy bone in her body,” Sylvia muttered under her voice. My gaze shot to her and I saw she was watching Greg closely, her expression closed off in a way I’d never seen before. It was almost as if she didn’t trust this man.

  “Yeah, well . . . Maybe it’s just one of those days.” I attempted to brush her off, knowing full well she was right, and that my girl had never, in her four years, had one of those days. “So, what brings you by? You in the market for some flowers?” I’d tried to make my tone teasing, but everything about this situation felt uncomfortable and awkward.

  “Not today, but maybe soon.” That got me another wink, as if he were sharing a secret, when in all honesty, the wink was getting a little played out. Three in less than five minutes was too much. “I don’t have long before I have to get back to the station; I just stopped in to see your gorgeous face.”

  “Oh, uh . . .” That comment threw me. It felt far too intimate for a man and woman who’d only spoken one other time, and for less than ten minutes. “Thank you. That’s sweet.”

  “Actually, I came by to see if you were free Saturday night. I’d love to take you to dinner.”

  “Oh. Well . . .” Micah’s command to stay away from this guy came back to me all of a sudden. I’d initially thought he was marking his territory in some alpha caveman sort of way, but I remembered the look on his face when he’d issued the order, and I could have sworn I’d seen something other than jealousy there.

  My gut instinct was screaming that something was majorly off here. I just didn’t know what it was.

  Before I had to make up a lie or turn him down in front of an audience, Sylvia spoke up. “How sweet. Unfortunately, she already has plans on Saturday.” She looked at me with that arched brow. “Remember, sweets? We have you and Ivy’s welcome cookout. Practically the whole town’s coming.”

  “Of course!” I said loudly as relief washed over me. “Things have been so crazy, that totally slipped my mind.”

  “I bet they have,” Sage murmured under her breath with a mischievous grin.

  I chose to ignore her and looked back to Greg, who was staring unhappily in Sylvia’s direction. The expression on his face sent an unpleasant chill down my spine. “I’m sorry. But I really appreciate the invitation,” I told him, trying to lighten the sudden tension crackling in the air, while hoping to move him out the door faster.

  He turned back to me, the displeasure gone from his features in an instant and replaced with the charming smile he’d walked in wearing. “That’s all right, beautiful. There’ll be other weekends.” He took a step back, rapping his knuckles on the counter. “I’ll see you soon. Enjoy the rest of your day.”

  “Yeah, you too.”

  He turned and headed out of the shop without acknowledging anyone else.

  Ivy went back to acting like her normal self almost as soon as the door closed behind him, and Sylvia didn’t say anything about her odd behavior, so I chose to brush off the uncomfortable feeling clinging to my skin and pretend everything was perfectly normal.

  Ivy pulled Sage across the shop to show her the fairy garden she and Sylvia were making, leaving me and Dani alone at the counter. I twisted my head, prepared to speak, when she started before I could.

  Leaning in close, she lowered her voice to a whisper and said, “Be careful, Hayden. That’s the kind of man you don’t want attention from.”

  A chill burrowed its way beneath my skin. “What do you mean?” I asked, keeping my voice as quiet as hers.

  “I’m sorry but I can’t say. Please, just stay away from that guy, all right? He’s dangerous.”

  I felt the tiny hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. I wanted to probe further. I wanted to demand answers, but I could see worry etched into her pretty face. She wanted to say more, but for whatever reason, she couldn’t.

  Instead of pushing, I nodded, promising, “Okay, sweetie. I’ll stay away.” I reached across the counter to give her hand a reassuring squeeze, causing her shoulders to sink in relief.

  “All right, good.” The concern quickly melted away, just like that, replaced by feminine curiosity. “Now tell me about you and Micah.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Micah

  The crime scene was lit up by the time I put my truck in park and killed the engine a little after one in the morning.

  The area had been taped off and there were uniformed officers and crime scene techs canvasing the area.

  I climbed out of the truck and slammed the driver side door. Leo was already heading for me by the time I ducked under the tape
. “They got an ID yet?” I asked as soon as he was within hearing distance.

  My partner’s jaw clenched, the muscle in it ticking violently. “Victim’s name is Evan Webb. Meth dealer out of Grapevine.”

  Goddamn it.

  Evan Webb was one of the names Charlie had given us, the dealer who was working in Cormack’s operation. If Leo and I had pulled him in without cause, it would have sent up red flags, so we had Linc send in a few of his guys. The lead hadn’t given much in the way of names, but we found out the operation was much larger than we’d originally anticipated, spanning across three towns, with cops from Hope Valley, Hidalgo, and Grapevine involved, as well as your run-of-the-mill, low-life dealers.

  Linc’s team cut the kid loose with a warning they’d be back for more, so he needed to do a little digging unless he wanted them to rain holy hell down on his life. Evidently, Evan Webb hadn’t been very good at covert.

  “How was it done?” I asked as we moved toward the body.

  “Single shot to the head, execution style. He was dead before he hit the ground. We have to wait for ballistics, but looks like he was done with a .45.”

  Same caliber as the gun that had killed Darrin Callo. Someone was tying up loose ends.

  I let out a curse under my breath and raked a hand through my hair as I scanned the faces around the crime scene. Greg Cormack wasn’t anywhere to be seen. “All right. Let’s work the scene.” I lowered my voice and added, “Put in a call to Linc. Know it’s late, but we meet in an hour.”

  “And her?” he asked, referring to Charlie in a hushed voice. “You think she’s safe?”

  I didn’t have a fucking clue at that point, and it was twisting me into knots. “If she’s not, she will be. As of this moment, she’s done. Even if that means we gotta have Linc lock her ass down somewhere until it’s over.”

  * * *