Love to Hate You: a Hope Valley novel

by Prince, Jessica

  The two of them scuttled off, leaving us standing there, slack-jawed.

  “Is my aunt really organizing a drinking game at”—I looked down at my watch—“two in the afternoon?”

  Eden wrapped her arm around my waist and pulled me against her side. “It’s gonna be a long day, sweetie. And just a warning, it’s highly likely that, at some point, at least one old person’s gonna get wasted enough to start taking their clothes off.”

  Sweet merciful hell.

  * * *

  “You know what? This might be the best party I’ve ever been to in my entire life.”

  I looked to McKenna. She was staring out into the yard at her man Bruce with a glazed look in her hooded eyes, and burst into laughter.

  At some point in the afternoon, someone had come up with the brilliant idea of starting a touch football game in the side yard. The longer the game went on, the sweatier the men playing became, until one by one, they started stripping out of their shirts. Ms. M hadn’t been wrong. This town was full of seriously good-looking men. I was surrounded on all sides by my new girlfriends, and as I watched their men running plays, I was seriously happy that these incredible women were going home to the likes of all that. Seeing them all now in their full glory, it was a wonder Eden was the only one currently knocked up. I made a silent bet with myself that there were going to be at least two more pregnancy announcements before the spring.

  I bumped my shoulder against Mac’s. “You act like you don’t see your man without a shirt every single day.”

  “It’s not about seeing our men shirtless,” Gypsy insisted, fanning her face as her gaze remained riveted to the makeshift field. “It’s more the group as a whole. All these fine men, half naked, glistening with sweat . . .”

  She trailed off on a dreamy sigh, so Tempie finished. “It’s like some sort of witchcraft. I mean . . .” She waved her hands in front of her. “Behold.”

  She wasn’t wrong, it was definitely something to behold. And we weren’t the only ones beholding. As soon as the game started, the old ladies lost interest in drunk bingo, and pulled their lawn chairs over to watch while they sipped their cocktails, rooting for their favorites. Or in some instances, heckling the players.

  “You call that a throw?” Ms. M. had yelled at Eden’s husband, Lincoln, a big, blond Viking-looking dude. “I could throw better than that, and I got arthritis in my entire body!”

  “Get it together, Castillo!” a woman Gypsy had introduced to me earlier as Odette yelled at her man, Marco. “I put money down on this game. Don’t you go blowin’ my social security check!”

  I looked back to the game—or to one player in particular—and felt my pulse begin to race. My libido was in the red, warning sirens were going off left and right in my head. Micah was dead center of the fray, his ripped chest and thick arms shining with sweat under the bright sun. The nice seventy-something degree weather began to feel almost sweltering the longer I stared.

  “Go, Mike, go! Go, Mike, go!” Ivy chanted from her chair right beside Sylvia. She jumped up and down, cheering for her best friend at the top of her lungs as one of the guys called out the play.

  Someone snapped the ball, bodies started crashing together, and I used that as my opportunity to duck away and grab a drink, hoping a few minutes by myself would help tamp down the heat building in my blood.

  Moving to the coolers, I flipped the top on the one with the beer and pulled out an ice-cold bottle. I’d just popped the cap and taken a refreshing swig when a pair of hands landed on my hips from behind.

  Jumping in fright, I whipped around, nearly choking on the beer I’d just swallowed. “Jesus, Greg,” I croaked, placing a hand over my pounding heart. “You scared the shit out of me.”

  He held his hands up in apology while giving me that charming smile that, the more often I saw it, the more I felt it was strictly for show. Nothing genuine seemed behind that smile. “Sorry, beautiful. Didn’t mean to scare you.”

  “It’s all right.” I gave him a small, shaky grin and took a step back, trying to put some space between us. “I-I didn’t know you were coming.”

  “Well, I wasn’t planning on it at first, but if I can’t take you out on a date, at least we can still spend some time together here.”

  “Oh, um . . . That’s nice.” I looked around, trying to find any reason to get away from this guy. The other day at Divine Flora, my gut was telling me something was off, and after talking to Dani, that instinct had turned into a sick, queasy feeling. “Well, uh, there’s still plenty of food if you want to make yourself a plate. And we’ve got all kinds of drinks—”

  “I’m good. But maybe you and I could go somewhere a little more private? You know, just to talk for a bit.” He took a step closer, reaching out and running his fingers down my forearm before wrapping them around my hand and giving it a tug. “Maybe get to know each other a little better?”

  “Greg.” I pulled my hand from his and took another step back. “Look, you’re a sweet guy, but I think we’re looking for different things right now. See, I just got divorced. Right now, I need to concentrate on my daughter and building our life here. I’m not looking to start something with another man right now. I’m so sorry.”

  That smile fell, taking all the charm with it. His brows slashed down into a deep, unhappy V. “Then what was all that shit at the bar the other night?”

  “I’m sorry, but I think you might have gotten the wrong idea.”

  “Or maybe you’re just a cock tease.” I rocked back on a foot at the venom in his voice. “I didn’t have the wrong idea. You put it right out there, practically throwin’ it at me.”

  I thought back to that night, and could say with absolute certainty, I hadn’t thrown anything at him. “Okay, you know what? I think maybe you should go.”

  “Yeah, I’m thinkin’ you’re right.” He looked me up and down, his top lip curling in a nasty sneer. “Waste of fucking time.”

  I didn’t bother taking offense. I’d known more than enough men like him in my lifetime. A single blow to their ego, and they lashed out in an extreme and unwarranted way. His insult didn’t even faze me. In fact, all I felt as he stomped through the backyard toward the driveway, was relief.

  Until I turned around and noticed the football game had stopped, and almost everyone was now staring in my direction . . . because a seething Micah was storming through the yard, looking like a raging bull as he headed right for me.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Micah

  I finished yanking my shirt back over my head just as I reached her. “Inside. Now,” I ground out, but instead of waiting to see if she’d follow, my hand lashed out and gripped her arm. I all but dragged her up the path and into the house, slamming the back door with so much force the glass inside the frame rattled.

  “Micah, what the hell?” Hayden yelped, trying to pull her arm from my grasp, but I held tight as I continued through the kitchen and down the hall.

  I knew the layout of this house almost as well as I knew my own. Years of helping Sylvia out, making repairs whenever they were needed, had given me a perfect lay of the land. I knew Sylvia had moved her niece into the master bedroom, so I took the stairs at a clip so fast Hayden practically had to run to keep from tripping as I hauled us up them and down the hall toward her room.

  She struggled against my hold, pulling at my hand the entire way, finally wrenching herself free once we cleared the doorway, but it was too late. Slamming the bedroom door closed, I stood between it and her so she had nowhere to run.

  Her mouth opened and closed on a sputter before she finally managed to get her words out. “Have you lost your mind?” she shouted. “What the hell was that?”

  “What was that?” I asked incredulously. “Are you fuckin’ serious?”

  “Yes, I’m fuckin’ serious,” she threw back. “You just dragged me through the yard and into my house, making a scene in front of the whole freaking town for no damn good reason!”

  I
took a step toward her, planting my hands on my hips. “Oh I had a perfectly good reason for that scene down there, and you know it,” I seethed. “I told you to stay away from that guy, and you didn’t listen!”

  “Oh my God,” she said on a bewildered laugh. “So that’s what this is about? You acted like an asshole in front of everyone because you’re jealous?” Her vibrant blue eyes flashed wildly as she threw her arms wide. “You’re unbelievable!”

  “And you’re so goddamn stubborn it’s driving me insane,” I barked. With each step I took forward, she took one backward until she slammed into the wall across the room, leaving her with nowhere else to go. “I told you to stay the fuck away from him because that man’s dangerous, Hayden. I know him a whole hell of a lot better than you do. I’ve lived here a long time, and part of my job is reading people. So when I say to stay clear of someone, how about instead of throwin’ attitude, you pull your head out of your ass and actually listen to me!”

  She pushed up on her tiptoes until her chest pressed flush against mine and her nose was only inches away. “Don’t tell me to get my head out of my ass!”

  With that, the last tenuous threat of my control snapped. My hand shot out, tangling in the hair at the back of her head and holding it in place while I slammed my mouth down on hers.

  Her lips parted instantly, her tongue flicking out to rub across mine. The kiss became a battle the moment it started, each of us fighting against the other for control. Using my knee, I forced her legs farther apart and wedged my hips between them, using my weight to keep her pressed against the wall as I ground my aching hard-on between her thighs.

  I emitted a growl when her teeth clamped down on my bottom lip, biting hard enough that the sting made me pull back. Her eyes were glazed over, the blue nearly swallowed up by the black of her pupils. Her chest was heaving with each breath. She was just as aroused as I was, possibly more, but we weren’t soft or gentle when it came to taking our pleasure from each other.

  “You’re such an asshole,” she panted before grabbing my hair and forcing my lips back to hers.

  “And you’re a pain in my ass,” I grunted.

  “Stop bossing me around,” she continued to argue between kisses.

  “Then stop making stupid fucking decisions,” I ordered, pulling back. The small distance I put between us served two purposes. The first was so she’d know I was being serious, and the second was to make her wild by denying her what she wanted. “You stay the fuck away from Greg Cormack,” I clipped.

  “Stop telling me what to do!”

  I bent my knees, using the leverage to drive myself harder against her, forcing a moan past her swollen lips. “Twice now he’s touched what’s mine. There won’t be a third. Don’t put me in the position of doing something that’ll threaten my job, Red. ’Cause if his hands go anywhere near you again, I’m gonna break every one of his goddamn fingers.”

  She let out a soft growl that I would’ve found adorable if it didn’t make me impossibly harder. “I hate you.” Despite her words, her hips rocked harder against mine while her delicate hands fisting at the material of my shirt to keep me close.

  Grabbing her dress at her sides, I bunched it in my hands until, inch by inch, those long, seductive legs were uncovered. I got the material up past her hips, revealing her tiny lace panties.

  “Fine by me. You can hate me all you want, as long as you do it with my cock inside you.”

  Her back arched when I gently trailed my fingertips up her inner thigh. “Micah,” she said on a whimper as I brushed a feather-light touch against the scrap of material between her thighs. “Please.”

  I pressed against her just a bit harder, hard enough to feel how wet her panties were. “Fuck me,” I groaned. “Already soaked. That all for me?”

  Her eyes squeezed closed as her head fell back. “Yes,” she breathed.

  I increased the pressure, pressing even harder against the fabric. “What do you want, Red? Give me your eyes and say the words.”

  She peeled her eyelids open with extreme effort, her breathing labored as she worked to focus on me. “Micah,” she finally panted, “if you don’t fuck me right now, I’m gonna lose my mind.”

  I was sure the smile I gave her just then radiated with male pride. “Is that right?” I teased, loving how hot it made me when I pressed her buttons.

  But the little minx gave as good as she got. Her hand shot down between us and her fingers wrapped around my dick as best they could through my jeans. Feeling how hard I already was, she grinned in much the same way I had seconds ago. “This all for me?”

  Thrusting against her palm I growled, “I told you we were inevitable. Now take me out.”

  She didn’t give me any attitude. Instead, she made quick work of the button and zipper on my fly. Her long fingers dove beneath the waistband of my underwear and gripped my shaft tightly, wrenching a grunt from deep within my chest as I ripped her panties down her thighs until they pooled on the floor at her feet.

  “Condom,” she rasped as she guided my rock-hard cock out of my pants and stroked her palm up and down the shaft.

  I let out a frustrated moan, wanting to feel the slick of her pussy with no barriers. Next time, I told myself as I retrieved the condom from my wallet.

  As soon as I tore the package open, she snatched the rubber disk and deftly worked it down my length.

  We moved in perfect sync after that, desperation clawing at both of us. I shoved the thin cardigan off her shoulders and tore the flimsy straps of her dress down her arms, baring her perfect breasts that spilled past the top of her bra. With a rumble of appreciation, I reached down and grabbed her ass with both hands.

  Her long legs wrapped around my waist as soon as I lifted her off the ground, her ankles locking at my back. Fisting my cock, I lined it up with her center, and with one snap of my hips, buried myself deep.

  Sounds of pleasure spilled past both our lips as I gave myself a second to feel her tight, wet heat closing around me.

  “Like a goddamn glove,” I grunted, lowering my forehead to hers while I breathed deep. If I didn’t get myself under control, this was going to be over way too soon. “Jesus, you fit me perfectly.”

  “Micah, you need to move,” she pleaded, circling her hips temptingly. “I need you to fuck me.”

  I could do that, but first . . . “How do you want it, baby?”

  Her lids were half-mast, a lust-drunk smile pulled at her lips as she whispered, “Rough. Show me how much you want me.”

  I didn’t need to be told twice. Pulling out almost all the way, I gave her just a moment to breathe before powering back in. Over and over, I slammed into her, driving so hard her back slid up and down the wall and her tits bounced in my face.

  Holding her in place with one arm, I grabbed the cups of her bra with my free hand, jerking them down so those rosy pink nipples were revealed, making my mouth water.

  Bending my neck, I sucked one stiff peak into my mouth, biting the tip before soothing the sting with my tongue.

  “Fuck, yes,” she cried, gripping my hair and giving it a yank as she ground against me. I switched to the other one, giving it the same treatment until both were red and throbbing beneath my tongue. “So good, Micah.”

  Her noises grew louder, spurring me on and making my balls draw up tight. I could feel her pussy clamping down, telling me she was about to come.

  Lifting my head, I stared into those incredible sapphire eyes. “Can feel you gettin’ close.”

  She looked almost panicked at the intensity of what I was building inside her. “Oh God,” she whimpered. “I’m gonna—” Her statement died when her head snapped back, slamming against the wall and she yelled as she began to come around me. I had to cover her mouth with my hand to muffle her screams. It rushed over her so hard she bared her teeth and bit into the side of my hand as she bucked against me, demanding every single ounce of pleasure my body could give hers.

  The sting of her bite coupled with the vise-lik
e grip of her pussy was too much. I tried to hold back as long as possible, but I couldn’t. Burying my face in her neck, I groaned long and low as I blew. She milked every drop of release from me until my balls were completely drained.

  I didn’t think I’d ever come that hard in my life, and it was a wonder my knees hadn’t given out.

  The room was completely silent except for the sounds of our rapid breathing as we came down from what had to be the best sex ever had by two people.

  “Holy shit,” Hayden whispered seconds later as she untangled her fingers from my hair and brought her hands down to rest on my shoulders.

  Once I was able to move, I lifted my head and pulled her away from the wall, moving toward the bed, careful to maintain our connection. I lowered us both down, resting my forearms on the mattress so I could look down at her. “You good?”

  “I—” She stopped to pull her kiss-swollen bottom lip between her teeth and bite down. “I don’t know. I mean, physically, hell yeah. But . . .”

  “But what?”

  She hesitated for so long I started to grow anxious. This wasn’t just about the incredible sex, at least not anymore. This woman was under my skin, and there was no longer any point in denying how much I liked having her there. She was funny and fiery. She didn’t take any shit. She loved her family fiercely. She had a good heart, and there was no doubt our sexual compatibility was off the charts. She was the only woman I’d ever been with who knew exactly what she wanted, but she didn’t just ask for it, and she didn’t take it either. No, she demanded I be the one to give it to her. And I got off on that in a huge way.

  It wasn’t about wanting to fuck her again. I just wanted her. I wanted to be able to touch her and kiss her, to tease or hold her whenever the hell I wanted. I wanted to show her there were men out there better than her dick of an ex-husband.

  Everything I was feeling in that moment was completely foreign to me. They were the very things I’d insisted I’d never want, that I fought against feeling for as long as I could remember. But having her here with me now, all that gorgeous light red hair fanned out on the bed beneath me, the thought of something serious, something permanent, didn’t terrify me at all. Not when it was Hayden I saw that with.