Chapter 10
Chapter Ten
EDEN
“Oh god,” I muttered as I stared at my reflection in the full-length mirror before tilting my head and looking down at Rocky who was currently lying at my feet. “What do you think? Is it too much?”
Rocky cast only his eyes up, making a low chuffing noise. I could have sworn that, if he could talk, he would have said, “Lady, you’ve tried on six different outfits. Just pick something already!”
With a sigh, I looked back at my reflection. “All right. I guess this’ll have to do.”
I tried on a pair of bootcut jeans that hadn’t fit me in ages, the waistband cutting into my belly.
They were still snug on my thighs and booty, but cutting out my snack cakes and taking daily walks had made a bit of difference, and now the jeans fit my waist better than they had when I first bought them.
I matched them with a fitted black racerback tank that had a hot pink sugar skull on the front, a thin-knit long-sleeve cardigan that fell past my hips, and a pair of flat ankle boots with tiny matte silver studs along the straps at the sides.
The outfit was comfy and casual, yet the pop of color from the skull added a bit more to it, making it a little more fun.
My hair was blown out straight and full, and I’d put on a touch of makeup to finish it all off.
“Well,” I said on a breath to Rocky, “I guess this is as good as it’s gonna get. You ready to go see your daddy?” As if understanding perfectly, Rocky jumped up and wagged his tail so hard his entire back end moved with it. “Yeah,” I giggled. “You missed him, huh?”
Rocky let out a short bark that I took to mean yes, he did.
“All right, all right. Let’s go, then. You wanna go on a car ride?”
That got me another bark, and we moved out of the room and down the hall to the living room.
I packed Rocky’s stuff into the bag Lincoln brought and hooked his leash to his collar.
If I was being honest, I was really going to miss the big guy.
Walking with him every evening and having him to cuddle against in bed every night made things a lot less lonely.
He bounded into the back seat and stuck his head between mine and the passenger seat as soon as I climbed in and started it up, panting loudly as he stared out the windshield as if to say, “Come on, get the lead out!”
The drive to Lincoln’s offices took about ten minutes, and I spent the entire time fretting and anxious about seeing Lincoln again. I was a nervous wreck, and when the sign for Alpha Omega Investigations came into sight, my hands actually began to tremble.
The sign hung horizontal, dangling over the sidewalk like all the rest of the businesses in the long two-story brick building, and from the placement of it, it looked as if Lincoln’s place took up at least half of the huge complex.
The ground level was all businesses, but the second story looked to be residential, with window boxes full of flowers scattered about the balconies.
From the outside, the building looked like it belonged in a historical society, but as I parked between two yellow lines painted diagonally in front it, I looked through the big picture windows into his offices and noticed the place had been completely modernized.
Apparently Lincoln had brought Rocky into work with him on more than a few occasions, because he let out an excited whine and began shaking his whole body again as he looked through the windows.
“All right, boy. I get it. Let’s go in.”
Reaching for his leash, I opened the door and climbed out, letting him hop over the seat and out the driver side.
He nearly jerked my shoulder out of socket trying to get inside, and I had to hurry to keep up and prevent the need for medical attention.
I guided us through the door that led in from the street, then a second one into the sleek gray-and-glass lobby of Alpha Omega Investigations.
The woman at the front desk was in her early to midfifties, with brassy dyed red hair pulled in a french twist and a skintight top that, while not low cut, clung to the extra weight she carried in her middle.
Her lips were painted the same bright red as her freakishly long fingernails, and her eyes were shadowed with an unnatural shade of blue.
None of it worked, but as she looked up at me and smiled with a warm, welcoming grin, it kind of all did. She was comfortable in her own skin and didn’t give a single damn what anyone thought.
“Well hey there, honey. You must be Eden.”
“Yeah,” I replied, returning her smile as Rocky and I made it all the way to the front desk. “Nice to meet you…”
“Roxanne,” she supplied, then looked me up and down, her smile growing even bigger. “Well aren’t you just a looker. Linc said you’d be stoppin’ by, but he didn’t say anything about you bein’ so dang pretty.”
“Oh, well, uh….” My cheeks and neck burned. “Thank you. I appreciate that. Is, um, Lincoln here, or do I just leave Rocky with you?”
Rocky yipped at the sound of his name, but he stayed firmly seated at my side like a good boy.
Roxanne looked over the edge of the desk at Rocky and commanded, “You wait your turn. The grown-ups are talkin’.”
Rocky cocked his head to the side and let out a little puppy whimper as she turned her attention back to me.
“Linc would skin me alive if I didn’t let him know you were here.
Just gimme one sec.” She pulled her desk phone from the receiver and hit a couple buttons with the tip of her nail, then put it to her ear.
Moving to one of the long, expensive-looking black leather couches in the lobby, I sat and grabbed one of the old magazines from the glass coffee table. Rocky moved with me and flopped down on the floor at my feet with a dramatic humph.
I was two pages into the three-month-old Better Homes and Gardens when Rocky’s head shot up and a large shadow cast over me. I tipped my head back to see who it was standing beside me, and all the air immediately whooshed from my lungs.
“Someone already helpin’ you?”
Oh my god.
“Uh….”
Oh my god! The guy was… I had no words to describe the man hovering over me. The men in Hope Valley were unbelievable!
The Adonis before me smiled, all brilliant white teeth against caramel skin. His eyes were the palest green I’d ever seen on a person, like the color of jade. I wasn’t sure what his nationality was, but whatever the combination, it made one impeccable man.
“You okay there, sweetheart?
It took way too long for my brain to reengage, and when it finally did, my behavior didn’t get any better.
“Oh! Sorry.” Shooting to my feet, the bottom of my head nearly collided with his chin.
Fortunately, for a guy his size, he had scary-quick reflexes and took a step back before I could maim him.
However, I wasn’t so light on my feet, wobbling precariously after standing too fast and making myself dizzy. “Oh god! Sorry! I’m so sorry.”
The man chuckled, reaching out to take my forearms in his massive hands to steady me.
I wasn’t sure I’d ever met a man so tall.
He was even taller than Lincoln by at least a few inches.
If I had to guess, he stood at six and a half feet, and every inch of that was packed with muscle. “That’s okay. You all right?”
“Y-yeah. I just… stood up too fast. Head rush.” I winced in embarrassment. “Sorry for almost beaming you in the chin.”
“Not a problem at all. I actually enjoy getting beamed in the chin by beautiful women. You got a name?”
“Oh, right! Yeah. I’m Eden. Eden Brenner.” My hand darted out. I hadn’t even realized he was still holding onto my arms until he let go to press his palm into mine and give it a shake.
“Well, Eden Brenner, it’s nice to meet you. I’m Bryce.”
I stared up at him with a goofy grin on my face. “Nice to meet you too, Bryce.”
The sound of someone clearing their throat jolted me out of my stupor. “Careful, boy. This one’s Linc’s.” Roxanne smirked.
One of Bryce’s ebony eyebrows hooked up, and something flashed in those jade eyes that I couldn’t quite read. It took a second, but Roxanne’s words finally penetrated my brain, and I spoke quickly to correct her assumption.
“No. No, it’s nothing like that. I was just dog-sitting Rocky for him this weekend.”
Rocky barked again and shook his whole back end while butting his head against Bryce’s hand.
He squatted down to be level with the dog and gave him a full-body rub before looking back up at me. “Dog-sitting, huh? Linc’s pretty particular about who he lets around Rocky here. You must’ve made a good impression.”
I shrugged and bit down on my bottom lip. “I don’t think so. I’m just me.”
He stood tall and those eyes trailed up and down my body. I shivered, the look feeling like a touch on my skin. “Wouldn’t be so sure about that, beautiful. Speakin’ from experience, I’d say you make a damn good impression.”
Oh my.
“Don’t you have shit you should be doin’, or am I payin’ you now to stand around?”
I jolted at the sound of Lincoln’s voice, spinning around so quick that my vision blurred and Bryce’s hands came up to brace on my forearms again.
Rocky jumped all over Lincoln like he hadn’t seen him in years, and he aimlessly petted his dog’s head while staring at Bryce’s fingers wrapped around my arms.
“I was just keepin’ the lovely Eden here company. Woman like her shouldn’t be made to wait.”
Something in my gut told me to move, so I took a step to the side, my attention bouncing between the two sexy, brooding men like a ping-pong ball. A muscle in Lincoln’s jaw ticked, and one corner of Bryce’s mouth hooked up in a smirk.
Neither of them said anything, and the discomfort began to make me itchy. When I turned to look at back at Roxanne, she was covering her mouth with one hand and had her head ducked like she was trying to hide the fact that she was fighting back a laugh.
“Uh….” I cleared my throat to get the men’s attention.
Lincoln’s eyes came to me, and that emerald green inside them instantly warmed as he smiled.
“Hey, baby.” He moved in close and surprised the hell out of me by placing a kiss on my cheek, dangerously close to the corner of my mouth.
Fire shot all the way from where his lips had just touched to my core. “Rocky behave for you?”
“Um, yeah. He was great.”
“Excellent. Sorry that took so long. I had a last-minute call. You ready for lunch?”
“Oh, I… we don’t… that is, if you need to work—”
Bending down, he hooked Rocky’s leash around his hand and grabbed mine with the other.
“I missed breakfast this morning, so I’m fuckin’ starving.
” Leading me to the door with Rocky jumping along beside us, Lincoln continued to speak.
“Evergreen Diner down the road makes a fantastic meatloaf sandwich, but if that’s not your thing, they’ve got other stuff, and it’s all just as good. ”
I guess I was having lunch with Lincoln whether I objected or not.
Looking back over my shoulder, I gave Roxanne and Bryce a wave with my free hand. “Enjoy the rest of your day,” I called out. “It was nice to meet you both.”
Roxanne waved excitedly. “Lovely meeting you, darlin’. Don’t be a stranger.”
“Good to meet you too, beautiful. I’m sure we’ll run into each other soon. Small town and all that.” Bryce winked.
A second later, we were out the door. A moment after that, I was living one of my many fantasies where Lincoln Sheppard was concerned, being lifted into the passenger seat of that big, black, gleaming truck of his.
Shit just got very, very real.