“Lincoln, stop! Please.”
Ugh. Why does he have to sound so pleading?
I turned around and walked backward as I forced a smile. “It’s okay, Brock. I’m tired, and Kaylee can give me a ride back home.”
“Lincoln, for fuck’s sake, just stop. You’re gonna—”
I was pretty sure he was about to say I was “gonna fall” . . . just as I started to fall.
I tripped over something, and before I could stop myself, I landed right on my ass. Hard.
“Ouch!” I cried out.
Brock was there in an instant. “Are you okay?” he asked, helping me to stand.
“Yeah. Except for my pride, I’m peachy keen.”
“I didn’t think you were serious about leaving. Why didn’t you even say goodbye?” Brock asked.
Kaylee pulled close and stopped. I was silently praying she would get out of the car and call for me. Tell me she needed to get back to editing the book she was working on.
“I, um . . . I just thought it would be best.”
“Why?”
I stared at him. Is he for real?
He had just ignored me a few minutes ago, and now he wanted to know why I was leaving?
“Are you for real, Brock? You just acted like a dick, and you want me to just hang around and let you take me home? Listen, I’m not looking to get involved with anyone, but I’m not going to lie. I find myself really attracted to you, and I have no flipping clue how you really feel about me, so I think it’s probably best if we just go ahead and stop this here. I mean, it might be nothing, and I was reading into you being all sweet and kind and inviting me to hang out with you and your son today. The kiss the other day was a fluke.”
“It wasn’t a fluke, princess. Not one thing about that kiss was a mistake,” Brock said with an intensity that wasn’t his typical asshole self.
“Well, whatever it was, you’re clearly putting this in the friend zone . . . at least, I think you are. I’m not even sure. I’m going to head on home. Thank you for a lovely day, Brock.”
Before I could turn and walk away, he took my arm and pulled me against his body.
“You’re confusing the fuck out of me, Lincoln.”
My eyes went wide. “Me? I’m confusing you? One minute you’re hot, and the next you’re cold. You have my head spinning, Brock!”
He leaned down, and my breath hitched.
Oh, holy hell. He is not going to kiss me again. No. Stop him right now.
But I didn’t. I actually rose up some so our lips were inches apart.
Right before his lips met mine, Kaylee honked the horn, and I jumped.
Typical Kaylee, trying to be funny in her own twisted little way. It was probably her payback for me having her come out to pick me up.
Brock smiled, and as if on cue, my stomach fluttered.
“Come to Billings.”
“Excuse me?” I said, not thinking I’d heard him right.
“I want you to come to Billings with me. You can drive with me. Kaylee, too, if she wants. My whole family will be there. Let me show you what I do.”
My insides went all weird on me again while my head started to pound from all the whiplash this guy was causing me. “I don’t know, Brock.”
“Stay with me tonight.”
With a shocked gasp, I went to speak, but Brock did it first.
“No, wait. I didn’t mean it like that. I meant, stay here, at the dance with me, and I’ll take you home. Let me at least explain why I got so upset earlier.”
I looked at Kaylee, who was sitting in my car, a shit-eating grin on her face. She probably knew all along I wouldn’t end up leaving with her.
“Maybe we should call it a night,” I finally said.
“Lincoln, please? I’m not any good at this. Just give me two hours, and if you still want to go home, I’ll take you.”
“Fine,” I said with a sigh. “Let me go tell Kaylee.”
A huge grin appeared on Brock’s face, and a part of me wanted to slap it off of him, but those damn dimples got me every time. Not to mention he was wearing a baseball cap today. Give me a guy in either a cowboy hat or a baseball cap.
Ugh.
As I made my way over to the driver’s side of the car, Kaylee started to shake her head.
“What did he promise you to make you stay? Hot sex in a stall of the barn? Lord knows, your vajayjay could use some action. That’ll bring new meaning to the phrase ride a cowboy if you are gonna have sex, romping around in the hay.”
Smacking her hard on the arm, I said, “Shut up! He wants to talk, so I’m going to give him the benefit of the doubt—for right now.”