Crazy for the Competition (Hope Springs) Read online

  Heath stood and ran a hand across the whiskers on his jaw.

  “Sorry, got a little distracted looking around,” Quinn said. “As for your idea for the butterflies, you’d obviously know more about building something than me. Like I said, I’ll take color coordination, and I’ll even figure out how to get the fancy paper draped across it. Maybe that way we can work together without killing each other.”

  “Maybe,” he said and she raised an eyebrow. Maybe they should work out their tension another way. Sex did wonders for making you forget your differences.

  “Let’s get started, then.”

  His head was still on sex, so it took him a moment to realize she meant building the frame. He grabbed wire and tools and then sat down on the floor, because it was the only space large enough.

  Quinn sat across from him, and they worked on shaping the wire. She passed him tools and held things in place when he needed an extra hand. Here and there she made a few half-mumbled noises that he took to mean she wasn’t sure he was on the right path. She kept her word and let him make the decisions, though.

  After a few minutes straining to see the tiny wire, he reached back and pulled his glasses out of the workbench—he really only needed them for intricate parts.

  “Bloody hell, you’ve got to be kidding me,” Quinn said.

  He looked at her, her features now extra crisp thanks to the glasses. She had these cute freckles across the bridge of her nose, and her bottom lip was between her teeth. “What?” he asked.

  She shook her head and swallowed. “Nothing.”

  Really? The glasses turned her on? Hell, he’d wear them all the time, then. “What’s with the bloody? You turning British on me?”

  “I’m an equal-opportunity swearer.”

  “Well, Miss Potty Mouth, hand me the needle-nose pliers next to your feet, please.”

  She picked them up and extended them to him. He let his fingers brush across hers, testing how far he could milk this. “Can you hold these two pieces together while I twist?”

  Quinn knelt next to him. She gripped the two wires, and he took the pliers and twisted. Every time he turned the pliers, his forearm brushed her chest, even when he tried to do the honorable thing and go from another angle. The beating pulse at her neck called to him again, begging to be kissed. She smelled amazing, too, a light vanilla scent that invaded his senses.

  “I’ll be damned,” she said once he lowered the pliers. “It actually looks like a butterfly. Look at you using your manly skills to spread your wings and fly.”

  His lips trembled as he tried to keep a straight face—she kept him on his toes, that was for sure. “One, never say that to me again, and two, I told you I’d find a way—never doubt me, woman.”

  “It was a compliment. No need to get your wings in a bunch.” She innocently batted her eyes, the amusement in them clear.

  Oh, she wanted to play? He could play. All day he’d held back, not taking opportunities he would under usual circumstances, because she wasn’t just any girl. She was in a different class and her family already disliked him, she was Sadie’s best friend, and most problematic of all, she wanted to take Mountain Ridge from him. But between the flirting and the constant challenges she threw out, he was done overthinking and worrying about making things complicated.

  Letting his instincts take over, he reached up and brushed the strands that’d fallen free of her ponytail off her face. The amusement died, other emotions taking over her features. Surprise and temptation—he could work with both of those.

  He trailed his fingers across the top of her cheek. “I’m glad we got paired together. I’d much rather stare at you bending across the float than Patsy Higgins.”

  She leaned in a fraction, her breath hitting his lips. “Wow, with a bar that low, I don’t even know if that could be called flattery.”

  Exhilaration surged through him, and he curled his hand around the back of her neck. “Like you don’t know that I haven’t been able to stop staring at you all night. Honestly, since that day you swore in church, I’ve had a hard time getting you out of my head.”

  “You made a rather unforgettable impression, too.” She pressed a hand to his chest, and her eyes locked onto his.

  Their lips had drifted closer and closer, and now he was a mere inch from closing the gap between him and the feisty, smart woman who was slowly driving him crazy in the best possible way.

  Quinn wrapped her hand around his wrist. “Heath—”

  “You’re going to say this is a bad idea. That we’ve got to work together or whatever, but think about it. This way we can get it out of the way and focus on the task at hand. And don’t pretend you haven’t been thinking about it. Your ‘bloody hell’ gave it away.”

  “I don’t know what’s more romantic. You saying you want to get it out of the way or that you’re using my swearing against me.” She said it in a light, teasing tone, but then her fingers gripped tighter and a hint of nervousness showed through as she licked the lips currently mesmerizing him. “But actually, I was going to say that kissing is as far as this can go. Obviously there’s attraction and now that we’re working together, it’s impossible to ignore or think it’ll magically go away—I mean, not even constantly disagreeing is enough to faze it. But I just got out of a relationship, and I’m not looking for anything serious.”

  “Then we’re in the same place. I don’t have time for a relationship right now.”

  “Good,” Quinn said, and then her eyebrows scrunched together. “Except that makes it sound like I’m looking for sex without strings attached, and that’s not what I mean, either.” She glanced to the ceiling like she was looking for an answer and sighed.

  He sat back, ready to retreat. He wasn’t going to push if she didn’t want him to kiss her. Maybe he’d read the entire situation wrong.

  “Ugh, now I’m screwing it up before it even starts.” Her eyes caught his and held. “I’m saying…I really want to kiss you, but I’m not sleeping with you. I like having a little fun as much as anyone else, and I’m sure you’re probably used to girls racing to your bed, but I’m not like that. I’d rather just put that out there now so there’s no confusion. If that changes your mind about kissing me—”

  He covered her mouth with his and returned his hand to her neck so he could draw her closer. Her lips opened under his, soft, pliant, sweet. He took advantage, sweeping his tongue in to meet hers. It ignited something in her that changed the tempo, no more soft and sweet. Her fingernails dug into the skin on his arms, and trails of heat scored through his body. Her tongue swirled around his, and he groaned—the woman had perfected the kiss.

  She straddled him, sinking onto his lap. Her hips bumped into his, and desire fired hotter through his veins. If kissing was all they were going to do tonight, he might as well make it last as long as possible. He savored every inch of her mouth as he slipped his arm between his jacket and her tank top, wrapping it around her and bringing her tighter against him.

  Her moan vibrated against his lips, turning him on even more, and then her tongue stroked his. Everything in him wanted to lay her down and start tearing off clothes. The no-sleeping-with-him edict was issued like a challenge he wanted to break, but at the same time, he could tell it’d come out reluctantly and that she’d meant it. So he gave her one more solid kiss, exhaled, and then rested his forehead against hers.

  Her chest rose and fell against his, and right now he cursed his leather jacket for being in the way, despite how hot she looked in it.

  “Well, then,” she said on a shaky breath. “Now that that’s out of the way…” She leaned in, gave him a quick peck, and pushed to her feet. She touched her red, slightly swollen lips with the tips of her fingers. “I, uh, just realized I can’t make a dramatic exit because you drove me here. So I’ll settle for swaying my hips as I walk to the door, giving you a sultry look over my shoulder, and then you following me so you can drive me home.”

  He simply nodded—that sounded like
a solid plan to him. Quinn put an extra sway in her step as promised and cast a come-hither look over her shoulder that only lasted two seconds before she broke into laughter. “Well? What are you waiting for?”

  Obediently, he jumped to his feet, surprised his limbs even knew how to work after that. Kissing had always been a nice thing to get to other things, but that had been something else altogether.

  He’d never had any woman give it to him straight like that, either. Just lay it out, no games. Every minute he spent around Quinn made him realize he’d never met anyone quite like her.

  Now all he wanted to do was get to know everything about her, but without either one of them getting too attached.

  Sure. That seemed like a probable outcome. And yet he knew he was going to try it out anyway.

  Chapter Eight

  The second day of float building went much smoother than the first. Quinn had stayed up until two a.m. studying every tutorial she could find. It probably would’ve gone faster if she hadn’t kept reliving the kiss between her and Heath. The way it’d set her body on fire and sent her inhibitions to the back of her mind made it impossible not to think about, though, and having him nearby all morning kept her lips tingling with the memory.

  Trying not to lose control with him would be a constant struggle, and yet the thought of never kissing him again made an ache settle over her heart. She didn’t want to analyze that too closely, because then she’d have to admit she was already pushing her boundaries farther than she should.

  She glanced up at him, watching as he secured the wire frame for the bigger butterfly. Apparently he’d built it last night when she’d been Googling. He let it go, grinning when it stayed in place. He winked at her, and an electric zip shot through her core.

  Gah, could the guy be any hotter?

  The answer was no, no, he couldn’t. Except maybe if he put on his black square frames so the image of hot and nerdy could clash and short-circuit her brain again. He jumped down, landing right in front of her, and then reached out and squeezed her shoulder. “Need help with the purple stuff?”

  “The purple floral sheeting, you mean?” Her internet research had her feeling smarter and totally in control of the newbie-float-builders situation.

  Heath arched his eyebrows. “The who does what now?”

  “I understand if you’re not secure enough in your manhood to say it,” Quinn teased.

  He leaned in until his lips brushed her ear, and goose bumps swept across her skin. “Be careful, or I’ll have to take you to my truck and make sure you never question my manhood again.”

  His hand slid down, pausing right at the curve of her butt. Then he reached behind her and grabbed the stapler. Quinn glanced around. She wondered if anyone had noticed their blatant flirting. The last thing she needed was for it to turn into town gossip that’d get back to her family.

  Once our float looks a little less homely, we need to find somewhere we can be alone again. I think I can hold back until then.

  He shot her a mischievous grin and dragged his hand across her waist before climbing back on the float. I…wait. What was I thinking?

  Quinn rolled out the purple floral sheeting. Now that the wire butterfly frames were secured, she could decorate the top of the float and cover the bases Heath had built to hold them in place. Then they’d use the pink and yellow plastic vinyl rolls and festoon to fix up the butterflies so they no longer looked like they’d been set on fire and their skeletons were all that remained. She doubted the people of Hope Springs would go for that kind of float. It definitely didn’t say, “Spread Your Wings and Fly.”

  “Hey, man.” A guy Quinn vaguely recognized strode up to Heath. “I can’t wait until you get your hunting lodge up and running. My college buddies and I have talked about doing a trip for years, so you let me know when you start booking them, and I’ll get ’em down here. It’d be nice to get away from the ol’ ball and chain for a few days, you know what I mean?”

  Quinn stapled the purple sheeting with more gusto as she thought about this guy and his buddies using her B and B to sit around and complain about their wives. Even though she couldn’t remember the guy’s name, she’d seen him with his wife, and let’s just say she’d definitely gotten the short end of the stick in that pairing.

  Jerk.

  “Well, it’s not a done deal yet,” Heath said, casting a quick glance her way. “The committee still hasn’t made their decision.”

  “My uncle’s on the committee.” He clapped Heath on the back. “I’ll put in a good word for you.”

  Quinn gritted her teeth and fought the urge to turn her stapler on the guy. Heath must’ve sensed her intent, because he guided him toward the other side of the float, thanked him for his support, and said he needed to get back to work. She tried not to let it bother her, but she couldn’t stop worrying the guy might actually have pull, and a mix of resentment and worry rose up, causing her to staple faster and harder.

  In her head, she mimicked Heath’s Thanks for your support, then immediately felt bad. If she knew a way to improve her chances besides simply float building, she’d take it, so she could hardly fault him for the same thing.

  Now I need a non-backstabbing way to improve my chances. Let’s see, who do I know who’s related to a town committee member?

  A few names came to mind, but she wasn’t sure how influential they’d be. Sadie would be more up-to-date on that kind of info, but with her vow to remain neutral, it might not be easy to convince her to help. Ooh, I bet her grandparents would know, and luckily, they love me.

  With that thought in mind, she continued stretching paper and securing it in place. She and Heath worked for another hour or so, until the sides and floor were colorful and no hint of cardboard remained, but things were less playful than they’d been before the reminder of their opposing sides.

  They’d just decided to take a break when a blond boy who she guessed to be in the six- to eight-year-old range wandered in and waved so big that Quinn worried she’d hurt his feelings if she didn’t wave back, even though she didn’t know him.

  The cutest dog she’d ever seen trailed behind him on a leash, and then they both bounded toward her. It wasn’t till they’d raced past that she realized they didn’t care about her, but the guy behind her.

  The little boy started talking excitedly about how he had a music program this week, and Heath was coming, right?

  Quinn glanced from Heath to the kid, noticing similar features, coloring, and the exact same blue-green eyes, and her stomach fell right down to her toes. Oh my gosh, he’s got a kid. Why didn’t he mention that when he was talking about the lodge?

  Usually she’d think that meant he was a deadbeat dad, but as he rubbed a hand over the kid’s head and then squatted to be on his level to talk to him, the affection was clear to see.

  The adorable puppy jumped, pawing at Heath’s knees as if to say he didn’t want to be left out, and Heath gathered him in his arms. “Thanks for taking Trigger for a walk. Don’t want him staying at home all day and getting fat and lazy.”

  The dog licked his face and he flinched, but he didn’t move him away. Heath glanced up at Quinn. “Quinn, meet Oliver and”—he lifted the dog—“Trigger.”

  Oliver stuck out his hand, and Quinn shook it. A mitt was on his left hand and his shoelaces were untied, the used-to-be white coated in dirt. “Nice to meet you. And you,” she said to the dog, patting his head.

  “Guys, this is Quinn.”

  Oliver spared her another quick glance and then started talking about grounders. Heath nodded and straightened. “Tell you what. Sometime this week we’ll go out to the field and practice, okay? Once you get the position down, you’ll be stopping them left and right.”

  “Okay,” Oliver said.

  “And let’s tie those shoes before you trip. Is your mom home today?”

  “Nah. She’s at work. I got bored so I got Trigger and walked to the store for some candy, and then I saw your truck.”

/>   “That’s pretty far. I’m guessing you need a ride home?”

  Oliver blew out a big exhale. “Yep. Farther than I thought. Took forever, too, because Trigger had to mark his territory everywhere. We both got in trouble when he peed on Mrs. Branson’s flowers.”

  Heath chuckled, and Quinn covered her laugh with her hand. While Heath’s having a kid threw her for a loop, as long as he wasn’t married, she could deal.

  Crap. Here I am thinking like we’re in a relationship, when we’re clearly not, and we both agreed on keeping things light and easy. Of course, the last hour had felt more tense than easy. Frustration bubbled up as she contemplated her current situation. She couldn’t stop thinking about kissing him again, but thoughts about how to get more people on her side for the B and B were rattling around in her brain, too. Now that there was a kid in the mix, her emotions got so tangled up she could hardly pick one from the other.

  Heath glanced at her and then attraction rose to the top, shoving her other feelings down for later exploration. “I’m starving. How about I take you two out for lunch, and then I’ll bring Ollie home before we get back to float building?”

  “Sure,” she said, unable to resist the chance to spend more time with him. Not to mention the way her stomach rumbled at the mention of food.

  “With milkshakes?” Oliver asked. Heath nodded, and he pumped his fist. “Sweet. I’ll go get in the truck.” He sprinted away, forgetting to take the dog, his untied shoelaces trailing behind him.

  “He’s cute.”

  “Yeah. I just wish his mom didn’t think he was old enough to be left alone all the time. I know Hope Springs is a relatively safe place, but it only takes one bad person coming through, or him not paying attention when he’s crossing the street… Especially since his shoelaces are never tied.”