by Petrova, Em
***
Levi twisted the faucet and let the steaming water pour into the shower. He didn’t really need the hot water to soothe any aching muscles. After seven years in the pen, he was accustomed to physical labor. In fact, he needed cold water. An afternoon with Chapel in his arms was almost too much to bear. His balls were drawn up tight to his body and his cock throbbed with need. Damn, she was a desirable woman.
And her tears had touched him deeper than he’d thought possible.
Quickly, he peeled off his outer shirt. His new Blue Jay Forestry t-shirt and jeans followed. It felt good to work for his benefit, rather than the State of Washington’s. For a moment, he stared down at the Blue Jay logo and wondered how the hell he’d gotten himself into the logging business again. After everything he’d endured from the family who owned KeerSaw, he thought he had better sense. But no, the instant his feet crossed the prison gates, he’d headed east to Pennsylvania, where he could take up logging again. It was the only thing he knew.
He wished he knew more about women.
Enclosed in the shower with the warm water drenching his sweat-grimed body, he couldn’t help but picture Chapel with him. Damn, the curve of her hips maddened him. Every ounce of his self-control had been employed to keep from sinking his fingers into the round flesh of her hips and dragging her against him.
Man, you’ve got it bad. You had to pick the one woman that’s attached.
He soaped up his palms and scrubbed his body, reveling in the privacy of this shower and his own new bottle of body wash. The few clothes he had were secondhand. When he was released from prison, he’d hit the bank and emptied his measly account. Most of the cash was spent on his truck, a very modest amount went toward clothes and the rest was holed away in a sock.
He hoped to have enough to rent an apartment of his own soon. He appreciated Abe’s kindness, but this bungalow was tiny. Levi had to sleep on the couch and his personal items were kept in a trunk in the corner. That didn’t bother him much.
However, it was only a matter of time before Chapel spent the night.
His cock swelled against his lower abs. White-hot need raged in his core. Fuck, he wanted her—her steady gaze locked on him, her luscious lips crushed to his.
If he was honest, he wanted so much more. The sweet thought of coming home to a delicate woman and a home-cooked meal. Sharing his thoughts and his life.
His past.
He clamped his hand around his shaft and rolled the thick head through his fingers. A groan escaped him. Fire licked his insides as he pumped his cock. Visions of Chapel flitted through his head. The sway of her soft hair against her shoulders, the way her fingers tightened on the cloth of his shirt, clinging as if he grounded her. As if he was important.
Gripping his rod, he imagined taking a woman like her to bed, stripping her slowly and sinking into her lush body.
He ground his molars against his need. A dark pressure told him when he came, it was going to be huge. His slick hair hung in his eyes as he two-fisted his cock. Tendrils of need captured him.
Again, he pictured her—sweet lips and upturned nose. Every inch of her was delicious. Fuck, she was the hottest woman he’d ever laid eyes on, and he wanted to plunge his cock into her hot little pussy.
With a primal grunt, he ruptured. Spurts of come pumped over his knuckles again and again as he soared at the pinnacle of his release. He continued to massage his shaft from root to tip, drawing every last drop from it.
As the wave ebbed away, he leaned heavily against the shower wall. The blood rushed to his head and gave him a sudden dizzying headache and an enormous wallop of guilt.
Crushing on Chapel was wrong. She was more than off-limits. Not only was she his boss and roommate’s woman, she was on a higher plane than Levi. A real princess, who deserved to be worshipped and handed the world on a silver tray. She deserved better than an ex-prisoner with a hand in a murder.
It doesn’t matter that you didn’t kill Bryan Keer. The assault charge and the jury said you were involved.
Pain and longing rose up in him, stronger than ever before. He hated his past and he’d never be able to run from it. If he planned to have a relationship with any woman—not Chapel of course—he’d need to come clean.
Quickly, Levi finished his shower and toweled off. Thoughts of Chapel returned instantly. He couldn’t keep from reliving the moment when the doctor had informed her that her father was being taken to emergency surgery. She’d completely crumpled and he’d been there to catch her, to support her endearing weight and dry her tears.
Another thread of need wove its way through his groin. Damn, he wasn’t going to live through seeing her often. He had to get his own place as soon as possible. If he didn’t, he feared Chapel would break him, wriggle into his self-control, and he’d do something rash.
Like scoop her into his embrace, twist her long, chestnut hair in his fist and kiss the breath from her.
He dressed in a clean pair of jeans and ran his fingers through his wet hair, then went into the living room. His stomach growled and he realized he’d missed lunch. Fleetingly, he wondered if Chapel had eaten.
Not your problem. Abe will care for her.
As he yanked open the refrigerator door and perused the contents he’d just pitched in to buy, he knew no matter how many times he reminded himself that Chapel was not his, his body said otherwise. His brain screamed that there was something between them—a link.
And his heart ached because he’d never be good enough.
Chapter Three
Chapel dropped the pen to the desk with a frustrated groan. Two days of handling the business and running back and forth to the hospital were wearing on her. She needed Abe. At that moment, she was tempted to jump into her Jeep and surprise him when he came home from work.
Then she remembered Levi was there too.
But she didn’t want Abe for that reason. Well, not right this moment. Her story would change the moment she set eyes on his broad shoulders and the twist of his smile—the smile that said he wanted to fuck her on the counter, and in the shower and on the front porch while the stars smoldered in the velvet sky.
“Screw it.” She switched on the answering machine, shut down the computer and grabbed her keys off the hook near the door. Whether Levi was there or not, she needed Abe’s comfort.
Outside, the air was warmer and the ground was veiled with fog. The overcast sky did nothing to cheer her, and neither did the ringing of her cell phone. Without looking, she knew it was her dad. Since he’d come out of recovery, he’d been more ornery than ever and called her at all hours of the day to tell her how to run Blue Jay Forestry.
With a sigh she brought it to her ear. “Hi, Dad.”
“Mornin’, girl. I forgot to tell you about that bid coming in with Harris Trees today.”
“I got it, Dad. All taken care of.”
“Did you remember to copy all items and—”
“Got it, Dad.” It was impossible to keep the irritation out of her voice. Even from his sickbed he was directing her every move. As if she didn’t know how to run a bid on the property they owned. She’d been drawing up paperwork for the other area companies to log off bits of their personal property since she was twelve.
“Oh, okay. Are you stopping by again? I could use a better toothbrush. These hospital ones are not good.”
“No, I’m not coming. I’ll see you tomorrow, and I’ll have a new toothbrush in hand.”
“Where are you headed? I hear the engine starting.”
She backed out of the drive and toward the main road leading to Abe’s place. She was silent for a long minute, pondering how best to answer her father. It was none of his business where she spent her time, and revealing she was going to Abe’s was like waving a red flag before a bull.
“I’m going out.”
“Where?”
“A friend’s.”
“The friend who likes those red under-drawers I saw in your back pocket the ot
her day?”
“Daddy!”
“Well, you’d better take care, Chapel. You’ll wind up pregnant to some logger bum.”
A scream swelled on her tongue and she bit it off. Through clenched teeth she said, “You’re a logger bum and Mom wanted you. Besides, I’m not going to get pregnant. I’m an adult and know about contraception.”
“If you’re sleeping with Abe, so help me—”
“What? What would you do? Fire him? Disown me? He’s the best faller you’ve ever had and I’m the only daughter you’ll ever have. Please, Daddy, let me run my life the way I want. I’ve gotta go. I’ll bring the toothbrush in the morning.”
Without waiting for a reply, she ended the call. The phone rested on her palm like a grenade. That familiar angry quake in her belly rose up and threatened to make her pull over and hit something. She took a deep breath, then another, but it did nothing to dispel the irritation she felt. Finally, she tossed her phone to the passenger seat and jammed her boot onto the gas pedal.
Roaring through the countryside should make her feel better. She considered taking several back roads. Maneuvering the twists and turns at high speeds sounded like a perfect way to release frustration.
But the back roads weren’t a direct path to Abe. And she needed him.
As she drove, she pondered her relationship with her sweet man. From breakfast in bed to the small forest flowers he often gathered for her while on the job, he was by far the most thoughtful lover she’d ever had. He was caring and loving, and devoted to her enjoyment in bed, which was more than she could say for her past boyfriends.
And damn, he could pleasure her. He spent hours working her over with kisses and well-placed licks with his velvety tongue before diving between her legs and lapping her pussy.
She squirmed in her seat at the memory and lay on the gas harder. Dark heat spiraled through her body out of control. It had been days since she and Abe had made love, and she missed him with an ache that told her just how deeply in love with him she was.
Ten minutes until bliss.
By the time his little bungalow came into view, her pussy was throbbing. Abe’s big red truck was parked beside an older, rusted pickup with a tailgate that didn’t match the body paint.
What was Levi’s story? New to Pennsylvania, but from where? Sure, she’d processed his paperwork to be able to give him a paycheck, but he hadn’t given a work history or a past employer. In fact, most of the application was blank. But in this business, it wasn’t uncommon. Some of the loggers had little education and simply skipped questions to avoid the painstaking process of answering.
No one cared about Levi’s background. It only mattered whether or not he could wield a saw safely and effectively.
Before she could get out of her vehicle, Abe was there, throwing her door open and lifting her off the seat into his arms. As he wrapped her close to his body, she inhaled his spicy, woodsy scent and let her worries and annoyance with her father wash away. When she was in Abe’s hold, she was all his.
The sound of the screen door banging brought Abe’s head up. Chapel leaned away in time to catch his broad grin.
“Don’t eat all the steak, Levi. We’ve got a woman to feed.”
As he said this, she caught a mouth-watering whiff of steaks on the grill. Abe caught her hand and towed her into the house. Glancing around, she saw at once that Levi had installed his belongings in the tiny living room. He trailed in behind them, bringing his scent to her—musk and delicious man.
To hide her confusion, she spun into Abe’s arms. With a growl, he plucked her off her feet and bore her to the kitchen with her legs dangling inches from the floor and her body plastered to his hard length.
A giggle escaped her. Abe carried her into the sunny yellow kitchen and set her on the counter—their counter. The place where he’d pressed her until the edge bit into her side and had kissed her for the first time. The place he’d later begun their lovemaking.
She gripped his face in both hands and drew him to her mouth. Kissing him was like drawing breath for the first time—she never fully came alive until he possessed her.
His mouth was warm and rough as he fed her a passionate, tongue-dueling kiss. He exerted pressure on her chin and she opened to accept him deeper, her head awhirl with his flavors. He splayed his hands across her lower back and drew her closer. She wrapped her legs around his hips and held him tight.
His heat seeped through her jeans. Her pussy clenched hard and released a flood of cream. Oh, how had she lived without this the past few days? She needed him—he was an essential part of her daily existence that she never wanted to give up.
In the other room she detected the low notes of the television. The nightly news sounded but she drowned out talk of the weather and arrests and only knew the faint moans coming from her mouth and Abe’s answering growls.
He sank his fingers into her hips, kneading the hollows until she thought she’d die from the torment. When he ran his hands up her torso to cup her breasts, she went wild. Angling her head to deepen their kiss, she reached for his fly.
Suddenly she heard a step on the tile floor and remembered they weren’t alone. Abe didn’t release her mouth, but she opened her eyes and met Levi’s smoldering gaze.
A spark of electricity shot between them and she swallowed a gasp. For one throbbing minute, she was locked to him even as she was pinned beneath Abe’s demanding mouth.
A ripple of pain crossed Levi’s features, and then he twisted his gaze from hers and slunk from the kitchen.
Abe lifted her off the counter, wrapped her thighs snugly around his waist and carried her back to his bedroom. He kicked the door shut with his heel and fell to the big bed with her.
Slipping his hands beneath her ass, he drew her up and against the bulge in the front of his jeans. She released a needy moan and surged upward to nip his lower lip.
Her heart thrummed with passion for Abe. But she’d be lying if she didn’t recognize that electrical vibration she’d shared with Levi still ran through her body like 110 volts. What was going on with her?
Abe flicked his tongue over her upper lip and she swirled hers against his, devouring his musky male flavor. Her breasts ached and her pussy throbbed with need.
As if sensing this, he cupped her breasts in his palms and lightly kneaded them. A shudder tore through him. “Damn, I love your breasts, Chapel. I’m going to kiss and lick and suck them until you’re begging me to take you.”
She watched through hooded eyes as he peeled away her outer layer and her top hit the floor with a whisper. She slipped her hands under the hem of his thermal shirt, skimming the ridged muscles. Heat clawed at her insides, demanding release. She ground her pussy against his steely erection.
He stripped off her bra and abandoned it. Then, with exquisite slowness, he circled her nipples with a forefinger. She squeezed her eyes shut at the blissful sensation. He pinched them slow and hard, just the way she liked, before sucking them. When his mouth descended, she forgot to breathe.
She raked her fingers through his hair. He brought his cock against the V of her legs again and again, the thick head nudging her needy clit until she thought she’d come. Wetness pooled in her panties.
“Please, Abe.”
He released her nipple with a soft pop. His dark gaze burned into hers. “Please what, baby?” The gritty tone of his voice sent her pulse racing out of control.
“Please.” She twisted her hands into the sheets as he took up her other nipple, sucking it onto his tongue. “Fuck me.”
Her bold words ripped a groan from him. In one swift move, he unzipped her jeans and drew them down her hips. She reached for his fly too and released his cock from the restraint of low-slung jeans and boxers.
“Oh God, baby, you can’t do that,” he said through clenched jaw as she lightly ran her fingertip through the soft depression and gathered a drop of pre-come. Holding his gaze, she brought her finger to her lips and lapped off the cream.
&
nbsp; “Fuck!” In a flurry he tore off her jeans and silk panties. His clothes were removed with all haste.
He hovered over her nude form with a condom in place. She drank in everything about him—from the expression in his eyes to the chiseled contours of his chest and biceps. The head of his cock nuzzled her slick folds.
She gripped his ass and tried to force him to join them. “I’m out of my head here, Abe. Take me!”
With one swift thrust, he sank balls-deep. She cried out as his thick shaft split her sensitive tissues. White-hot need coiled in her belly and her pussy pulsed around him, begging him to move.
He brought his lips a breath from hers. “Tell me what you feel for me, Chapel. You want me but you never say the words.”
She gulped. In her life she’d rarely expressed love for people. After her mother died, she’d held her emotions in check. Though she and her father loved each other, he was a crusty man. She could count on one hand the number of times he’d told her that he loved her. In fact, she could probably count on two or three fingers.
She stared into Abe’s eyes, aware of every gold fleck. “Tell me, Chapel.”
“You know how I feel about you, Abe.” “No, I don’t. You’ve never told me.”
She hated that he was right. “You’re my life.”
His eyelids fluttered and his jaw worked, but he continued to stare at her expectantly. “The words.”
“I can’t imagine being without you.”
He swooped in and brushed his lips over hers. Before she could follow him, he moved away. Leaving her hungry for him. She rocked her hips against his swollen shaft.
“You can’t say it.”
Why was she hesitating? She adored this man. She’d admitted to herself more than once how deep the vein of her love ran. What was the problem with saying three little words that would give him endless happiness?
She wrapped her arms around him and bit the bullet. “I love you, Abe. My life. My world. Now take me, please.”
He made a sound deep in his chest and began to move. Each thrust stroked her wet walls and ratcheted up her need another notch. Her sex flooded with juices and she moaned as waves of ecstasy washed over her.