by Petrova, Em
Levi gave him a sharp nod, then turned away and attacked the thick log with violent fervor.
Abe twisted back to stare into Chapel’s warm brown eyes. He took in her wide pupils and the gold flecks surrounding them. He removed his hand from her pants and fastened them again.
“You get on back to the office, and I’ll meet you after I’m finished here. We have some unfinished business.” He took her hand and pressed it over his erection.
The corner of her mouth tilted up. “All right, lover. Be safe.”
On wobbly legs, she climbed back into the Jeep and started to drive away from the clearing. And she threw a wave at Levi on the way out.
***
Sweat trickled down Levi’s throat and spine, soaking his t-shirt. Though it was April, the heat oppressed him. A heat that had little to do with the weather and everything to do with that goddamn peep show he’d just received.
Anger pooled in his chest and he fought the urge to roar his frustrations to the treetops. Why the hell would Abe pull that? Kissing Chapel in front of him was enough public display of affection in his book. But slipping his hand into the front of her sexy jeans and fingering her pussy? Christ, Levi thought he’d go mad with the memory.
His shaft ached in its denim prison. His mind spun from trying to figure out if Abe often took care of his woman’s needs in plain view of other people, but Levi’s body was centered. Focused on one woman and the bow of her curves beneath Abe’s hand. Damn, to mold her to his body and take a turn pleasuring her would be mind-blowing.
Levi stared at the muddy footprints around Chapel’s Jeep tracks, instantly picking out the place where she’d stood with Abe. How the hell was he supposed to handle this? Last night Levi had walked in on them making out in the kitchen and that had been bad enough. Then he’d heard the squeaking bedsprings and known they were going at it. When she’d come out of the bedroom wearing only Abe’s long white t-shirt, Levi had thought he’d come in his jeans.
He had to find different living arrangements and fast. If he didn’t, he risked Abe discovering how attracted he was to Chapel Caldwell.
Not just attracted. Smitten. Enthralled.
He needed to get a grip. Jonesing for his boss’s woman was bad news. He didn’t need to make any enemies here. It was bad enough everyone in his hometown thought of him as a criminal.
Second degree felony assault and a kid dead. No matter that Bryan Keer was a druggie—huffing anything he got his hands on. When Bryan had started acting violent, shoving around Levi’s friends and threatening the single girl in their group, Levi had given him a shove. A shove that proved fatal.
Levi slung a forearm over his eyes and shielded his face from Abe’s view. Torment rose up inside him along with the sickening feeling he’d experienced at the moment he realized Bryan Keer wasn’t breathing. Gray-skinned. Growing cold.
Not all your fault, man. You know he was sucking on that bottle of nitrous oxide all afternoon.
Knowing the kid was toked up on funny gas didn’t make him feel better about it. He’d done his time because he’d shoved Bryan Keer and he’d never gotten up again. During the autopsy, the gas Bryan had huffed was no longer present in his body, and there was nothing to prove except the fact that Levi pushed him. His lawyer’s arguments in court had gotten him nowhere.
Words empty as the wind are best left unsaid, he thought, quoting the Homer he’d read again and again during his seven years behind bars.
This was all too much. He had to get the hell out of here and clear his head. He’d thought he’d find no better place to soothe his tortured soul than the backwoods of Pennsylvania. Working amongst nature had seemed like the best balm.
Little did he know the woods brought nymphs like Chapel.
He scrubbed a palm over his face and set his saw in the back of his pickup. “Heading home now?” Abe’s jovial voice cut into his thoughts.
Levi glanced up. “No, I think I’ll head into town. You need anything?” Abe’s gaze was direct. “You okay, man?”
The automatic “yes” rose to his lips, but for some reason he shook his head. “Need to talk?”
Levi scuffed a hand over his unshaven face. What was it about this guy that made him feel as if they’d been friends forever?
“Chapel says I’m a good listener,” Abe said.
Levi leaned against the truck, his thigh muscles suddenly wobbly at the sound of her name. An image of her long hair trailing down her back and Abe’s mouth slanting over hers as he stroked her pussy knotted Levi up all over again.
“How long have you and Chapel been together?” “About two years. She’s pretty damn amazing.” Yeah, that rings loud and clear.
“You seem pretty serious.”
Abe pressed his lips into a tight seam. “We are.” “What’s the problem then?”
He pointed to the Blue Jay Forestry logo on his chest. Levi arched a brow. “Daddy doesn’t approve?”
Abe sighed. “Got that right. He thinks I’m no good.”
With a lurch of his heart, Levi stared off at the clear-cut. The sun was beginning to sink behind the crest of the land. If Abe was no good, what the hell did that make Levi? Most fathers were the same across the world—protective of their daughters even if this was the twenty-first century and women made their own choices. Levi would hate to start out life with a disapproving in-law, just as Abe obviously was worried.
“No chance of changing his mind?” Levi asked.
Abe shook his head, and for the first time Levi saw the man shrink with depletion.
His typical happy-go-lucky exterior faded away and revealed the inner baggage.
Maybe we all have secrets.
“I don’t think he’ll change his mind. Not yet anyhow. I have some work to do until I get to a good place with her.”
Levi uncapped his water bottle and chugged the remainder of the warm liquid. “What’s that mean?”
Abe hitched himself onto the tailgate. “Five years ago I started my own company. When the economy struggled, so did I. I lost my ass. Now I have nothing to show for my business but a lot of bills. I was able to avoid bankruptcy, but I’m barely making the payments on the start-up loan from the bank and managing the house expenses.”
Realization came over Levi. So that’s why he was eager to bring a roommate on, even one who was in the way. Now that he knew this, it became harder to think about finding his own place to rent. A few extra dollars would help Abe. And Levi would pay a lot more for his own rental unit, so they both were making out.
“I can’t start a life with Chapel buried in debt.”
Levi nodded. “Does she know about the failed business?” “Yeah, everyone does. She just doesn’t know about my bills.”
“Is that why her father dislikes you as a contender for her hand?”
Abe pursed his lips and his knee bounced. “I have no idea. It’s possible he could know. This is a small town and word travels. Or at least rumors do. He probably suspects, and knows I won’t be able to properly care for his daughter. She’s a princess and deserves to be treated like one.”
“I don’t see anything spoiled about her,” Levi burst out before he could check himself.
Fortunately, Abe didn’t take offense. A grin tilted his features. “Not Chapel. She’s as down-to-earth as they come, and that’s one of the many reasons why I love her. But hell, listen to us, talking like old ladies at a church tea. Let’s get on home and crack open a cold one.”
Abe jumped off the tailgate and Levi closed it. “I’ll be home in a while. I have some things to do in town.”
When he was on the main highway with the truck turned into the glaring sun, he ran through his conversation with Abe once more. In just a few words, a bond had been forged. If anyone knew how it felt to be ostracized, it was Levi. And though he wanted Chapel with a passion stronger than anything he’d ever felt in his life, he wanted Abe to find happiness with her.
Chapter Four
Chapel set three dishes on the
scrubbed oak table and turned at the sound of a footstep. She smiled as Levi entered the kitchen, a shopping bag in hand and perfectly mussed from his day of work. At some point he’d shed his outer layer and now only wore the Blue Jay Forestry shirt. She couldn’t help but admire the way it stretched across his strong chest.
“Hi.” She picked up the spatula and flipped the thick hamburger patties she was frying.
“Hey. Where’s Abe?” “Shower.”
“I thought you would have eaten already.”
“Did you eat? I made enough for you. We’re having trash can burgers and sweet potato fries.”
The corner of his hard mouth twitched and an enticing sparkle appeared in his hazel eyes. “What’s a trash can burger?”
“A burger loaded with all the fixings. Every condiment imaginable, plus lettuce, tomato, onion, both sweet and dill pickles, avocado, bacon and lots of cheese.”
He rubbed his flat abs. His shirt caught on his fingers and pulled up to reveal one damn sexy love trail. Chapel’s heart caught and immediate heat infused her belly.
Working around men day in and out, she’d seen a lot of shirtless bodies. Abe’s was by far the best she’d seen, but now it seemed Levi rivaled him. She fought to keep from dropping her gaze to his waistband and seeking more of that delicious sight.
“Can I help you? I cut a mean onion slice.”
She laughed and happily handed over the fat Vidalia. “Thanks.” “We can’t have you crying over our meal preparations.”
He stood close to her—almost too close. His musky male scent wafted toward her along with the peppery tang of the woods. She shifted from foot to foot, so aware of his height and his broad stance. As he gave his hands a scrub in the sink, she watched the suds against his tanned knuckles, imagining those long fingers on her flesh.
She shivered and then caught herself. What’s wrong with you, Chapel? Your tongue is almost hanging out for this man.
At that moment Abe came through the doorway, fresh from the shower. His closely clipped dark hair still gleamed with moisture and droplets of water stood out on his spattering of chest hair. The smile died on his face as he saw her and Levi together.
Quickly Levi stepped away, presented them with his back and began peeling the onion. Chapel let her gaze fall to the tomato in her hands. She had to be wearing a guilty look. What if Abe confronted her about it? The last thing she wanted was for him to think there was anything going on between her and Levi. And she didn’t want to hurt him.
“Trash can burgers,” Abe said in a casual tone that made her melt with relief. He came into the kitchen and leaned against the counter to watch her. His gaze flicked to Levi. “Hope you bought a razor in town, Levi. Looks like you’re ready for a shave.”
“I think he looks dangerous,” she said.
Levi’s head jerked upward and he pierced her in his smoldering gaze. Chapel’s heart lodged high in her throat and a wave of dizziness struck her. Quickly, she tore her gaze away, but it was too late. Abe had seen that exchange. The exchange that had her pulse racing out of control. The one that had melted her bones with the sheer electricity pulsing between them.
Fuck. She cut into the tomato and arranged the slices on the plate, then spun toward the table once more. She fiddled with the placement of the silverware before chancing a look at Abe.
He was staring at Levi with a bemused expression. His ankles were casually crossed and his thumb hooked in his jeans pocket. “Dangerous, huh?”
“I-I just meant some women like that look—”
Levi returned his attention to the onion, which was already sliced and ready to be set upon a steaming burger. His voice was low and would have curled the ends of Chapel’s hair if they weren’t already. “I bought some blades in town.”
As she removed the burger patties from the stove and dished them onto fat buns, she wished she could shrink into the floor. While she was uncomfortable, Levi was about to crawl out of his skin. He refused to meet her or Abe’s gazes and his knee bounced beneath the table. He twisted his napkin into a tight knot.
Later, she’d have to apologize for making him feel this way. At this point, she wasn’t certain if she’d set him on edge by talking about women’s preferences or if he’d taken offense to her observation about his facial hair. Maybe he was recovering from a broken heart and her words had brought his single status to the fore.
Taking her seat at the circular table, she prayed the tension in the room dissipated. “Smells delicious. Oh, are those sweet potato fries I smell?”
“Damn!” She leapt from her chair and pulled open the oven door. A peek at the baking tray told her she’s spent too much time worrying about Levi’s chafed feelings and not enough tending her cooking duties. “They’re burnt.”
For no good reason, tears scalded the surface of her eyes. Abe must have heard them in her voice because he appeared at her side. “Oh, hey, it’s just fries, Chapel. They’re a little overdone. Still edible, right, Levi?”
“They look great to me. I’m starved.”
They were being so sweet to her, yet a tear escaped her lashes and splashed down her cheek.
Abe grabbed a dishtowel and removed the hot pan from her hands. He dropped it to the stove with a clatter and grasped her by the upper arms. “Sweetie, what’s going on? I know you said your father’s okay, but did you learn something new while I was showering?”
She dropped her forehead to his steely chest and rubbed it back and forth. “No, Daddy’s fine. I think I’m just a little tired.”
“Come here, baby.” He pulled her snugly into his embrace. “No wonder you’re tired. Between your dad, singlehandedly running the business and the new contract, you’ve got to be strung out. Why don’t you sit and eat and let me and Levi pamper you for the rest of the night?”
Her gaze flashed to Levi’s. His throat worked, and then he nodded. “Absolutely.”
Abe led her to the table again and seated her. Before he sat down, he dropped a tender kiss to the crook of her neck. A shiver of warmth ran down her spine. He really was a fabulous man. Honestly, she’d thought about spending the rest of her life with him more than once. They’d never discussed it and she was reluctant to bring it up. But she felt secure in his love for her and trusted the rest to fall into place.
Abe loaded up her burger with all the fixings. Levi went to the refrigerator and asked what she wanted to drink.
“Bottled water is fine.”
He returned to the table and handed her the drink, his fingers brushing hers in the exchange. She drew up straight at the electricity that snapped between their hands. White heat sidled through her core.
The guys tucked into the stack of burgers, finishing theirs before she’d taken two bites. The tears that had been so close lessened as she studied these men. Comparing them was impossible. One was as hot and sexy as the other. And it was astonishing how comfortable they were with each other. They spoke in a series of grunts and fragments. Most men she knew did, but there was something about Abe and Levi’s attitude that led one to believe they’d known each other forever.
Before long, they were diving into a discussion about baseball, talking hitters and plays. The atmosphere lightened considerably when Chapel’s weepiness fled. She finished her burger and a few fries, which weren’t as burnt as she’d originally thought, and sat back to listen to the blending of their rich voices.
Her father had a few more days expected in the hospital. Once he was home, she wouldn’t be able to stay with Abe for a while. She’d need to stick by her dad in case he needed something.
The KeerSaw contract was on her desk and time was ticking. They had sixty days to complete this job or they’d lose out on future contracts. Tomorrow she’d have to assemble the crews, maybe pull men from other jobs in order to put the best workers on the KeerSaw project. They had a huge amount of trees to haul before the deadline, and while the Blue Jay men were quick, they’d never attempted an operation of this scale.
As Abe an
d Levi continued to talk, Chapel’s mind wandered to hiring new people and future jobs with KeerSaw. She mentally danced around telling her father about the contract.
“All finished, Chapel?” Levi reached for her empty plate, a dark brow quirked in question.
She gave him a smile. “Yes, thank you.” She allowed him to take her plate away.
When she started to clean up, Abe shooed her out of the kitchen.
“We said we’re pampering you tonight. You’ve worked hard for us. Let us have our fair due. You go into the living room and relax.”
She started to protest, but the guys stood shoulder-to-shoulder and stared at her until she backed out of the kitchen. “All right, all right. I’m not about to argue with that much muscle.”
In the living room, she selected the smaller of the two sofas. She felt odd about sitting on the sofa Levi used as a bed. But his scent had permeated the room, mingling with Abe’s musky tones. She drew a deep breath of their mixed scents and suddenly realized how wrong that was.
What are you doing, Chapel? You’re not playing house with these two guys.
She rested against the cushions and battled the stirrings of her body. Today when Abe had fingered her to completion in the clearing, she couldn’t deny the titillation she’d known at Levi’s presence. On the drive home, she’d alternately thrashed herself for feeling that way and spent long, mind-blowing minutes reliving it. Hell, it was the hottest encounter she’d ever experienced. Being in Abe’s control with Levi a short distance away did things to her body.
After a while, the male banter and the loud clanks coming from the kitchen ceased and the guys came into the living room, bearing three beers and a box of individually wrapped snack cakes.
A laugh bubbled out of her. Four scorching eyes centered on her and she clapped a hand over her mouth.
“What’s funny?” Abe asked with a grin. “You making fun of the dessert we whipped up?”
“Not at all.” She held out her hands. Levi passed her a beer and Abe dropped a cake into her hand. “Very elegant, boys.”