Twenty Times Tempted: A Sexy Contemporary Romance Collection

by Petrova, Em

  “I presented him with his past, Chapel.” “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  He pointed a finger down the road toward Levi’s retreating truck. “That man is not who you believe him to be.”

  “Still too cryptic, Dad. Just come out and say what’s on your mind.” “I’m looking out for you, sweetheart.”

  Anger bubbled in the pit of her stomach. “Looking out for me or interfering?

  Because honestly, I can only count a handful of times you’ve ‘looked out’ for me.” “You’re belittling how I raised you?” he growled.

  “Yeah, I am. If I didn’t know you love me deep down, I wouldn’t have stuck around here this long. But telling me what to do and offering support and advice are different beasts, Daddy. I’m an adult. Hell, I’ve been an adult since I was nine years old and I finally realized my mother wasn’t ever coming home.”

  Shock rippled across his features. He swayed as if she’d punched him. His hand shook as he scrubbed his face with it, and then he jammed it into his front pocket. “Maybe I didn’t do the best at parenting you, Chapel, but I tried.”

  Emotion welled in her. She pressed her lips into an uneven line. “Tell me what you said to Levi.”

  His jaw firmed. “I looked at his file and résumé.” “Yeah?” She had too upon hiring him.

  “I read a little between the lines. There were too many years unaccounted for where he simply said he worked all over the state of Washington. And something else tipped me off. When I mentioned KeerSaw he got a hard look about him. So I talked to the owner of KeerSaw and got some information.”

  “Which is…?” Pressure built in her chest until she thought she’d rupture. Whatever he’d discovered had driven Levi away and that worried the hell out of her. Panic was swiftly rising. Damn her father’s meddling!

  “What are your feelings for Black?” he asked. “Just tell me what you learned.”

  “All right, you don’t have to tell me you’re hooked on both him and Gardner. I don’t like it.”

  “Who asked you to like it?” she raged, fists clenched at her sides. Across the clearing Abe’s saw droned on and on as he made a back cut on an enormous white oak. A lot of logs would remain uncut without Levi on the job, which would push then further back in the deadline.

  But she couldn’t care less. At the moment she only needed information.

  “I am still your father, Chapel. Your only kin. And I’m allowed to worry about the fact that you’re running with an ex-convict.”

  The air seemed to still around her, enclosing her in a silent vacuum. The breath whooshed from her and she folded her arms over her midsection to keep her guts from spilling out.

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Black was just released from prison weeks before you hired him. He was put there by Ed Keer.”

  Her heart knocked her ribs ferociously. Her mind spun. These were false accusations. Levi couldn’t be involved in any criminal activities, let alone with Ed Keer.

  Could he? You know nothing of his past.

  Another voice—a stronger voice—spoke up in her defense and Levi’s. “I don’t need to know his past. I know him.”

  “That so? You know he took a man’s life?”

  A tremor of shock tore through her. She shot a glance toward the woods, hoping Abe would see her distress and come to her. But his back was to her and he was tearing into the thin bit of wood anchoring the tree to its root system.

  “You lie.”

  “Ask him yourself. He didn’t speed out of here because he’s innocent, girl.”

  Now seeing he wasn’t here at Abe’s bungalow, she slumped over the steering wheel and let her tears fall. Fear and alarm captured her. What if he’d gone for good and she never got a chance to learn the true story?

  She had no idea how he’d taken a man’s life. Was it in a logging accident? It had to be. Levi wasn’t the type of man who could do harm.

  Visions of him tearing into Abe, rolling on the ground in a brutal struggle for control flitted through her perverse mind. She shook them off.

  There was one way to know if he’d fled for good—go inside the house and see if he’d taken his belongings.

  Dread was a serpent in her belly. She couldn’t bring herself to do it. For long minutes she let her tears flow and tried to think through her haze of shock long enough to formulate a plan. Pulling Abe off the job right now wasn’t an option. They had to reach their daily goal. She prayed another crew member could jump into Levi’s position and buck all the logs today. They had hundreds to pull by quitting time to meet their quota.

  She forked her fingers through her hair. “I’ll look for him myself,” she whispered.

  Slamming the Jeep into reverse, she backed out of the driveway. She was going to travel all the back roads she knew Levi took between work and home. With any luck she’d find him.

  What then? How was she going to bring up his past and make him talk? And did she want him to?

  Three hours later she crawled out of her vehicle, cramped and depleted from crying. Abe set down his saw and hurtled fallen trees to reach her. Their gazes met and in that instant, all was forgiven.

  “What’s going on? Where’s Levi?”

  She shook her head and spread her hands wide. “I don’t know.”

  Abe’s arms encircled her and she crumpled. He crushed her to him. “Talk to me.” “Levi’s gone. My father—” She gulped around the furious knot that choked her.

  “He found out some things about Levi’s past and confronted him about them. Abe, I’m afraid he’s not going to come back.”

  ***

  Abe’s knuckles tightened as he followed Chapel through the door of her father’s house. He’d only been inside a few times though they’d been dating for years. Thank God she’d come to him and Levi after she’d squirmed out from under her father’s rule.

  Too bad the man’s reach could still affect her.

  “Damn him to hell,” Abe murmured under his breath.

  She paused between the mudroom and the living area. “What was that?”

  “Nothing.” He caught her wrist. “You sure this is a good idea? You’re pretty upset and you know whatever your father has to say will make that worse.”

  Her eyelids fluttered shut. He studied the fringe of her lashes against her reddened cheek. “I need to talk to him, Abe.”

  He pressed a soft kiss to her hairline, threaded his fingers with hers and followed her through the small, cozy rooms to a larger living area. At their entrance Jay looked up from where he sat in a recliner watching TV.

  He started to lurch to his feet but Chapel waved him back down.

  “I didn’t think I’d see you for a while after what happened this morning.” Jay’s voice was gruff.

  “I came for Levi’s file. And we need help. We can’t find him.”

  Jay’s mouth worked as if he chewed on his inner lips. “I’ll do what I can for you, Chapel girl. And I owe you an apology.”

  Her mouth fell open. She started to speak but he gestured for her to stop.

  “You were right when you said I could have done better raising you. I wasn’t always there when you needed me. Logging is a tough business. If you make it through the first five years alive, you’ve got a pretty good chance. I could never get that out of my mind—how if I was killed you’d be alone. But it was our livelihood. I couldn’t just abandon it.”

  Her knees buckled and she collapsed to a fat ottoman. “You never told me this.” “How could I? Telling my little girl that her momma had gone to heaven was bad

  enough. Besides you knew the dangers of logging. I tried to stay out of the woods and in the safety of the office but that wasn’t always possible.”

  Abe could appreciate Jay’s hesitation to discuss the more morbid aspects of the business with his daughter. Hell, every day Abe went into the field similar thoughts ran through his mind. What would happen to her if he was killed?

  “Fact is I should have found a s
tepmother for you but I was too broken up over your mother’s death.” Jay’s voice faltered and he rubbed a worn spot on the leather arm of his chair.

  “Daddy…”

  The little girl quality of her voice pierced Abe’s heart. He squeezed Chapel’s shoulder and let his fingers slip down her spine, trying to soothe her.

  Jay lifted his head and looked her fully in the face. “Sweetheart, I’m sorry I tried to control your life. I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you all those years—violin recitals and school plays I missed… Damn, I should have been there but I felt the best I could do for you is work hard and build security in Blue Jay Forestry.”

  A quiet sob sounded in her chest.

  Jay tore his gaze from her as if her tears gutted him. He turned his blue stare on Abe.

  Abe cleared his throat. “If I can just say… Chapel is an intelligent and caring woman. She manages Blue Jay well and the men give her the utmost respect. She’s managed to gain more esteem in their eyes since negotiating the KeerSaw project. Big deals like this could bring prosperity to many hardworking men who would like to give their families more too. Chapel took a chance and we’re all going to make it pay off.”

  Jay nodded. “I see that now. Just as I see she’s chosen a good man.”

  “Two good men.” Her voice was clear and strong. She covered Abe’s fingers with her own and faced her father with the truth of her relationship with Abe and Levi. “I love two men, Daddy. Abe and Levi. Two very strong and supportive men who make me feel whole. I know it’s unconventional but I’d like you to accept my decision.”

  Jay’s eyes widened but he seemed far from shocked. “Yeah, an unusual situation and one that many won’t understand, Chapel. You ready to face down a lot of criticism?”

  “With you standing behind me, yes.”

  His throat worked. For a minute he and Chapel stared at one another. Abe noted the same stubborn expression on their faces and wondered who would win this battle.

  Silence stretched between them. The quiet ticking of an antique cuckoo clock on the wall and the snorting snores of the old yellow lab at Jay’s feet filled the space. Abe steeled himself for Jay’s harsh words or condescension. He wouldn’t stand by and let her father cut her down one more time.

  Chapel shifted as if to stand.

  Jay slid to the front of his chair. “All right, Chapel girl. Whatever you need, I’m here.”

  A choked noise burst from her throat and she flew into his arms. He caught her up and bent his gray head to hers. Abe’s heart swelled with joy for them. Maybe now she’d be able to move forward with her life with confidence, secure in her father’s love.

  Over her head, Jay met Abe’s gaze. “Tell me what you need, Gardner.” “At the moment, we need to find Levi.”

  Minutes later he had Chapel tucked in the passenger’s seat of the Jeep and they were on the road. Jay followed behind for a short distance then veered off down another logging road he thought Levi might have taken.

  At Abe’s side, Chapel was tense and weepy. He caressed her knee and assured her they’d find Levi. He hoped his words sounded more convincing than he felt. By now Levi could be two states away.

  It made him ache to think of his friend running from the people he loved and toward nothing. No home, no family that Abe knew of. According to the notes Jay had jotted down on Levi’s file, his life had been eclipsed by a seven-year stint in prison for assault.

  Abe had been stunned to read that Ed Keer’s son Bryan had died after Levi struck him. But there had to be more to the story and Abe refused to believe the worst of his friend.

  As if Chapel read his thoughts, she asked, “Do you think he did it?”

  Abe scuffed the growth of hair on his jaw. “I can’t make a decision until we’ve talked to Levi.”

  “Me either. I mean, he’s always avoided talk about his past. I figured he’d lost someone—a woman he loved or a family member he was close to.”

  “Me too. But remember this, baby. We do know him. He’s a great man. He’d do anything for you.”

  “And for you,” she said. Her words served as a gentle reminder of Abe’s anger about Levi trying to help ease his financial stress.

  “Fuck, I’m sorry, sweetheart. I was an ass. I knew it that night but was too proud to let you both in. Levi knew a little of my money troubles but not the full extent of it.”

  “We want to help you.”

  He took his eyes off the dark road ahead of him to fix them on Chapel. In the dim lights of the dashboard her eyes glowed. “I know.”

  “You should have told me.”

  He heard the hurt in her voice. She’d never been anything but open with him. “You’re right. I was stupid. I wanted to pay the debt down so I could ask you to marry me.”

  Her breath whooshed from her and her hand fluttered to her mouth as if it were a fragile dove taking flight in the night. “Abe!”

  “Not the most romantic way to let you know that, baby, and I’m sorry. It’s just that with Levi in the picture now…”

  She nodded and covered his hand with hers. “I know. We all belong together. I feel it too, Abe. But I can’t help but be overwhelmed that you love me that much.”

  He caressed her fingers. “I do, doll. You’re my world. Well, part of it. The other part is out there somewhere.”

  She fell silent for a minute. “You think he’s sleeping in his truck again?”

  “I hope he is in this case. It’d be easier if we happened upon his truck pulled off a logging road.”

  “There are so many and we’ve been driving for hours. And Daddy’s found nothing either.”

  “We might be going in circles around him.” “I don’t think so. I’m afraid he left for good.”

  “But he didn’t take his clothes.” Abe didn’t want to believe Levi would flee without a word to either of them. Not when they were linked so closely. He wished he hadn’t been such a stubborn ass when it came to forgiving Levi for his indiscretion. What if he never had the chance to right his mistake?

  He kneaded Chapel’s round thigh, thinking of the times he and Levi had shared her body. Shared her love. There was room in their world for him no matter what his past.

  “We’ll find him, darlin’. If I have to search the far corners of the earth, Levi Black is not hiding from us.”

  ***

  The rain let loose in a torrential sheet. After two days the clouds had finally succumbed to their fate and released droplets the size of Levi’s palm.

  He peered through the blurry windshield and hunkered farther into his soft plaid shirt. The waves of the storm struck his truck hard, vibrating the metal. Every cell in his body yearned to crank up the engine and head home to a warm bed with Abe and Chapel. But how could he? By now they and most likely everyone on the Blue Jay team knew about his record. If he returned now, he’d see only disapproval of his coworkers. Abe’s suspicion. Chapel’s fear.

  He pinched his nose between his thumb and forefinger in attempt to drive back the ever-present emotion. He’d wasted a lot of time driving around this Podunk county, running out tank after tank of gas because he was too chicken to really make a break for it. When he thought about leaving the people who had quickly become his family, his heart ached.

  You need a better plan than sitting in your truck and avoiding the situation.

  At that moment headlights washed over his window, blinding him. He squinted and shrank against his door.

  The vehicle barreled directly toward him. He prayed it kept on going but he was stopped along a lone road during a downpour. The other driver might assume he was broken down and needed aid.

  To his horror, the truck laid on the horn. It came to a stop. The doors opened and two people burst out, running full tilt for him.

  He jerked upright as he recognized the curve of Chapel’s hips and Abe’s broad shoulders. He gripped the door handle. What was he going to do?

  The driver’s door was ripped open out of his grasp and every wet inch of Chapel’s
womanly figure was launched into his arms. He gasped at the cold brush of her soaking skin, hair and clothes but hauled her inside. He slammed the door and wrapped her near as Abe jumped in the passenger door, dripping and looking extremely put out.

  “Levi! Don’t leave us again,” she sobbed against his chest. One small hand twisted his shirt.

  He buried his face in her wet hair and drank in her scents. He’d missed her so badly in the past two days. Crushing her tighter against him, he smoothed the slick hair out of her eyes—the long bangs he adored.

  “Why are you guys here?”

  “What do you think?” Abe asked, nudging him. His muscled arm surrounded both Levi and Chapel and he dragged them near. “Damn you for leaving us. We were worried to death.”

  “But…don’t you know…?”

  “We want the story from you, Levi.” Chapel’s lips were inches from his—too close to exercise any self-control.

  He dropped his face to hers and claimed her lips. Heat pebbled his flesh as he drank from her, swirling his tongue into the sweet depths of her mouth. Abe tilted his head against theirs and held them tight.

  Levi rubbed his palms down her torso, then back up. “I’ll tell you anything. Just stay here with me and wait out the storm.” His throat was constricted with emotion.

  Abe clamped a hand on his shoulder. “We’re not going anywhere, Black, and neither are you.”

  For long minutes, they huddled together. The windows fogged. They pooled their warmth, but now Levi’s clothes were soaked through too. Sheets of water struck the windshield loudly, drowning out all other sound.

  Chapel stroked his chest maddeningly. He thought he’d kiss and caress each inch of her body in his wild fantasies before he’d get a chance to take her again. Or to see Abe’s hard cock poised at the glorious V of her thighs.

  First he had to find out if they could accept his past along with him. There was no more running. As far as he was concerned, their relationship began right here in the steamy cab of this truck. Everything that came before now was foreplay

  It’s time to bury your past and be resurrected in the arms of Abe and Chapel.