The Apple Tree

by Kara Jimenez

  Levi’s heart pounded as his hand slid over Bianca’s smooth legs. It’d been so long since he’d felt a woman’s naked body and her soft curves set him on fire. Kissing her neck, his fingers toyed with the thin strap of her bra and then his lips slid down to her collarbone. Pulling back slightly, he beheld her gorgeous ivory skin. Three freckles formed a triangle between the swells of her chest and he kissed them, trying to memorize her body.

  The scent of freesia and lavender from her bouquet hung on her skin. He inhaled, wishing he could somehow taste the delicious scent.

  She whimpered, clutching the fabric of his shirt and then reached her hands between them, yanking open the buttons on his waistcoat. Helping her, he undid the last button and then cursed his own enthusiasm. He should slow down and take the time to savor this, but he couldn’t stop now. Placing his hands under her hips, he lifted her from the wall and carried her to the bed.

  After setting her on the new blankets, he shrugged the remaining fabric of the waistcoat off and then yanked his dress shirt over his head, throwing it to the floor to join her dress. He took a long look at her as she lay with red strands of hair draped across the pillow and wearing matching bridal-white lacy bra and panties. Did she buy them just for today? For him? The look in her eyes was intoxicating, hungry, and it mirrored exactly what he felt inside.

  Crawling over her, he rested between her legs. The sensation of her skin on his bare chest was pure heaven. He placed his arms beneath her and rolled so she was on top of him, straddling his hips and leaning over to kiss him. Her hair formed a curtain blocking out the rest of the world.

  His hands ran over her back, down the curve of her waist and over her hips. Reaching behind her, he found the clasp of her bra. How do you unlatch this thing? The last woman he’d been with had worn a corset and while this looked much simpler, his clumsy fingers struggled with the modern contraption. When it finally clicked, he groaned, slipping his hands under the lacy material. His palms cupped the soft fullness of her breasts and she moaned against his mouth as he circled the pointed buds with his thumb. So soft and… feminine. God, how he missed having a woman. And he’d somehow managed to snag the best, sweetest, smartest, sexiest one.

  She reclined, just long enough to yank the bra off her shoulders, before leaning down again and lightly brushing her lips against his, once, twice, three times. The fluttering, barely there touch intensified his already dangerous need for her.

  Her hands ripped at the button on his pants. Exactly what he was thinking. Grabbing her hips, he lifted her off him, setting her down on the pillow. He shucked off his slacks as she thrust down her panties, slipping them off her legs. Darn, he’d wanted to take those off her.

  His lips found her belly and he kissed his way down until he reached her thighs, before slipping a finger between her legs. Her hips rocketed forward and he grinned. After all this time, he’d been afraid that he wouldn’t be able to please a woman, that he’d be rusty, but the way she moved under his hand filled him with pride. The sounds she made were most seductive things he’d ever heard. He kissed her neck while he his fingers worked until she grabbed his head and gazed back at him with a look that clearly said take me. His breath caught and he swallowed with a dry throat as a bout of nervousness suddenly came over him.

  She climbed on his lap with a naughty smile, her face inches from his. Their lips crashed together and his fingertips clawed against her back as she slid onto him. His heart slammed with the sudden thought that he was home, there, wrapped in her arms, exactly the place he’d waited almost two centuries for.

  The next morning, Bianca fell onto the pillow beside Levi, both of them gasping.

  “Are we ever going to be able to get out of bed?” She ran a hand over her forehead, brushing away a stray wisp of hair. Not that she wanted to leave the bed. Well, leaving might be okay, as long as they were going to be naked somewhere else.

  He rolled over and kissed her shoulder. “I hope not. I’d just as well stay here forever.” A grin spread across his face.

  She mirrored his smile, her eyes raking over his exposed body. A rosy flush covered his skin from her touch. His lips were swollen from her kisses and his hair stuck in every direction from her hands. It was the freakin’ sexiest thing she’d ever seen.

  Aldo jumped on the bed and tried to squeeze his way between them.

  “Al, get down. We have a woman in the house now. No more dogs on the bed!” He gave him a light shove and the chocolate lab complied, settling instead for the rug at the foot of the bed.

  Bianca laughed and scooted closer to Levi. “I don’t mind if he’s up here.”

  “I do. He was taking my spot next to you. Plus, he gets hair all over the sheets.” He nuzzled her neck, placing tiny kisses along her jawline.

  A shiver ran through her. She raked her hands through his curly hair and sighed. “Oh, Lee. I must be the luckiest person on earth.”

  He lifted his head and chuckled. “Look at us. All mushy and speaking in clichés.”

  A slap to the shoulder and an outraged expression made his laughter grow. He rolled on top and pressed her against the mattress. “But you’re wrong. I’m the luckiest person on earth.” Their lips met and they kissed, long and slow. “And I love how you called me Lee. People used to call me that all the time. Back in the day.”

  “We’re Lee and Bee.” A huge grin swept across her face and they both broke out in laughter.

  “Aren’t we a pair,” he muttered once they’d calmed down. He settled beside her and rested his head in the crook of her neck.

  “Back in the day? Like when you were a kid?”

  “Yeah.” His breath brushed against her skin, giving her goose bumps.

  It was still hard to believe that his childhood had been over a hundred years ago. He probably knew more than history books. “What was it like… on the Oregon Trail?”

  His head lifted until she looked into his hooded, gray eyes. “It was… too damn intense to talk about right now. Little food. Dust everywhere. Weary bodies and death. I’ll tell you all about it another time. But today, I only want to think about how happy I am with you.”

  She nodded and snuggled up to his warm, hard body. They remained silent for several minutes, listening to the sound of their beating hearts. The sun streamed from the window against the far wall, highlighting the fact that it was completely bare. “Why don’t you hang some pictures in here or something?”

  His arm draped over her waist. “It’s your room too now. Do you want to hang something?”

  She grinned. “Maybe I can find something nice to add a little color.”

  “It needs a woman’s touch.” His hand slipped over her thigh. “Just like me.”

  “Mmmm.” She yanked his hip in her direction. “Yep, we’re never getting out of bed again.”

  He let out a deep chuckle and kissed her cheek. “Do you want me to make you some breakfast?”

  She slid her hand along the curve of his bicep. “Maybe in a bit.”

  “As much as I want to stay wrapped in your deliciously smooth skin all day, you only have a couple hours till work. You need to eat.”

  A groan rumbled and she covered her eyes with her hands. “Don’t remind me.” Since they’d planned the wedding on such short notice, she hadn’t been able to find anyone to cover her shift. Kate was already working and everyone else was busy.

  “Come on.” He gave her bottom a playful slap and sat up. “It’s only one day, then tomorrow we’ll be on a plane to Hawaii. Besides, you know I’m going to be busy all day.”

  The creeping anxiety that had been sitting on the edge of her mind the last week suddenly took its place front and center. Pushing herself up on her elbow, she ran her fingers through her hair. “I still don’t understand why you can’t just wait to cut it down till after we get home.”

  “Because, I can’t keep putting it off. It needs done.” He grabbed his boxers from the floor, sliding them on.

  She looked down, fiddling with
the cotton sheets. “But what if we never get to take that honeymoon?”

  He slid across the bed and placed a hand on her cheek. “Think positive. It’ll work out.” After planting a quick kiss on her lips, he stood and walked out of the room.

  Easy for him to say. She sighed, digging through the blankets until she found her panties. Slipping them on, she took a deep breath, trying to push the image of him lying dead under the tree out of her mind.

  She found a red t-shirt in one of his dresser drawers and threw it on before making her way to the kitchen, pausing in the doorway.

  Levi had one of the cupboards open, digging for something, while holding a carton of eggs in the other hand. He still wore only his navy boxer-briefs and the golden skin on his back stretched tightly across his well-defined muscles. Working in the kitchen, he looked like one of those Porn for Women calendars that showed photos of sexy men doing housework. She smiled.

  When he saw her, he set the eggs on the counter and walked forward, his eyes gliding up and down her body. Sliding his arms around her back, he kissed her neck. His breath grazed her skin, giving her goose bumps. “You are so damn irresistible when you wear my clothes.”

  She made a mental note to wear his shirt again tomorrow. If he was still around.

  Giving her a wicked smile, he cupped her breast with his palm. “Remember the day I gave you my clothes to wear after the mountain lion?”

  Of course she remembered the day he’d told her his secret, the day she’d fallen in love with him.

  “All I could think about that night was doing this.” With controlled movements that only very strong arms would allow, he lifted her hips, setting her on top of the counter and pressed himself between her legs.

  She wanted to feel as blissfully happy as she had every right to be, as she absolutely should be, but the sinking fear kept creeping back. Today was the day. Her thighs pressed against the cold granite as his mouth joined with hers. The inner distress caused her lips to move at a desperate pace as they kissed, holding him like she was starving and he was the last piece of cinnamon apple cobbler.

  Levi climbed into the cab of his truck and glanced at Bianca, who sat next to him in the passenger seat.

  She faced him and twisted the ring on her finger.

  The look on her face tore through him. It was like she was trying to memorize him. He turned the key on the ignition and then reached for her hand, racking his brain for something comforting to say. “It’s going to be okay. I’ll see you as soon as your shift is over.”

  She nodded. “I wish I could stay and help you. I don’t want you to be alone.”

  He removed his hand from hers to shift the truck into reverse. “I already told you that you should just quit your job and stay home with me. You’re the one who insisted it wouldn’t be responsible.” Glancing in her direction, he swung the truck around and then started down the driveway. “But I’ll be fine. It’s just a little yard work.”

  They rode the rest of the way in silence, holding hands when he didn’t need to shift gears. He was doing a miserable job of comforting her. The problem was, he needed comfort himself.

  The truck pulled up to the front door of the pizza parlor and he shifted into neutral.

  Her seat belt unclicked. “Text me, like every fifteen minutes, so I know you’re okay.”

  He gathered her into a hug. “Won’t that piss off your boss?”

  “I don’t care. I came into work the day after my wedding. If he wants to complain about text messages—”

  He kissed her. A slow tender kiss, full of everything they couldn’t say. When he finally released her lips, he held her face in his palm, trying to pour his soul into her. “I love you.”

  She blinked and the whites of her eyes took on a pinkish hue. “I love you.”

  His hands fell and he nodded. “I’ll see you soon.”

  Reaching for the handle, she took one last look at him and opened the door, hopping out onto the pavement.

  As she walked into the building, he said a quick prayer. “Please, let me see her again.” He took a deep breath and popped the truck into reverse.

  If the worst happened, and the tree took back the life it’d given him, it would take Peter and his uncle Charles as well. Which meant Bianca would be safe. She’d be able to keep living her normal life.

  There were other, good people, the tree could claim, Frank, Wiley and Margaret, his nephew Harry. God forbid anything should happen to them, but he had to think of Bianca first and they’d already lived a long, long life.

  He pulled up to the coffee shop where he’d agreed to meet Wiley for some quick last-minute paperwork.

  Wiley waited for him in front of the building wearing a business suit and a huge grin. “Have a good night last night, eh?” He patted Levi’s back.

  “Hey, man, that’s a little personal.” Levi held up his hands, but was unable to hide the blush that covered his cheeks.

  “Well, when you’ve been married one hundred and seventy-two years, you gotta live vicariously through your friends.” Wiley opened the door to the café and the aroma of coffee beans and baked goods greeted them.

  Levi laughed, patted his old friend on the back and followed him inside. “That’s better than spending most those years alone, am I right?”

  “I suppose you’ve got me there.”

  The men stepped up to the counter to order their coffee and then chose a table in the far corner behind a large purple sofa.

  “Thanks for meeting me here,” Levi said. “I just didn’t have time to drive up to Salem today.”

  “No problem.” Wiley pulled a stack of papers from his leather briefcase and set them on the hardwood. “I prepared the will, like you asked. It only needs your signature.” He removed a pen from the side pocket. “I still can’t imagine why you need this, though.”

  Levi lifted the papers, scanning them. “Like I said, I’m going to try something. I’m sure nothing will happen, but since how I’ve got a wife now, I want to have my bases covered.”

  “But what is there to even try?”

  “Wiley, you’ve always been a great friend and someone I can trust. Trust me now, when I say, I can’t tell you. Maybe one day.” Levi scrawled his name across the paper.

  Wiley frowned and took a sip of his coffee. “If you figure out… how to die, tell us. Please. I’d like to see my children again someday, on the other side.”

  “I know.” Levi leaned back in his seat. “But if I’m dead, how can I tell you?”

  “Write it down, you bastard. Or you could just tell me now what you’re planning. Although, I can’t figure out why you’d even try, when you just got married. You don’t make any sense.” He took the pen from Levi and dropped it into his shirt pocket.

  “That’s why I love you, man. You do what needs done, without needing to know why.” Levi placed his hands around the paper coffee cup and the warmth soaked into his fingers.

  Wiley grumbled something unintelligible and took another drink.

  Half an hour later, Levi turned his truck into the parking lot of the rental company to pick up the wood chipper he’d reserved a few days before. After cutting the engine, he sat in front of the large yellow building and gripped the steering wheel. A young, bohemian couple strolled through the front door and Levi watched them chatting with the employee through the window.

  If he was lucky, he’d live. He couldn’t believe that God would give him Bianca and then take everything away for trying to protect her. It wasn’t possible. Taking a deep breath, he opened the door and walked inside to get the equipment that would help him destroy the tree.

  Bianca’s pocket buzzed as she pulled a small pizza out of the brick oven. She tossed it onto the cutting board and raced to the back prep area so she could look at her phone.

  Still here. Still chopping branches. Love you.

  A sigh of relief broke through her. She shoved her phone back in her pocket and went back into the front kitchen. Kate had chopped the pizza sh
e’d left on the cutting board, so she glanced around the kitchen, looking for something else to do. It was unusually slow for a Sunday. Out in the seating area, only four tables were occupied with customers. She leaned against the peach countertop. Screw being responsible. She should’ve stayed home with Levi.

  Home, the little cabin he’d built was now her home. The corners of her mouth turned into a smile.

  Faustino stepped out of the office. He walked to the brick oven and pulled the silver door open, sending a rush of heat over them both. “Bianca, if you don’t have anything to do, go clean up the back. Then maybe, we can get you out of here early.”

  Hopping up from the counter, she bounded to the back room. She swept the floor and then gathered the edges of a garbage bag, lifting it out of the can and carrying it outside.

  The cold air brushed across her bare arms as she hurried to the industrial sized garbage bin behind the parlor. She lifted the lid, tossing the bag inside just as the ripe smell hit her nostrils. The lid slammed closed and she wiped her hands on her apron.

  A hand wrapped over her mouth and an arm circled her waist.

  “Don’t scream,” said a familiar deep voice.

  Peter.

  Bianca screamed as loud as she could, but Peter’s hand muffled the sound.

  “I told you to keep quiet,” he hissed in her ear, pulling her back toward the alley.

  She cringed, remembering how that voice had once turned her on. Adrenaline shot through her body and she twisted her shoulders in jerky, panicked movements, trying to loosen his grip. She’d let this man into her apartment. Bile rose in her throat and she half hoped she’d puke just so he’d get it all over his hand. She tried to bite him, but he held such tight control of her jaw that she couldn’t get her teeth close enough to make contact.

  His grasp remained firm around her waist as they continued backward. An engine idled behind her and then the sound of a van door sliding open.