by J. H. Croix
Maisie didn’t usually work late, but her fiancée, Beck, had been on duty with us at the fire tonight.
I was surprised to see Lucy. She tended to treat men like they were gum on her shoe, myself included. She stood up as I walked toward her. My body tightened—the way it always did when she was around. She was quiet, two red spots appearing on her fair cheeks. She was usually ignoring me, arguing with me, or glaring at me. It was so rare to not have her doing that, I had to soak it in for a minute.
She couldn't be much over five feet tall, if that. She was slender, but curvy. No matter how hard she tried to hide her curves under baggy clothes and her battered construction outfits, it was impossible not to notice. At least for me.
Ever since the first time I met Lucy, I’d been drawn to the bundle of contradictions she was. She was an electrician and a kick ass builder. She could probably hold her own on any construction crew given her skill, yet she’d joined Amelia’s small business and bought into it. They were one of the most sought after construction companies in town due to Amelia’s high-end architectural designs, their solid work and the fact they refused to expand. They took only a few projects every summer and turned down far more than they accepted. Lucy looked at home in her usually worn jeans and t-shirts paired with leather work boots.
With her fair skin, blonde hair and sky blue eyes, her looks belied her personality. At a glance, if you didn't know, you would think she was sweet based on her angelic appearance. Her nose was pert and tipped up at the end. She had fine cheekbones, her brows arched delicately, and she had thick blonde lashes framing her wide blue eyes. To top it all off, she had plump, lush lips. Fuck. Not the best idea for me to stare at her. My cock twitched.
She looked apprehensive as she stared back at me. She swallowed, the sound audible in the quiet room.
“Well, that was all,” she said.
“What was all?”
“That,” she said, circling her hand in the air. “I just came to say thanks.”
She shifted on her feet and adjusted her shoulders, her eyes flicking away from me and back again. A wave of protectiveness rolled through me. What the hell was it about her? She just got to me. It wasn't simply that I wanted her—because holy fuck did I want her. When I saw her like this, I wanted to protect her, although I couldn’t tell you why. It was so rare for her not to be ignoring me or arguing with me, I didn’t quite know what to do with the feelings welling up inside.
“You don't have to thank me, Lucy. It’s my job,” I finally said.
She nodded, fiddling with a ring on her hand. “I know, but still.”
She went quiet, snagging her bottom lip with her teeth and worrying it. My cock did more than twitch now. I took a breath, willing my cock down. It ignored me. As long as Lucy kept chewing on her bottom lip, I was going to have to get a handle on myself.
I nodded again, trying to stay laser focused on the moment. “No problem.” I gestured to her arm in its bright blue brace. “How’s your arm?”
“Oh, it’s good. No break, but the doctor thinks I bruised the bone. They didn’t even put a cast on it. Just this thing. It’ll be a pain in the ass for work, but I’ll make do.”
“Glad you’re okay.”
She started to turn away.
“Don’t go out that way,” I said quickly. “I don't have the key to bolt this door from inside. I've only got the one for the back. Follow me.”
She swung to face me again, and it occurred to me this was one of the rare times I'd seen her with her hair down. It was almost always stuffed up under a baseball hat or pulled back in a ponytail. I’d had no idea how long it was. The damp golden locks tumbled in waves around her shoulders and halfway down her back. She was breathtaking.
She nodded, her cheeks still flushed, and followed me as I led the way into the back area. We reached the main door to the crew parking area, and I held it open for her. As she walked by me, she unintentionally brushed against me. A jolt of electricity hit me at the brief point of contact. I took a breath and shackled my need, quietly letting her pass before closing and locking the door behind her.
I glanced around the parking lot, expecting to see the little blue truck she drove. When I didn’t, I looked to her. “Where’s your truck?”
She shrugged. “In the shop.”
“Need a ride?”
She took a deep breath and let it out before looking to me and away. She shrugged. When she looked back to me, her cheeks were flushed.
“No thanks.” She paused before continuing. “I told off my landlord,” she said bluntly, a little laugh following.
That came out of left field, but I burst out laughing. Leave it to Lucy to tell off her landlord.
“What the hell for?”
She was actually laughing, a rare sight for me. She had a husky, throaty laugh, which didn't help the state of my body. On the heels of her laugh dying down, she shrugged.
“He's a fucking asshole, and he wanted to almost double the rent for next year. It's not that I can't afford it because I probably could, but he just pissed me off. I told him to fuck off. Until I find another place, I was planning to do some serious couch surfing. I'll figure something out.”
I wasn’t sure how we got from her truck to this. “I think you might’ve missed the deadline for couch surfing tonight.”
One of her small shoulders lifted in a slight shrug. “I’ll call Amelia.”
I couldn't quite believe the next thing I said.
“You can stay with me.”
I swear, I wasn't offering to get her into my bed. Hell, I knew the odds of that were slim. The words slipped out. It’s what I would offer any friend. As soon as I spoke, the implications became clear in my mind. Any proximity with Lucy was probably not a good idea for me.
I must've startled her because her mouth actually dropped open. She snapped it shut, her eyes narrowing.
“I don't need anywhere to stay,” she said quickly. “I’ll call Amelia and see if I could crash there tonight. She’ll pick me up.”
My mouth almost fell open. Because it was that ridiculous for her to call Amelia now, considering it was past one in the morning.
“You haven’t called her yet?” I asked.
Lucy shook her head. Either she didn't even think about her conundrum until it was too late to ask, or she was being stubborn. No matter what, it was too late to call Amelia. Not to mention Amelia and Cade lived a good twenty minutes outside of town.
“Lucy, at least stay at my place for tonight, okay?”
She eyed me skeptically. After a beat, she nodded.
Chapter Three
Lucy
I fidgeted in the passenger seat of Levi Phillips’ truck. I didn't know what the hell I was thinking when I agreed to crash at his place. The only reason I said yes was because it was late, or rather insanely early in the morning. I didn’t want to bother Amelia at this hour and try to find a way to get out to her and Cade’s place when it was a twenty-minute drive. I hadn’t thought to call Amelia sooner, which annoyed me to no end.
All in all, I was having a shitty week. I’d swallowed my pride—big time—before stopping by the fire station to thank Levi for his help this afternoon. My entire evening was a big mess between spending time at the hospital to get my arm checked, and then going home only to get into an argument with my landlord and summarily being asked to leave because my lease ended today. The events tonight capped off a week already on the skids.
I stayed quiet and tried to calm the restless energy I felt. I hated needing help, but the truth was I had no great plan for a place to stay on short notice unless I really inconvenienced Amelia. I looked out the window as we drove along. The moon was bright, casting a silvery glow on the mountain ridge in the distance. Swan Lake, a massive lake that served as the centerpiece of Willow Brook, was visible to one side of the road. The town’s namesake was a brook that meandered down from the mountains and fed into Swan Lake. The town’s founders had followed the brook to the lake, hence t
he town’s name.
The lake glimmered under the moon with the lights of various fishing and hunting lodges reflected in its still, dark waters. Levi turned onto the highway leading out of downtown Willow Brook. He seemed content with the quiet, which was a relief.
I was curious to see where Levi lived. I had a vague idea, but I'd never seen it. Willow Brook, Alaska was a small town with a massive summer population. Tourists poured through town all summer long to hunt, fish, hike, bike, and more. With the town’s proximity to Anchorage, roughly thirty minutes away, it was slightly inland with all the benefits of the mountains and an amazing view of Denali in the distance. We were within proximity to the ocean as well, so visitors could get their ocean fix too. Downtown was quite cutesy. It was an old mining town and had spruced up with lots of cute shopping and restaurants to keep the travelers happy. We got the benefits of a small town with the money of a bigger town.
Aside from the tourism, the town was small enough for the locals that everybody had an idea of who was who and who lived where. All I knew was Levi lived on the west side of town. As he drove through the moonlit night, I wondered to myself what the hell I’d been thinking. Just being this close to him made me jumpy, restless, and hot and prickly all over. Levi had been on a kick a few months back to try to get me to go out to dinner with him. He annoyed the hell out of me, but he’d finally dropped it. I suppose the reason he annoyed me was because he was sexy as sin. My body sure thought so. My mind might not be in agreement with my body, but I couldn't seem to curb the sweet heat that rolled through me whenever I was near him. I hated feeling out of control like that.
Danger, danger.
The heat coiling low in my belly was precisely why I tried to keep my distance from Levi. It was no easy feat, seeing as we shared many friends. Romance in general wasn't my thing, but trying to do anything like a relationship in the fishbowl of Willow Brook was annoying beyond reason. Everyone thought they had your best interests at heart, but God help me.
Everybody knew everybody here. Lately my friends were dropping like flies. Amelia had gotten back together with the love of her life, Cade, when he came back after seven years away. Thank God he came back though, otherwise she probably would've married an idiot she didn't even love. I might not have been an expert on romance personally, but I knew what I saw.
Anyway, I digress. Levi was hot, like make-me-stupid hot. He had dark honey blonde hair and deep blue eyes. I didn't want to think he was hot, but there was no sense in arguing with myself over it. Here I was, planning to crash on his couch apparently. This had the makings of a very bad plan. I hoped he was involved with someone else now. I made a conscious effort not to think about him, so I’d missed any gossip, if there was any to be had, on his relationship status.
The minute I thought that, disappointment stabbed at me. Even though he’d annoyed me with his attempts to get me to go out with him, a teeny, tiny part of me had enjoyed the attention. Ugh. This was how ridiculous he made me feel.
As we drove, he started to make small talk, chatting about the weather, the fire outside of town, asking me about a few construction projects and whatnot. Basically just being a polite and decent human being. I couldn’t shake the restlessness and nervousness inside. Time alone with men was something I generally avoided. I wasn’t a prude, but relationships just weren’t my thing. Every so often, I had a one-off one night stand, but that was it.
Levi holding me in his arms when he kept me from falling had felt so good, and I could hardly think about how it felt. It was the modern world now, and I didn't need to care if I was turning into an old spinster, but part of me did. At twenty-eight, I was headed straight for plenty of years of being by myself. I hadn't meant to go this long without dating, or anything even remotely resembling it. Something happened, and I meant to get past it, Yet, I never did. I stuffed it into a box in my heart and in my head and decided it was best left there.
Despite my pulse running along at a wild patter and that inconvenient prickly sensation I felt inside whenever I was near Levi, I managed to make small talk as he drove. He turned down one road and then another before looping into a small circular driveway. It was late summer in Alaska. That meant the sun hardly ever set. At going on one-thirty in the morning, darkness had fallen, yet with the almost full moon high in the sky, it lit up the area around Levi’s home with a silvery glimmer. There was a small pond in a field to one side. His home was rather cute. I felt his gaze on me and then he chuckled.
I swung to him.
“What so funny?” I asked, willing my pulse not to lunge when I met his eyes.
It was hard to keep that from happening. He had obscenely beautiful eyes—a deep, sapphire blue. He had no problem with straight on, direct eye contact either. Sometimes it felt as if he could see right through me.
“You look surprised. I live in a decent place, is that what's surprising?” he asked with a low laugh.
I couldn't help but return his grin. I didn't know what I’d expected, but it wasn't this. He had a small home with a wraparound porch set at an angle on the property. The front of the house had a wall of windows stretching up to the second floor. It was stained a soft shade of gray with purple trim. The moonlight made the purple seem brighter somehow.
“It's the purple that surprised me,” I added, gesturing towards his house.
He flashed another grin, making my belly do a little flip. “Yeah, that was my sister's choice.”
I vaguely knew he had a sister. She didn't live in Willow Brook, otherwise I probably would've known more. He climbed out of the truck and before I realized it, he was opening my door. My spine stiffened, and I glared at him, annoyed he’d done that.
“It's not like I can't get the door, you know.”
He chuckled. “Yeah, I had to beat you to it. I'll be honest. I was trying just because I knew it would get under your skin.”
I wanted to be angry, but it was funny. That's how shameless Levi was. He didn't even try to hide his intent. I looked up at him and my breath caught. He was too handsome for his own good. He might as well have been in one of those sexy firefighter calendars. He had a rugged, almost regal look to him paired with a rock, hard body. He had a blade of a nose, sculpted cheekbones and a strong jaw. There was a scar that ran along one of his cheeks, making me wonder how he got it. It gave him an edgy quality.
I gathered myself, tamping down my annoyance because I didn't want him to know how much he got to me. With him holding the door as I climbed out of the truck, I could actually feel the heat of his body. His presence was strong and solid. He was the kind of man who made me want to lean into him. Strength made me nervous though, so the moment I felt that, I got skittish inside. I wanted to dart away like a startled deer. I managed to contain the urge as I stepped past him.
The sound of the truck door closing behind me was loud in the quiet. I heard wings beating through the air and glanced up to see a raven, dark in the silvery moonlight, flying just above us. I took a breath, the scents of Alaska summer washing over me—the cool air with the subtle hint of the ocean not too far away and the earthy richness of all the greenery.
I walked at Levi’s side up the steps to his house. I noticed he didn’t even bother to lock his doors when he opened it, holding it for me. I filed that thought away. I noticed little things like that because I always locked my doors. He flicked on the lights once we were inside. I paused to look around. I was again surprised, but figured perhaps his sister might've also cast her touch in here.
“Nice place,” I commented, taking in the space.
We’d entered into the kitchen. An L-shaped counter separated the kitchen from the living room. It had barely hinted lavender granite counters, stainless steel appliances, and light maple cabinets. Seeing as I spent most of my days building houses, I noticed details like this. I knew he’d spent a pretty penny on those cabinets, and they looked custom. The floor was tiled in a silvery gray tile with a hint of lavender to it. The tile met hardwood flooring in the
living room. The living room had a cathedral ceiling and a soapstone woodstove in the corner of the room. A sectional couch was to one side and a TV on the opposite wall. Stars were winking in the sky outside the windows, the moonlight illuminating the field and small pond.
I spun around, looking upward. A railing circled all three sides, except for the one with the windows. There was a single door on each of the three walls. I presumed those were the bedrooms. There was only one door downstairs, which must've led to a bathroom. Levi stepped past me.
“Come on, I'll show you the guest room,” he said.
“Oh, I can sleep on the couch.”
He stopped and glanced at me, his eyes narrowing.
“You’re not sleeping on the couch. I actually have two bedrooms. You’ll have one all to yourself if that's what you're worried about.”
Oddly, I wasn’t worried about that. I opened my mouth to argue. I had no problem admitting I could be contrary, especially when it came to Levi, or any guy for that matter, trying to suggest what I should do. I snapped my mouth shut when I realized the futility and the silliness of it all.
I shrugged, feeling a little sheepish. “Okay.”
His rich blue gaze held mine. I felt like he could see right into me, and I looked away because I didn’t like how exposed I felt.
“I’ll show you upstairs,” he finally said before turning away.
I followed him up the stairs.
“Bathroom,” he commented, pointing to the door in the center back wall. “My bedroom’s over there,” he added, gesturing to the left before leading me to the door on the opposite side.
We stepped into a spacious bedroom. It was furnished simply with a bed and two night stands. The furniture was light maple with clean modern lines. The bed had a cream-colored, fluffy down quilt with pillows piled high. The room was sparsely decorated with a few landscape photos.
I felt his gaze on me and looked over at him. When he didn’t say anything, I felt compelled to speak. “This is nice. Thank you. I’ll be out of your hair first thing tomorrow. I’ll call Amelia for a ride and…”
