N. Walters - Past Promises

His cock throbbed, keeping time to the heavy thundering of his heart. The damn thing was pressed so hard against the zipper of his jeans he wouldn’t be surprised if he had metal teeth marks on his dick.

Every ounce of his control was tested as he forced himself to take a deep breath and then slowly release it. He focused on her face, taking in every delicate line. Her cheeks were lightly flushed, whether from the wine or some other reason, he didn’t know and didn’t care. The delicate blush made her skin look even more like porcelain.

Linda opened her eyes and caught him staring. She gave a self-conscious laugh and picked up the napkin, patting her lips. “I’m sorry. I’m not very good company.”

“You’re very good company.” Linda had a way about her that soothed him in ways he couldn’t put into words. Just being around her made him feel good.

She laughed again, the light, airy sound skating over every nerve ending in his body. “Now I know you’re being kind.” She rolled her neck on her shoulders before gifting him with a small smile. “I was more hungry than I thought and this is delicious.”

“You’re welcome.” He enjoyed cooking. It helped him relax. “You’re pleased with how today went?”

“Very.” She set her fork aside and picked up her wine glass, taking a tiny sip.

The liquid made her lips glisten. Levi wanted to lick them. To distract himself, he shoveled in another mouthful of dinner, chewing as he listened to her recap her day. The more she talked about the store, the more animated she became. It was obvious how much she loved Past Promises.

Conversation was easy as they finished dinner. Levi had started coffee before they’d sat down so he knew it would be done percolating by now. He stood to clear the table.

“Let me help you with that.” Linda jumped up, but he motioned her back to her seat.

“Sit. You’ve had a long day. It’s only a couple of plates.”

“Thank you, Levi.”

He almost groaned aloud when she said his name. He loved the sound of his name on her lips. Wanted to hear her whisper it in the dark of the night as their bodies melded together. Wanted to hear her scream it as he pounded into her, bringing them both to a mind-blowing orgasm.

Coffee, he reminded himself. Shoving the dishes in the sink, he poured the coffee and carried both mugs back to the table.

“It was nice of Jonah, Amanda, Shamus and Cyndi to come this morning.”

“They’re good people.” He and Jonah had been friends for years, but he’d gotten to know the others over the past few months.

Linda sipped her coffee. “I’m grateful every day for the fact that I handled the estate sale after Cyndi inherited a house and its contents from her father.”

“Is that how you met?” He’d heard bits and pieces of the story.

She nodded, setting the cup on the table. “Yes. And I called Amanda and brought her in on the sale. The rest, as they say, is history.”

“So that’s why you moved here?”

Her fingers, long and delicate, played with the handle of the mug. “Hmm. The time was right for a move.”

“But didn’t you have family and friends in Vermont?” There was no tactful way to bring up the subject, so Levi went for what usually worked best—being blunt.

She shrugged, her entire body tensing. He was sorry for that. She’d finally relaxed and now he’d undone all his hard work. But it had to be done and he’d never been one to shirk from the hard jobs.

Her eyes seemed sad, whether a trick of the candlelight or because of her thoughts, he couldn’t say. All he knew is it made him want to take her in his arms and assure her everything would be okay. His hands clenched into fists beneath the table and he forced his fingers to relax against his thighs. It wasn’t his place to make assurances. She wasn’t his woman.

But, oh, how he wished she were.

Stuffing that thought away, he focused on the problem at hand—getting Linda to talk to him. “No family?” he prompted.

She shoved the chair back, her smile brittle. “None worth talking about. Thanks so much for dinner, but I should go now. It’s been a long day and I’m tired.”

She didn’t take a single breath as she spoke. When she was done, she whirled away from the table and headed to the door. Levi beat her there, pressing his hand against the heavy oak panel as she tried to pull it open.

He was so close he could smell the remnants of the perfume she’d applied this morning. Or maybe it was body lotion. Either way, he was beginning to associate the smell of roses with her. He’d never particularly liked roses, but that had changed in the past few months. Now they reminded him of her. His cock lengthened and thickened as he fought the need to press it against the curve of her back.

“Don’t go.” His voice was low as he whispered in her ear. He didn’t want her to leave like this—upset and tense. “Talk to me.”

“There’s nothing to say.” Her shoulders rose and fell in a shrug, but she didn’t even try to turn around. She laughed, but it fell flat. Tension flared between them and her body stiffened. “Please let me leave.”

Levi knew he should step back, open the door and let her go. He was too blunt and rough around the edges for a woman like Linda. She was softness and roses and class. He’d been born to a junkie mother and an unknown father and grown up in surroundings that made some of the third world countries he’d been in during his years as a soldier look like a paradise.

He’d been in situations that no person should ever have to endure. He’d killed. He’d learned to shut down his emotions to survive, but that had lasted only so many years before the cracks began to show. That’s why he’d retired. He wasn’t certain of himself and his reactions anymore. That made him dangerous in combat situations and he wouldn’t risk the safety of his fellow soldiers. So he’d opted out and come here to figure out his life. All he’d wanted was peace and quiet, but he’d found so much more.

Yes, he should walk away, and probably would in the future. But right now, Linda was hurting and he could do something about it.

“I can’t let you go,” he whispered. “Not yet.” Unable to stop himself, he nuzzled the curve of her neck. The scent of roses was stronger here and he inhaled deeply, breathing in the potent smell of flowers mixed with the unique perfume of the woman in front of him.

She froze.

Levi swore inwardly and took a step back. It was incredibly hard when all he wanted to do was step toward her, flattening his front against her back and letting her feel his need for her. But that wasn’t what she needed. Not now.

Slowly, she turned toward him, her eyes wide with confusion. She licked her lips and his cock jerked in response. He wanted her sweet tongue to lick him. His body tensed and he made himself take another step away. It didn’t help. The scent of her warm body filled his nostrils. His baser instincts roared at him to take her, to love her so long and hard she’d never want him to leave.

“I don’t understand.” Linda pushed a lock of hair out of her eyes as she took a deep breath. The actions made her chest rise and her breasts pushed against her blouse, making him sweat.

Levi reached into his back pocket and slowly drew out the letter. Linda stared quizzically at it as he opened it and then all the blood seemed to drain from her face. She swayed. He was ready to catch her, but she locked her knees and straightened her shoulders.

Her gaze was fierce as she stared up at him. “Where the hell did you get that?”

“From your garbage can.” He saw no reason to lie. “You want to tell me about it?”

Linda could barely breathe, let alone think. Levi had the letter from her brother. Correction, Levi had stolen the letter out of her trashcan. Obviously, he’d read it. But why?

She reached for the letter and he let her have it. As she crumpled the heavy paper in her hand, she tried to figure out what to say. Finally, she decided she didn’t have to say anything. This was nobody’s business but her own.

Levi was watching her with that guarded expression he wore almost all the time. It was as if he assessed every situation, constantly searching for the best approach to take in order to gain the results he wanted. That was fine when he was working on a construction project. Not so great when he was trying to dissect her mind and figure out how to handle her. She’d had enough of men trying to handle her. Her father, brother and ex-fiancé were the worst offenders.

“This is none of your business.” She turned to leave, but he stopped her once again by placing his hand on the door. Levi was much stronger than her and there was no way she was getting out of here until he let her.

Linda faced him again, not the least bit intimidated by his scowl. He might be much bigger and stronger than her, but she knew without a doubt he’d never use that against her in any way. She was safe with Levi.

That thought surprised her. Safety wasn’t something she usually associated with a person. Owning this building, having a business of her own, a place, gave her a sense of safety. It was never a good idea to rely too heavily on people—especially men. They tended to have their own agendas and let you down when push came to shove.

“It affects you. That makes it my business.” Levi leaned in as he spoke, taking up most of the space around her, making it hard for her to focus.

The clean scent of his soap mixed with the spices from dinner made her mouth water. She swallowed hard. She had to get control of this situation. Levi was acting out of concern. While she was grateful to have him as a friend, she didn’t exactly approve of his methods.