Free Lumberjack in Love by Penny Watson Page A

sweet and trusting. Christ.
    “More,” she whispered. “Deeper.”
    He growled his response and blanketed her body with his as they bent over the railing. He slammed into her. Hard. Once. Twice. She cried out. Again. And then he was falling, his knees giving out. He still held her against him, her back pressed tightly to his chest. He looked down to see his hairy thighs braced against that pretty pink bottom, and he wanted to howl with happiness.
    Her head hung down, waves of golden hair spilling over the railing. She whimpered. “So much for keeping my distance.”
    Marcus frowned and tipped her face toward him. “You still trying to keep your distance?”
    She nodded. “It’s not working too well.” She looked so forlorn he wanted to laugh.
    Instead, he cleared his throat. “No need for that. I’m not going to hurt you.” He gently pulled her up, reluctantly sliding out of her body. She turned around and wound her arms around his waist, nuzzling her face on his sweaty T-shirt.
    “Yeah, I figured that out. You’re a lumberjack with honor. Why aren’t there any of you guys in Boston, huh?”
    “Because we’re here. You just weren’t looking in the right place.” He stroked her hair until she looked up at him. He couldn’t read her expression, but at least she’d lost the haunted look from the day before. That was good.
    “So, were the flapjacks an empty promise, or can you really cook?”
    Marcus pulled up his jeans and laughed. Then he swung her up into his arms.
    “Marcus! You are a caveman, aren’t you? Put me down!”
    She shrieked as he threw her up in the air and caught her again. One of the Timberland boots fell off, and he was treated to the sight of Ami’s pink-tipped toenails.
    “Time for me to prove my manhood in the kitchen. A dozen golden flapjacks coming up.”
    She kissed the side of his face and sighed. “I think you already proved your manhood plenty.”
    “Well, now I have to feed my woman. Don’t want her to faint from lack of nutrition.”
    Ami giggled and held on tight as he carried her into the house.
    “I can’t wait to drizzle that real Vermont syrup on—” She hesitated, then licked her lips. “My griddle cakes.”
    Marcus groaned. No doubt about it. This girl was gonna kill him.

Lumberjack In Love

     
 
    “Seriously, Rach, back off.”
    Ami hunkered down in her chair and focused on the cup of coffee in front of her. Take-out from Bill and Bob’s. Would wonders never cease?
    Rachel clucked. “I’m just curious about what happened to you last night. You swore before you left that you were only going out for dinner and insisted you’d be back by ten. At the latest. I didn’t realize you meant ten in the morning.” She smirked and took a sip of her organic green tea a.k.a. dirty hot water. Ami never understood how folks drank that scary beverage.
    “For your information, I did spend the night at Marcus’s place. But we did not have sex last night. He was a perfect gentleman. Loaned me one of his shirts and held me while I slept.”
    “Uh huh.” Rachel did not look convinced. “Well, then why are you blushing, little sis?”
    “Blushing? Get real. I am not—”
    “Not only are you blushing, but the tips of your ears are bright red. You only do that when you’re super embarrassed. So out with it. What happened?”
    Ami reached up and touched her ears. Yep, they were flaming hot. Dammit!
    “Fine. Here’s what happened. We had an incredible meal. He looks like a million bucks dressed up, by the way. We discussed my disastrous life. Then he took me home and held me all night while I slept. His arms are like two gigantic tree trunks covered with hair. And rippling muscles.” She sighed.
    “And?” Rachel prompted. “I know there is more to this story, because your ears look like they are about to catch on fire.”
    Ami sipped her coffee. “When I woke up this morning he was chopping wood. How was I supposed to resist that? He was sweating and huffing and