Caught in the Axe (Maine Lumberjacks, #1)

by Daphne Elliot

She was gorgeous and kind and intelligent, which meant there was no way I’d escape the next couple of weeks without developing a full-blown crush.

Because there was no denying it. I was now lusting after my little brother’s ex-girlfriend.

In my mind, he was a cruel, money-grubbing city guy. Like Patrick Bateman without the murder, or a younger, hotter Ebenezer Scrooge. But the man who’d sat with me, asking thoughtful questions and explaining the intricacies of the timber business, wasn’t an asshole.

Never fear, Owen Hebert. I’m gonna make your files my bitch.

Did I wear a little makeup and my tightest jeans? Why, yes, I did. And No, I did not want to analyze why.

I patted her steering wheel and gave Owen a wink. “Priscilla here is a van-imal.”

He bit his lip and smiled, and my stomach dipped. Damn. I hated how sexy such a subtle movement was.

But we were truly past that and now veering into hopeless tween crush territory. If I wasn’t careful, I’d dig a Lisa Frank notebook out of my mom’s basement when I got home and start doodling his name surrounded in hearts.

He shucked off his coat, draped it over the boxes on the table, and rolled up the cuffs of his dress shirt, revealing tan, muscular forearms that temporarily distracted me from my righteous indignation.

And when she did, it was like standing in the sun. Her attention was warm and comforting, and it created an ache inside me, one I’d never felt before and couldn’t identify.

“Enjoy the blandly handsome man who can barely act.” I turned and headed for my room, popcorn bowl in hand.

“Lila, you are my best friend, and I support you 100 percent regardless of whether you’re working for the Heberts or taking your clothes off.” “Those are not equivalent options,”

We hadn’t had a knock-down, drag-out fight since we were kids, but I was itching to drag him out to the parking lot and throw a few punches. How had we gotten so far away from one another? How had our family gotten so splintered?

He was looking less city boy and more lumberjack by the day. And it was a problem. Because he looked good.

My first instinct was to tear off the top of the box like a rabid raccoon, but I stopped myself.

While snack food might not mean much to the average person, to someone like me, for whom food could be dangerous, it was huge.

We did not have emotional conversations. Ever. We were Hebert men. We’d been conditioned to repress and then repress some more.

God, why couldn’t we just fistfight like we did when we were kids and move on? His words were so much more devastating than a punch to the face would have been.

“Better get home to Adele. She may need ice cream, or a foot rub, or a carburetor to take apart.”

“As cheesy as this sounds, I’m trying to enjoy the journey rather than fixating on the destination.”

“I’ve realized that real life is now. The decisions I make today matter. My attitude and effort and the way I show up for others matters.

“Don’t say that. You’re beautiful. You’ve always been beautiful. Period. And if people don’t notice how smart and empathetic and intuitive you are, then that’s their fucking problem.”

“And regardless of how painfully gorgeous you are, your mind, Lila, your mind is magnificent.”

“Okay, now that we’ve established that, my blood type is A positive. Do you want my social security number too?”

Damn, I’d never been so attracted to a woman in my life. Lila could completely destroy me. And I would gladly let her.

“I think you’ve been forced into playing a specific role your whole life. But the woman I saw in there today, the one I see most days, actually, is the real you. You are fierce. You are smart. And you deserve to be heard.”

“I needed some weirdness today.”

“Happy to get weird with you anytime.”

Logically, I had plenty of legitimate reasons to stay away. But then I touched my lips. That kiss had rearranged my brain cells, and despite my better judgment, all I could think about was doing it again. I’d had plenty of first kisses in my life. Some were awkward, others passionate. But this one had been filled with pure joy. And it was Lila. Sunshine in human form, a woman who was free to do what she wanted, when she wanted it.

I woke up every day and presented my true self to the world, brown hair, flat shoes, and all. It took a long time to get to where I was, and I had a way to go yet, but I was doing things my way. I’d earned that degree, and when I did, I’d do so much with it.

“I did pack my hip daggers,” she joked, eyes dancing. “I’d expect nothing less from the Maple Sugar Queen.”

She licked a drop of champagne off her bottom lip, and the room spun around me. I’d probably give her my social security number and bank PIN if she asked while licking champagne off her glossy lips. Who knew I was a lip guy?

“Since the moment you first walked into that office building, I’ve been thinking of your naked body under mine. I’ve waited so long for this moment. You’re going to be a good girl and let me play.”

His hands went to my ass, gripping me hard as I found a rhythm. “That’s it,” he encouraged. “Take what you need.”

“But—” The words died on her lips as I bit down gently. Her fingers were in my hair, tugging, driving me wild. I grinned up at her. “Butt stuff?” I gave her a cocky wink. “Hell yeah. If that’s what you’re into, I’m down.”

She pinned me with a chiding look, and damn if my cock didn’t thicken at the reprimand. I considered picking her up, carrying her back to bed, and eating her delicious pussy until she saw sense. Instead, I laced my fingers over my abdomen and waited.

Owen Hebert, Mr. Super Serious Corporate Bossman, just winked at me.

“Go inside,” he demanded, holding out the axe in my direction like he was pointing at me. I shivered. Not because of the cold. Nope. But because that deep, bossy register unlocked some deep, primal muscle memory. I was fairly certain the responding fluttering in my belly was my ovaries spontaneously ovulating.

“Don’t say a word.” She laughed. “I’m just here for the show.”

Owen began unbuttoning his dress shirt, and I lost the ability to speak. He carefully shrugged out of it and draped it over the deck railing, then he stepped away, wearing just a white undershirt, jeans, and those broken-in boots.

“Daaayuuum,” Mom hissed under her breath. “Is this actually happening?” I asked, my heart pounding in my ears. Because I thought maybe I’d died in my sleep and now resided in lumberjack heaven. “Does it matter?” She elbowed me. “Shut up and enjoy it.”

How was I supposed to resist him when he was stripped down to a white T-shirt and chopping...

“Talk about arm port. Those dress shirts do not do him justice.” She wasn’t wrong. They hid just how muscular and lean he was. As each muscle bunched and clenched beneath the thin cotton, it hit me just how hard it was going to be to keep my damn pants on around him. “Remember to practice safe sex, sweetie.”

“The man is chopping wood for you. Just give it up already.”

After a solid fifteen minutes of chopping, then stacking the cut wood next to the back door, he’d prepped enough to last an entire winter. But I couldn’t help but think it might not be enough. Because I wasn’t ready for the show to end. I’d personally take down every tree in town just to keep watching the Owen Hebert Lumberjack Spectacular.

Screw raffles. The town should use him to fundraise for the new library. If we streamed this on YouTube, this town would never want for anything again.

then he was at the door, all sweaty and masculi...

“Because I don’t want you to be cold. Or hungry or tired. I care about you. And if I can make your life easier, even in the smallest of ways, then I’ll do it. Every time.”

“You can have whatever you want. I’m all yours. For tonight, this year, or forever. I’m here if you want me.”

“Tell me you thought about it,” I said, bottoming out and loving the total control I had over her body. “Tell me you thought about how good it was when I fucked you.”