Satin Sheets and Strawberries (12 page)

Logan smiled wickedly. "I’ll try to control myself."

Kelli took a step closer and muttered under her breath, "That’s what I’m afraid of."

"Did you say something?"

"No." Kelli was almost ready to grab his helpful hand when Tinkerbell came charging out of the woods. She watched with amusement as the dog made a beeline straight for the tractor, barking furiously. "Stop that, Tinkerbell."

Then the dog jammed her nose under the tractor and started to dig.

"What is she after?" Logan asked."I didn’t see anything. Maybe it was a chipmunk?" Tinkerbell let out a howl and continued to tunnel under the idling mower. Kelli tried to pull her dog away and was rewarded with a growl. In exasperation she blew the whistle. Kelli blew three times before Tinkerbell paid attention. "What is with you, girl? There’s nothing under there." Kelli suppressed her laugh as Tinkerbell sat proudly in the middle of the path with her tongue hanging out panting.

With a loving pat Kelli praised Tinkerbell. "Good girl."

In the darkness beneath the tractor a cotter pin dropped unnoticed to lie in the dusty soil. A four-inch spring followed and rolled into the small hole the dog had dug. The air was still as a piece of brass linkage swung wildly for a moment before slowly coming to rest against the dented crankcase.

Kelli jumped back as Tinkerbell shot to her feet wildly barking. In a flash, Tinkerbell crashed through the surrounding woods in pursuit of the unknown.

Logan laughed as Tinkerbell disappeared from sight. "Did you see what she was after?"

"Afraid not. Whatever it was I’m sure it got away."

He reached out and gently captured her hand. "Come on, my lady, your chariot awaits."

Kelli ducked her head to hide the pleasure she felt when he called her "my lady." She settled in between his thighs and felt his arms tighten around her waist. "Are you sure this is going to work?" she joked.

Logan felt his body’s immediate reaction to her closeness and silently groaned. "Trust me. You’re going to do all the driving, I’m going to sit right here and hang on. Place your feet on the brake and clutch and it’s all yours."

She expertly took the controls and started down the path. Snippy bounced with vigor as it plowed over dips and valleys. The rocking motion set off friction where their jeans were connected. With every jerk of the tractor his hands bounced from her stomach to beneath her breasts, and back down. She was amazed at how she could feel every movement of his fingers through a flannel shirt and a zipped-up sweatshirt. A fiery blush tinted her cheeks as her breasts grew heavy and her nipples hardened.

She tried to concentrate on maneuvering Snippy around any gullies or sudden dips. "She runs like a champ, Logan," she finally said. "Thank you."

With a sudden intake of breath, Logan groaned as Kelli’s sweet bottom connected with a part of his anatomy that never knew how exciting mowing the lawn could be. His voice was husky as he whispered in her ear, "You’re welcome."

Kelli felt his breath caress her neck and shuddered. With a sudden twist to the wheel she headed the tractor toward the pond, the closest route home.

Logan felt her shiver and tightened his hold. He resisted the temptation to kiss her delicate neck. "Cold?" he asked.

The wheel slipped from her trembling hands as Logan’s lips nipped at the sensitive skin of her exposed neck. Recovering herself, she wildly grabbed the wheel and slammed on the brakes as the tractor bolted down a grassy hill straight for the pond. Nothing! The mower was picking up speed at an alarming rate. "Logan!" she cried fearfully.

From behind her he reached quickly, smashing her foot with his, trying to hit the brakes. Nothing! What in the hell had happened? Seeing the cold water of the pond come rushing closer, he yelled, "Jump!"Kelli caught a blurred look at Logan’s determined face before he stood up and jumped, pulling her along with him. Soft, moist soil cushioned her fall as she landed a few feet from the water’s edge. Laying flat on her back she turned her head and watched, astonished, as Snippy splashed into the pond. Then the engine died. The heavy tractor started to slowly sink into the mud.

"Kelli, are you okay?" Logan asked, staring at the sight.

"Yes." Kelli looked at the five inches of her tractor still above water and silently laughed. She turned her head and stared up at Logan, who was leaning over her. "I don’t think Snippy knows how to swim."

"Lord, I’m sorry, Kelli." He tenderly wiped a streak of mud off her cheek. "What happened? The brakes were working perfectly before. Are you okay? You didn’t break anything when you jumped, did you?" He cautiously ran his hands up both of her jean-clad legs and started on her arms. "Don’t worry about Snippy, I’ll fix her again."

"Logan?"

"Yes?"

Kelli’s heart almost burst with joy. Logan did care! He was blabbering about broken bones and a water-logged tractor. With a loving smile she said, "Shut up and kiss me."

He gazed down at the woman whose hips he was straddling and grinned. His lips were a mere inch away. "I thought you’d never ask," he murmured. With warm tenderness he gently took her mouth.

Desire, already kindled, blazed into a raging inferno. She ran her tongue over his lips. Heat curled within her as he opened his mouth. A satisfied purr escaped her throat as he deepened the kiss and shifted his weight across her. She felt the hard evidence of his arousal pressed against her thigh and gloried in the knowledge he found her desirable.

Logan groaned as Kelli arched her back and pressed her breasts against his chest. With a sudden movement he rolled onto his back, bringing her with him. Kelli ended up straddling his hips, tormenting him out of his mind. With sure fingers he slowly lowered the zipper of her gray sweatshirt.

The look of concentration on Logan’s face held her spellbound as he lingered over every button on her flannel shirt.

As her buttons were eased open, the need to have Logan touch her grew. Cool air caressed her heated skin as he slowly parted her blouse to reveal the white satin camisole she wore underneath. Desire burned in his gaze as he watched her darkened nipples harden. Twin peaks broke the smoothness of the shimmering satin. With the lightest of touches, he touched her.

Kelli sucked air into her lungs, and released it, crying his name. "Logan."

His pleasure turned to distress as he noticed the small mud streak that covered her breasts. He raised his mud-smeared hand and groaned. He was covered with mud, so was Kelli. They were lying in the dirt about to make love. With awe he glanced up and met Kelli’s darkened eyes. He was in love with Kelli SantaFe! When had that happened? More important, what was he going to do about it? He watched as the desire in Kelli’s gaze turned to confusion. With a sigh, he tenderly pulled her down and lovingly cradled her in his arms. He and Kelli would not make love for the first time in a field of mud. There would be satin sheets, roses, champagne, and endless hours.

Kelli listened as Logan’s rapid heartbeat slowed. What had happened? One moment flames had ignited wherever he touched and moisture had gathered between her thighs. The next instant she was hauled into his arms while he whispered soothing words. His hands created a warm friction as they massaged her back, and his chest was the best pillow she’d ever rested her head on. Didn’t he feel the same jolt of recognition whenever they touched? Humiliation washed over her as Logan noticed her whimper of distress. "Shhh, babe, it’s okay." A groan escaped him as he felt the woman in his arms stiffen. Gently placing a hand under her chin, he forced her to look at him. "It should be quite obvious that I still want you. In case it hasn’t occurred to you, we happen to be lying in mud. Personally I have nothing against mud, but what we feel for each other deserves better than a quick roll in the grime." Seeing the uncertainty on her face, he asked, "Don’t you agree?"

A huge grin spread across her face. He hadn’t actually said he loved her, but he did just admit to some kind of feeling. Feelings so powerful that fondling each other in the dirt upset him. In surprise she realized that Logan was a romantic. He probably was looking for candlelight, dreamy music, and French perfume, while she’d supplied mud facials. How could she tell the man she loved that none of those things mattered? Material possessions never impressed her, it was the things that held no monetary value that captured her heart. With love shining in her eyes she leaned closer and whispered, "Yes," against his lips.

#

Kelli and Logan returned home late in the afternoon covered with mud and smiles. Ruth had raised an eyebrow at their explanation, but didn’t comment. Logan graciously allowed Kelli to use the shower first as he sat down to enjoy a cup of coffee with his aunt.

Ruth checked on the roast slowly browning in the oven. She grabbed a bowl of potatoes and two peelers before sitting down across from Logan. She handed her nephew a peeler. "I’m really happy to see you and Kelli getting along."

From the tone of her voice, Logan knew it was lecture time. He started to skin a potato and waited for his aunt to continue.

"Did Kelli ever tell you about the day we met?"

"No, she said it wasn’t her story to tell."

"Humph! It’s more her story than ours." Ruth glanced down her nose and studied the potato she held. "You already know that Edwin came here to get us out of Suzette’s hair. She was having some kind of bridge party. Anyway, while we were here I started to have this attack. Henry got me to a bench and with the help of a nitro pill everything was under control."

"Nitro! You never told me about the nitro pills."

"Of course I did, Logan. Even the doctor told you I was taking medication. What kind of medication did you think I was taking?" Ruth looked at Logan’s bewildered expression and chuckled. She started to pull a silver chain from around her neck. "See what Kelli gave me for Christmas." Instead of a charm, a tiny vial was linked through the chain. "It’s a nitro holder. This way I’ll always have my medicine with me and I won’t have to dig through my purse to find it."

Visions of his beloved aunt clutching her chest while searching through a crammed handbag for her life-saving medicine sent shivers down his spine. "Not only is Kelli beautiful, she’s smart."

"Yes, she is. As I was resting on the bench Edwin started to rant and rave about being inconvenienced. Henry told him I needed the rest but Edwin wouldn’t listen. There was a terrible scene. Edwin was shouting, Henry was begging, and all I could do was cry. That’s how Kelli found us.

"The sight of Kelli emerging from the woods like some avenging angel had me reaching for the nitro bottle again. She was dressed in one of her fairy outfits with wings and silver glitter in her hair. I thought I had died and gone to heaven."

"What happened?"

"She took in the scene with a glance. Henry explained to her that our house had burned down and we were staying with Edwin until we located you. She said she had a spare bedroom and we were welcome to stay with her. End of story."

"Just like that?"

Ruth chuckled. "Logan, at my age I’ve become a pretty good judge of character. Who would you pick to live with, Kelli or Edwin?"

Logan started to peel another potato. "Okay, so we both are experts in judging character. Now you can tell me whatever is on your mind."

"Obvious, was I?" Seriously, she said, "You do know that we love you like a son?"

Logan’s hand stopped in mid-peel. "I hate it when you start conversations with that line."

"Henry and I have also grown to love Kelli like a daughter. We don’t want to see her get hurt."

"By me?"

"I might be half-blind, but I can see the way you two look at each other. You will hurt her when you go back to Afghanistan."

"What if I don’t go back to Sudan?"

Ruth laid down a half-finished potato and stared at Logan’s sincere expression. "You remind me of your father when you look at me like that. Frank always wore that expression whenever he was about to make a sacrifice for the good of the family."

"Dad? What did he sacrifice?"

"His dream. When he was a little boy, he wanted to be a pilot. By the time he was old enough to decide on his future, World War II had broken out. Uncle Sam didn’t care about a young man’s dream; Frank looked like infantry material. After the war when our father died, Frank became the main support of the family, working in the steel mill. Then he met and married your mother, and within a year you were born."

"And he never flew."

"No. He was in an airplane a few times, but I don’t think it was the same. When I had the heart attack we didn’t tell you because I was afraid you’d come home and give up your dream. Henry and I kept my health problems from you because we love you."

Logan saw the tears in his aunt’s eyes and reached for her hand. "Thank you, but it wasn’t necessary. Being a geologist is my dream, not working in Sudan. I can be a geologist in the States."

"You said you work with oil."

"Yes, but I can work in other areas."

"In case you haven’t noticed, this isn’t Texas where there are oil wells every hundred feet."

"I noticed." He gently squeezed her trembling hand. "I said I could be a geologist in the States, not necessarily Pennsylvania. It could mean a move."

"Would this move involve Henry and me?"

"I can’t force you to come with me. I would like you to come." Noticing her frown, he said, "Nothing is settled yet. I’m still in the resume stage, seeing what’s available out there and where. All I ask is that you think about it."

Ruth nodded her gray head. "What about Kelli?"

As if on cue, Kelli swung open the kitchen door and entered the room in time to hear the last question. "What about me?"Logan couldn’t meet her eyes. "Ruth was just asking if you hurt yourself when you jumped from the tractor."

Her heart sank. He didn’t want her to know what he was doing. The man she loved had lied to her. With a grimace she glanced down at her finest red silk blouse and newest jeans. Her hair was freshly washed and streaming down her back. Delicate gold studs dotted her ears, the barest traces of makeup darkened her eyes, and a light flower scent followed her. Who was she trying to impress? Surely not the man sitting in front of her with the guilty look on his face. "No, Ruth, I didn’t get hurt. Shower’s free, Logan."