“Showing off your big-city manners,” Nathan teased.

“No,” he replied. “Just helping to seat a pretty lady.” Winking at her, he grabbed the closest bowl and began to heap food on the plate in front of him. “This all looks fantastic, Erin.”

“Thank you.” Her voice was low and soft, and the smile she gave him was filled with pride.

“That’s a good man. Butter her up and you’ll get more free food while you’re here.” Jackson’s voice broke the tentative link between him and Erin. But before he could berate his friend, he was already onto another topic. “Speaking of which. How long are you home for this time?”

Erin had sucked in her breath the moment Jackson asked the question, telling him that she was interested in his answer. Acting as nonchalant as possible, he tasted some of the potatoes and savored their flavor before he answered. “Indefinitely. But for the rest of the summer for sure. Possibly longer. It’s time I went through the boxes of stuff belonging to Mom and Dad. I’ve put it off for far too long.” He smiled to himself when she released her pent-up breath on a deep sigh.

He had seated himself right next to Erin when he’d sat down for supper, and after he’d enjoyed his first few mouthfuls of food, he decided it was time to have some fun. The conversation flowed around the table as Nathan related something funny that had happened when he’d been out on patrol today. Erin had finally relaxed and was smiling while she listened to her brother. Abel casually allowed his left hand to slide under the table next to him.

Her whole body stiffened in shock when his large hand cupped her knee. Taking his time, he trailed his fingers up the inside of her thigh, stopping just before he reached the top. Color slowly seeped up Erin’s face until her cheeks were a nice rosy hue. Abel continued to eat his supper as he trailed his fingers up and down her legs in a slow and easy fashion.

“You okay, Erin?” Jackson was looking at his sister with a quizzical look. “I didn’t notice earlier, but you seem really red. Did you get too much sun today?”

Erin had to clear her throat twice before she could speak. “No, I’m fine. Just a little flushed from working over a hot stove.”

Jackson nodded, satisfied with her explanation. “Erin’s made herself a nice little business selling berries with your family’s land.”

“Really?” Abel turned slightly to face her, noting that her breathing was a little more rapid. Giving her a break, he moved his hand lower and settled it just above her knee. “Tell me about it?”

Erin took a deep breath and let it out slowly before responding. “I worked with the wild blueberry bushes that were already there and planted some more. It’s a totally organic operation.” She shrugged as if it were no big deal. “I pick so much and sell it to local stores and restaurants, and I also have a u-pick operation when the berries are in season. I put in a new road where our property line meets and built a small shed for equipment and such.” She ate a mouthful of potatoes and chased it down with some milk before continuing. “I’m really busy from the end of July until mid-September, but it works out well for me.”

Nathan snorted. “It works out better than well. Erin employs about a dozen kids from the high school during harvest time, either part-time or full-time.”

Jackson nodded. “Yeah, she does. We use the rest of the fields to plant some hay and alfalfa. It works out well for us.”

“It works out better for me,” Abel added. “I want to thank you for taking care of the house. It certainly wasn’t part of the agreement. To tell you the truth it just never crossed my mind.” Both men were looking at him with blank looks in their eyes, strengthening his belief that it was all Erin’s doing.

“I told you it was no big deal.” She glanced at her brothers and back at her plate. “I’m over that way all the time and it only takes a few minutes to open a window or run a dustcloth over things.”

Abel responded by sliding his hand up the inside of her thigh again, and this time he didn’t stop until he reached the top. He could feel her feminine heat seeping from her crotch even through the layer of denim, and he felt his dick begin to stir in response. He licked his lips, imagining just how good she would taste. The urge to haul down her jeans, spread her legs wide, and lick every inch of her sweet pussy was almost overwhelming. It didn’t matter that her brothers were sitting right next to him and would probably kill him if they could read his mind.

Erin jumped when his palm cupped her intimately, choking on a piece of chicken. Abel was forced to remove his hand long enough to thump her on her back.

“Are you sure you’re all right?” Jackson watched as Abel continued to pat her on the back.

“I’m sure,” she sputtered. Jumping up from the table, she went straight to the sink and poured a glass of water for herself. Taking her time, she sipped slowly all the while keeping her back turned to them. When she finally regained her composure, she went to the oven, grabbed a potholder, and pulled out a casserole dish that had been left warming there.

Abel watched her as she dished up a steaming chocolate pudding mixture and topped each serving with fresh cream. He could sit and watch her all day long. There was something about the way she moved that was restful. Even when she was busy, her movements were unhurried and precise. Some of her hair had escaped from the confines of her braid, and little locks curled slightly in the heat. Her skin was flushed and her full lips were parted in concentration as she worked.

Abel would much rather have her for dessert than chocolate. Or even better was Erin covered in chocolate. He shifted in his seat, trying to get comfortable. His erection was pushing hard against the front of his jeans, and kept him from offering to help. There was no way he could leave his seat right now without both her and her brothers noticing that his cock was straining against the zipper of his jeans, demanding to be let out.

Jackson pulled his attention away from her with his next question. “Are you working on a new book?”

Abel stiffened, not wanting to talk about his work. He never did. But this was different. He knew it wasn’t morbid curiosity that prompted his friend, but a genuine interest in Abel himself. “No. I just finished one that should be out by Christmas.”

“What’s it about?” As a deputy sheriff, Nathan was always interested in Abel’s opinions on the various court cases he researched and wrote about.

“The Trenton Slayer.” Everyone was silent for a moment, and then Nathan let out a long, slow whistle.

“That was a hell of a case. Mark Smithson spent over ten years murdering young girls before they caught him.” Nathan shook his head. “I read some of the reports on that one, and they were pretty gruesome.”

Erin placed the dishes of dessert on the table in front of all of them. Everyone ignored them as they listened to Abel recount some of the story.

“Yeah, it was the worse case I’ve ever investigated.” That was saying something, as they all knew that it was his parents’ brutal murder in a convenience store holdup that had led him to his career as an investigative journalist and later a crime writer.

“I talked to the cops and all the families.” He toyed with the dessert spoon for a moment before looking up at them, and his eyes were bleak. “But the worst of it was talking to Smithson. He’s one sick son of a bitch. It was all just a game to him, and he didn’t regret one thing he did. In fact, he promised to do worse if he ever gets out.”

Now it was her turn as Erin slipped her hand over to his lap and squeezed his thigh. There was comfort in her touch and he could feel her concern for him. It gave him the strength to pull himself away from the story. If he wasn’t careful, it dragged him down like it had for the last year of his life, eating at him and sucking him dry.

“Anyway, I’m finished with it. The book is done and I don’t want to think about it any longer.” Abel tried his best to inject some humor into his voice. “I’m looking forward to a long vacation filled with sleeping, eating, fishing, and the occasional ice-cold beer.”

Jackson teased him in an attempt to lighten the mood. “A man of leisure. If you get bored, come on over here and I’ll put you to work doing a real job. We’ll have those puny muscles of yours built up in no time.”

They all laughed as Jackson had intended. Abel was more muscular than Jackson was and that was saying something, as there wasn’t an ounce of fat on Jackson after years of hard farm work. “If I ever feel the need to get into shape, you can be my personal trainer.” Abel’s smile was genuine now.

Reaching down, he grabbed Erin’s hand before she could pull it away. Slowly, he slid it up over the top of his thigh and over his throbbing cock. He knew she could feel him pulsing through his jeans, and her hand automatically covered him and squeezed gently. It was all too easy to imagine her on her knees in front of him opening the front of his jeans. His cock would spring loose and she would take him deep into her mouth and suck him. Hard.

Abel broke out into a cold sweat as he struggled for control. Maybe it hadn’t been such a good idea to start a game like this. Erin’s touch affected him deeply and his reactions were quick and extreme. Right now, he wanted to sweep the dishes off the table, throw her on the top, and fuck her until they were both senseless with pleasure. It didn’t even matter that her brothers were sitting right there in front of them. He was in way over his head.

Thankfully, Nathan broke the erotic spell that she was weaving around him when he pushed back from the table. His chair made a scraping noise on the floor as he stood and stretched. “Come on, Jackson. I’ll give you a hand in the barn and Erin and Abel can do the dishes.”