Erin closed her eyes on a groan. The images flashed through her mind like a motion picture.

Her reddish hair was spread across the stark white pillows as she held her arms out to the man in front of her. Tall, muscular and totally aroused, he wedged his body between her spread thighs, his pale green eyes never leaving hers. His full lips smiled as he picked up her ankles one at a time, and kissed each tenderly before placing one on either of his broad shoulders.

She could feel his cock pressed against her wet slit and moaned in anticipation. Teasing her, he rubbed his hardness against her wet folds, lubricating himself with her juices. Her heels dug into his shoulders as she rotated her hips, trying desperately to get him inside her.

Laughing, he reached out and traced his fingers around her breasts, coming close, but never touching her nipples. They were hard nubs that were begging for his touch. “Abel, please,” she panted. Her whole body was on fire now, straining for release. Grabbing his wrists, she moved his palms until they covered her breasts. Then she began to move his hands on her even as she pushed her hips hard against his heavy cock.

A harsh growl came from deep inside him as he slid his cock deep inside her. Her inner muscles pulsed around his arousal driving her even closer to the edge. Ignoring her hold on his wrists, he began to lightly flick her nipples with his fingers. Pleasure washed over her and she felt her breasts swell under his attention. Bending forward, he pushed his way even deeper inside her as his tongue lapped at her breast. “More,” she urged him.

Abel began thrusting inside her, slowly at first and then quicker as they both grew more frantic. His mouth continued to devour her breasts, licking and sucking until she thought she’d go mad. Her skin was damp and she could feel herself coming. He sat back suddenly, anchored his hands around her waist and began to thrust quick and hard. Her orgasm hit her fast and furious, her inner muscles clamping down hard on him as he continued his frantic pace. He was so close now. She reached out to stroke his glistening chest. “Abel,” she moaned.

“How’d you know Abel was home?” The screen door closed with a bang.

Like a bucket of ice water, her brother’s voice washed over her. In an automatic gesture of self-preservation, she flipped open an old copy of The Apple Farmer Journal and hid her own magazine from view. Her face was flushed, her pulse pounding, as her inner muscles continued to rhythmically contract and relax, soaking her already wet panties. She’d just had her very first orgasm, and once again one of her brothers was thwarting her sex life.

Scowling at him, she was ready to blast him when his words penetrated her sexual haze. “What do you mean?” she croaked.

Jackson had his back to her and was filling a glass with iced tea from the refrigerator. His head tipped back and he emptied the glass once before refilling it and returning the jug to the cooler. Turning around, he kicked the door closed and tromped over to the table, pulled out a chair and plunked himself down next to her. “You were saying his name when I came in. I thought you must have heard.”

“Heard what?” Honestly, she was going to smack him if he didn’t answer her soon.

“Abel’s home.” Jackson took another swig from his glass and reached out to grab her magazine. Erin managed to snag it just before he did and scooped up both of them at once, raising herself slightly and plopped them under her behind. He scowled at her, but thank heavens didn’t try to retrieve them.

“When did he get here? How long is he staying?” Her heart was pounding hard just at the thought of seeing him. Paper crinkled under her as she pressed her bottom hard against the chair, squirming slightly to try and find a comfortable spot. Aftershocks of her orgasm pulsed through her body and it took every ounce of control she possessed not to drop her head to the table and moan. She didn’t know if she could even face Abel after his starring role in her daydream, but she sure as heck wanted to try.

“Don’t know for sure, but Jed’s wife, Alma, who works at the Stop and Shop said he filled a grocery cart to the brim first thing this morning.”

It was hard, but Erin tried to focus on what her brother was saying. “Jed was already here?” Jed Saunders delivered the mail every day, but usually didn’t make it their way until lunchtime and it was just after nine in the morning.

“Yeah,” Jackson laughed. “He had a lot of mail for Abel and I’m sure Alma sent him to dig up more gossip. That woman has a heart of gold, but she does love to talk.” Jackson pushed away from the table and motioned to the small stack of mail on the kitchen counter that she hadn’t even noticed. “Nothing to worry about today. No bills, just some flyers and catalogues.”

One of Erin’s jobs was to deal with the mail and make sure all the normal household bills were paid in a timely fashion. Any bills incurred in the running of the apple orchard, she piled on Jackson’s desk in the study for him to handle. They all worked the family farm, but it really belonged to Jackson. Erin also managed a small blueberry operation of her own.

“I think I’ll take him one of the apple pies I just took out of the oven.” It was almost impossible to keep her voice calm and normal. “Just to welcome him home.”

“You don’t fool me.” Jackson shook his finger at her, and for one moment her heart stopped, as she feared he’s somehow guessed her carnal intentions towards his friend. Her heart started once again as he kept right on talking. “You want to get the latest gossip before anyone else.”

“Guilty,” she admitted. Anything to get her brother out of the house so she could grab a long, cold shower and deliver one of those pies.

Stopping long enough to rinse out his glass and pop it in the drain tray next to the sink, Jackson headed back out the door. “Why don’t you ask him for supper?”

“Okay,” she agreed, but she was talking to herself as Jackson was already striding across the yard. “I just might do that,” she said as her mind began to work.

Energized, she popped out of her chair, grabbed up her magazine, ignoring the farming periodical as it fell to the floor. Holding it close to her chest, she hurried out of the kitchen. Taking the stairs two at a time, she ran down the hall to her bedroom. Quickly, she lifted her mattress and stuffed the magazine under it, now more determined than ever to finish studying it.

For now, she had more important things to do. First, she needed a shower, most definitely a cool one. Second, she needed to wrap up one of her deep-dish apple pies. And thirdly, she needed to go and try and entice her next-door neighbor into a summer affair.

Chapter Two

It was shortly after ten in the morning when she drove the short distance to Abel’s house. It was only a couple of miles, but the closer she got, the more nervous she became. Butterflies crowded into her stomach and her palms were slippery on the steering wheel. Though anticipation and fear warred within her, her yearning was greater. Gripping the wheel tight, she made the turn and drove down the private road, pulling to a stop behind his house. Gratefully, she noted that no one could see her truck from the road.

Turning off the vehicle, she sat there for a moment and waited. The yard was empty and she could detect no movement inside. Opening her door, she climbed out and gently pushed it closed. The air was sultry and sweet as she walked towards the back door. The sun was climbing over the hills in the distance as she put her key in the lock, turned the knob and let herself inside.

Erin knew her way around the house, having visited here many times as a child. Mrs. Garrett had always been kind to her and any cooking and household skills that Erin now possessed had come from her patient instruction and tutelage. Erin had desperately wanted a mother, and Mrs. Garrett had wanted a girl to mother. It had worked out well for both of them and Erin had been heartbroken when she’d been killed. It had been like losing her own mother all over again.

She saw bags, several suitcases and boxes piled just inside the door, so she knew that Abel was around somewhere. Quietly she laid the pie on the kitchen counter and peeked inside all the rooms on the bottom floor, but each of them was empty.

Butterflies fluttered in her stomach as she climbed the stair of the farmhouse. Assuming that Abel had taken up residence in his old room, Erin made her way to the bedroom at the front of the house. The door was partially closed, so she gently pushed it open, relieved when it didn’t squeak.

It was now or never. She could still walk away and nobody would ever know she’d been here. For a moment, as all her doubts and insecurities rose up to taunt her, she almost turned and ran. As she hesitated, her conscience piped up and whispered that there could be dire repercussions, for both her and Abel, if either of her brothers ever discovered what she was doing.

Poised at the threshold, with one foot edging forward into the bedroom, and the other still planted firmly out in the hallway, she chewed her lip in indecision. When she realized what she was doing, she made herself stop and rubbed her abused lips with her finger. It was a nervous habit that she’d never been able to break no matter how hard she tried.

Erin could feel a bead of sweat roll down her back. As much as she wanted this, she didn’t know if she had the nerve to do it. It was one thing to think about doing something she saw in a magazine, but it was quite another to actually do it.

A movement from inside the room caught her eye. The covers on the bed moved as Abel rolled over in bed to face the door. She held her breath as she waited for him to speak, but he said nothing. In fact, he made a soft snoring noise and settled back to sleep. Erin breathed a sigh of relief before her gaze was drawn to him.