The senseless death of his parents had changed him so much. He’d gone from open, smiling young man to one who was grim and silent. The man who’d shot his mother and father in a convenience store holdup had been arrested and charged with their deaths, and Abel had gone to the trial proceedings every day, absorbing every detail. His first book had come out of that incident. It had simply been entitled, A Son’s Search for Justice by A. B. Garrett.

Almost a dozen more books had followed, each one chronicling the tragic events of some crime. Erin had read only one. The story had been gripping and so real it had given her nightmares for weeks. She owned them all, but had never read more than the opening and final chapters of any of them.

No matter where he had lived or traveled for his work, Abel had always made a pilgrimage home once a year. Sometimes he was here for as long as a week, other times he’d be gone after two or three days. No one ever knew when he was coming or when he was leaving, but he always wrote to them. Well, really he occasionally wrote to Jackson who shared the letters with her and Nathan. They were always filled with details of where he was and what he was working on. Erin had traveled all the way around the country through those letters.

Erin didn’t know how he could keep his sanity investigating gruesome crimes such as serial murders and rapes, and then writing about them. She sensed from his letters that it had taken a toll on him. Over the years, his letters had gotten further apart and sparser on details, but permeating them all was a sense of aloneness. It broke her heart to think of him buried in his work, hardly coming up for breath between projects. It was if he was driven to write each one, as if that would somehow make dealing with the death of his own parents easier to handle.

Reaching out, she placed her hand on his arm, simply wanting contact with him. She admired him as a person, but she adored him as a man. This morning, he’d made her feel sexy and womanly for the first time in her life and for that alone, he had earned a special place in her heart forever.

Flawed he might be, but she didn’t think she’d ever met a finer man. Their time together might be short, but she planned to take full advantage of every second. He didn’t move a muscle, but suddenly she knew he was awake. She peeked up at him and sure enough, his green eyes watched her with such a look of sexual intent that it almost took her breath away.

“Hi,” she said.

“Hi back.” Taking her hand from his arm, he kissed her palm before laying her hand on the bed between them. “I’m sweating like a pig in this heat, honey. You don’t want those gorgeous hands on me until I get a shower.

She placed her hand on his chest. “I don’t mind. I’m sweaty too.” Leaning forward, she dropped a kiss on his lips. “Besides, I’m a farm girl. I don’t mind a little honest sweat.”

Laughing, he grabbed her in a bear hug and tugged her on top of him. “Then I’m a very lucky man.”

She nodded emphatically. “You certainly are.” Pushing her hips against his already half-aroused penis, she added, “And maybe you might get even luckier.”

“Think so?” he teased.

“I know so.” She loved bantering with him. Never had she felt this comfortable in any man’s presence, including her brothers. Her glance happened to stray to the bedside table where the clock radio sat. She blinked, not believing her eyes. It couldn’t be that late. But when she looked again, the clock still said that it was just after eleven.

“Omigod.” Screaming, she rolled out of bed, ignoring Abel’s surprised yelp as her knee came to close to his groin for comfort, and began to frantically search for her clothing. Bending over, she grabbed her underwear, but before she could tug them on, she was captured from behind in a bear hug and tossed back on top of the bed.

With her panties still clutched in her hand, she glared up at him. Smiling, a very pleased, satisfied male smile, he surveyed her naked body from head to toe. Her flushed skin felt even hotter and her nipples tightened, but one more glance at the clock had her sighing. “I’ve got to go.”

Abel leaned over her, planting a hand on either side of her head. Bending down, he lowered his mouth to hers. His lips skimmed her own and she parted hers in response. Quickly taking advantage, his tongue swept inside, engaging hers in a sexual duel. Her arms crept up around his neck, pulling him closer to her. Taking his time, he kissed her with a thoroughness that left her breathless when he finally did pull away.

“Good morning, again.” Taking her hand in his, he placed it over his obvious erection. “I know you have to go, but we could take a shower together before you do. It’s the environmentally responsible thing to do you know, to conserve water.”

His grin was wicked and she couldn’t resist teasing him. “Well,” she drawled. “I suppose if it’s for the environment, I can sacrifice myself.”

Standing, he tugged her up from the bed and pulled her along behind him as he left the bedroom and padded down the hallway. “Abel,” she cried. “We’re naked.” She was desperately trying to cover part of herself with her free hand.

He stopped in his tracks and threw back his head and laughed. Erin, not amused by his humor, tried to free her hand from his hold, although he wasn’t holding her tight, his grip was unbreakable. Finally, she stopped trying and settled for just standing there and glaring at him. Really, the man lacked all sense of modesty.

Getting himself back under control, he scooped her up in his arms, threw her over his shoulder, and proceeded to carry her down the hallway. Erin yelped when he picked her up. She was no lightweight, but he carried her with ease. At first she struggled against his hold, but he smacked her on the ass. “Settle down, honey. There’s no one here but us, and besides, we’ll be in the shower in just a second. It doesn’t make any sense to get dressed.”

“I know,” she muttered, squirming slightly as his hand soothed the slight sting on her bottom. The heat on her bottom aroused her, which surprised her greatly.

Her reaction to their nudity made her feel like a prudish old maid. “I’m just not used to it.” She felt the need to justify herself.

“That’s okay. I’ll make sure you get plenty of practice.” He deposited her on the countertop in the bathroom and then leaned over to turn on the taps in the oversized shower stall. The smooth countertop was cool against her behind and she could barely resist the urge to spread her legs and push her hot pussy against it.

Swinging her feet back and forth, she watched him as he went about readying everything for their shower. Anything to distract herself from the throbbing ache between her legs. All his movements were fluid and sure for such a large man. Opening a cabinet door, he rummaged around and pulled out a couple of towels, setting them on the hamper next to the shower. Checking the water, he adjusted it to his satisfaction.

Sauntering back to the counter, he spread her legs wide with his hands and stepped between them. Startled, Erin splayed her hand on the countertop for support. Abel leaned down and drew one of her engorged nipples into his mouth and sucked hard.

Erin moaned, dropping her head back and widening her legs even further. Abel’s fingers lightly pinched the other hard nub as his teeth lightly bit the other. Lightning ran from her breasts to her pussy. “Fuck me, Abel.” She was panting hard now and so close to coming again.

Abel lifted his head from her breasts and moved his fingers down to her wet pussy. “Not yet.” Thrusting two of his fingers deep inside her, he widened them before pulling them out again with maddening slowness. “I like my pussy hot and begging.” His fingers pinched her throbbing clit. “You’re not there yet, but you will be.” Scooping her up once again, he carried her to the shower and set her underneath the spray.

Erin sputtered as water covered her face, but the cool liquid felt so good against her heated, sensitive skin. She didn’t know whether to smack him, yell at him or beg him to fuck her. Before she could decide, large hands began to comb through her hair, wetting the curly locks.

Surprised, she started to turn to see what he was doing, but he placed his hands on her waist, keeping her faced away from him, and whispered in her ear. “Let me?” His voice sent shivers running down her spine, and she slowly nodded.

Curious now, she stood in the shower with the water cascading over both of their bodies and waited to see what he would do. She could hear the sound of him opening a bottle and the sound of something being squeezed out. Then his hands were back on her head as he rubbed the shampoo into her hair. Taking his time, he massaged her scalp and worked the lather all the way down to the tips of her hair before rinsing it off.

Erin had never felt anything like it in her life. His hands were strong and rough, yet when he washed her hair, they were gentle and soothing, yet strangely arousing. Never, had she felt as pampered in her life, and the wonder of it was that he wasn’t finished yet.

With her hair rinsed free of soap, he leaned back over and picked up another bottle. A moment later, his hands cupped her breasts and began to lather her skin. His fingers slid easily over her wet, soapy skin, taking special care to make sure that both mounds were completely soaped. With his thumb and forefinger, he pinched them rhythmically until Erin was sure she’d come any second. Moaning, she leaned back against his chest for support as her knees went weak.

Abel shifted his hands from her breasts and continued to soap her upper body, her arms and her stomach. Erin sucked in her breath as his fingers slid through her pubic hair, parted her and slipped right inside her. Spreading her legs to allow him easier access, she enjoyed the feel of his fingers inside her. With one hand on her breast and the other between her legs, he easily aroused her to a fevered pitch.