“You done in there?” Jackson’s voice was like an ice-cold bucket of water, immediately dousing her arousal.

Giving a little shriek, she grabbed her towel, and held it in front of her body. She knew that her brother couldn’t see her, but just the thought of standing there naked and aroused while she talked to him was more than she could stand. “Almost!” she shouted. Hurrying now, she awkwardly tugged on her robe, dropped the towel, and belted it tight around her waist.

“Get a move on. I want to shower before I go out.” He banged on the door twice more for effect.

Scowling, Erin tossed her dirty clothing and towel down the laundry chute and took one last look around to make sure she had everything she needed. Swiping some of the steam off the mirror, she noted her cheeks were flushed, but that couldn’t be helped. Jackson would probably just assume it was from her bath. Her hair was bundled up in a towel and she still had to dry the mess before she went to bed, but she’d do that in the privacy of her own room.

He thumped two more times on the door and was going for a third when she tugged it open. “What is your problem tonight?” Blocking the doorway, she glared at her brother.

Reaching down, he flicked her playfully on the nose. “You were in there so long, I thought you might have drowned. Usually you’re in and out in five minutes.” He sniffed the air. “What’s that I’m smelling? Perfume?”

Erin felt the heat climb up her cheeks. This was one of those times she wished she’d been an only child. The only thing to do was brazen it out. “It’s cocoa butter, you idiot. The sun has dried out my skin.”

“Ah, I was only teasing you.” He put his hands on his hips and grinned at her. “Where would you wear perfume?” Laughing as if he’d made a joke, Jackson grabbed her hand and tugged her aside and out of his way. Stepping around her, he walked into the bathroom, and closed the door in her stunned face.

“Where indeed?” she muttered as she scuffed down the hall. Barely resisting the childish urge to slam her door shut, she closed it carefully and crossed over to stand in front of her mirror.

The same image she saw every morning and night was reflected back at her. Tall, big-boned, curvy, and sturdy were all terms that had been applied to her at various times in her life.

Dropping the plain white, terrycloth robe to the floor, she appraised her body with a critical eye. Yes, she was tall and her hips were well-rounded, but her legs, arms, and shoulders were strong and toned. Farm work had kept her in good shape and her waist dipped inward and her stomach was flat. Unfortunately, her chest wasn’t as large as the rest of her. She might be a B-cup, but her breasts were round and firm.

For whatever reason, Abel was attracted to her body and she planned to take full advantage of that fact. Looking in the mirror, she smiled. For the first time in her life, she felt desirable and womanly. Her nipples tightened as she examined herself, sending shivers down her spine. It was almost a surprise to her that they were so sensitive. During her one previous attempt at sex, her partner’s clumsy attempts to caress her breasts had left her cold and unsatisfied.

Opening a dresser drawer, she pulled out one of her old cotton sleep shirts and dragged it on over her head. Releasing the towel, she allowed her long hair to fall around her face. She wished she could whip it into some fantastic style that would make her look soft and sultry, but that just wasn’t going to happen. Picking up her comb, she patiently worked in through the tangles in her thick locks. When that was done, she picked up the hairdryer, set it on low, and gently blew it dry.

It was still early by the time she was finished, but there was no way she was going downstairs anymore tonight. Lying back against her pillows, she tried to imagine what tomorrow morning would bring. Smiling, she snuggled down in her bed and tugged a sheet over her body. Images from her magazine flitted across her mind, but instead of the nameless models, she and Abel were featured in all the pictures.

Drifting into a partial dream state, she tried to imagine what it would be like to pleasure herself in front of him. Would he want her to cup her own breasts or rub her thumbs across her nipples? Slowly, her hands inched up her belly until they were covering her aching breasts, and her nightshirt was bunched around her neck and shoulders. For a moment, she simply held both of them, feeling their weight and texture. Shifting her grip slightly, she allowed her thumbs to skim the peaks of her nipples.

She hissed out a breath as desire engulfed her. Her breasts swelled and she could feel her nipples tighten even more. Giving herself over to her own pleasure, she continued to touch herself, feeling an answering throbbing between her legs as they moved restlessly across the sheets.

Taking a deep breath, she pinched her nipples between her thumbs and forefingers, rhythmically squeezing them. She could feel the juices from her pussy sliding down the cleft of her behind. Nipping them a little harder now, she moaned as her pussy clenched tight. She felt empty and needy, her legs moving restlessly on the bed.

Braver now that she was so aroused, she allowed her thighs to fall wide open. Giving her breasts one final squeeze, she slid both hands between her thighs. Remembering the instructions in her magazine, she used one hand to hold open the folds of her sex, and used the other to gently trace her slightly swollen vulva and clitoris. She gasped as she touched just the right spot. Her toes curled, and her legs automatically clamped tight around her hands to hold them in that spot.

Forcing herself, she opened her legs and began to lightly flick her clitoris with her thumb. Pleasure raced through her entire body even as the ache at her core got even worse. Panting hard, she slipped one of her fingers inside herself. It was immediately coated in her arousal, and it was easy to slide it in and out as her thumb continued to move. She shoved a second finger in to join the first one.

A thin cry escaped her as she widened her fingers as she stroked. It wasn’t the same as having Abel’s cock fucking her, but it still felt good. Looking down at herself, she watched as she drove her fingers deep inside her pussy, wishing it was Abel’s long, thick fingers instead. Her nipples were hard, red nubs that were demanding attention. Leaving one hand buried between her thighs, she slipped the other one back to her breasts. Cupping one of them in her hand, she pinched the nipple. Lightly at first, and then harder.

The pleasurable ache grew inside her as she watched her fingers slide in and out of her pussy. Erin was unable to take her eyes away from her own body. She shifted to the other nipple and pinched it as well. Back and forth, she moved her hand, stroking her breasts and tugging at both of the swollen buds.

She was so close. The sound of her breathy gasps filled the room as she reached for completion. Arching her hips up, she drove her fingers as deep as she could as she pressed her thumb hard against her clit.

Once. Twice, she stroked. On the third stroke, she self-combusted. Her entire body tensed and then a powerful orgasm ripped through her body. The slick inner muscles gripping her fingers tight as she held them inside her. Her legs clamped shut around her hand and she rolled to her side and rode out the incredible sensations.

“Oh, my lord. Oh, my lord,” she chanted over and over. Every muscle in her body relaxed as she sank deeper into her mattress and sighed. Lying there, completely spent, she enjoyed the pleasant little aftershocks.

Jackson’s boots thumped down the hallway. The reality of it quickly intruded, and Erin realized she still had her hands tucked between her legs. Quickly she pulled them both away and tugged her cotton shirt back down around her body. The material rasped against her nipples making her clench her teeth as tiny spasms of arousal shot through her.

She could hear the sounds of her brother’s voices and then the slamming of the truck doors. The engine roared to life, and the sound of the truck faded off into the distance as they drove away.

Rolling over in bed, Erin covered her head with the pillow and took long, deep breaths trying to ease the ache that throbbed between her legs. She was still very aroused, but she now knew that the only thing that would satisfy her would be Abel. The thought of having his hard, hot length inside her created an answering pulse within her.

She thought about just sneaking out of the house and going over to Abel’s, but she wasn’t ready to take that chance just yet. Jackson might look in on her when he came home, and she wasn’t ready to deal with the problems that would arise if he didn’t find her in her own bed. But tomorrow night. Well, that was a different story altogether.

“Enough,” she muttered as she turned over again, punched her pillow with her fist, and thumped her head back down on it. There was nothing she could do until tomorrow.

Erin didn’t know how long she lay awake before her body finally calmed down enough for her to drift off to sleep. She refused to look at the clock, knowing that would only make it worse. Still, she knew it had taken several hours, as she’d heard Jackson and Nathan come home after their evening out playing pool at the local bar. But since they’d come home together, she knew that neither of them had gotten lucky last night. Erin took a perverse pleasure in that thought as she squirmed restlessly in bed.

Sleep had come to her at some point after that and it was almost a shock when the alarm went off the next morning. Her hand had shot out so fast to turn it off, she’d almost knocked the darn clock on the floor. Scowling, she settled the clock back on the nightstand and listened for a minute. When she heard neither of her brothers, she’d relaxed.

Jumping out of bed, she fixed up the covers and hauled on her clothes. She didn’t waste time wishing she had sexier clothes to wear. The fact was that she had to go to work this morning and get through lunch without raising any suspicions with Jackson. Erin was just thankful that Nathan ate at the café in town for lunch. He claimed he liked the lunch specials, but Erin personally thought that he liked her friend, Carly. It would kill her to wait, but it was too early to call Carly now. She’d have to catch her at work during the lunch hour.

Hurrying downstairs, she started a pot of coffee while she popped a couple of slices of bread in the toaster. The quicker she got to work, the quicker the day would pass.

* * *

“So will you cover for me?” Holding the receiver with her left hand, Erin absently chewed the fingernails on her right hand, as she waited for a reply. Carly had been too busy to talk lunchtime, so she’d been forced to wait until late in the afternoon to call her back. The two of them had been friends their entire lives, but not once in all that time had she ever asked her friend to lie for her.

“Sure I will.”

Erin sighed in relief at her easy agreement. “Thanks.” Twisting the cord in her hand, Erin really didn’t know what else to say. “This really means a lot to me.”

“I know and I expect payment. You’ll have to tell me all the juicy details.” Carly called out to someone in the distance before she continued. “He must be quite a guy if you’re willing to risk your brothers’ wrath to date him. I hope he’s worth it.”

“Yes,” she whispered softly. “He’s worth it.”

“That’s good enough for me, but honey, please promise me you’ll be careful.”

“I will,” Erin promised.

“Tell him that if he hurts you, I’ll beat the crap out of him up.”

Erin laughed, as her friend knew she would. Carly Ames was only five-foot-three and looked like an angel, but behind her angelic exterior was a strong woman with a wicked sense of humor and a penchant for mischief. It made her perfect for overseeing the operation of the family diner, Jenny’s, which was named after her mom who’d run it for over thirty years. Now that her parents had retired, Carly managed the whole operation and spent many long hours working as a waitress, as well as handling all the business aspects of running a successful diner.

“Have you seen Nathan lately?” Erin teased. Her friend had had a huge crush on Erin’s youngest brother since she was a teenager, but she’d never approached Nathan to ask him out. Nathan, on the other hand, spent many hours perched on a stool in the diner watching Carly work, staring at her as if he wished she was on the menu. Neither one was willing to make the first move, although it was obvious to everyone who knew them that they were crazy about each other. It was funny, ridiculous, and slightly sad.