Erin served up huge slabs of pie and gave everyone a piece before returning to sit at the table. She sipped her own coffee and tried to catch Carly’s attention with her eyes, but the other woman was openly staring at Nathan. The look in her friend’s eye was one she recognized only because she’d seen it so often lately on her own every time she happened to glance in a mirror. Carly was obviously lusting after Nathan. And why not? They were both young and healthy.
Nathan surprised everyone when he plucked Carly right out of her chair, plunked her in his lap, and proceeded to kiss her soundly in front of them all. Like a man who had discovered water in the desert, he drank from her mouth. Erin couldn’t take her eyes off of them. Any minute now, she expected to see smoke coming out of their ears. She fanned her face with her hand, feeling slightly jealous of their obvious passion for one another. Then she felt mean and petty for begrudging them their obvious happiness.
“Enough.” Jackson’s roar made them all jump. “Just what in the hell is going on?” Resting his large hands on the table, he glared at his younger brother who ignored him. “For God’s sake, Nathan, show a little respect for the woman.” Jackson shook his head, obviously exasperated with his brother.
Nathan took his time, planting one last kiss on Carly before easing away from her. Carly had a dreamy look on her face and snuggled contentedly in his arms. Grinning like a fool, he wrapped his arms tighter around the woman in his arms before making his announcement. “Carly has agreed to marry me.”
“What!” Erin jumped out of her seat. “When? How? I mean, I didn’t think you guys had even had a date.” She was totally confused.
“It happened Wednesday night.” Nathan stared pointedly at her as he spoke, and Erin sank back into her seat again.
She fought the temptation to bury her face in her hands and hide. Nathan knew that she hadn’t been at Carly’s that night. She risked a quick look at Abel and noted that his jaw was clenched tight. Oh lord, it was obvious to her that Nathan had already talked to Abel about it. Why hadn’t he mentioned anything about it to her? She scowled at Abel, letting him see her displeasure, and not caring who saw.
“Congratulations.” Jackson reached across the table and offered his hand to his brother. “I’ll kiss the bride-to-be later,” he teased.
“Over my dead body,” Nathan retorted.
“Erin?” Carly’s soft questioning voice brought her back around. Her friend was giving her a pleading look from across the table, and Erin realized that she was frowning.
The reality of the moment washed over her. Her brother was marrying her very best friend. Squealing, she jumped from her chair and raced around the table, plucking Carly out of Nathan’s lap.
“Hey!” he protested. Both women ignored him. They were much too busy jumping up and down and hugging each other.
“This is fantastic.” Erin swiped at the tears in her eyes and laughed as her friend did the same.
“I promised myself I wouldn’t cry.” Carly wiped her face with the back of her hand and laughed when Nathan hauled her back into his lap and dried her cheeks with the tail of his shirt.
“Congratulations to you both.” Abel offered up his own best wishes and then sat back and allowed the conversation to flow around him.
Erin was torn. She was so happy about Carly and Nathan’s news, but right now it was hard to enjoy it, knowing just what was on Abel’s mind at the moment. The evening passed quickly and, before long, Nathan was excusing himself and Carly. When he announced his plans to follow her home in his truck, Erin knew that her brother was gone for the night.
All the better for her. Nathan was the one with the good ears and would be sure to hear her when she tried to sneak out of the house to be with Abel. Not that she cared about being caught any longer. He certainly couldn’t say anything about where she was spending her nights considering where he was spending his.
Abel left soon after, but she didn’t get a chance to tell him she would be over later. Jackson had taken it upon himself to walk Abel out so that they could have a chance to talk to one another. She heard Abel’s truck pulling away about twenty minutes later. Sighing, she finished cleaning up the kitchen and headed upstairs. Jackson wouldn’t settle down for hours yet. It was going to be a long night.
Chapter Fifteen
“I was hoping you’d come.” Abel’s low whisper broke the silence of the night. There was a rustle of movement just before the bedside lamp clicked on, temporarily blinding her with its light.
Blinking to adjust her vision, she kicked off her sneakers as she walked into the room. “I didn’t get a chance to talk to you before you left. Then I had to wait for Jackson to fall asleep.” Erin pulled her t-shirt over her head and tossed it over the chair in the corner.
Abel scowled. “I’m sick of this sneaking around. Either you want to be with me or you don’t.” Stretched out on the bed with only a thin sheet covering him, his arousal was just as evident as his bad temper.
“You know I want to be with you.” Her heart was pounding in her chest, but she retained her composure and continued to undress. She shucked her jeans and socks, and strolled to the side of the bed, clad only in her white cotton bra and panties.
Abel shrugged his massive shoulder and stacked his hands under his head, watching her with an inscrutable gaze. His jaw was tight and his eyes were narrowed as he watched her undress. There was no encouragement or gentle humor in his voice, and certainly nothing lover-like in his actions. Erin almost lost her nerve, grabbed her clothes and ran from the room because this was beginning to feel very much like the beginning of the end.
Stripping off the rest of her clothing in the face of his cold demeanor was one of the hardest things she’d ever done. Only the memories of the magical week they’d just spent together enabled her to get through it. Reaching behind, she unhooked her bra and tugged it off. She hooked her fingers in the waistband of her panties, but hesitated.
“Don’t stop now.” His voice was slightly mocking. “You came for the sex, you might as well have it.” Flipping back the sheet he exposed his fully erect penis. “After all, it would be a shame for this to go to waste.”
Erin struggled against her conflicting emotions. Something deep inside her recoiled at his harsh, cold words, while another part of her was instantly aroused by the sight of his naked body, obviously ready and waiting for her. “Why are you acting like this?” she asked, fighting the impulse to cover her naked breasts with her hands.
“Like what?” he countered. “I feel like nothing more than a stud service, but if that’s what you want then have at it.”
Erin licked her dry lips as she stared at him. His legs and arms were thick and strong. Muscles rippled with every movement he made. His shoulders were wide and his chest was covered in a light dusting of hair that tapered down to his groin. There was no doubt that he was an extremely fine specimen of manhood, especially with his hard cock jutting out in front of him. But there was more to him than that. Much more.
Abel was a man of principles and lived by his own code of ethics and honor. And right now, she knew that he felt that he was dishonoring them by sneaking around with her. It was worse now that Carly and Nathan had announced their relationship at suppertime. His anger was probably much deeper now because of his own betrayal by his parents.
Right now, he was every inch the wounded beast. Wounded by the deceitful revelation about his family and by the secret she was forcing him to keep. It was up to her to try and soothe his anger at himself and the world.
Determined now, she pushed her underwear off and stood naked in front of him. He just cocked an eyebrow at her, but said nothing. Slowly, she knelt on the bed by his feet.