His eyebrows dipped. "You okay?"
She swallowed, following with a weird-sounding cross between a giggle and a laugh. "That's the dumbest question I've ever heard."
"How so?"
"Are you for real? How many times do I have to tell you? You're hot and sexy and half-dressed. You're really good to look at." She pulled the towel from his hands and finished drying him.
"You see something I don't. When I stand in the mirror, nothing 'good' looks back at me." His gaze raked down and back up her body. "Unless you're standing in front of me naked."
Heat rushed up her cheeks at the mention of the mirror. "Stop it. I think I'll get my shower."
"Need your back washed?" He moved to block her path.
"You just got out." Every nerve ending sizzled. His nearness had a needy ache building low in her belly. No one had ever fired her libido so fast.
"I'm sorry. I should've waited for you." He moved a step closer.
"About that coffee." The desire to touch him was too much. She stroked her fingers across his nipples, trailing down to the loose waistband. "I'd rather have hot chocolate."
"Keep that up and I'll buy you a chocolate factory." He unbuttoned her blouse while he talked.
"Hmm. A challenge if I've ever heard one." She pushed her hand past the elastic, wrapped her fingers around silken steel and stroked the already hardened length. A smile crept up her cheeks as he expanded with her touch. "I love to feel you grow in my hand."
The next few seconds passed quickly as her clothes were removed and tossed to the floor. Erin tugged, and his warm-ups hit the floor. She dropped to her knees and took his erection in her mouth. The low, guttural moan coming from Rafe spurred her on. She pumped his erection a couple of times with her hand before releasing him and pulling him deep inside with her tongue. His hands sank into her hair, and strong fingers guided her movements. His taste was salty, warm, and for her alone.
"Stop," he commanded, backing away quickly. "We have all night. I'm not blowing it in the first five minutes."
He shoved her empty suitcase to the floor and sat Erin on the bed. "Lie back."
Just as her head hit the mattress, his strong hands caught her hips and pulled her closer to the edge. He knelt, pushed her thighs wide, and draped her legs over his shoulders. In this position, she was unable to see Rafe, but she trusted him completely, so she closed her eyes and relaxed.
Her folds were gently parted, and a cool stream of air caressed her moist skin. Slowly, he kissed, probed, and laved until Erin lifted her hips, begging for more. Rafe intensified his efforts, picking up speed, delving deeper inside her core with his tongue, then withdrawing to suckle her clit. Back and forth, until she pleaded for release.
"Please. Please."
His thumb found the perfect spot as his tongue drove her closer to the edge. Her orgasm exploded hard and fast. Large quakes stormed through her body. They slowly subsided only to be followed by smaller aftershocks.
He kissed her inner thighs and worked his way up to her breasts. As he cupped each one, his thumb circled a nipple.
"You're beautiful all the time. But immediately after you've come, you're breathtaking." He kissed her tenderly, stood, and offered his hand.
Were they done? Didn't look like it to Erin. His erection looked larger and harder than before. "You said we had all night."
"We do. Let's get you that shower. Then we'll talk about hot chocolate."
She took his hand, leaning into him for strength while they made their way to the bathroom. Erin grabbed two towels while Rafe adjusted the water temperature. She stepped in behind him and ran her hands across his abs, kneading and teasing. "Don't make me wait any longer. I need you inside me."
He turned, pulling her into his arms for a blistering kiss. His hand lifted her leg and placed her foot on the bench seat. Today her height proved to be a real advantage, because with very little maneuvering he was at her entrance. "Inside me. Now."
Rafe lifted her slightly and slid deep with one powerful thrust. "Like that?"
"Yes, just like that." She captured his mouth, taking her turn at sweeping her tongue inside and tasting the warm interior.
His thrusts were hard and fast, and Erin matched his movements. Her leg raised put her at the perfect angle, and with each stroke he pushed her closer. The warm water sluiced across their bodies as sensation piled on top of pleasure to the point of pain. The release exploded from deep inside, rolling and pitching her as if she'd been caught in a powerful wave. He continued the hard and deep thrusts until she stilled. Then he drove deep inside her, tilted his head back and groaned, pulsing again and again.
Rafe wrapped his arms around her, sat on the bench seat, and pulled her onto his lap. His head rested on her breasts while water washed over them. She smoothed his wet hair off his face and dropped her cheek to the top of his head.
Erin didn't know how long they stayed like that, clinging to each other after such an intimate round of lovemaking.
The rest of the shower was taken in silence, with Rafe washing her tenderly and dropping an occasional kiss to the freshly rinsed part of her anatomy. He turned off the water, stepped out, and offered her a towel. What was running through his mind? Had he figured out she was falling in love with him? Had she scared him away?
Combing her hair, she caught him staring at her in the mirror. "What is it, Rafe? We've come too far to have secrets."
"I didn't use a condom."
"Not to worry. My periods were so erratic the doctor put me on the pill years ago."
"I wasn't worried. I keep envisioning a little girl who looks just like you, and it scares the shit out of me."
"Why would that scare you?"
"My mother killed herself because she couldn't handle the pressure of being married to a member of law enforcement. It was more than Nick could bear."
"Your mother suffered from depression. She'd been treated for it for years. Don't you remember times she couldn't get out of bed? Refused to dress, cook or clean?"
"How do you know all that?"
"Jeff saw it firsthand. He never could understand why your dad kept it a secret. Maybe he wanted you boys to blame him instead of her."
Rafe's gaze held hers in the mirror for a few minutes. "I'll fix that hot chocolate now."
****
Rafe left the bathroom, grabbed his warm-up bottoms and a T-shirt off the floor. He tugged them on before heading to the kitchen. A sound sent him back after his pistol. It shouldn't be Colton, since he was committed to the drug case. Rafe silently moved down the hall toward the light burning in the kitchen. The fridge door was wide open, and all he could see was a butt wearing fatigues.
"Listen, kid. I could have shot you. Why didn't you make some noise?"
Luke straightened and turned around. The smile was that of his younger brother, but the body belonged to a well-trained Army Ranger. "Who are you calling a kid?"
Rafe pulled Luke in for a bear hug. "You've grown up."
"I've put on a few pounds. As for making noise, there was enough of that coming from the shower. I didn't figure you'd want to be interrupted."
Rafe glanced toward the back bedroom then back at Luke. "You keep what you heard to yourself."
"Not a word. You should do a better job of securing the premises next time."
"How did you get in?"
"I picked the lock." He returned to his position, studying the almost empty fridge.
"You'll have to settle for a sandwich."
"Works for me. So who's in the bathroom?"
Rafe walked to the hallway entrance and listened. The hair dryer was running. "Erin Brady. She's staying here." Rafe gave Luke a down-and-dirty overview of the situation with her and the drug investigation.
Luke finished building his sandwich and followed Rafe to the dining room table. "I can help."
"Thanks. I may need you. How long will you be home?"
"As long as you need me. This was my last tour. With the military ramping down, I figured now was a good time to cut ties. I'm available for full-time work."
"If you're staying in town, the house is yours. I've been packing things, thinking we wouldn't need the place or the stuff in it. I set aside some things I thought you might want."
"You did the right thing. I haven't decided where I'll settle down. But I've got enough money saved up not to get in any rush."
Rafe stood, retrieved their father's will, and rejoined Luke. "I hate this, but it's something we should discuss."
"What is it?"
"Dad's will. Along with the house and property, Dad had a couple of sizable life insurance policies. There's more than enough for you to travel, open your own business, or just take your time deciding what you want to do." Rafe handed the envelope to Luke, who put down his supper and read.
Luke folded the papers and tucked them under his plate. "I hate that neither of us was here for him."
"Me, too. He was gone by the time I found out. I was hard to reach, and you were impossible. Don't let it feed on you."
"He was very proud of you both." Erin swept into the room, bringing with her a positive tone and a wide smile. She extended her hand to Luke. "Hello, Luke."
"I remember you, ma'am." Luke stood at attention. He held on to her hand a little too long.
"I'm not surprised. By the time you made it to high school, my story was all over the newspaper. Welcome home." She extracted her hand from his big paw. "I'm sorry you're here under such sad circumstances."
Luke frowned and dragged a hand over his buzz-cut hair. After a second, he nodded. "I do remember. You did the right thing, putting that bastard in prison. But that wasn't why I remember you. I always thought you looked like a movie star."
Rafe ran his finger inside the neck of his T-shirt. It seemed to get tighter with Luke's flirting. "Erin has to go to work in the morning. After I drop her off, I'm catching up with my partner. You take your time getting settled. We've got plenty of time to decide what to do with the house."
"I just got here," Luke protested. "We need to talk."
"Rafe's going to stay up and visit with you. I've got to be up early. See you tomorrow."
He watched her walk away. She'd dried her long hair, leaving it loose and hanging in swirls around her shoulders. A knot formed in his throat. After he left, would she fall in love with some other guy? Settle down and have kids? The little girl he'd imagined earlier flashed through his mind again. That knot moved from his throat to his heart just thinking about the possibility. A band formed around his chest and tightened when she walked out of sight. He jumped when Luke's hand clamped down on the back of his neck.
"You got it bad, big brother. What are you going to do about it?"
Rafe shook his head. "Nothing, kid. Nothing at all."
C
HAPTER 20
Erin hadn't slept well, and the circles under her eyes reflected that fact. She finished applying makeup then pulled her hair back into a low ponytail. Her nerves were jumping all over the place. Would she be welcomed back? The hurt she'd felt when people had stared and wondered if she were truly innocent had been embedded in her mind. She took several deep breaths and pushed those negative thoughts from her mind. She had good friends at work. Friends who'd stood up for her from the very beginning. She straightened her shoulders and walked to the kitchen toward the male voices.
"Good morning," she said.
"Morning," Rafe and Luke said in unison. Rafe had dressed in jeans and a pullover, apparently ready to drive her to school.
Erin felt a twinge of leftover disappointment from last night. She'd half-expected Rafe to join her in bed. Even after she'd reminded herself that this affair was temporary, sleep had been elusive.
Rafe stood, walked to the coffeepot, poured her a cup, and brought it to her. Leaning down, he kissed her forehead. "You look beautiful."
"Thanks." She fumbled the handoff, almost dropping the hot liquid down her legs.
Luke cleared his throat. "That's an understatement. None of my teachers looked like you. I might have broken the rules more if they had."
Rafe steadied her hand, ensuring her grip was secure on the handle, then turned his gaze on Luke. "Don't you have something you need to do? Anything?"
Luke stood, chuckling to himself. "You still don't play well with others."
Rafe laughed at his brother. "I wasn't playing."
"I'm going to shower. Do you want to go with me to talk to Dad's attorney? He can guide us through probate or walk us through the legal system." Luke held his hand up, sipping his coffee. "I know that sounds callous, but Dad would want us to honor any of his outstanding debts."
"You're right," Rafe said. "I went through some of his bills. His credit card doesn't have but a couple of hundred dollars due. We should check with the funeral home, ask if he has an outstanding balance."
Luke turned toward Erin. The resemblance between the brothers was amazing. Luke's gray eyes, lush mouth, and quick wit reminded her of a younger version of Rafe. "Sorry," he said. "I don't mean to throw water on your first day back to school."
"Not at all. If there's anything I can do, please don't hesitate to ask."
"I will." Luke slapped Rafe on the shoulder on his way out. "Later, bro."
Erin put her cup in the sink. "I need to get to school a little early. There's a lot to catch up on before the day starts."
Rafe pulled her into his arms, leaned his head back, and pinned her with his gaze. "Promise me that you will stay inside the school building until you see me waiting out front."
Erin reached up and pushed a wayward lock of hair off his forehead. "I promise."
****
Erin opened the door to the administrative offices and stepped inside. The smile on Mrs. Henley's face eased any residual tension left in Erin's shoulders.
"There you are." Mrs. Henley bustled from behind the counter and surprised Erin with a hug.