by Jan Springer
“I’ll go get my brothers. Back in a minute.”
She watched the tall Outlaw saunter off, his long legs clad in a pair of tight jeans that showed off the fine curves of a nicely shaped tush, his wide shoulders and arms were covered by a tight, black shirt that prominently showed the curves of some mighty nice-sized muscles.
In the past, she’d met all of the Outlaw brothers.
They’d been very kind to her. Very sweet.
She remembered thinking how sexy they all were, but to her, Luke was the sexiest of them all.
Sexy or not, unfortunately Colter was right. These days no man could be trusted. She’d do well to remember that.
Chapter Nine
“What the hell happened? The preacher said the Barlows shot you,” Colter asked the instant he and his other brothers Cade and Mac stomped into the cabin.
Luke hadn’t even had a chance to apologize to Callie for running out on her. He’d tried but she’d stopped him by saying she had to cook, and they’d talk later.
He wished he hadn’t run away. Wished like hell he hadn’t left when she’d needed him the most.
It had been selfish of him to hide his anger, his anxiety and his sickness as to what had happened to her.
Just like it had been self-centered of him to instantly explode when she’d told him she’d wanted to help the government all those years ago. Just like he’d been selfish to suggest his brothers and himself claim her.
He needed to stop being such an asshole and start being a man, and put Callie’s needs before his own.
He had to protect his woman.
Despite his renewed vows, he couldn’t help but grin as he watched Callie frying up some eggs at the woodstove, and throwing nervous glances at his brothers as they sauntered in.
Being nervous would be the last thing on Callie’s mind if his brothers followed through on claiming her.
During the Terrorist Wars having sex at least once a week with the conscripted women or lady volunteers who came to service the men was mandatory R&R. Luke and his brothers had had plenty of opportunities to learn the ways to pleasure women.
“I asked you a damn question, Luke! What happened? Is it true? Did a Barlow shoot you?” Colter snapped, as he stood in front of Luke eyeing the bandages covering his wounds.
“It’s true.”
A round of protests ripped free from his other brothers who circled around him with concern.
“Shit, Luke! What the hell did you do to piss them off?” his brother Mac asked.
“He heard rumors…about my sister, Laurie, being claimed by the Barlows.” Callie explained.
Colter’s eyes widened in surprise. Mac and Cade gasped in shock.
He’d forgotten that his brothers didn’t know about Laurie.
“Laurie? As in Tyler’s woman? She’s the one who volunteered to get claimed by the Barlows?” Colter hissed.
Luke nodded.
“That traitorous bitch!” he spat.
“She has no idea Tyler is alive, Colter. I know she wouldn’t have done it if she’d known,” Callie said, coming to her sister’s rescue.
Colter ignored her and threw Luke an anguished look.
“You told Callie about Tyler, too? We agreed we wouldn’t tell anyone until we had him out.”
“She had a right to know.”
Colter swore and shook his head in disappointment. “So, now Laurie knows?”
“I never told her,” Callie said coldly. “Although I wanted to. She has every right to know.”
Colter whirled on her, his eyes sparking anger.
“She’s a Barlow now! She has no rights to my brother anymore. Not after what she’s done. When he finds out, he’ll kill her.”
“When he finds out, he’ll be the man I know he is and get her out of there,” Callie snapped back.
To Luke’s surprise, Colter said nothing. But he glared at Callie with a fierce anger Luke had seen him use many times with fellow officers who gave him trouble in the army. It was a look that would have made any man twice Luke’s size back down from him.
But Callie stood her ground, staring right back at his brother with open defiance.
The silence in the room was stifling and Luke’s other two brothers Mac and Cade shifted uncomfortably.
Luke couldn’t stop from grinning.
She looked gorgeous when she was mad. Her face all flushed pink like she always looked like when he was making love to her. Her fists were knotted with boldness, and her breasts heaved wonderfully against that tight shirt she wore.
The muscles in Colter’s jaws twitched with anger, and for a moment, Luke thought he’d continue the argument.
He didn’t.
Instead, he turned to him, his eyes narrowed with irritation.
“So, why’d they shoot you?”
Luke explained how he’d knocked on the front door, found the ménage in progress, and how they’d shot him because they thought he was an intruder.
“Better let me take a look at your wounds. There’s blood seeping through the bandage in front.”
Luke held up his hand in protest, but Colter was already untying the bandages.
“Who did the stitch job?” he asked, as he firmly poked and prodded around the ragged edges of the wounds, making Luke curse at the renewed pain shooting through his shoulder.
“I did.” Callie said, anger still evident in her voice as she hovered in the background watching what Colter was doing.
“You did a real good job. Just like an expert.”
Luke noticed Callie’s eyes widen in surprise at his brother’s comment.
“My mom taught me how to sew before I could even talk. I’m glad it came in handy.”
Colter nodded, and continued with his poking and prodding.
“The Barlows are pressing charges against you. They’ve got a warrant out for your arrest. Trespassing. Peeping Tom,” Colter explained. “We’re going to have to keep you under wraps here until we can get everything sorted out.”
“Do you think he’s safe here? One of the Barlows came over here and almost killed Luke,” she interjected.
Luke swore softly. He’d told her not to say anything to anyone.
Callie turned on him. “I know you said to keep quiet, but we can trust your brothers. They can help us.”
“What the hell happened?” Colter and his brothers swooped in around him, armed with curses and an arsenal of questions.
“Don’t worry he’s dead.” Luke explained.
“I killed him,” Callie said coolly as she hustled back to the eggs on the stove. “Just before he was about to shoot Luke.”
“She saved my life.”
Cade and Mac immediately thanked her, swooping around her like a couple of starry-eyed teenagers who had their first crush on a girl. The angry flush that had flooded her face darkened now with obvious embarrassment as they asked her if she needed some help in the kitchen.
Colter’s angry glare softened a little as he watched Callie delegate duties of setting the table.
“That’s not all.” His brother turned back to him and lowered his voice, obviously not wanting Callie to hear what else was going on. “They say you tried to talk to Laurie without their permission. That’s virtually a hanging offence, talking to an unrelated woman these days.”
“I figured I was a goner. I wasn’t thinking straight. I tried to tell her Ty was alive, but they dragged me out of the house before I could do it. I heard one of them mention they should kill me. I thought it a bit odd they’d want to kill me for trespassing, so the first chance I got I escaped. Then last night I met up with Barlow. He said something about wanting Tyler’s and my land because they were expanding. We’re going to have to look into that, see what they’re up to, and I think you should get Callie over to the main farm before the Barlows come looking for their brother.” Luke said.
“I’m staying with Luke,” Callie said sternly as she came up behind them.
“I’m not willing to chance
it,” Luke said. “Take her with you and keep her safe.”
“Well, I’m not going!” Callie’s fists were clenched in defiance as she glared at Colter. “You’re a doctor. You know he needs someone here to take care of him and make sure he doesn’t do something stupid and re-injure himself. I’m staying with him.”
“One of my brothers can stay here. I’ll heal faster when I know you’re safe.”
Her eyes blazed with fury, and he sensed she was about to explode in protest when Colter broke in, “You’ll heal faster with Callie staying here. I’ll keep a watch outside. You won’t even know I’m here. Cade’s got contacts with the authorities. He and Mac can snoop around in town to find out why the Barlows want a slice of Outlaw land.”
“That’s it? I have no say in this?” Luke complained, as Colter popped some clean bandages and ointment out of his black doctor’s bag, and efficiently patched up his wounds.
Colter shrugged his shoulders and threw him an amused grin. “Not unless you want to argue with her. I know I sure don’t.”
Callie smiled smugly at his brother. “Good. Then let’s eat. The food is ready,” she said as she headed back to the stove. “I’m sorry, it’s not much… I haven’t been able to go to the grocery store lately.” The sarcasm in her voice made the brothers’ heads hang in shame as they all headed to the table.
No woman was allowed to go anywhere alone unless accompanied by one of her husbands. And no woman was allowed to speak to a man in public unless she was given verbal permission by one of them.
Luke swallowed the tight knot scrambling into his throat.
The laws passed down by their government were all still so new, so crazy that sometimes he couldn’t believe the life dreams he and Callie had discussed over five years ago were gone, along with their specially planned wedding, their plan of having one boy and one girl, their idea of just the two of them farming this section of land.
It was too dangerous now for a man and woman to live alone. These days, men had to live in groups in order to protect their wives from being taken by other groups of desperate men. “These eggs are damned good,” Mac’s thrilled voice rescued Luke from his sad thoughts.
“If I might ask where you got them? So I can whip up a batch when I get back home?”
“I got them from the Barlows.”
Luke heard Colter drop his fork. His other two brothers watched her with suspicion.
“You went to the Barlow ranch? Alone?” Anger flared in his brother’s eyes.
“She did.” Luke interjected quickly. “And she didn’t say anything to Laurie about Tyler. She already told you that, so let’s drop the subject.”
Colter turned his anger on Luke. “I know what she said! That’s not what’s pissing me off. What’s the matter with you? Don’t you know what’ll happen to her if she’s caught out on her own?”
“She can take care of herself.”
Pride swelled as Callie threw him a surprised look. Obviously, she hadn’t expected him to stick up for her.
Well, from now on, he would do whatever it took to make the woman he loved safe and happy.
“Oh, she can, can she? Just like she was taking care of herself today? Maybe she takes these chances because she wants to get caught. Did that occur to you? Maybe she wants a group of men fucking her brains out!”
“Oh, I don’t know, maybe that’s what she wants. Maybe she’d enjoy a ménage? Maybe she wants to be claimed?” Luke said casually, as he noted Callie’s face flame pink.
He may as well start dropping hints now to see if his brothers were receptive to the idea of claiming Callie, even if she hadn’t told him yes.
Colter’s mouth dropped open in apparent shock.
Then his reaction slowly changed and Luke saw the realization of what he was implying wash over all of his brothers’ faces.
Their faces grew flushed, whether it was from embarrassment or excitement he wasn’t sure, but after that, Luke noticed they wouldn’t look Callie’s way.
Perhaps they were embarrassed. More than likely, they were unsure of what was going on. Sooner or later, he would have to ask them, but first he needed to talk some more about it with Callie. He needed to be sure this was what she wanted and he needed to tell her how sorry he was, and to ask her forgiveness for the way he’d behaved today.
“We’ll be leaving now,” Colter said the instant their plates were empty. “Thanks, Callie, for the grub. It was really good.”
Mac and Cade echoed their brother’s compliments.
She shrugged her shoulders and seemed somewhat embarrassed by all their compliments.
“Cade and Mac will go and find out about the Barlows’ plans. Maybe then we can see if we can square a deal for them to drop the charges against you. I’ll be stationed up on the cliffs,” Colter said. “You won’t even know I’m there.”
Both Luke and Callie thanked them, and the rush of feet was like a stampede as all his brothers raced to get to the door. When it shut behind them, Luke couldn’t stop himself from laughing at their uneasiness. The sound of a gun cocking made his heart stop.
His amusement disintegrated.
His breath locked in his throat at the sight of a gun in Callie’s hand.
It was aimed directly at his groin area.
Oh, shit! He’d pushed her too far by hinting that his brothers might be able to claim her.
He swore beneath his breath.
“Your brother Colter made one big mistake,” she said quietly, as she came closer.
“He insinuated I needed protection…from them. What they didn’t know is you’re the one who needs protection…from me.”
He swore he saw her finger tighten on the trigger.
“Callie, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to drop the hints in front of my brothers without discussing it with you first. It’s just I wanted to see…”
“Drop your pants, Luke.”
“What?” He blinked in surprise.
“You heard me. I want to see how aroused you are. Don’t think I didn’t notice that bulge getting bigger when you were watching how your brothers were eyeing me.”
She was toying with him?
“Do as I say Luke Outlaw, and maybe I won’t shoot off one of your balls.”
Oh, boy.
She swooped her gun off the chair were she’d placed it earlier. Now she had both guns trained on him.
Damned if the thought of being forced to show his cock to her without his permission wasn’t turning him on even more.
The pink tip of her tongue peeked out of her mouth and a thick wave of desire rammed into him.
“Do it, now.” Her voice was barely a whisper.
The pain in his shoulder throbbed wickedly, as he used both hands and quickly unbuttoned the stud at his waist and lowered the zipper.
Curling his fingers beneath the waistband of his jeans, he slowly pulled them over his hips.
His rigid cock sprang free.
Her eyes widened with appreciation and he noticed a slight tremor move through her.
“Keep going,” she sounded breathless, aroused.
He did as she instructed, lowering his jeans, and then stepping out of them, giving her a perfect view of his full-blown arousal and swollen balls.
He saw her long slender throat move as she swallowed.
Lust shone brightly in her eyes.
His cock twitched.
“The thought of your brothers claiming me arouses you, doesn’t it?”
He didn’t answer.
Instead, his cock did the talking for him. Pulsing and growing red with a wild eagerness, it thickened and lengthened, readying itself for whatever she had planned for him.
“I bet you’d like to see me in all my naked glory between two of their rock-hard bodies, writhing and moaning while your brothers double-penetrate me.”
His cock grew harder.
Have mercy! The woman sure did have a way with words.
“Maybe you could suck on my nipples before they fucke
d me? Maybe you could do it…now.”
His breath locked in his throat as she placed one of the guns back down on the dresser, and began to unbutton her blouse with somewhat trembling fingers.
Luke blew off a stiff breath at the sight of her creamy curves, the deep valley and finally he was given a perfect view of her luscious breasts in their full beauty.
His breathing picked up speed as she drew closer.
She allowed the blouse to slip off her shoulders and it fell to the floor in a whisper.
“You think I don’t fantasize about getting caught by some men?”
He held his breath as she leaned over, her silky-looking breasts bobbing as she stroked the length of his red cock with the barrel of her gun. The cool, smooth metal did nothing to douse the raging heat claiming his shaft, or the god-awful tightness squeezing his rock-hard balls.
“You think I don’t wonder what it would feel like to have several men claim me? Lots of woman fantasize about that…it doesn’t mean they want it forced upon them, though.”
With the open barrel of the gun, she kissed his pulsing cockhead.
“You think I don’t fantasize about forcing you to have sex with me at gunpoint?” she asked.
Luke swallowed at his excitement. “Seems like you had a lot of time to come up with fantasies while you were…incarcerated.”
She stiffened momentarily, the cool barrel of the gun hesitating ever so slightly.
He hadn’t meant to break the mood.
Thankfully, he hadn’t.
The gun barrel dipped between his balls. At the same time, she bent over, her bare breasts brushing teasingly against the length of his massive erection. He almost exploded at the velvety feel of her flesh caressing him.
His hands ached to palm those luscious globes, to feel their heavy weight in his palms, to pinch those elongated, pink-colored nipples or rub his tongue around the slightly raised areolas.
But he dare not break her fantasy, especially when she kept the gun barrel poked firmly between his balls.
His heart beat against his chest as she got down on her knees, between his legs, and her red lips parted.
The instant her hot tongue laved against the tip of his cock, he felt as if he might explode.