by Marla Monroe
Kate opened her mouth then closed it and sighed. She settled down and got comfortable. Bruce watched as she slowly fell asleep. His brother’s smile told him that Marcus was happy to have her in his arms. He knew how it felt to hold her—peaceful. Bruce hoped that one day, she’d feel that same peace being in their arms.
He settled down to watch after Mike while the other slept. The man seemed to be breathing well and had kept his natural pink coloring ever since the fever had broken. He kept the fire going and waited for the three of them to wake up.
Chapter Nine
“Kate?”
Mike’s voice roused Bruce from his thoughts. He leaned forward from his chair and felt the young man’s forehead. It felt cool to the touch.
“Where’s Kate?” Mike asked.
“She’s asleep over there in the chair with Marcus. How are you feeling?”
“Tired, but okay. She’s okay? They didn’t hurt her?”
“She’s fine, Mike. Other than being worried sick about you.” Bruce stood up and stretched. “I’ll wake her up so you can talk to her. It will go a long way to settling her nerves.”
“Let her sleep. We need to talk.” Mike coughed.
“Here, let me get you some water.” Bruce hurried to the kitchen and got a fresh glass of water. He carried it back to Mike and helped the man sit up enough to drink from the glass.
“What did you want to talk about, Mike?” Bruce was scared he was going to want to take Kate back.
“I had papers written up on Kate so I could find her a couple of good men to take care of her. I know you’re still grieving over your late wife, but I want you to take Kate. I think you’ll make her happy and take good care of her.”
“You told us all of this when we were about to take the bullet out. I have the papers in my wallet.” Bruce watched Mike’s face. A look of relief washed over it.
“So you’ll take her?” Mike asked.
“I guess we’ve already done that since I have the papers and she was there when you told us.” Bruce looked over to where she still lay sleeping in Marcus’s arms. “She’s not happy about it at all, Mike. You need to settle her some.”
“I expect I’ll need to do that. I guess there were extenuating circumstances the other day.”
“I guess there were.” Bruce drew in a deep breath and asked the question that was worrying him. “What are your plans now that you’ve found Kate a home?”
“I was planning on sticking around at the house where we are living now, but if you think that will just make it harder on her settling down, I can move on.” Mike didn’t look like he liked that idea much.
“I think that if you dump her on us and then leave, she’ll never forgive any of us.”
“She may never forgive me anyway,” Mike said with a pained smile.
“You’re right. I probably never will.” Kate crawled out of Marcus’s lap.
Marcus grunted when she elbowed him in the gut. He righted the recliner to help her get out.
“How are you feeling?” she asked her brother.
“I feel pretty good for someone who got shot.” He grinned then sobered up at her frown. “Seriously, I’m fine, Kate. What about you? Did they hurt you?”
“No. Just some bruises, is all.” She knelt beside him. “I was so scared I had lost you, Mike.”
“Well, you didn’t. I’m right here. I’ll be back up in no time.”
“Why did you do it, Mike?” she asked in a soft voice.
“Because you need someone who can keep you safe and make you happy. I couldn’t keep you safe. That’s pretty damn obvious now, I would think.”
“You signed me over to them without even consulting me.”
“I was going to talk to you about it as soon as we got everything taken care of in the garden. You were relaxed around them, more so than anyone else. I thought you would be happier with Bruce and Marcus then anyone else.”
“But you got papers made on me and gave me to them. Like a gift or something.” She shook her head. “I’m not something to just give away, Mike. Besides being a human being, I’m your sister.”
“It’s done, Kate. You belong to them now. I’m sorry, but it’s the only way to keep you safe. Please be happy. Give them a chance to show you that they can make you that way.” Mike was pleading with her.
Bruce felt for the other man. He was doing what he thought was best for his sister. Kate, however, saw it as a betrayal of sorts. Maybe he could see it both ways. He stood up and went to Kate.
“Let’s see about making something he can eat. He needs to eat to get strong.” Kate readily went with him to the kitchen.
“I’ll fix him some broth from the deer meat Marcus brought in. But it doesn’t change the fact that he’s basically just giving me away.”
“Wouldn’t your father be giving you away if you were getting married?” Bruce asked.
“That’s different. I would have chosen my husband myself, and it would only have been one husband, not two.” She talked while she cut up meat for the broth.
“Which of us would you have picked if you had to pick one of us?” he asked.
“I–I don’t know.” She faltered in her movements then shrugged. “It really doesn’t matter, though, since I am stuck with both of you, and I don’t have a say in it.”
“I want you to be content here, Kate. Marcus and I will do everything we can to make you happy, but you have to decide that you want to be before it will happen.”
Kate didn’t look back at him as she set about making the broth. “I need some time, Bruce. This isn’t what I wanted out of life. It wasn’t what I had hoped for.”
“I would guess we have all the time in the world, Kate. Just don’t take too long.” Bruce left her in the kitchen and returned to the living room where Marcus and Mike were talking.
* * * *
Kate felt the tears slide down her face as she stirred the broth for Mike. She was forever grateful that Mike was going to be okay, but she was furious with him at the same time for what he had done. She cut up more of the deer steak and made gravy to go over it then sat it in the oven to simmer until she had finished feeding Mike.
When she walked in the room thirty minutes later, it was to find that Mike had fallen asleep. She gently woke him up and helped him eat the broth then left him to rest while she fixed their meal.
Her mind circled around and around as she cooked. She was attracted to both men, and of the available ones she had met, they would have been her first choice, but it was the principle of the matter. He had made the decision for her. They said they would never hurt her, but she really didn’t know them well enough to believe them. Neither did Mike, for that matter. Sure, he’d spent more time with them than she had, but it had been all of about six or maybe seven months.
With a heavy sigh, Kate called the men in to eat. She filled their plates from the stove and waited for them to dig in before she fixed her plate. Bruce just looked at her.
“What?” she asked. “Did I forget something?” She looked around the kitchen.
“Where is your plate?” he asked.
“I was waiting to see if you needed anything else before I sat down.”
“Fix your plate, Kate, and come sit with us,” Marcus said.
She added deer meat with gravy and beans to her plate then sat down at the head of the table. It was all that was open. Once she sat down, the men began to eat. Kate picked at her food, not really hungry. She had too much on her mind to stomach much.
“This is good, Kate. Why aren’t you eating yours?” Bruce asked.
“I’m not really hungry. I nibbled while I was cooking it.”
“Eat a bit more, Kate. I don’t want you falling sick from malnourishment.”
Marcus rose from his seat and took his plate over to the sink. Bruce waited on her to finish eating before he got up. She hurriedly took another bite of her deer meat and swallowed it down so he would be happy.
“That’s all I can eat. I’m
really not hungry.”
Bruce merely nodded and took her plate with his. He and Marcus did the dishes while she watched. She got up and tended to the leftovers then walked back into the living room to check on Mike. He was still sound asleep. She wandered over to the windows and looked outside. To her surprise, it was snowing. She hurried back into the kitchen.
“It’s snowing. Did you know?” She couldn’t keep the grin from her face.
“I knew it was probably going to, but I didn’t realize it had started. I need to go check on the animals.” Bruce handed her the drying cloth and walked over to put on his boots and coat.
“Be careful out there, Bruce. It’s really coming down,” Marcus said, looking out the window.
“I shouldn’t be longer than an hour.” He opened the back door and hurried through it to keep from letting in too much cold air.
“Do you have any animals other than cows and chickens?”
“We have some cattle and horses. They all have to be taken care of and especially in the winter time.” Marcus handed her a plate to dry. “Can you milk a cow?”
“You’re kidding, right? I’ve never even been close to a cow.”
“I’ll teach you how. Then you can handle the milking and gathering the eggs. That would take a lot off of us.”
She frowned but nodded. For a minute she had forgotten that she belonged to them now. Damn Mike and his arrogance. Never mind that he thought he was doing what was best. She put away the dishes and hung the drying cloth up to dry. Then she wandered back into the living room. Mike was awake again. He smiled at her despite the fact that she frowned at him.
“I love you, Kate. You know that, right?” he asked.
“I love you, too, Mike. Doesn’t change the fact that you gave me to two strangers.”
“Damn it, Kate. They aren’t strangers. We’ve known them for over half a year now and had them over to eat at the house.” Mike was angry now.
Kate didn’t much care if he was. She was hurt, and still a tiny bit uncertain. Was he going to leave her once he got well? Would he go off to find himself a woman and forget about her? What would be the difference in keeping his wife safe and keeping her safe? She almost asked him that, but Marcus walked in, and she decided against it.
The three of them talked about the weather, the animals, and things in general while they waited on Bruce to come back in. When an hour passed, Kate began to worry.
“Do you think you should go out and check on him?” she asked Marcus.
“He’s fine. It takes time to tend to all of them, and in the snow, it takes longer. He’ll be in before long.” Marcus didn’t seem worried so Kate tried to curb hers as well.
Sure enough, twenty minutes later, Bruce walked through the kitchen door, cursing the cold and stomping his feet to rid them of snow. Kate hurried to clean up the melting snow from the floor.
“How is everything out there?” Marcus called from the living room.
Bruce finished pulling off his coat before he answered. “Everything’s fine. The cattle had wandered farther out than I expected. Had to round them up closer to the house. Chickens were already in the coop, and the cow was hungry.” He walked into the living room and backed up to the fireplace.
“Do you think we’ll get much snow?” Mike asked him.
“Doubt it this time. I figure we’ve got another couple of weeks before anything big will hit. The cattle would have nosed together had it felt like much to them. I think we’ll get another two or three inches before it quits. Going to be cold, though.”
“Are you warm enough, Mike?” Kate asked.
“I’m toasty warm.” He grinned up at her.
“Expect we better head to bed and get some rest, then. Going to need to work with the cattle tomorrow to keep them close,” Bruce said. “You ready, Kate?”
“I was going to sleep down here with Mike. He might need something in the night.” She squeezed her hands together in hopes they would let her.
“I don’t need anything, Kate. You go on with them where you’ll be in a comfortable bed. I’m fine down here.”
“Mike…”
“Kate, I’m fine. Go on upstairs with them.”
His no-nonsense voice always irritated her. She huffed out a breath and turned and walked up the stairs without saying good night. She hoped he didn’t need anything, but if he did, it served him right.
When Bruce’s hands began to pull off her sweatshirt, she stilled. He pulled it over her head then worked on pulling off her thermal top as well. Marcus unfastened her jeans and pulled them down until she stepped out of them. Having one man undress her was sexy, but having two was downright erotic. She pulled on her nightclothes and waited to see what Bruce would do.
“Marcus. Get her warm in the bed. I’m going to take a shower. I smell like cows.” Bruce disappeared into the bathroom.
“Come on, Kate. I don’t want you to catch pneumonia standing out in the cold.” He urged her toward the bed.
Kate climbed between the sheets and shivered while she waited on Marcus to change clothes. He pulled a pair of thermal bottoms from the dresser and climbed into them. Then he got in bed and pulled her up next to him.
“Let’s get you warmed up, Kate.” He rubbed up and down her arms then moved his hands lower.
Kate closed her eyes when he rubbed her mound through her pajama bottoms.
Chapter Ten
Marcus rubbed her pussy through her pajama bottoms. He could tell as soon as she began to get wet. He grinned and slipped his hand inside her bottoms to reach her now-drenched pussy. He swirled his fingers in her juices, then searched for her slit between her pussy lips. When he entered her cunt with his fingers, she moaned and tilted her pelvis toward him.
He searched out her hidden G-spot and stroked it several times when he located it. She grabbed his shoulders and pumped her hips as if she couldn’t help it, and perhaps she couldn’t. He located her clit and began to thumb it as he stroked her hot spot. She groaned and then bit her fist as she came unglued around him.
“Don’t bite yourself, baby. If you need to bite anyone, bite me.” Bruce climbed into the bed. “Marcus, she needs some loving.” Bruce leaned down and kissed her.
Marcus wanted her something fierce, but wasn’t sure she was ready for them. He slipped deeper under the covers and pulled her pajama bottoms down her legs and off her feet. Then he squeezed between her legs and nosed his way between her pussy lips. She shivered around him.
He licked and sucked on her pussy lips until she was moving against him once again. Then he entered her hot, wet cunt with two fingers and pumped them in and out as he licked around her clit. She moaned above him. He could just imagine Bruce sucking and licking her tits. Marcus wanted to taste the round berries for himself.
He stroked his tongue deeper into her cunt alongside his fingers in an effort to gather more of her sweet nectar. She tasted like hot candy, sweet and sticky on his tongue. Bruce would go crazy when he tasted her.
“Marcus. She’s thrashing around up here. I think you need to fuck her before she goes crazy.”
“God, Bruce. She tastes amazing. I don’t want to stop.”
“Let me taste.”
Bruce pushed back the covers and slipped his fingers into her tight cunt. When he withdrew them, they were coated in her honey. He sucked them into his mouth and closed his eyes. His hum of approval seemed to ramp Kate’s pleasure higher. She groaned and beat at the bed with her fists.
“Please. Do something. I’m so close. God, I’m burning alive.” Her voice came out as a whimper.
“Fuck her, Marcus. I want to see her face when she comes.” Bruce bent over her and took her mouth in a kiss.
Marcus positioned his cock at her slit and lifted her hips beneath his hands so he could guide his dick into her deep cunt. When he began to push his way inside, she hissed out a breath. He stilled, then pushed again as she slowly opened her body to him.
“Fuck! She’s so damn tight. I’m never g
oing to last.” He pressed forward again.
“Please, Marcus. I need you.” Kate’s strained voice stirred something inside of him.
He pulled out and thrust forward with more power this time. Her hot cunt parted just enough that he was able to make it halfway inside of her. He pulled back and tunneled inside of her again. This time he reached the back of her womb, bumping her cervix.
“Yes!” she hissed out.
Bruce looked down at Marcus and grinned. “I think she likes it a little harder than usual, Marcus.”
Marcus knew Bruce was thrilled to find that out. He enjoyed being able to let go and pummel a woman’s pussy with his cock. Bruce wasn’t known for being an easy lover. It was why Marcus was going first with Kate. Introducing her to love between two men would be a lesson in patience for both of them, but especially for Bruce.
Kate reached for him when he pulled back. She tried to wrap her legs around him, but with his hands holding her ass, she couldn’t get them around him. She pleaded with him using her eyes.
Marcus shoved forward over and over again. Soon he was plunging his dick deeper and deeper into her cunt with every shove. She was screaming out her needs as he pummeled her pussy with his cock. When she began tightening her cunt around his dick, he groaned.
“Fuck yeah, Kate. Just like that.” He concentrated on holding off his orgasm even as she squeezed him over and over.
“Damn, ah, fuck, Kate. Do that again. Yeah, just like that.” He wasn’t going to make it. His balls were boiling with his cum. Sparks flew down his spine as his cock bumped against her cervix.
She arched her back and screamed, going wild around him. Bruce was hanging onto her breasts with his mouth and fingers as she bucked and called out Marcus’s name. He let go and shot cum deep into her sweet cunt. His balls exploded as his cock spasmed. He threw back his head and shouted her name.
He collapsed on her, barely managing to keep the major portion of his weight off of her. Bruce grinned at him.
“Move over, old man. It’s my turn.”
“Man you’ll think old”—pant, pant—“when you get inside of her.”