by Leah Brooke
Eb inclined his head. “I am. Get to it.”
From the bench behind them, Mr. Tyler chuckled. “Boys, I think you’re scaring the preacher. He ain’t one of them gunslingers or cattle rustlers you’re used to shootin’.” He paused and she heard the bench creak as though he’d moved. “Although you might want to ask him about those bruises on Savannah’s arm.”
To Maggie’s astonishment, Hayes and Wyatt came from behind the same curtain Savannah had come through.
Wyatt glared at the reverend, who hurriedly looked away. “That’s already been taken care of.”
Maggie turned to look over her shoulder at Savannah, unsurprised to see that her best friend’s face had turned bright red. “Anything you want to tell me?”
Savannah’s eyes slid to where Hayes and Wyatt stood with their arms crossed, their expressions fierce. “No. Let’s get on with the wedding. And don’t you dare tell anyone what I’m planning! I don’t want anyone trying to follow me.”
Facing the reverend, Maggie stood between Eb and Jeremiah, her head spinning as she took her vows. It hit her all at once that this was really happening, that her life would be forever changed after speaking a few words. Shocked that both Eb and Jeremiah slid a silver band onto her finger at the appropriate time, Maggie stood in a daze as the brief ceremony ended.
“I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride.”
Maggie’s heart nearly pounded out of her chest as Eb turned her toward him, his eyes dark and possessive as he lowered his head.
“Hello, Mrs. Tyler.”
Automatically grabbing his shoulders for support, she pursed her lips for a perfunctory kiss, but it seemed Eb had other ideas.
Whipping an arm around her, he pulled her close and covered her mouth with his, immediately applying enough pressure to force her lips open. In spite of the fact that they had an audience, he kissed her deeply, sweeping her mouth with his tongue in a kiss that made her tingle all the way to her toes. As always, he took his time, kissing her leisurely as though he planned to stand there all day and do nothing but kiss her.
Her nipples pebbled almost immediately and she rubbed them against his chest, moaning at the contact. Only then did he lift his head, a smug smile teasing his lips as his eyes raked over her face before turning her toward his brother.
When Jeremiah tangled his fingers in her hair and lowered his head, Maggie froze at Savannah and the reverend’s gasps and tried to push away from him, but Jeremiah would have none of it. Marking her as his, he ate at her mouth hungrily, not satisfied until he overcame her struggles and she fisted her hands in his shirt to pull him closer.
With one hand in her hair and the other at the small of her back, he deepened the kiss, swallowing her moans and lifting her to her toes. He lifted his head slightly, studying her face as though looking for something. Apparently satisfied with what he saw, he smiled down at her, running his hand down her hair as he released her.
“Maggie Tyler. I like the sound of that.”
Eb thanked the reverend coldly and turned away, smiling at Savannah. “Savannah Perry, you’re even more beautiful than your momma was.”
Savannah blushed and looked at her hands. “Thank you, Mr. Tyler. Congratulations. To all of you. I really have to be going.”
Maggie reached out a hand to stop her, but Savannah had already started for the back, with Hayes and Wyatt following closely behind. The reverend took a step toward his niece, stopping abruptly when Hayes whipped his head around and shot him a razor sharp look.
White-faced, and obviously shaken, Savannah’s uncle turned away.
Jeremiah eyed him coldly over his shoulder and took her arm, leading her toward his father. “Leave it to the men, Maggie.”
Taken aback at his cold tone, Maggie looked over her shoulder as he dragged her along, alarmed to see Eb talking to Reverend Perry.
He kept his voice low, but his cold tone carried, the fury on his face unmistakable.
She tried unsuccessfully to pull out of Jeremiah’s grasp. “What’s he doing? Let go of me. I want to hear what he’s saying.”
Jeremiah yanked her back and handed her off to his father, who waited to congratulate her. “Brat. You always did love seeing Eb and me give someone hell.”
Absently accepting a hug and a kiss on the forehead from Mr. Tyler, Maggie tried to look around Jeremiah’s huge frame, but he wouldn’t let her. “You’re both so good at it, and I’ve never seen you yell at someone who didn’t deserve it. I want to know what he’s saying to him. Let me go talk to Savannah.”
“No. Let’s go eat. Hayes and Wyatt are taking care of Savannah. Don’t interfere.”
“But I want to see Savannah!”
Mr. Tyler took her other arm. “Instead of eating in town, let’s go back to the ranch. Esmeralda prepared a meal, and we wouldn’t want to hurt her feelings.”
Eb came up behind her and placed a warm hand on her back. “No, we wouldn’t. Let’s get out of here.”
Maggie grabbed the front of Eb’s shirt before she thought about it, reacting the way she would have in the past. “What did you say to him? Did he get mad? He looked pretty scared to me. Please tell me you threatened to shoot him again. Would you really shoot him?”
The flash of heat in his eyes and the way his big body stilled as he looked down to where she touched him reminded her that things between them had changed dramatically.
Touching him sent a thrill through her like it never had in the past. The muscles under her hand tightened, and his eyes became hooded and sharp, settling on her lips, the hunger in them making her lips tingle.
Darting her tongue out to ease it, she shivered at the low groan that vibrated under her hand as his eyes narrowed on her lips in a look that she felt as clearly as a caress.
Unable to stop herself, she leaned forward, closing the few inches between them to touch her breasts to his chest. She bit her lip to keep from crying out at the sharp jolt that went to her pussy, fisting her hand in his shirt as her knees threatened to collapse.
Her clit throbbed, and she couldn’t help but stare at his mouth, remembering how good it felt on her swollen nub. Her breath caught when his tongue touched his bottom lip as though remembering the taste of her.
Jeremiah came up behind her, rubbing her shoulders, and pressed his own hardness against the small of her back.
Her head dropped back against his chest in an automatic attempt to get closer to him.
Jeremiah’s hands went to her waist. “Did you forget about me already?”
Sensing an urgency in his tone, Maggie groaned and turned her face to look up at him. “How could I ever forget you? God, I love when you touch me. Are you really my husband, too?”
Jeremiah ran a finger over the hand she flattened on Eb’s chest, tapping her rings. “That’s my ring there, too. I’m your husband just as much as Eb is.”
She looked up into Eb’s face, a little concerned by the impatience she found there and gasping as Jeremiah’s arm came around her waist, his hand settling on her abdomen.
Pressing, he ran his lips over her hair. “And I’ll never let you forget it.”
Leaning against Jeremiah while touching Eb filled her with a hunger so strong, she would have gladly let them undress her right there. When Jeremiah bent to kiss her neck, she automatically reached for Eb. “It feels different when you touch me together.”
Jeremiah ran his busy hands up her sides as he continued to nuzzle her neck. “Different how?”
Maggie locked her knees to keep from falling as her hands slid from Eb’s shoulders. “It’s more. When you both touch me it makes me tingle all over.” She probably shouldn’t have admitted it to them, but her thoughts tumbled out before she could stop them.
“Come on, honey. Let’s get back to the ranch so we can both touch you in private.” He pressed his cock against her ass, his hand coming around to settle on her stomach. “I’m looking forward to spanking this sweet bottom.”
Fascinated by t
he low growl that rumbled through Eb’s chest and the overwhelming feel of having both of them touching her, it took a minute for Jeremiah’s words to penetrate. When they did, she pushed out of their hold, putting some distance between them before whirling to face them. With her hands on her hips, she shot daggers at both of them.
“That’s not fair. I don’t deserve to be spanked. I was worried about Savannah and had to come see her. You should understand that and stop threatening me.”
Jeremiah shrugged. “We do, but that’s not the issue. You didn’t tell us any of this and just went out on your own to handle something that we should have known about. We told you flat out that you’re supposed to ask for permission to come to town, and you didn’t. We would have come with you.”
“I wanted to talk to her alone.”
Jeremiah stepped closer, stalking her as Eb circled from behind. “But you weren’t alone, were you? How can we keep you safe if we don’t even know where the hell you are or who’s going to be with you? I’m your husband, Maggie, whether you want to believe it or not, and I take my responsibilities seriously.”
Eb bent from behind, startling her, his voice a warm whisper across her cheek. “The right kind of spanking will get that point across. You’ll remember it every time you’re about to do something you’re not supposed to do and hopefully think twice before disobeying us again.”
The silky cadence of his deep voice reminded her too much of the way it had sounded right before he slid down her body to bury his face between her thighs, something she sure as hell didn’t need to be reminded of right now.
She had the uncomfortable feeling she’d greatly underestimated the lengths they would go to in order to get her to obey their every word. She also had a sneaky suspicion that both Eb and Jeremiah had a few tricks up their sexual sleeves that she knew nothing about.
She readily admitted to herself that she was excited to learn more, hoping the feeling of closeness she got when they touched her intimately would increase over time.
Besides, she wanted more of that wonderful feeling. Nervously licking her lips, she looked up at Jeremiah through her lashes. “I don’t like to be threatened.”
Eb moved to her side, his eyes flaring with green heat as he followed the movement of her tongue. Running a finger down her neck, he bent until their noses practically touched. “There are two kinds of spankings, and you’ll quickly learn the difference. One you’ll beg for. The other, the kind you’ve got coming, will have you regretting whatever you did to deserve it.”
* * * *
Since Mr. Tyler and Esmeralda decided to ride the horses back to the ranch, Maggie found herself scrunched between Eb and Jeremiah on the seat of the buckboard. Shifting restlessly as they rode out of town, Maggie stared down at the two thin bands on her finger. Looking toward the people who waved at them, she kept her voice low enough not to be overheard. “I wonder what these people would think if they knew that I was married to both of you.”
She glanced over at Jeremiah, surprised to find him watching her. “What if you meet another woman and want to get married? You’re not really married to me, after all.”
Jeremiah’s expression hardened. “I thought we just covered this. I damned well am married to you, and after tonight, there’ll be no doubt in your mind that I’m your husband.”
Transferring the reins to one hand, Eb used the other to lift hers until the sun glinted off her new rings. “We know what folks around here would think. That’s why we left. At home, this’ll be accepted. We just have to keep it quiet until we leave so there’s no trouble with Dad. As soon as we get on that train, the fact that you belong to both of us is gonna be out in the open.”
Avoiding Eb’s intent stare, she glanced at Jeremiah. “Are there lots of other women there?”
Just thinking about the other women they’d been with tied knots in her stomach,
When the wind picked up, Eb shifted his body to block it, a gesture that appeared automatic, and one she’d never seen from anyone before. “Not a one. You’ll be the only woman on the place. None of the hands are married. We’re gonna have to do something about that.”
Incredulous, Maggie turned. “Why would any woman go to a place like that? She’d be absolutely alone and defenseless against dozens of men. If the men are anything like you, a woman wouldn’t stand a chance of defending herself.”
Jeremiah turned to look at her thoughtfully before glancing at his brother. “She’s got a point. The only way any women would come would be if we promised them safety.”
Eb patted her thigh, not appearing to notice the effect it had on her. “We can put an advertisement in the paper and post some signs. Tell women who want to come that they’ll have a place to live and be looked after until someone claims them.”
“What if they don’t want to be claimed?”
Jeremiah turned to grin at her, his smile all arrogance. He ran a hand up her thigh, seemingly unable to stop touching her. “All women wanna be claimed, darlin’.”
Maggie snorted and turned toward him, a little taken aback at the flash in his eyes when she’d automatically moved her leg closer to his. “Men.”
As they cleared the outskirts of town, Eb handed the reins over to Jeremiah, sharing a look with him as he pulled Maggie onto his lap. “If they don’t, they’ll still be looked after by everyone, but I’ve got to tell you, we really don’t want any women coming that aren’t looking to be claimed. That’s the whole point of having them come. I’ve got a lot of single men living there, and I sure as hell don’t want you being the only woman for miles around. Women who come are going to have to listen to the men to be safe until they have a man of their own.”
“So if women come there, they’ll have to agree to be claimed or else be bossed around by every man there?” When she tried to move away, he tightened his arms around her and smiled.
“You stay right where you are. Yes, they will. Just like you’ll have to listen to the other men when we’re not around.”
Maggie eyed them both suspiciously, crossing her arms across her chest and pulling her coat closer. “Would a woman be able to say no to a man who wanted to claim her?”
Jeremiah reached out to run a finger over her knuckles. “You’re thinking about a woman like Savannah. Yes, she would be able to say no, but if she’s claimed and she doesn’t deny the claim, she’d become that man’s responsibility, and he would have to provide for her and protect her.”
Thinking of her own situation and fearing what the other men would be like in Oklahoma, Maggie grimaced. “What would happen if a woman married someone and he mistreated her?”
Eb frowned down at her, tapping the underside of her chin. “You’re just full of good cheer today, aren’t you?”
Jeremiah sighed. “We’d take care of it. I know you’re thinking about Savannah and hoping you can talk her into leaving—yeah, I saw your face when you wanted to go after her. I know you better than you think, Margaret Mary. If Savannah or any other woman came to the Circle T, we’d watch out for her and have our men do the same. Satisfied?”
“The Circle T? Where did that name come from?”
Eb reached for her hand, touching the rings he and Jeremiah had placed there. “Our brand is three T’s in a circle with the tops touching. You’ve got the same mark on your rings.”
Shocked, Maggie lifted her hand to take a good look at the rings she wore. Sure enough, each band was plain except for the mark he spoke of. “You put your brand into my ring? And why three T’s instead of two?”
Jeremiah grinned. “One’s for you.”
Eb took her hand in his again. “Now you’re branded with our mark, too.”
“Branded?” Maggie tried to pull at her rings. “I’m not cattle.”
Eb grabbed her hand, his eyes narrowed. “You pull those rings off your finger and you’ll regret it.”
Unsure of what he would do, Maggie stopped tugging at the rings, alarmed when Jeremiah pulled on the reins to bring the horses
to a stop under a tree on Shenandoah land. “What are you doing?”
Grabbing her chin, Eb forced her to look at him. “Those rings are a brand anyway, and you’ll leave them where we put them.”
Tugging her hand away from his, she tried to get off his lap, but he wouldn’t let her. “I’m not your property.”
“I don’t want any man you come across to have any doubt about who you belong to. You belong to us, and you’ll wear the brand to prove it.”
Jeremiah turned in his seat, shooting a glance at his brother, a slow smile spreading across his face as he reached for her. “I guess our wedding day is as good a time as any to prove that to you.”
Alarmed at the look on his face, Maggie jumped up, surprised that Eb let her. Her relief was short lived when Eb held her arms behind her back while Jeremiah deftly undid her shirt, baring her breasts to the cool breeze.
Pulling her back down to sit on his lap, Eb kept her arms clasped in his behind her back, which thrust her full breasts out, her nipples pebbled with a combination of need and the cool air.
“How dare you! Let go of—Oh!”
Eb nipped her earlobe just as Jeremiah tapped a nipple with his callused finger.
Jeremiah’s eyes flashed at her gasp, his smile softening. “All ours.”
Adjusting his hold, Eb gripped both of her wrists in one hand, sliding the other over her stomach. He bent, startling her by running his lips over a bare shoulder. “So soft.”
The hand on her stomach slid higher to cup a breast, his thumb flicking back and forth over an aching nipple, making her gasp again. “Hard little nipples and the softest skin.”
Maggie arched, her breath coming out in pants as fire shot through her from her breasts to her pussy, the raw sensation making her toes curl Her clit felt so swollen and hot that she couldn’t sit still and moved restlessly on Eb’s lap.
Thinking her hands were free, Maggie tried to grab Eb’s shoulders, only to find that he’d used the ends of her shirt to tie her wrists together.
Jeremiah circled her other nipple with the tip of his finger, not staying in any one place and leaving a trail of sizzles in its wake. “You’ve got a spanking coming, sugar. One that you won’t soon forget.”