Desire Oklahoma The Founding Fathers Trilogy

by Leah Brooke

  Wyatt turned and hooked a hip over the corner of their father’s desk. “Double the punishment with a little bit of play mixed in. That’s good. But I don’t think your woman would be real happy if you put another woman over your knee. No matter how hard you try to hide it, women talk, and your wife’s gonna find out.”

  Jeremiah grimaced. “He’s right.” Shrugging, he stood and poured each of them another whiskey. “I don’t want any other man spanking Maggie, either. If someone else sees her do something wrong, they’ll have to come tell one of us.”

  Hayes nodded. “And the single ones can have their bottoms paddled by one of the other single men. But it better be someone we can trust.”

  Wyatt drew a deep breath and let it out slowly, looking up at Hayes. “You do realize we’re talking like we’re really gonna do this? You’d better be sure. I’m not going all the way to Oklahoma only to have you decide you’re not tying yourself to a woman, or you get all possessive and try to shove me out.”

  Standing, Hayes moved to the window, staring out. “We’ve got to get Savannah away from her uncle. She needs us. She’s just a little thing and needs someone to watch out for her. She’s too soft and sweet to be putting up with abuse like that. We both want her, and we’d all be better off somewhere that we can protect her and provide for her and where no one’s gonna call her a whore for having two men.”

  Grinning, Wyatt sat back. “You really have blinders on when it comes to her. I can’t wait until you find out that under all that soft sweetness is a little minx who’s going to give us a run for our money.”

  Hayes clenched his jaw. “I don’t think she even knows how to stand up for herself. She’s just a helpless little thing.”

  Wyatt went back to his seat, not completely smothering his grin. “You’re forgetting something, Hayes. She already told us to stay away from her. We can’t claim her as ours if she refuses.”

  “We’ll take care of it. She won’t refuse. She needs us.”

  This time Wyatt didn’t even bother to hide his grin, anticipation lighting his eyes. “We’re gonna have a fight on our hands, but you’re right. She needs us.”

  Shaking his head, Hayes stared out the window again. “I’m not making her do anything she doesn’t want to do. She’s had enough of that.”

  Jeremiah shifted in his seat. “We didn’t listen when Maggie refused us. We just hustled her to the preacher and made her marry us.” A muscle worked in his jaw as he made his way to the window, meeting Hayes’ hard look. “What the hell were we supposed to do? She can’t stay here, and we’ve waited for her long enough. You do the same with Savannah. You know what’s good for her even if she doesn’t. Believe me, she’ll appreciate it in the end.”

  Surprised at his brother’s defensiveness, Eb donned the bland expression he wore when playing poker, a little unsettled that his brother didn’t.

  Turning, Hayes regarded both Eb and Jeremiah, a thoughtful look on his face. “It sounds like you two have it all figured out for your woman. I don’t know if the same thing’ll work for Savannah, and I’m not about to force myself on her. Let’s just leave it at that.”

  Eb shrugged and took a sip of his drink, the little kernel of guilt in his belly growing. “We didn’t have much of a choice with hurrying Maggie. We told her father years ago that we both wanted to marry her, but she was too young. He got real mad and told us he wouldn’t let his daughter be ridiculed by having two husbands. We left and spent the last five fucking years building a place we could live with her. Do you really think we would have taken ‘no’ for an answer?”

  Wyatt nodded. “So you fell in love with her years ago?”

  Eb bolted back his whiskey and turned to get another, hoping the burn would ease some of the guilt he felt at not giving her a choice, even though he knew that marrying her was in her best interest. “She was still a girl, for Christ’s sake. But we’ve known we’d take care of her for a long time.”

  Jeremiah met his gaze before standing and starting to pace. “She’s married to us now. She’s coming home with us, and that’s that.”

  Hayes and Wyatt gave each other another one of those looks. Hayes shrugged. “Like you said, she’s married to you now. A woman’s place is with her husband. But I don’t believe in forcing a woman to do anything, and if that’s the kind of law you’re looking for in your town, I’m not the man you need.”

  Eb tossed back his whiskey, welcoming the burn. Being on the defensive pissed him off. “We’re not trying to run roughshod over the women. We’re trying to protect them. We’ve taken care of Maggie since she was a little girl. Nobody’ll take care of her the way we will.”

  Wyatt inclined his head, not looking entirely convinced. “That’s important.”

  Hayes started toward the door. “We’d better get going. We have a lot to do, and I’m sure you’re anxious to get back to your bride. I’d like to talk to you again before you leave and go back to your town.”

  Staring out the window, Eb looked back over his shoulder at them, still irritated at himself for feeling guilty about the way he’d forced Maggie to marry him.

  Damn it, he knew what was best for her.

  “It’s not a town yet. It would be nice to have a town, though, with a place we can get supplies. The only thing that’s there is the Circle T.”

  Wyatt stood and joined Hayes at the doorway. “If you start bringing women, you get families. It’ll be a town before you know it. Better come up with a name for it so you can tell people where the hell they’re going.”

  Eb opened the door, stilling when he saw Maggie standing there with tear filled eyes.

  “You ought to call it something like ‘Arrogant City,’ or ‘Bossy Town,’ or how about ‘Any Warm Woman’ll Do,’ something that actually tells people what to expect. You’ll have every roughneck and outlaw for miles camping there. You all should get along just fine.”

  Eb caught her arm when she would have turned away, his guilt growing, making his stomach knot and his tone harsher than he’d meant it to be.

  “You listening at keyholes, darlin’?”

  Jeremiah came forward, touching her shoulder, shooting a warning glance at him. “You’re just tired, sweetheart. You know, you’ve got a point about the name. We don’t want a name that’ll attract unsavory characters, do we, honey?”

  Maggie glared up at him. “Too late. From what I can see, two unsavory characters already own the place.”

  Eb stared down at Maggie, cupping her cheeks and using his thumb to wipe away the lone tear that trickled down her face, the knots in his stomach getting tighter. “Why are you crying?” A sudden suspicion hit him, knotting his stomach. “How long have you been standing here?”

  Maggie kicked him in the shin, crying out and hopping on one foot. “Long enough. At least they care about Savannah. Good for her. At least she’ll be happy.” She leaned against the doorjamb, cradling her injured foot while trying to slap his hands away.

  He picked her up, always surprised at how light and delicate she felt in his arms, and sat in the chair Hayes just recently vacated. Taking her foot in his hand, he rubbed it gently, searching for any sign of injury, frowning to find it ice cold. He took both feet in his hands to gently rub them, amazed at how dainty they looked in his hand.

  Holding her little bare feet seemed extraordinarily intimate. He covered them possessively with his hand to warm them, but also to hide them, cursing his own irrational jealousy that Hayes and Wyatt might see her naked feet.

  They were feet, for God’s sake. It wasn’t as though she’d bared her breasts for all of them to see.

  Tightening his arm around her, he pulled her closer and bent to whisper in her ear. “I don’t want to see you running around with bare feet anymore. Keep them covered unless you’re in our bedroom.”

  He inwardly winced at how demanding that came out, especially when she looked so damned vulnerable.

  Maggie stopped wiggling, obviously realizing he wouldn’t let her go, and crosse
d her arms over her chest.

  “What I wear on my feet is none of your business.”

  He wanted to laugh out loud at the return of her grit. Running his hand over her silky hair, he leaned down to brush his lips over her jaw, growling softly. “Everything about you is my business, little girl, including what you wear. Now stop wiggling that ass on my lap, or, newly opened or not, you’re gonna get fucked again.”

  He didn’t know what he’d do if she called his bluff. He had no intention of taking her again so soon and risking hurting her.

  As his guilt grew, so did his possessiveness. What if she preferred men like Hayes and Wyatt? Did she feel cheated not to have men who fawned over her?

  The best way to care for her was to protect her, damn it!

  She froze, blinking up at him, and glanced at Hayes and Wyatt, as though to make sure they hadn’t heard him.

  He would swear he could almost hear her defiance snap back into place as her chin went up in that way that excited the hell out of him. Tamping down his jealousy, he smiled when she opened her mouth to speak, no doubt to rail at him, and slid a finger down her cheek. “Tell me something, honey. What do you think we should name the town?”

  Knocking his hand away, she glared at him, her beautiful blue eyes shooting sparks. “I don’t care what you name it. Tyler Town. How’s that?”

  Chuckling, Eb shook his head. He knew her hot temper came from hurt and exhaustion and only patience and indulgence would cool it. “God forbid. Then everyone’ll hold us responsible for everything that goes wrong and come to complain to us about it. I’d never get any work done.”

  Taking in her flashing eyes and mutinous expression, Eb wanted nothing more than to strip her naked, lay her on the thick rug, and make a feast of her. He wanted to see those flashing eyes darken with passion, become wide with wonder, before closing on a moan.

  The lips she pressed so firmly together would soften and part, allowing him entrance so he could swallow the sighs and gasps as he ran his hands over her slender, but surprisingly voluptuous, curves.

  His cock stirred beneath her enticing bottom, surprising him again that he could become so aroused just being in the same room with her. He looked up at the other men, who stood watching them, and started rubbing her feet again.

  “I think Maggie’s right. We’ve got to give the town a name that won’t sound so enticing to outlaws, but will make the women want to come. Any ideas?”

  Hayes clenched his jaw, looking toward the window, but Eb got the impression he was seeing something entirely different. “What would you name a place started out of the desire to live somewhere the way you want without getting any trouble for it?”

  Maggie looked up at Hayes, her expression softening. “How about Desire? You’re thinking about Savannah, aren’t you?”

  A half-smile played at Hayes’ lips as he watched Eb rub Maggie’s feet. “It appears we’ll need a map to your town, after all.”

  Wyatt glanced at his friend before meeting Maggie’s eyes. “Do you think Savannah could be happy there?”

  A pink-faced Maggie glanced up at Eb through her lashes before nodding. “I saw the way you looked at her. I’m sure you could make her happy. It’ll be nice to have someone there to talk to.”

  Jeremiah’s brows went up. “You can talk to us, you know.”

  Maggie shrugged and said nothing.

  Furious that she seemed to think her friend would be happier than she would be, Eb stood and set Maggie on her feet, releasing her almost immediately. “Desire it is, then. Appropriate, since that’s what the town was built on.”

  Smiling at her shock, he ran a finger down Maggie’s arm.

  “No self-respecting outlaw would want to hole up in a town named Desire, especially where the men’ll watch each other so closely.”

  Maggie nodded and looked away. “And it’s the only thing in the world you desire. Yeah, Desire’s the perfect name for your town. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to bed.”

  Not about to let her get away so easily, Eb grabbed her arm before she could escape, bending to whisper in her ear.

  “What I desire most is you, Mrs. Tyler. Remember, the Circle T was built out of our desire to marry you. Now, go on up to bed, and think about that. We’ll be up in a bit. And cover your feet. They’re freezing.”

  * * * *

  Eb and Jeremiah sat staring into their whiskey long after the other men left. Unable to get the image of Maggie lying upstairs in his bed out of his head, Eb reached for the bottle to pour himself another, hoping this one would settle him enough to sleep. He was used to hard work and being in the saddle all day and falling into bed dead tired.

  Spending his days arranging for supplies hardly took any effort at all and left him feeling restless.

  Wanting Maggie so badly he could taste it didn’t help. Picturing her with her long hair draped over his pillow and her tiny frame warming his bed made it difficult to resist the urge to race up the stairs and join her.

  It was too soon after losing her virginity to take her again, and he didn’t know how he’d be able to lie next to her without wanting to sink his cock into her.

  There was still much of that sweet little girl in her, something he tended to forget after the passionate way she fell apart in his arms. Her daring and boldness of the past had been tempered over the years, more subtle now than it used to be.

  But it was there, and the enticing peeks he got of it made him want her even more.

  He couldn’t help but wonder of once she got over her father’s death and the shock of being married to two men she probably thought she’d never see again, it would be back in full force.

  God help him.

  His cock twitched, making him grimace and shift his position again. He actually looked forward to her sassiness and definitely looked forward to taming it, readily admitting to himself that he hoped he never did.

  Damn, he looked forward to getting her home, wondering if she’d realize just how much time and money he and Jeremiah had spent to make her feel at home right from the start.

  His cock twitched again when he thought of just how she would thank him.

  She’d look at him the way she used to, with adoration in her eyes.

  He pushed aside the uneasy feeling he got when she talked about the way Hayes and Wyatt looked at Savannah.

  Things like that weren’t important. What mattered was that he and Jeremiah would protect her and provide for her and do their best to make sure she was happy. After living at the Circle T for a while, she’d understand that.

  Hell, who was he trying to fool?

  Maggie had already begun to soften him up, something he sure as hell couldn’t afford once he got back to his ranch in Oklahoma. Knowing her, she wouldn’t be happy until she had him and Jeremiah eating out of her hand.

  Before long, they’d be spoiling her all over again, probably even more than they had in the past.

  Well, no matter how much she got to him, he had a responsibility to keep her in line and keep her safe.

  And he took his responsibilities very seriously.

  Chapter Six

  Maggie woke without opening her eyes, pausing mid-stretch as the warm, heavy band around her waist tightened and pulled her back several inches into an even warmer wall of muscle. The hand at her waist caressed her bare stomach, a sharp reminder that she lay naked between Eb and Jeremiah.

  A memory of them coming to bed eased its way to the surface, along with their disgruntled groans when they found her wearing her warmest nightgown.

  They’d quickly stripped her of it before nestling on either side of her again.

  She’d still been mostly asleep when Jeremiah’s lips circled a nipple before covering it with the blanket. “This is how you’re supposed to sleep between us.”

  Eb’s big hand at her waist slid up to cover her breast.

  “Good mornin’, darlin’.” Eb’s deep, gravelly voice in her ear made her shiver despite being warm and cozy between
them. His hand moved lightly over her breast, his rough palm sending ribbons of tingling awareness through her as it slid back and forth over her nipple.

  Stretching again, she arched her neck in invitation while pressing her bottom against the hard bulge that seemed to grow by the minute.

  Realizing what she did, her eyes popped open, widening at the sight of Jeremiah’s brown, muscular chest only inches away. Surprised to see that he held her hand even in sleep, she pulled it out of his grasp.

  Jeremiah immediately opened his eyes and frowned like a little boy who’d had his favorite toy taken from him. He blinked twice, his eyes clearing before he smiled and lifted his hand to her other breast as he raised himself to his elbow and bent over her. “Damn, to think I get to wake up to this every morning for the rest of my life.”

  He ran his hand down her arm to her waist and beyond, sliding it over her hip to her thigh, pulling it toward him, his rough fingers tracing the tender flesh at the back of her knee before moving on again, sparking little showers of heat wherever he touched.

  Eb lifted his head from the pillow and scraped his teeth over her shoulder. “How do you feel?” He slid a hand down her body and gently pressed a finger into her, pressing open-mouthed kisses over her shoulder and moving his finger just inside her. “You’re always wet, darlin’. Are you sore?”

  Finding it difficult to carry on a conversation while having a thick finger moving in and out of her pussy, Maggie moaned. “No, I told you I’m not.”

  Eb pushed his finger deep, at the same time touching his thumb to her clit. “Waiting to fuck you again is killing me, but as soon as I get my cock inside you, I just want to fuck you hard and deep, and I sure as hell don’t want to worry about hurting you.”

  The deep morning huskiness in his voice increased the intimacy, delighting her. Smiling over her shoulder at him, she reached back to cup his jaw. “Then why do you keep touching me?” She turned slightly to her back to open her legs wider, rocking her hips in time to his strokes.