by Lana Dare
As they crossed the yard, Savannah tugged unobtrusively to get free, not wanting to cause a scene in front of the others. She could already feel several pairs of eyes on her from the men who paused in their chores to watch them.
Savannah realized that, other than Maggie, she was the only woman on a huge ranch, and knew that the others would be curious about her, but she hadn’t counted on so much attention.
A very tall, very large, very mean-looking Indian, dressed in buckskins, straightened from the fence where he’d been watching another even meaner-looking Indian break a horse. Inclining his head in her direction, he slid a warning glance at the hand Wyatt had on her arm.
“Problem?”
Savannah tensed, scared that a fight would break out. Looking back and forth between the two of them, she had no idea who would come out the winner.
She only knew it would be ugly.
She hated violence in any form, but the thought of Wyatt and the fierce Indian fighting terrified her. She started to step between them, only to have Wyatt yank her back.
“Hello, Blade. This is Savannah, the woman who’s going to marry Hayes and me on the next trip to town. We’re off to have a little talk about the way things are done in Desire. She seems to think Jeremiah beats Maggie.”
Blade’s brows went up as he studied Savannah, his expression never changing.
“Neither one of them would ever hurt a hair on that woman’s head. Don’t ever step between two men when you think a fight might break out between them.”
Savannah lifted her chin, bristling at his arrogance. Apparently, what she’d heard was true.
The men of Desire seemed to think they had the right to tell her what to do.
“I appreciate the advice, but I can take care of myself, thank you very much.”
Blade smiled, a flash of white in his dark face, the transformation nearly taking her to her knees. Gorgeous and absolutely breathtaking, he took a step closer.
“Spirited, too. Yes, it sounds like you’d better have that talk. I don’t think your woman realizes that every man on the place has sworn to watch out for her.”
His eyes narrowed on Savannah’s, making her nervous as hell.
“I wouldn’t be happy if I lost my job and my home because something happened to her on my watch.”
Savannah gritted her teeth and tried once again to pull from Wyatt’s grasp.
“I’m not your responsibility.”
Wyatt shared a look with Blade, one of male superiority.
“Hayes and I are responsible for your protection, but everyone else is committed to keeping you safe as well.”
“I can take care of myself.” She tried once again to pull away, but Wyatt’s iron grip didn’t allow it.
“Damnation! Will you let go of me? I’m not going anywhere with you.”
Blade’s smile widened, the pure sin in his eyes enhancing his startling good looks.
“You know, I never saw the draw of that spanking stuff, but now I do. Yours certainly needs one. After listening to her, I understand what Eb was talking about. Hardheadedness on a woman out here will only get her killed. Interesting concept and one worth exploring.”
His eyes sparkled with mischief. “Phoenix will love it.”
Enraged and more than a little concerned, Savannah gasped and tried to pull away again, but Wyatt merely chuckled.
With an ease that she found nothing short of amazing, Wyatt lifted her onto his horse, the muscles under her hands bunching and shifting as he settled her in place. With equal ease, he quickly mounted behind her.
Much to the obvious amusement of Blade and the other men watching, their grins and low chuckles making her stomach tighten, he settled her on his lap and rode off at a gallop, forcing her to hold on to his forearm for balance.
She tried not to think about the warmth of the muscular forearm brushing against the underside of her breasts, just as she tried to ignore the hard bulge pressing at her bottom.
Wyatt seemed tense behind her, his hand hard at her waist. The brief glance at his features reminded her very much of the night they’d taken her to the pond.
Savannah kept silent as they headed west, attempting to rein in her temper, a temper she’d been able to control, with very few lapses, until she’d met Wyatt and Hayes.
Once they’d ridden from view of the ranch, she turned her head, not quite ready to meet his eyes. “You’d better be teasing. You’d better not be thinking of really spanking me. I don’t know why men feel the need to be such brutes, but you’re not going to get away with it with me.”
Being so close to him, close enough that his body brushed against hers with every movement, filled her with longing. The heat from his hard body warmed the entire back of hers, making the front of her feel even colder in contrast.
Her breath caught when Wyatt slid his hot hand higher to cup her breast, his fingers unerringly finding her nipple.
She wished she had the willpower to push him away, but his touch just felt too good, his caress both demanding and tender at the same time.
His warm lips moved over the outer curve of her ear, making her shiver and beading her nipples even more.
“I’ve never been anything but gentle with you, and you know it. If you deserved a spanking, you would sure as hell get one, but it wouldn’t be anything like what your uncle did to you. I could kill him for the bruises he left on you.”
Slowing his horse, he led them to a small clearing where a slight breeze blew. Other than her own heartbeat, only the sounds of rustling leaves broke the silence.
His gloved hands moved to her thighs, caressing lightly before sliding back up to cup her breasts again.
“We’ve both promised to love and protect you. If you get bruises from us, darlin’, it’ll be from sex.”
Swallowing heavily, Savannah fought not to lean into his caress, not about to let him see how strongly he affected her. Her shirt came undone under his quick hands, allowing the cool air to blow over her nipples, pebbling them even tighter.
She gasped at the shock of cold air against her skin, moaning in relief and delight when Wyatt cupped her breasts with his gloved hands.
Squirming, she pushed back against him, involuntarily lifting her breasts more fully against his palms.
“Bruises from…that? Oh, God. That feels…” Words escaped her.
Wyatt’s hands moved, the friction of leather over her nipples making her stomach tighter.
“Feel good?”
His low chuckle against her neck sent shivers of delight racing up and down her spine.
“Hayes and I have a lot to teach you about loving. Something tells me you’ll be a very responsive student.”
His hands slid to her hips, holding her to him as though she wanted to get away.
“I love exploring you. I love your passion. I love all those wonderful sounds you make and the look of surprise in your eyes at the pleasure you get from my touch. I want to learn every inch of you with my fingers…my lips…my tongue.”
Savannah shivered, longing to experience the pleasure his softly spoken words promised. She knew, though, that she would be better off not knowing what she would be missing when she left. She’d already miss so much and wondered if she’d ever be able to sleep through the night again without Wyatt and Hayes invading her dreams.
“That…you know…can never happen again.”
One gloved hand made its way between her thighs, making her cry out as a leather-covered finger slid over her clit.
“It’s going to happen again, honey. A lot. So, what do you think of your new home?”
The swift change of subject caught Savannah by surprise. Blinking, she tried to focus on the landscape surrounding them, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t douse her arousal.
The air blowing over her nipples made them tighten almost painfully, making her crave his attention there even more. Her pussy clenched, the need to be filled with his cock so strong that her stomach tightened, the mus
cles quivering beneath his hand.
She couldn’t get enough air into her lungs, the cool air filling her overheated body with every panting breath. Her mind screamed at her to cover herself, but her body had other plans, her back arching to thrust her breasts out in invitation.
“What are you doing to me?”
She didn’t recognize the raw huskiness in her voice as her own, but it seemed to please Wyatt very much.
He gathered her closer and sighed, sliding his fingertips over her abdomen and making her stomach muscles quiver.
His hand made a slow journey to the fastening of her pants and slid inside. With devastating slowness, he moved his hand lower, his gloved fingers parting her folds.
“I’m loving you, something I plan to do at every opportunity.”
She grabbed his forearm, crying out at the too-light stroke to her clit.
Travelling just as slowly, his other hand moved to caress her breast, stroking lightly over her heaving chest.
She squirmed on his lap, excited, and gasping for air. She stilled when Wyatt cursed and pressed the bulge at the front of his pants against her. Weak with pleasure from his attention to her clit and nipple, she slumped against him.
“Wyatt, we shouldn’t do this. It’s wrong.”
It didn’t feel that way, though.
In his arms, she felt desirable. She felt important. She felt safe.
She’d always dreamed that one day she would find someone she could feel safe with, the way Maggie felt with Eb and Jeremiah.
As a young girl, she’d wished for a man she could trust—someone she could rely on.
They’d been nothing but childhood dreams, daydreams of a little girl, and then a young woman, one who spent too much time alone.
Nothing could have surprised her more than meeting not one—but two—men she trusted and respected, and that made her feel safer than she ever had before.
Nothing—except falling in love with them.
She hadn’t been ready for it, and certainly hadn’t given a thought to desire. She hadn’t realized how much a kiss could affect her, or anticipated what it would be like to be on the receiving end of so much attention.
She had no experience with affection and never realized just how eagerly she would lap it up.
She had no experience with this kind of love and feared she would become lost in it. She already felt helpless against it and was very much afraid that she would never find the courage to turn her back on it and walk away when she needed to.
Sliding his hand from her breast, he turned her in his arms, his hand firm between her thighs. Laying her back over his forearm, he bent over her.
His eyes seemed to glitter from beneath the brim of his hat, the affection in them sharpened with lust and what appeared to be a glimmer of anger.
“Does this feel wrong, Savannah?” He moved his finger in a circular motion over her clit, smiling in arrogant satisfaction when she whimpered.
Her heart raced, her body both tightening and yielding in anticipation.
Fisting her hand in the front of his thick coat, Savannah stared at his lips, needing to feel them on hers as much as she needed her next breath.
“Wyatt, nice women aren’t supposed to do this.”
Wyatt’s gaze lingered on her breasts, making them feel swollen and heavy, before his eyes, full of amusement, lifted to hers.
“You look pretty nice to me. Beautiful, in fact.”
Stroking her clit, he smiled at her moan, his gaze moving slowly up and down her body. “The most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”
The appreciation in his eyes made her feel beautiful. No one had ever looked at her the way Wyatt and Hayes looked at her—a look that made her feel feminine and desirable. Looking up at him through her lashes, she swallowed heavily.
“That’s not what I meant.”
Wyatt continued to stroke her clit, a light stroke designed to drive her crazy. His eyes narrowed to slits as they moved over her squirming body, a muscle working in his jaw.
“We’re getting married as soon as the preacher gets back to town.”
That warm swell of pleasure began again, one that she’d already discovered would lead to the wave of release she’d come to crave.
Her clit throbbed beneath his finger, burning as the pressure inside her built.
She took a deep breath, struggling to say what she needed to say.
“I’m not marrying you. Or Hayes. Or anyone. Ever.” Maybe if she said it enough, she would eventually be able to convince herself.
The dangerous glint in Wyatt’s eyes matched his low, smooth tone.
“You are a bad girl. You give your body to me, but you won’t let me have the rest. We’ll have to do something about that.”
Outraged at his arrogance, and more than a little unnerved by his teasing threat, Savannah tried to push against him, only to cry out in alarm at his quick move. She grabbed at his shoulders, trembling at the feel of his hand at her waist as he lifted her to a sitting position again in front of him.
Staring out at the land in front of them, Wyatt kept a supporting arm around her. With slow deliberation, he removed his right glove and curved his fingers around her breast, stroking her skin with just his fingertips, almost absently, as if he couldn’t keep his hands off of her.
“This will be our home. We start work on the house tomorrow. Most of the wood has already been cut and is just beyond those rocks over there. Of course, it won’t be a house as grand as the Tylers’, but it’ll be ours. While we’re in town getting married, you can pick out some of the things you want for it.”
Bending, he nudged her head to the side and nuzzled her neck, staring down at where his finger circled her nipple.
“Hayes and I don’t have a lot of money, but we’ll take good care of you, Savannah. We’ll protect you and provide for you and make a good life here.”
Savannah’s low moan sounded loud in the silence. Her clit still tingled so badly she couldn’t stay still, and his attention to her nipple only made it worse.
“I already told you. I’m not staying, and I’m not getting m–married.”
His low chuckle broke off abruptly, becoming a groan.
“You keep rubbing that bottom against my cock, you’re going to make me explode in my pants before I can turn you over my lap and show you one of those spankings you’re so afraid of.”
Savannah gasped at the sharp pinch to her nipple, rubbing her thighs together at the jolt of heat that settled between them. Arching her back, she threw her arms up and around his neck, rubbing against him and giving herself over to his touch.
Imagining what it would feel like to do such a thing when they were alone in a bedroom and both naked, she turned her face to rub against his strong jaw. Breathing in the scent of him, she moaned again, cursing the fact that she didn’t seem able to resist him.
Why had she made that promise to Maggie?
“Wyatt, we can’t do this anymore. I’m not staying. Please understand.”
Bending his head, Wyatt brushed her lips with his warm, firm ones.
“Always so polite, even when your body’s trembling with need. I don’t want to hear any more talk about you leaving, Savannah. You’re marrying Hayes and me, and you’re staying here if I have to tie you to my bed.”
“No!” God, she wanted to.
Savannah yelped when, in a quick move, Wyatt lifted her to him.
Bending her over his arm, he took a cold nipple into his hot mouth, sucking gently while caressing it with his tongue.
Grabbing onto his shoulders, she writhed on his lap, bucking against the wild hunger building inside her. Alarmed at the feel of cold air on her bottom and the tops of her thighs, she fought harder.
“What are you doing?”
With her pants at her knees and caught at the tops of her boots, she could no longer kick with any force. She cried out again in shock and sharp need when he released her damp nipple from his mouth, allowing the cold breeze to blow o
ver it.
Startled by the sensation, she grabbed at him in panic, fighting to hold on to him as he turned her over, draping her across his lap with apparent ease.
“Wyatt! What in damnation are you doing? Pick me up right now. Do you hear me?”
Wyatt’s warm hand sliding over her bare bottom filled her with trepidation, but it was the cold intent in his tone that really alarmed her.
“Darlin’, if you keep yelling, everyone at the ranch will be able to hear you. Why on earth would I let you go when I’ve got you just where I want you?”
Savannah stilled, looking around to make sure they were still alone, the threat of a spanking sending her into a panic. “You can’t be serious! You’re not really thinking of spanking me, are you?”
The thought of it both terrified and excited her. The fear she understood. The excitement she didn’t understand at all.
She tightened her bottom cheeks against the hand that kept moving over them, feeling his gaze on her there. Holding on to his leg, she moaned again, startled when his other hand slid over her breast, the feel of leather cool and decadent against her tender flesh.
Wyatt chuckled softly, bending close. “I told you that I would, Savannah. You know that I’m a man of my word.”
He ran his fingers over the backs of her thighs and over her bottom, sending streams of sharp awareness to her pussy and clit.
“I want you to believe that I mean every word that I say to you. You’re frightened of this, and I want you to see that it isn’t what you think it is. The only way to see that is to experience it. I also want you to have an idea of what will happen to you if you ever, ever, put yourself in any kind of danger. This is a rough place to live, and I can’t have you being careless. You’re everything to us, Savannah. I can’t let anything happen to you.”
Drawing on years of experience in dealing with her uncle, she kept her voice calm, a feat harder to accomplish than she’d anticipated. With her uncle, she fought fear and disgust. With Wyatt, the layer of fear excited her and filled her with anticipation, making her want to curl into him instead of running away.
She didn’t know what kind of person that made her, but didn’t want to think about it too closely.