by Lana Dare
Kissing his way up her jaw to her ear, he held her close.
“Now that I know the passion in you, I won’t sleep at all. I need you, Savannah. I love you, and I’ll spend the rest of my life showing you how much. Don’t be afraid of the pleasure. Don’t be afraid of us.”
* * * *
By the time he lifted his head, tears filled her eyes.
Tears of surrender.
Tears of vulnerability.
Tears of failure.
Tears of love that she couldn’t allow herself to show.
Wyatt pulled her pants back up before helping her to a sitting position, his eyes tender as he reached for the buttons of her shirt.
“Come on, honey. Let me get you dressed. You’re cold.”
Furious and mortified that she’d responded so completely while he hadn’t even broken a sweat, Savannah pushed his hands away and reached for the buttons herself, her face burning as she watched him slip his glove back on.
“It’s a pity you didn’t think about that before you had your way with me.”
Wyatt stiffened, gripping her chin and turning her back to face him.
“If I had my way with you, Savannah, you would know it. Seeing and hearing you come excites me more than anything else in the world, and in case you hadn’t noticed, my cock’s hard as a fucking rock, but I’m not taking you. Not sinking my cock into that slick pussy is the hardest thing I’ve ever done, so I wouldn’t push it right now if I were you.”
Insulted and angry that, despite Wyatt’s claim to be aroused, he seemed to be in perfect control of himself, Savannah yanked her chin from his grip and finished fastening her shirt.
Drawing on years of experience, she carefully schooled her features and turned her head to glance up at him, pulling her coat closed against the chill that settled over her.
“I would tell Eb what you did to me, but it would only upset Maggie. I can’t wait to leave here.”
Wrapping an arm around her waist, he pulled her back against him and started back the way they’d come.
“Eb would hold a shotgun to my head and demand that Hayes and I married you right away. It sounds like a good idea, honey. It’ll save Hayes and me a lot of time and aggravation.”
“Aggravation?” Swallowing her fury, Savannah stared straight ahead. “That’s what I am to you? Aggravation?”
Wyatt’s voice went cold again, his words clipped.
“Yep. You know you’re going to marry us, but you want to be coy about it. You like sex but pretend not to. If you didn’t have feelings for us, you wouldn’t have given yourself to us, but you deny it. Aggravating.”
Struggling to keep all emotion out of her tone, she shrugged.
“You’re the one who’s aggravating. Won’t take no for an answer and think you can control me by doing things like…that.”
His cold laugh filled her with foreboding.
“Darlin’, I can control you with that, but I have no desire to. I want a wife, Savannah. You know that.”
“Well, you’ll never have the chance to do anything that sinful to me again.”
“Oh, you’re going to have that done to you again. Many times. I told you that if you came while I had my finger inside that bottom, I would do it again. Next time, though, it’ll be my cock filling you.”
Chapter Five
Pleased with himself and with life in general, Wyatt set down his fork and swallowed the last bite of his apple pie.
“That was delicious, Savannah. Are you sure you don’t want a piece of this pie? It’s the best I’ve ever eaten.”
Full of pride in the woman he would soon marry, and nearly bursting with happiness, Wyatt sat back, unable to keep his eyes off of her.
Only her flushed cheeks told him she’d noticed.
Even though she’d approached him as soon as they got back this evening to invite them to a private supper with her that she’d cooked herself, she’d managed to avoid almost all eye contact with both of them.
Until she got over her nervousness, he and Hayes would need to be patient.
He took her invitation as a good sign, though. After this afternoon, he’d have bet good money that she would have tried to avoid them. It appeared she’d been more taken in by their play that afternoon than he’d imagined.
He smiled in her direction, convinced that her desire to be alone with them meant that she’d decided that the three of them belonged together. He worried that she hadn’t eaten much of the fried chicken she’d prepared. Nerves probably kept her from eating, and he wanted to get her to relax so they could talk.
“You’re a very good cook. Hayes and I will be the envy of every man here.”
His chest swelled at her obvious attempt to show them what a good wife she would make.
He could have told her that he didn’t care if she couldn’t cook at all, although after the meal he’d just eaten, he probably would have married her for her cooking alone. Sitting back, he rubbed his full stomach, having eaten one of the best meals he could remember.
Hayes frowned and sipped his coffee, staring thoughtfully at Savannah, as he’d done for the last several minutes.
“You’ve hardly touched your dinner. I know you’re nervous about marrying us, but there’s no reason to be.”
Savannah blushed and glanced up, meeting their eyes for the first time in almost a half hour.
“Actually, I invited you here to talk, but neither one of you will believe that I’m not marrying you and I’m not staying.”
Hayes leaned forward, the tension in him apparent.
“Actions speak louder than words, Savannah. You still haven’t given us any good reasons.”
“It’s none of your concern.”
Taking one of Savannah’s hands in his, Hayes pulled her closer.
“You’re very quiet tonight. I know what Wyatt did to you earlier today.”
Wyatt hid a smile as the blush that colored Savannah’s cheeks darkened, his cock jumping at the surge of desire.
At her look of surprise, he lifted a brow and regarded her steadily, wanting for her to understand the way things would be between them right from the start.
“When it comes to you, Hayes and I have no secrets. We’ll both be your husbands, Savannah. You’ll have two men to care for and protect you.”
Savannah’s serene smile sent a cold chill down his spine.
“Lucky me.”
Ever since she’d invited both him and Hayes to eat at the house, she’d been very subdued and even downright polite. He’d suspected nerves and shyness had made her quieter than normal, but now he wondered if it might be something else—especially since she couldn’t quite hide the defiant gleam in her beautiful eyes.
He watched her carefully now as she gathered dishes and left the dining room. Still watching the doorway, he leaned toward Hayes, keeping his voice low.
“Something’s wrong. I don’t like it. I’m probably too suspicious, but I get the feeling she’s up to something.”
Hayes sipped his coffee, staring in the direction Savannah had gone.
“After we’re married, she’ll settle down. She’s trying to show us what a meek wife she can be. She’ll soon learn that the last thing we want is for her to change. We’ll give her some time to adjust. She’s just a little skittish.”
Maybe because he felt the same way and had been listening for it, Wyatt heard the uncertainty in his friend’s tone.
Hayes shifted in his seat and took another sip of his coffee, smothering a yawn.
“Damn, I’d hoped to have a chance to do a little snuggling with her tonight, but if she’s this skittish, I don’t want to scare her. We’ll just have to keep her calm until Saturday. Once we’re married, everything’ll work itself out.”
Hayes frowned and turned to Wyatt.
“I haven’t been able to stop imagining how she looked draped over your lap. She liked it, huh?”
Wyatt smothered his own yawn, surprised at the fatigue that came from nowhere.
<
br /> “Hell, I’m so full, I’m falling asleep. We’re not going to be able to eat like this every day. Desire doesn’t need fat sheriffs.”
Hayes smiled slightly, lifting a brow. “We’ll make sure Savannah helps us work it off.”
Wyatt and Hayes both came to their feet as Savannah came back into the room. Smothering another yawn, Wyatt grimaced as his cock came to attention. It didn’t seem to matter if he was tired or not, his cock appeared to be ready for Savannah at any given moment.
“Thank you for the dinner, honey. We’ll be by in the morning to take you to breakfast.”
“I’m looking forward to tomorrow morning.”
The look on Savannah’s face might have fooled someone who didn’t know how to spot a lie, but it didn’t fool him for a minute.
Hayes stiffened beside him.
“You don’t look too disappointed to see us go.”
Something flashed in Savannah’s eyes, something that looked a lot like amusement, before she quickly masked it. Shrugging, she turned away to stare out the window.
“It’s not as though we won’t see each other again soon. You’re living in the bunkhouse, aren’t you?”
Hayes glanced at Wyatt, frowning. Turning his attention back to Savannah, his eyes sharpened.
“For now. Until our house is ready. Wyatt said he showed you where it would be this afternoon. We start building tomorrow. With everyone chipping in, it should only take about a week.”
Wyatt knew the two of them would be spending every minute they could there in order to see that the house was ready by next Saturday. They’d already ordered a bed and would pick it up when they went to town, and they’d let Savannah pick out the rest of it later.
The bed, though, they would need right away.
He couldn’t wait to get Savannah naked and under him again. The next time he took her, it would be as his wife.
She would belong to him in every way.
On their wedding night, and every night afterward, he would have her completely naked, a bounty for him to explore.
The throbbing of his cock got even worse as he imagined her legs held high in the air and his face buried between them. He blinked, finding it harder and harder to keep his eyes open. Damn, he was more tired than he’d thought. He didn’t want to make any mistakes with Savannah when they were so close to making her theirs. Unable to shake off the fatigue, he figured it would be better to leave now than to accidentally say or do something that would scare her away.
Moving closer to her, he stroked a finger down her soft cheek.
“I don’t know what’s bothering you, Savannah, but we’ll talk about it in the morning.”
Even through his fatigue, he couldn’t miss the look of relief in her eyes.
To add insult to injury, she moved away, patting his arm and moving to the back door, opening it wide.
“That’s fine. I have some sewing to do that Maggie hasn’t been able to finish.”
Apparently Hayes didn’t like to be dismissed any more than Wyatt did.
With a bit-out curse, he tugged her away from the door and pulled her close, bending his head to take her mouth in a punishing kiss.
Leaning against the door to block the view of anyone who might be passing, Wyatt watched in fascination as Savannah struggled to get closer to Hayes, his cock getting harder by the minute.
He’d never considered himself the kind of man who would get excited while watching another man make love to the woman he considered his, but damned if his cock wasn’t about to burst through his pants as he watched Hayes and Savannah now.
Knowing Hayes would be every bit as much her husband made a huge difference.
It became obvious from the start that both he and Hayes wanted her, and the relationship between the three of them had begun to take shape before he’d even realized it.
Fascinated by her hesitation before reaching for Hayes, something he knew his friend couldn’t have seen, he fought the urge to close the distance between them.
Intrigued, he watched Hayes and Savannah together, noticing things he might have missed if he’d been the one kissing her.
From his vantage point, he could see her move restlessly, rubbing her thighs together. He’d bet his horse that her clit felt swollen and desperately wanted attention and that her thighs were damp with her juices.
His mouth watered with the need to taste her. He wanted to bury his face between those creamy thighs and feast on her until she came over and over against his tongue.
He smiled, thinking about the look on her face when Hayes used his mouth on her and wondered it if would affect Hayes as much as it did him.
He winced, inwardly cursing as his cock stirred again, and he smothered another yawn. He didn’t know what the hell was wrong with him tonight, but suddenly he could hardly stay awake.
His cock, however, had other ideas. He had a feeling it would be another long night.
Hayes lifted his head, his breathing harsh.
“We’ve got to get married soon.”
He walked out without another word, leaving Wyatt alone with Savannah.
Wyatt stared after him, knowing exactly how his friend felt. He’d kissed Savannah often enough to know that Hayes fought not to rip her clothes from her and sink into her.
When she took an unsteady step backward, he hurriedly reached for her, his reaction slower than normal. Feeling her body tremble against his, he pulled her closer. He pressed his lips to her silky hair, struck once again by her frailty.
His cock jumped again at the dazed look in her eyes, the need to make this beautiful woman his burning inside him like a hot brand.
“Hayes is right. We have to get married soon. I want you in my bed. In my life. I want you to be the first thing I see every morning and the last thing I see every night.”
Savannah blinked as though coming out of a trance, her eyes flashing as she pushed away from him.
“Don’t say things like that to me.”
Irritated that she could adopt that cool distance with such ease, Wyatt yanked her to him, a little alarmed that he almost missed.
“Don’t take that tone with me. I saw the way you tried to climb up Hayes. You don’t have to pretend with us.”
Savannah’s eyes went wide, her expression one of outrage, her show of emotion pleasing him immensely. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, and to his frustration, adopted that schoolmarm expression that never ceased to infuriate him.
“I’m sure you’re mistaken.”
Rubbing his eyes, he sighed and released her as he came to another realization, one he should have come to before.
“You keep saying I shouldn’t touch you and that things we do are sinful. I know you were raised by that poor excuse of a preacher, but we’re getting married. It isn’t sinful to—”
“Have two husbands?”
That cold, sarcastic smile made him want desperately to turn her over his lap—or fuck her until she didn’t have the energy to defy him.
“Damn it, Savannah. It’s not like that.”
“I think you’d better go.”
Having the door closed in his face before he even got to kiss her wasn’t how Wyatt had planned to spend the evening. Things had started out so well, but had somehow gone wrong.
He’d misjudged her—a mistake he couldn’t afford to make.
His assumption that she’d agreed to marry them had obviously been wrong.
It didn’t make sense, though, for her to invite them to dinner just to refuse them.
She was up to something, but for the life of him, he couldn’t figure out what.
So tired that it took tremendous effort just to put one foot in front of the other, Wyatt decided that this wouldn’t be the best time to sort it out. He barely resisted glancing back at the house and went to join Hayes and the Tylers where they stood talking.
Rubbing his eyes, he promised himself that as soon as he got some sleep, he’d get to the bottom of whatever bothered Savannah
—and get rid of the cold knot that had formed in his stomach the day she left Kansas City—a knot that had never quite gone away.
* * * *
It took every ounce of willpower Hayes could muster to keep from running back to the house and laying Savannah right in the middle of the dinner table and making a meal of her.
He could still taste her and had to resist the urge to lick his lips as he tried to concentrate on what Eb was saying. Noticing that Eb and Jeremiah both stared at him expectantly, he struggled to remember what they’d been talking about.
He remembered suddenly that Eb had been telling him who he would be sending to help him and Wyatt with the house. Nodding once, he glanced toward the closed back door.
“I appreciate the help. We want to get Savannah settled.”
An obviously exhausted Maggie leaned against Jeremiah and frowned up at him.
“Are you sure Savannah said she would marry you? She wouldn’t even discuss it earlier. Not that I’m not thrilled, but she was acting strange.”
Maggie’s yawn proved to be contagious.
Smothering yet another yawn, Hayes avoided Eb’s narrowed stare and kept his eyes on Maggie.
“Savannah’s ready. This afternoon, Wyatt took her out to see where her new home will be, and I think it must have really made her think. She said she can’t.” He waved negligently, dismissing anything that would keep Savannah from him. “But she can’t give us a reason. She cooked a delicious dinner for us, probably to show us what a good cook she is.”
Hayes sighed and glanced toward the house. “She must have been nervous, though. She was really quiet.”
He smiled at Maggie. “I think she was reluctant to have two husbands at first, but seeing how happy you are with Eb and Jeremiah probably helped change her mind.”
Uneasy at the way Maggie avoided looking at him, he lifted his gaze to Jeremiah’s, raising a brow.
Jeremiah shook his head and smiled, pulling Maggie closer.
“Apparently Maggie won’t tell you, but she’s going to have to learn that all of us men have to stick together in order to make this work. If Savannah’s as quiet as you claim, you might have a problem.”