by Lana Dare
“And we both know how to take very good care of you in all ways. You had us fooled, you know? Trying to mislead the sheriff will get you thrown in jail. I could tie you naked to the bars, and no one would be the wiser.”
“I d–didn’t mislead you. You made assumptions about m–me. You saw what you were supposed to see. Just like everybody else.”
Wyatt’s expression became hard and tense as he slowed his thrusts.
“We’re supposed to know you better than anyone else does. That sweet and innocent woman we fell in love with in Kansas City turned out to be someone quite different than we expected.”
His words sent a chill through her, and she had to swallow before meeting his gaze.
Trying not to clench on him, she stiffened as Hayes closed the fingers over her nipple, pinching it just hard enough to shoot arrows of heat to her slit.
“And you figured out I’m just like my mother after all, and not the kind of woman you should marry.”
Struggling to keep her hurt from showing, she clenched on Wyatt, her body making demands even as her mind screamed to push him away.
Hayes chuckled softly against her ear, sending more of those irresistible shivers up and down her spine. Pressing a hard finger against her bottom hole again, he slid a thumb over her nipple.
“We figured out that underneath that cool, polite shell was a warm woman who isn’t afraid to fight for what she wants—a passionate woman who responds to everything we do to her. How about two fingers in that tight ass, honey? Then Wyatt can let you come.”
The pinch of her puckered opening being stretched wide curled her toes. “It’s too much. Oh, God. I’m so full.”
Hayes groaned, the hands on her breast becoming even more demanding. “Wait until we both have our cocks inside you. Damn, honey, you’re tight.”
Wyatt’s groan sounded even more tortured as he took her with short, forceful thrusts.
“I can’t hold off anymore. Too good.”
His fingers dug into her as he took her in earnest, the friction of his cock over the inner walls of her pussy even more intense as his cock jumped and seemed to swell inside her.
Low groans and whispered words of sex poured over her from both sides, the affection in their tones even now warming her from within. Surrounded by their heat, penetrated in both openings, and with their words of praise and encouragement surrounding her, Savannah knew she’d never be happy anywhere else.
Hayes pressed against the inner walls of her ass, groaning and clenching the hand covering her breast.
“I can’t wait to take this ass. Damn, you’re responsive. So sweet. I want you naked and in my bed every night.”
Her body tightened, every muscle quivering. The fullness in both openings made her more aware of her slit than ever, as though nothing mattered except Wyatt’s cock and the devious fingers Hayes pushed inside her.
Her body no longer felt like her own, trembling in their arms and jerking uncontrollably.
Wyatt groaned and surged deep, his voice like broken glass.
“Yes, darlin’. Just let go. We’ve got you. Hell.”
Her cries sounded desperate and wild and nothing at all like her as her body gathered and, like a dam breaking, the pressure inside her burst free.
Her legs dropped, becoming stiff and jerky as her orgasm washed over her in huge, pleasure-filled swells. Grateful that Wyatt and Hayes held her securely, she couldn’t hold back her cries as her body tightened, making her bottom burn around the fingers Hayes stroked slowly in and out of her.
They murmured to her and to each other, their hands running over her easing her gradual descent.
Wyatt’s eyes raked over her body, his expression hard and unrelenting.
“Never letting you go. Never! You’ll stay if I have to tie. You. To. The. Bed.”
Each thrust accompanying his words seemed to fill her more than the last.
Hard muscle tightened all around her as Wyatt thrust deep and groaned, his big body shuddering against hers.
“Christ, I’m going crazy just thinking about that.”
His cock jumped as he came inside her, his groan hoarse and even more desperate sounding than before.
As she held on, Hayes leaned over her, covering her back from behind and cocooning her in warmth. With slow deliberation, he withdrew his fingers from her bottom, leaving it prickling with awareness.
“I’m not a man who likes to talk about feelings, so pay attention because I may not ever say it again. Just because you don’t hear the words very often doesn’t mean I don’t feel them. I love you, Savannah, and I’m not a man who loves lightly. I want to marry you and spend my life with you. I can’t make it any plainer than that.”
Kissing her hair, he straightened and reached out to untie her wrists, catching her against him as Wyatt withdrew from her and set her on her feet.
“I’ll do everything in my power to keep you here, but if I can’t, I’ll follow you.”
Surprised that they dressed her, Savannah held on to Wyatt’s shoulders, blinking back the tears that stung her eyes, tears caused by her weakness and their gentleness as they cared for her.
“My uncle and his friends would ruin everything you’re all trying to build. I couldn’t live with that.”
Hayes stopped her beside his horse, mounted, and reached down to pull her up in front of him in a show of strength that impressed the hell out of her.
“If we can’t handle people like your uncle, we wouldn’t last long here anyway. Haven’t you noticed how the men in Tulsa sidestep us? They don’t know what to make of us, so they shun us. Half the women look at us with interest and the other half spit on the sidewalk when we walk past. Maggie’s well protected every time we go there, and you will be, too.”
As they started out, Hayes pulled her close, his big hand spread over her belly.
“We may have already made a baby with you.”
The thought of carrying their child filled her with joy. Bubbles of happiness burst throughout her, making her almost giddy.
“If you don’t get that look off your face, I’m taking you again.”
Turning to meet Wyatt’s grin, she couldn’t hold back a smile.
“I know Eb and Jeremiah both think of Maggie’s baby as their own. Would the two of you feel the same way?”
Wyatt blinked, frowning. “Of course. Hayes and I will share everything concerning you, Savannah. We’ll be a family. I know it’ll take some time to get used to—for all of us—but we’ve seen the results. It’s worth it.”
Letting herself slump against Hayes, she smiled again when his arm tightened around her. They rode in silence for several minutes, both men apparently lost in their own thoughts.
Not long after the ranch came into view, Savannah turned to look up at Hayes’s stonelike features.
“If you want to marry me so much, why did you avoid me after I put the stuff in your food?”
If possible, his expression became even harder.
“Because Eb told us what happened between him and your uncle—and what your uncle tried to do to you.”
Stiffening, Savannah stared straight ahead. “He had no right to tell you that.”
Cursing, Hayes caught her before she could fall.
“It’s our right to know the threats to you, Savannah.”
Careful not to look at either of them, Savannah rubbed her arms against the chill that went through her.
“So you had to think about whether or not you still wanted me after learning that my uncle wanted to make me his whore?”
With a jerk of the reins, Hayes brought his horse to a standstill, his hands clenching.
“Say that word in reference to yourself again, and you’ll get a spanking that’ll keep you from sitting for months.”
Gripping her jaw, he turned her to face him.
“Only the thought of leaving you kept me from riding all the way back to Kansas City and killing him. I was too furious to be around. Wyatt and I spent the day try
ing to come to grips with the fact that your own uncle tried to rape you.”
From behind, Wyatt slid a hand over her hair.
“It made us crazy, Savannah. We were so enraged, we were scared to touch you. We sure as hell didn’t want to do anything that would remind you of your uncle.”
Incredibly touched, Savannah reached up to cup Hayes’s strong jaw.
“Nothing you could do could remind me of him.”
She stiffened at the sound of a rider approaching, sucking in a breath at the arm that tightened around her middle as Hayes used his other hand to draw his gun and turn his horse, shielding her with his body.
Wyatt let out a breath. “It’s Phoenix.”
Blade’s younger brother called out to them about the same time.
“You have Savannah with you?”
Hayes turned his horse back and started forward. “Yes. Why?”
“Maggie’s having her baby. She wants Savannah. Hurry. She’s been calling for her for over an hour.”
Chapter Nine
Still wiping her hands, Savannah walked out onto the back porch, surprised to see that the sun had risen.
Also surprising was the number of men who’d gathered, some sitting on the porch, some standing around the yard. They all straightened, rushing toward her as she came out.
Hayes reached her first.
“Well? We heard crying.”
Despite the fact that she was so tired she felt as though she could sleep for a week, Savannah grinned.
“It’s a healthy baby boy.”
Amid whoops and back slapping, Hayes and Wyatt led her to a seat and before she knew it, Duke came forward and placed a plate of hot food on her lap.
“Maggie all right?”
Savannah smiled her appreciation, for the food and for his concern for her friend.
“Maggie’s fine. Just tired. I’m sure she’s going to be hungry, too, in a bit. She worked hard.”
Duke nodded. “Already got a plate hot for her. Just waiting for the bosses to come down.”
Without thinking, Savannah leaned into the hand Wyatt threaded through her hair.
“One of them should be down soon. They’re fascinated with little Ace and can’t wait to show him off. Ah, there’s one of the proud papas now.”
Smiling as the others all gathered around Jeremiah and the newest addition to the ranch, Savannah picked up a biscuit and started to nibble on it, too tired to make the effort to eat anything else.
Washing it down with some of Duke’s strong coffee, she sat back, enjoying watching a group of such hard-nosed cowboys brought to their knees by the sight of a newborn baby.
The sun warmed the large porch, while the house protected it from most of the brisk wind, leaving her pleasantly warm and drowsy.
Absently listening to them, she closed her eyes and leaned back, a little surprised by the wistfulness she heard in their voices. Their whispered words of congratulations and concern for Maggie swirled around her and seemed to come from farther and farther away.
The hand in her hair began a slow and gentle massage that worked wonders on the headache that she hadn’t realized she had until now.
Jolting at the slide of hands under her, she snapped her eyes open to meet Hayes’s.
“W–What—”
He lifted her high against his chest, turned and sat down again, holding her on his lap, his big body blocking out the rest of the wind and making her even warmer.
“Sh. Come on and eat a little something, and then you can go to sleep.”
* * * *
Wrapping his arms around Savannah, Hayes adjusted her to a more comfortable position against his chest, savoring the feel of having her in his arms.
His cock stirred at her nearness, a fact that no longer surprised him, but for now it remained a pleasant arousal. Pushing her damp hair back from her forehead, he smiled down at her, knowing just how quickly a look from her could turn mild need into a raging hunger.
Letting his gaze move over her face, he took in the dark circles under her eyes and the paleness of her skin. Concerned at the fatigue fogging her eyes, he loaded a spoon with the beef stew Duke had made from the plate Wyatt held.
“You didn’t even feel Wyatt take the plate from you before you spilled it. You’re exhausted, darlin’.”
Her eyes, dark and clouded with sleep, opened slightly.
“Just a little tired. Did you see the baby? He’s beautiful. The whole thing was amazing. Poor Eb and Jeremiah. I think they wished they could have the baby themselves. They kept apologizing for all the pain they put Maggie through.”
Taking in Wyatt’s worried frown, he tapped Savannah’s lips with the spoon, his stomaching clenching at the thought of seeing Savannah in pain.
“I think I can understand that. Come on. Eat a little something and then you can get some sleep.”
Aware of the other men watching, Hayes lifted his head, keeping his expression cold and daring them to make some remark about the way he was taking care of Savannah. He didn’t care what they thought. Savannah was his, and she damned well needed to be cared for.
Duke watched closely, his eyes filled with pain and memories. Meeting Hayes’s eyes, he inclined his head.
“Women need to be coddled now and then. Lets them know they’ve got someone to count on—someone who’s paying attention.”
Shocked that the other men nodded in approval, Hayes shared a look with Wyatt and gave his attention to Savannah.
“Come on. Duke’ll be upset if he finds out you didn’t eat his stew.”
Alarmed at her paleness, Hayes put the spoon to her mouth again.
“You’ve gone too long without eating, and you didn’t get any sleep last night.”
Savannah smiled, a weak smile that tugged at his heart and brought all of his protective instincts to the surface.
“I’ll bet you stayed up all night, too, didn’t you?” She opened her mouth around the spoon, looking up at him while she chewed.
Hayes stilled, taken aback by the surge of protectiveness and possessiveness that feeding her created inside him. At that moment, he knew he wouldn’t be satisfied until she belonged to him in every way it was possible for a woman to belong to a man. He wanted her with a fierceness that went far beyond a desire for sex.
He wanted to protect her, to take care of her in ways he’d never even considered. He wanted to make her happy, wanted her to come to him whenever she had a problem or just when she felt sad. He wanted the right to be the one to deal with her anger, and wanted her to fight with him when she felt the need.
He wanted to know all of her secrets, those of her mind and her body.
Seeing her this way, tired, disheveled, and out of sorts, he realized he loved her far more than even he’d suspected. It went beyond just caring for her and wanting to share his life with her. It went beyond lust.
He’d spent the entire night picturing her heavy with the child he and Wyatt would plant inside her, if they hadn’t already. A sense of destiny, of finding exactly what he hadn’t even realized he’d been looking for, came over him, and he knew then that his life had changed forever.
He wanted to have it all from her. He needed to give her everything he was.
Pride in her filled him, just as strong as his love.
She was his, and he would die to keep her safe.
“Hayes?”
Snapping back to the present, Hayes dipped the spoon back into the stew, struggling to remember what they’d been talking about.
“Eat. You’re tired. I managed to get a little sleep last night. Marshals learn to sleep whenever and wherever they can.”
He held the spoon to her mouth again, aware of the attention from the other men.
“Open.”
Savannah smiled up at him, making his heart swell. He’d learned long ago that a smile from her could brighten his day, but this was different.
His heart swelled with love for her, along with a strong sense of responsibility.
It didn’t surprise him when Jeremiah left with the baby after only a few minutes and headed back inside, yelling over his shoulder that he would be back for Maggie’s plate.
Everything Eb and Jeremiah wanted to do here and every one of the rules they’d set in place now made perfect sense. Just thinking about all the sorts of danger that Savannah could face every day sent a chill down his spine.
Hell, no wonder Eb and Jeremiah wanted to tie Maggie to the bed. No wonder they watched her like hawks and why it was so important for her to understand that she had to obey the others when it came to her protection.
Christ, he broke out in a cold sweat, just imagining the ways she and Savannah could get hurt.
“You’re lying.”
Hayes met Savannah’s drooping eyes again and refilled the spoon. “Lying about what, darlin’?”
He shot a glance at Wyatt, unsurprised to see that his best friend seemed even more fascinated by Savannah than usual.
“I’d bet that neither one of you slept at all last night.”
He leaned into the hand she laid on his cheek, not caring about the other men’s stares.
“Careful. Calling your husband a liar is a good way to get yourself turned over his knee.”
Savannah wrinkled her nose. “You’re not my husband, and I thought you only gave a spanking if I put myself in danger.” She took another bite and closed her eyes as though the effort of keeping them open proved to be more than she could manage.
“Besides, a woman shouldn’t get spanked for speaking the truth.” She curled into him, her loose fist against his chest.
Hayes frowned as her words slurred, and he dropped the spoon in the bowl, handing it to Wyatt.
“You’re right, honey. Nothing wrong with speaking the truth.”
Looking up at Wyatt, he settled back in the chair.
“She’s asleep. We’ll let her sleep for a while and make sure she eats something when she gets up.”