Scandalous Desire [Desire, Oklahoma - The Founding Fathers 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)

by Lana Dare

  Duke, who’d settled in a chair a few feet away, nodded. “I’ll keep something hot, but it looks like she might just sleep until supper.” He paused, as though weighing his words. Sitting forward, he kept his voice low.

  “You take care of her real good. I worried when I first came here and heard about the rules set up for the women. Figured they weren’t much better than laws anywhere else. Not the same at all, though. Women need to be taken care of, no matter how much they might object. Tiny little things, aren’t they?”

  He came to his feet, all six and a half feet of him.

  “Guess I might stay after all.”

  Keeping his voice at a whisper, Wyatt lifted a brow. “Didn’t know you were planning to leave.”

  Duke stretched, the muscles in his arms and chest rippling at the movement. Shrugging, he met the gazes of several of the other men as they went past, obviously on their way back to their chores.

  “Depended on what happened with the women.” He waited until the last of the ranch hands left the porch before glancing at Savannah.

  “Women are tough in some ways and so frail in others. Scary. They sure as hell need men to protect them.”

  Something in Duke’s tone caught his attention.

  “You sound like you speak from experience.”

  Duke stared out over the yard in silence, the grief on his face unmistakable. He didn’t speak for so long that Hayes figured he didn’t plan to answer.

  Hayes turned his attention back to Savannah, laying a hand over her waist and wondering if she already carried his child.

  “Had a wife once.”

  Hayes looked up, not sure if he’d heard Duke right.

  “Did you say you were married?”

  Duke kept staring out at the yard, his face a mask of grief and despair.

  “Yeah. Shy little thing. Got into some trouble in town with a couple of outlaws who were robbing the bank. I came running from the livery when I heard her scream. He held a gun to her head and was dragging her away. I tried to convince him otherwise. That’s how I got this, from one of his friends.”

  He gestured toward the scar that ran from his temple to his jaw and then pointed toward Hayes’s own scar.

  “You know how that feels.”

  Hayes clenched his jaw, imagining how he would feel if another man threatened Savannah.

  “Mine was a bounty that pulled a fast one. Hasn’t happened since. What happened to you must have been hell. What happened?”

  Duke shrugged. “I was young and too inexperienced and took a knife to a gunfight. Never did care for guns.” Sighing, he turned, looking from Hayes to Wyatt to Savannah.

  His eyes lingered on her features, but Hayes had the feeling he didn’t see them at all, his mind filled with memories of his dead wife.

  “Bastard took my knife from me and cut me. Then, he shot me and took her. Found her body three days later. Such a little thing. Didn’t have a chance at all.” His voice broke and he looked away, moving across the porch. “I’d better get started on supper.”

  Watching Duke go down the steps and cross the yard, Hayes pulled Savannah tighter against him, easing up when she whimpered in her sleep.

  Wyatt ran a hand over Savannah’s hair, lifting it abruptly when she stirred.

  “Hell, no wonder he’s so cold. No man should have to go through that. I can’t imagine having something like that happen to Savannah. Look at her. She’s so tired. Jeremiah said she did great last night, keeping everyone calm and making things easier for Maggie. He said he and Eb weren’t ready to see Maggie in that kind of pain.”

  Sitting back, Wyatt stared after Duke.

  “Can’t believe he went through that.”

  “And promised himself he’d never marry again.”

  Hayes and Wyatt both lifted their heads as Hawke Royal appeared from around the side of the house, making his way toward them.

  The eldest of the three Royal brothers glanced at Savannah as he paused at the bottom of the steps and leaned against the railing. The brief flash of wistfulness in his hooded eyes disappeared almost as soon as it appeared, surprising Hayes that it had shown at all.

  Taking the knife from its holder at his waist, Hawke studied it thoughtfully, turning it back and forth and letting the sun glint off the blade.

  “Never saw anyone as good with a knife as Duke. It took me close to a year, but I got out of him in bits and pieces that after his wife was killed, he practiced every day.” He put his own knife away, his lips twitching. “Carries at least a dozen with him at all times.”

  Hayes lifted a brow. “Is that a fact?” He carried knives himself, but usually only four or five.

  Wyatt settled back in his seat, toying with Savannah’s braid.

  “Kind of understand why he doesn’t want to care for a woman again, but speaking from experience, it doesn’t seem we have much of a choice. Can’t imagine my life without her now.”

  Hayes nodded, understanding just how empty his life would be without Savannah.

  “I don’t know what I’d do if anything happened to her. I understand now why Eb and Jeremiah worry so much. Anything could happen. Hell. It gives me chills just thinking about it.”

  He ran a hand over her arm, his chest tightening when she sighed and snuggled closer.

  “We’ll keep this town safe. We’ll uphold the rules and run all troublemakers out of town. We’ll just have to hope it’s enough.”

  He looked up, staring toward the building Duke had gone into.

  “Who knows? Maybe with all the women Eb and Jeremiah are sending for, Duke will find a new wife. It’ll do him good to have a woman again.”

  Hawke’s expression hardened.

  “Not all of us want a woman in our lives, but we’ll help protect yours.”

  Hayes shared a look with Wyatt, wondering if the big Indian realized just how much of his hunger for a woman of his own showed.

  “You saying you’re not interested in having a wife to come home to?”

  Hawke straightened, stiffening. “No sense in wanting something you can’t have. No woman is going to want to tie herself to a half-breed. I’ll just help Blade and Phoenix protect their women.”

  Wyatt raised a brow. “Aren’t they half-breeds, too? If you don’t think a woman would want you, what makes you believe they’ll marry?”

  Hawke glared at him over his shoulder.

  “It doesn’t seem to make any difference to them. They’re too damned hardheaded to accept the truth.”

  Turning, he walked back the way he came.

  Wyatt waited until he left before turning to Hayes, his lips twitching. “Talk about hardheaded. I’d love to see him brought to his knees by a sweet little thing.”

  Hayes cradled Savannah closer when she shivered in an effort to warm her. He turned to ask Wyatt to go get her a blanket, just as Eb came through the door with one. Between them, they covered her and Hayes settled back, smiling when she burrowed as close to him as she could possibly get.

  “Thanks. I should really take her up to bed, but—”

  Eb grinned tiredly.

  “But you’re not quite ready to let go of her yet.” He stared after Hawke, his eyes dark with concern.

  “You’re right about him being hardheaded. I hope one of the mail-order brides knocks his knees out from under him.”

  Hayes laughed, careful not to wake Savannah.

  “I’d pay money to see that.”

  Eb turned back to him and grinned again.

  “Lot of people said the same thing to me about two U.S. Marshals not too long ago. Didn’t think two such hard, cold men would be taken in by a woman.”

  Before Hayes could reply, Eb’s expression became somber, worry and fury swirling in his eyes.

  “Got a telegram from Pa. The Reverend Perry bought a train ticket and left Kansas City, but not before being joined by a posse of his friends who are just like him. He’s on his way here.”

  Hayes smiled coldly, adrenaline racing through h
is veins at the chance to end this thing and begin his life with Savannah. “Looking forward to it.”

  Chapter Ten

  After making sure that Maggie and the babe slept soundly, Savannah walked outside and stretched. Lifting her face into the warm sun even as she pulled the shawl closer against the cool air, she made her way across the yard, looking forward to a cup of Duke’s strong coffee.

  It had been several days since Maggie gave birth, and they’d fallen into somewhat of a routine.

  Each day, her desire to be a part of such a place, to have the love of two men unlike any she’d ever met before, grew stronger until she could no longer imagine a life anywhere else.

  Texas seemed farther away every day.

  Even though she knew both men had been working hard every day to finish their house, she couldn’t help scanning the yard for Wyatt and Hayes. Not expecting to see either one of them, she paused as Hayes straightened from the fence he’d been leaning against and turned toward her.

  Sucking in a breath at the sight of him, Savannah pulled the shawl closer and stood frozen in place, wondering if she’d ever get used to the heightened awareness and hunger each time she saw him.

  With the aura of danger surrounding him, and a tall, muscular figure that she saw in her dreams, Hayes stood watching her, his eyes searching. With his hands on his hips and his hooded gaze raking over her, he made an imposing sight, one that she would remember her entire life.

  Struck by his presence, she could only stare at him, hardly able to believe such a man would want her.

  As always, need welled inside her, but she’d begun to notice a change in her desire for both of them.

  It stemmed from much more than just physical need. Bolder now, and more intense, the need now merged with emotion and strengthened, becoming far more potent than ever.

  Her skin tingled now with the need to feel his hands on her, to be held against him. She yearned for his kiss and for the soft tone of voice meant just for her.

  Staring into his eyes, she felt the familiar flutters in her stomach and the familiar tingling of her nipples and clit. Her pussy tightened in anticipation, releasing her juices to coat her thighs.

  Her heart raced with love and excitement, beating so hard she wondered sometimes how it didn’t jump right out of her chest.

  A gust of wind blew her hair in her face, momentarily blocking her view of him, and she brushed it aside impatiently, not wanting to miss a thing.

  Grabbing it in her fist, she held it back, her pulse tripping at the emotion in his hooded gaze.

  Her breath caught at the love and desire shining in his eyes, something she wondered if she’d ever get used to. Ever since the day Maggie had her baby, Wyatt and Hayes had looked at her with an intensity that hadn’t been there before.

  While neither had touched her in any intimate way since then, their eyes seemed sharper than ever as though neither one of them wanted to miss a single thing.

  Hayes held her gaze for what seemed like forever before lowering it, allowing it to rake over her, leaving a trail of heat in its wake. Holding out his hand, he met her eyes again.

  “Come here, Savannah.”

  Shivering at his silky tone, Savannah started forward before she’d even decided if she would or not.

  Once she did and saw the flash of love and satisfaction, nothing on earth could have prevented her from closing the distance between them.

  Hayes reached for her, wrapping a hand around her wrist and tugging, catching her as she fell against him.

  Burying her face against his chest, she breathed in the scent of him, the scent of leather and sunshine, a scent she would have recognized in the dark.

  Blinking back tears at all she would be missing, she wrapped her arms around his waist, snuggling into him as his arms tightened around her.

  Running a hand over her hair, Hayes bent, touching his lips to her temple.

  “I woke up reaching for you, and you weren’t there. I don’t like waking up without you beside me. I’ve never even spent the night with you, but I reach for you in my sleep.”

  Savannah blinked back tears, figuring there would be no point in telling him that she reached for both him and Wyatt through the night. Each time she encountered cold bedcovers instead of a warm body, she woke up feeling even colder and emptier.

  Choking back a sob, she held on, struggling to compose herself. In an effort to ease the tension, she poked at his hard belly.

  “I thought you didn’t like to talk about your feelings.”

  Hayes stilled.

  Gripping her shoulders, he held her slightly away from him, his eyes sharp as they searched hers.

  “Tell me what’s bothering you.”

  Savannah blinked, wondering how he saw through her so easily, and then smiled at the arrogance that was so much a part of him.

  “Most people would have asked me if something was wrong instead of demanding that I tell them.”

  One of his hands slid up from her shoulder to cup her neck, his thumb tracing the line of her jaw. Holding her gaze, his eyes continued to search hers, the trace of concern in them making her nervous.

  He saw too much, and paid far too much attention to her for her to be able to hide anything from him for long.

  It made her uneasy, especially after spending her life with no one giving her even a second glance, taking her distance at face value.

  Hayes didn’t.

  “I’m not most people, and I don’t have to ask if there’s something wrong. I can see it. What is it?”

  Tomorrow was Saturday.

  Neither Wyatt nor Hayes had made any reference to it for the last few days, but it was there.

  They should have been getting married tomorrow, and in a perfect world, they would have.

  Savannah’s world was far from perfect, a fact she’d had to come to terms with a long time ago.

  Forcing a smile, she shrugged and lowered her lashes to avoid his scrutiny.

  “I’m just tired and hungry.”

  His strong fingers gripped her chin, lifting her face to his and searching her features.

  “You’re lying. You want to try again?”

  Scared that he would see the truth, Savannah tried to pull away, but Hayes twisted her hair in a big fist, effectively keeping her there.

  “Damn it, Hayes. Let go of me.”

  “Tell me.”

  His features appeared to be chiseled from stone, his eyes sharp and hooded. “You might as well learn right now that I won’t tolerate lying from you. Ever. Spit it out right now, Savannah.”

  Savannah had learned to read people early in life, and her experiences with Wyatt and Hayes had taught her a lot about them. Her mind raced with possibilities, finally reaching one that would give him the truth, while at the same time hiding what she needed to hide.

  Allowing her eyes to well with tears came easy.

  “Oh, Hayes. My uncle’s going to show up here and cause so much trouble. He’s already made a mess of my life, and now he wants to ruin everything here. I can’t even sleep thinking about it.”

  As she’d expected, Hayes’s expression softened, and he gathered her close. Rubbing her back, he held her.

  “Don’t worry about your uncle. He’s in Tulsa right now. He knows that we’re going to show up there to get married tomorrow, so he’s waiting. He’s got a room in the hotel, along with four of the friends he brought with him.”

  Surprised that he knew so much, Savannah stilled.

  “How do you know all that?”

  Hayes chuckled, patting her bottom. Straightening, he pushed her hair back and smiled.

  “It’s my job to know. I don’t want you worrying. We’ll take care of him when we get there, and then we’ll meet up with the preacher. I don’t want you to worry about a thing. Your uncle isn’t worth the time you spend worrying about him.”

  Wrapping an arm around her waist, he urged her toward the chow building. “Come on and let’s get some food in you, and then you
can go back to the house and sleep a little while Maggie’s taking her nap. You’ll feel better. Then, after supper we can show you your house.”

  “It’s finished?”

  Hayes opened the door and ushered her inside. “It will be by tonight. Tomorrow after we get married, we’ll pick up the bed. You can order the rest of the furniture later.”

  Savannah smiled in greeting at several of the men inside, leaning toward Hayes and careful to keep her voice at a whisper.

  “You ordered a bed?”

  “Damned right. I’ve taken you on the ground and standing. I want you in my bed where it’s soft and there’s more room.”

  He grinned wickedly. “Starting tomorrow, there’s no need to get dressed afterward. I can cuddle up to your warm naked body all night long.”

  Savannah said nothing, knowing she would choke if she tried.

  She wouldn’t be here tomorrow. She’d already said good-bye to Maggie, and would be leaving here today.

  Chapter Eleven

  In the hurry to take care of her uncle, Savannah left the ranch right after breakfast and rode straight to Tulsa, stopping only long enough to water her horse.

  The knots in her stomach had grown with every mile of her trip here, her eyes wet with tears for the first half of her ride.

  She missed Wyatt and Hayes already and kept looking over her shoulder, with both dread and anticipation of finding them closing in on her.

  Thinking about facing her uncle and his friends didn’t worry her as much as what Wyatt and Hayes would do when they got the note she’d left for them.

  Riding the rest of the way, she’d come to the startling realization that she didn’t fear her uncle’s wrath anymore.

  His anger couldn’t hold a candle to the fury she would have faced if she saw Wyatt and Hayes again.

  Riding in complete darkness for the last several miles sharpened Savannah’s senses even more, making her jittery and jumpy and tightening the cold knots in her stomach until it hurt.

  By the time she arrived at the outskirts of town, she rode with one hand on the butt of her gun.

  She kept her eyes moving, her awareness of her surroundings heightened in a way they hadn’t been while she’d been in Desire. She realized how much she’d trusted others to keep her safe and trusted their instincts, while she’d hardly paid attention to her own.