by Lana Dare
“I’m sure, little one.” The endearment slipped off his tongue as naturally as breathing.
Still gripping his neck, Sarah pressed her face in his hair. “You have a gun, so you could shoot him if he came up to us, couldn’t you?”
Amused, Hawke rubbed her hair, breathing in her sweet scent as he strode toward the cabin he shared with his brothers—and now her. “Yes, I could if I had to, but he’s more scared of you than you are of him.”
“That’s not possible.”
Pleased that her fear seemed to be easing, and aware that she lifted her head to stare at him, Hawke hid a smile.
Marrying Sarah had been an impulse, something Hawke rarely allowed, but he trusted his instincts.
His gut told him he’d made a decision that would change his life for the better.
Her eyes—as blue as a summer sky—captivated him.
Just listening to her soft voice made him hard.
She was everything a woman should be—everything he’d never expected to have.
Beautiful and passionate.
Brave and resourceful.
Sweet and shy.
And she belonged to him.
His wife.
He couldn’t forget the way she’d looked and sounded in her passion, or the way she’d come apart in his arms.
She was his wife, and a virgin—an innocent that a man like him didn’t deserve.
He understood that she regretted marrying them because she was trying to protect them, but he had to change her mind.
He couldn’t stand even the smallest regret.
He’d never wanted anything more than he wanted her in his life, and no had qualms about using her passion to tie her to him.
Carrying her slight weight, Hawke cuddled her close and went through the door of the cabin. With the scent and feel of soft woman all around him, his cock got harder by the minute—a torture he never wanted to end.
He didn’t deserve such a woman, but nothing on earth could keep him from taking her.
After kicking the door closed behind him, he made his way across the dark room, pausing next to his bed, reluctant to release her. “My bed is probably gonna be too hard for you, but I’ll stuff it more when I get the chance. We ordered one while we were in Tulsa.”
Her eyes went wide, barely visible in the low light of the moon shining in through the windows. “You didn’t have to do that!”
Anxious to make love to her, he reluctantly lowered her to his mattress, running his hand over her hair before straightening. “I’ll start a fire. It’s a warm night, but I don’t want you getting chilled from your bath.”
And also give him enough light to see her.
With his cock throbbing with anticipation, he went to start the fire.
* * * *
Sitting back, Sarah reached down to remove her boots, struck by the intimacy of being in Hawke’s bed.
The moonlight streaming in through the large windows allowed her to watch his tall form, which she did as she set her boots aside, curling her toes against the hard wooden floor.
He lit a lantern and set it in the middle of the table, every movement smooth and filled with a powerful grace that sent little shivers through her.
Glancing at her, he made his way to the fireplace. “The fire will warm the water for your bath, too. It’s a warm enough night that bathing in cool water should feel good, though, especially when the fire warms the room even more.”
A slight breeze blew in from the open windows, but it did nothing to ease the oppressive humidity in the air. She tossed her shawl aside before removing her socks, tucking her feet under her, and settled back to watch Hawke stoke the fire. She couldn’t tear her gaze away from the sight of his broad shoulders and long black hair streaming down his back. “Yes. That’ll feel good.”
Setting her boots aside, Sarah wrapped her arms around her knees to watch her husband, mesmerized by his sheer size. Remembering how muscular her shoulders felt under her hands, she sighed. “You don’t have to worry about giving up your bed for me. I’m used to sleeping on the floor.”
As the fire licked at the logs, Blade and Phoenix came through the door, each carrying buckets of water. Both men stilled, their features hardening in anger.
Hawke straightened and turned, not even glancing at them. “You slept on the floor?”
“Of course.” Wary of his tone, Sarah glanced at Blade, who appeared just as angry. “I made a pallet on the floor. There wasn’t a need for me to have a mattress when I wasn’t bringing men to my room.” The thought of what would have happened if she hadn’t run away had her pulling her shawl closer. “That probably would have changed if I’d stayed, but sleeping on the floor was better than the alternative.”
Swallowing the lump in her throat, she forced a smile. “Willy would’ve thrown a fit if he had to be on the floor in the attic.”
“Don’t.” Blade set the buckets aside and rushed to her side. “Don’t think about it.” Kneeling on the floor in front of her, he took her hands in his. “Don’t think about what might have happened. It didn’t happen. It won’t happen. You’re here now. We’re your husbands now and we’ll keep you safe. Just do what we say and you have nothing to fear from him, or anyone else.”
Sarah blew out a breath, once again struck by the knowledge of how many lives would be affected by her actions. “I didn’t think things through, and I’m afraid others might have to pay for my actions. My mother and I weren’t close, but I don’t want her to have to pay for what I did. Coming here sounded like my only chance, but I’m afraid I made a big mistake.”
Hawke moved closer, lighting another lamp on the table next to his bed before lowering himself to the empty space next to her. “It wasn’t.”
Phoenix set the buckets on the fireplace next to the others. “I don’t think she believes we can protect her.”
Unlacing moccasins that went all the way to his knees, Hawke held her gaze. “She has no reason to believe us. She’ll learn.” He stripped out of his buckskin shirt, revealing a wide, muscular chest that gleamed like dark copper in the firelight. “Learning to trust us to protect her will take time, but once she realizes that we can, she won’t be so scared anymore.”
Standing again, Hawke turned to smile at her. “And once she gets used to our touch, she’ll settle some.”
Sarah wished she’d listened more to the girls back at the whorehouse. If she had, she’d know how to please them.
According to what she’d heard over the years, once a man had his pleasure, he lost interest in lovemaking.
If she could learn how to give them pleasure, she could distract them from touching her. They’d be so wrapped up in their own hungers that they wouldn’t pay any attention to how much she liked their touch.
Then they’d respect her.
Hawke went to the fireplace and retrieved two of the buckets. “Blade’ll bathe you. We’ll get cleaned up and ready for bed.” His eyes narrowed on hers. “You’ll sleep with me tonight.”
Blade slipped out of his own shirt, revealing a chest as wide and dark as Hawke’s. “Phoenix, will you please go get the warm water Duke has waiting while I get Sarah ready for her bath?”
Phoenix grinned. “Of course. Go slow, though. I don’t want to miss anything.”
Shaking his head, Hawke walked on bare feet to her side, reaching out a hand for her. “Go get the water, Phoenix. We’re not about to rush anything.”
* * * *
“No, we’re gonna go nice and slow.” Blade took Sarah’s other hand, pulling her to his side. “Let’s get you out of these clothes.”
She nodded, her eyes wide as she looked back and forth between him and Hawke.
Wanting her attention focused on him, Blade gripped her shoulders, turning her to face him before reaching for the top button of her shirt again. “A nice warm bath will make you feel better.”
Sarah smiled, shocking him when she reached out to touch his chest. “I feel better already. I’d like to lear
n how to please you. Will you teach me how?”
Troubled by the hesitancy in her eyes, Blade shared a look with Hawke over her head. “You’re doing just fine. I like the feel of your hands on me.”
She blew out a breath, obviously relieved. “Good. Show me more.”
“In a hurry, huh?” Blade reached for the top button of her shirt, unsurprised that his hands shook. “Why don’t you just relax and let me explore you?”
Sarah stiffened, biting her lip and pulling back slightly. “No!”
Confused and wondering what he’d done to scare her, Blade lifted her chin, frowning when she looked away. “What is it? What’s wrong, Sarah? Did I scare you?”
He couldn’t imagine what had frightened her, especially after she’d responded so beautifully earlier. When she tried to turn away, he tightened his grip, careful not to hurt her. “Tell me, honey.”
The endearment brought a flash of pleasure to her eyes, a sharp reminder of how little affection she’d had in her life. “It’s just that I want to please you, but you won’t let me.”
Amused and more than a little relieved, he smiled, holding her chin while he began unbuttoning her shirt again. “You please me just fine.”
She closed her eyes when Hawke closed in behind her. “But I want to touch you.”
“You will.” Bending to touch his lips to hers, he finished unbuttoning her shirt, parting the sides just as Phoenix walked back in.
“Well, isn’t that a beautiful sight?”
Straightening, Blade smiled at the awe in his brother’s voice. Looking down, he pulled her shirt from her skirt, cupping her breasts while Hawke slid the shirt from her shoulders. “Yes. It certainly is.”
His cock jumped, the sight of Sarah’s body gleaming in the faint light as arousing as a fantasy. “You’re so beautiful. Let’s get you out of these clothes so I can see the rest of you.”
He slid his hands from her breasts to the fastening of her skirt, watching her eyes flutter closed when Hawke replaced his hands with his own. “You like that, don’t you?”
Her hands slid to his shoulders and tightened, a moan escaping just as her skirt puddled at her feet. “I—um. I don’t know. Please. Um. You don’t need to touch me. Let me—oh, God.”
“Oh, I need to touch you very much.” Watching her face, Blade smiled at the picture she made. Every moment he spent with her, he found himself drawn even deeper.
She gasped when Hawke’s fingers closed on her nipples, arching into the fingers Blade held over her slit. “But it’s not good this way. I’m supposed to make you feel good.”
With sudden understanding, he flicked a glance at Hawke and then at Phoenix, struggling not to show his anger. Keeping his voice low and soothing, he forced a smile. “She’s trying to treat us the way Rose, her mother, and the women back in Waco treated the men who came to visit them.” Slipping his finger through her folds, he smiled at her gasp. “I can’t blame her for that.”
“No!” Gripping his wrist, she writhed in Hawke’s embrace. “I don’t want to be like them. Hell and tarnation! I’m never gonna get this right.”
To Blade’s shocked delight, Hawke released her breast to deliver a sharp slap to her shapely bottom. “I won’t tolerate any bad language from you.”
Phoenix moved closer, sliding his fingers into her hair. “This is gonna be a hell of a lot more fun than I’d thought.”
Hawke frowned. “It’s more than just fun. She’s our wife and our responsibility. I won’t have her swearing, and I sure as hell won’t tolerate being lied to anymore.”
The misery and confusion in her eyes knotted Blade’s stomach. Gathering her against him, he lifted her and strode toward the tub. “Phoenix, fill the tub. I want to get her settled and get to the bottom of this.”
“You don’t have to get me settled!”
Blade didn’t bother to hide his smile, rocking her gently while Hawke and Phoenix filled the tub and tested the water. “You’re a fascinating woman—one I reckon it’ll take the rest of my life to figure out. You steal an outlaw’s gold, get on a train—alone—despite the fact that you’ve never been out of Waco, head to a town you’ve never heard of to marry a stranger.”
He settled her in the tub, and taking her hand, he lifted it and began to soap it, slowly working his way up her arm. “You take on Hawke, when most grown men wouldn’t even approach him, want to shoot Hart and Gideon, and give yourself to us when most women would have been hysterical.”
Shifting his attention to her breasts, he let his soapy hands slide over them, paying particular attention to her nipples. “But the gift of some material and soap makes you cry, and getting pleasure upsets you.”
Phoenix lifted her foot from the tub and began to wash it, smiling down at her. “You sure are a contrary woman.” Lifting her leg higher, he grinned. “I’d rather deal with the spunk than with the tears.”
“We all would.” Staring down at her from above her head, Hawke ran a finger down her cheek. “We know that you like the way we touch you and know that you’re aroused. Why are you tryin’ to hide it?”
Phoenix rinsed her leg and hung it over the side of the tub before reaching for the other. “I wouldn’t keep Hawke waitin’ for an answer long, if I were you. When he uses that tone, his patience is runnin’ out.”
Dropping to his knees beside the tub, Hawke tilted her chin back and touched his lips to hers. “She’ll learn about each of us herself. Won’t you, little one?”
Smiling up at him, she sucked in a breath, squirming when Blade slid his hands lower and began washing her stomach. “I hope so.”
Blade ran his fingers through the soft curls covering her mound, fascinated by her uninhibited response. “So, are you going to tell us what’s bothering you, or do we have to force it out of you?”
Phoenix rinsed her other leg and draped it over the other side of the tub, and knelt between them. “Please make us force it out of you. I’d love the chance to spank your pretty bottom.”
Slipping his hand between her legs, Blade shook his head. “If there’s any spanking to be done, I’m gonna do it. Now, are you gonna talk to us, Sarah?”
* * * *
Sarah lost the struggle to keep her breathing even, a cry escaping when Blade’s finger slipped between her folds. “Oh! How can this happen so fast?”
Blade pressed his finger more firmly against a spot that had her writhing in the tub, sloshing water over the side. “Your clit is really sensitive. We can give you a lot of pleasure by stroking it.”
When the pleasure became almost unbearable, she grabbed his wrist, disappointed when he stopped stroking her clit and took her hand in his.
His eyes darkened, the smile playing at his lips filled with erotic intent. “Or I can arouse you and leave you like this.”
Fighting to get her hand free, she cried out again when Hawke focused his attention on her nipples. “Oh!” Pressing her legs against the sides of the tub for leverage, Sarah arched almost completely out of the water.
Blade tightened his hold on her hand, lifting it to his lips. “Or, I can spank your little pussy if you misbehave.”
Sarah froze, the image of Blade spanking such a sensitive place sending a rush of heat to her clit. “You c-can’t spank me there.” Her words came out in a breathless rush, the pressure on her nipples intensifying the heat between her thighs.
Blade tapped her clit, the shock making her jolt. “I certainly can—and will. Now, tell us what’s going on in that pretty head.”
Her cheeks burned, but found her attempt to avert her gaze thwarted by Hawke’s fingers firming on her jaw. “I just wanted you to respect me.” Shrugging, she closed her eyes, uneasy at the tense silence. “I know it’s silly, especially with my background, but—”
“Open your eyes, Sarah.”
Her eyes flew open at the icy command in Blade’s voice, her gaze captured by his before she had the chance to look away.
Sliding his hand to her waist, he bent low until she saw n
othing but him. “What have any of us done to you to make you think we don’t respect you?”
Phoenix slid his hands up her thighs, sharing a look with Hawke before frowning down at her. “Is it because of what we did to you earlier? Because of what you’re doing now?”
Hawke touched his lips to her hair. “You’re our wife. I know that you have a different idea about what sex is, but if you thought that just because we didn’t take you on our wedding night, that we weren’t going to expect to have you in our beds, you’re sadly mistaken.”
Blade slid his hand over her belly. “We’re your husbands. Did you really think that just because we’re gentle with you that we wouldn’t take you? That doesn’t mean that we don’t respect you. We all want you—very much.”
Feeling foolish, Sarah moaned at the slide of Hawke’s slippery hands over her breasts, sucking in a breath when Phoenix’s hands moved higher on her thighs. “It’s not that. I just wanted you to respect me enough to let me go through the door first.”
Fighting the pleasure proved useless, her breath coming out in pants as they took her closer and closer to the edge. “I know. It’s stupid, but—” She yelped when Hawke slid his hands under her arms and yanked her from the tub with one quick movement.
Spinning her to face him, he gripped her upper arms and lifted her to her toes. “You’re not married to white men, Sarah. We’re part Indian, too. That means we take a little from either side—things that make sense to us.”
With a warning look, Blade pulled Sarah to his side, wrapping a large cloth around her. “We see how the white men let their woman go through a door in front of them, and it doesn’t make a hell of a lot of sense to us. Our father and his people always went through the doorway before their women. If there’s danger on the other side of the door, we meet it first.”
Hawke made a sound in his throat that sounded suspiciously like a growl before he turned away muttering something about white men and their stupidity.
Shooting a grin at his brother, Blade gathered her close and began to dry her. “It seems stupid to us that a man would allow the woman he was protecting to go through a door first. We’ve had words with the others at times, especially when one of us went through a door before Maggie or Savannah, but that’s the way we are.”