by Lana Dare
Too big. Too hot. Too hard.
The slice of pain ripped through her, and a sob escaped as tears trickled from the corners of her eyes and into her hair.
He was inside her.
Swallowing her cry, Hawke groaned, his big body trembling against hers. He lifted his head, his eyes narrowed to slits as he stared down at her. “No more pain, little one.” He kissed her tears away, not moving as though waiting for a sign from her.
As if to prove his point, he moved, pausing when she cried out in anticipation of more pain. “See? It won’t hurt that way again. The hard part’s over.”
Blade released her hand and stood. “I have some more water next to the fireplace to warm.”
Phoenix took Blade’s place, taking her hand again and using his other to toy with her nipple. “She’s so beautiful. I’ll bet her pussy’s tight as hell.”
Hawke groaned when she involuntarily clenched on his cock. “It is.” He began to move, withdrawing his cock until only the head remained inside her before plunging deep again. He watched her face the entire time, a small smile playing at his lips. “I told you it wouldn’t hurt anymore. I’ll go nice and slow, little one.”
Slightly alarmed at the strain in his voice, Sarah gripped Phoenix’s hand, unable to hold back her cries as the pleasure mounted, replacing the pain.
She felt a part of something more than herself—part of Hawke. She gripped him tighter, her eyes burning with tears.
She belonged.
“Hawke!” The sensations built to a fevered pitch, and the memory of the pleasure to come had her reaching for it.
“Yes, little one. I’ve got you.”
“Please! Please make me yours.”
“You are mine.”
Sarah’s breath caught when Hawke began to pump into her, the speed of his hard thrusts sending her spiraling into the world of pleasure she’d glimpsed earlier.
The tingling heat started at her slit and seemed to explode, showering in the delicious sparks of ecstasy.
Sarah panicked and clung to Hawke. “Oh! Oh, God. Hawke!”
“I love the way you say my name.” Gathering her against him, he murmured something soft and crooning to her in a language she didn’t understand.
Just the sound of his voice proved enough, the deep cadence of it giving her something to hold on to while the pleasure spun her out of control.
Hawke surged deep and stilled, gathering her close. “You’re mine. You’re always safe with me. I’d die to protect you. I’d kill for you.”
He held her that way for what seemed an eternity, caressing her as she came down to earth again.
Holding her tightly against him, he slowly lowered her bottom to the bed. Bracing himself on his elbows, he ran his fingers through her hair as he stared down at her. “You all right?”
Sarah involuntarily clenched on his cock, fascinated by his look of indulgence, and still overwhelmed by his lovemaking.
Weak.
Lethargic.
Wonderful.
Smiling, she wiggled against him, giggling when he groaned. “Yes. I never really understood how it works. It’s very intimate, isn’t it?”
Hawke’s lips twitched before he bent to touch them to hers. “Very much so.”
Frowning, she squeezed Blade’s hand, struck by the hunger in his eyes. “I don’t understand how my mother and the others can do this for money.” Her face burned when Hawke stiffened above her. “I mean—how can they do this with someone like Willy when he’s so mean? I know they don’t care about the men who take them. It’s such an intimate thing to do with someone just because they hand you a coin or two.”
Phoenix, looking decidedly uncomfortable, sighed and rubbed her leg. “It’s different with you. Sometimes, it’s just about the pleasure. It’s just another body.”
“That sounds awful!” She tried to imagine what it would be like with anyone other than her husbands, and found that she couldn’t. “Just thinking about it makes me feel cold.”
Hawke withdrew slowly, kneeling between her thighs. “It’s not something you’re ever going to have to worry about. You’re our wife, and no other man is ever going to take you.”
Blade came forward with a bucket, holding a cloth in his free hand. “The intimacy will get even stronger when we get to know each other better. Think about how that’ll feel.”
Self-conscious about her position, she nodded and started to sit up, but Phoenix, now reclining beside her on one elbow, flattened a hand on her stomach to keep her in place. “Just relax, honey.”
Hawke dipped the cloth into the bucket and wrung it out, his gaze holding hers. “Be still so I can clean you up. You’ll feel better.”
Shaken, Sarah nodded, her cheeks burning hotter. “I can do it myself.”
Hawke shook his head and ran the cloth gently over her slit, holding her steady when she flinched. “No.”
She didn’t expect him to do more than wipe her with it, but Hawke seemed in no hurry to finish.
Parting her folds, he wiped her thoroughly, every slow swipe of the warm cloth easing some of the soreness. He dipped the cloth in the water again and held it against her slit, his patience seemingly endless. “Does this feel better?”
Her face burned as she nodded. “Yes.” She stared up at him, surprised that he appeared deep in thought. She glanced at Phoenix and then Blade, only to see both of them watching Hawke, their expressions thoughtful and slightly amused.
Both turned to her as if sensing her gaze, their reassuring smiles not reassuring at all.
Phoenix clasped her hand in his, brushing his lips over her fingers. “I never thought I’d see the day.”
Although he whispered, Hawke must have heard it. It seemed to snap him out of his thoughts, and with a glare at Phoenix, he removed the warm cloth and tossed it into the bowl. “It’s late.”
Minutes later, she found herself tucked into bed—Hawke’s hard body wrapped protectively around her from behind.
She watched Blade and Phoenix take the tub outside and dump it before bringing it back in, unable to tear her eyes away from the sight of their muscular bodies gleaming in the waning firelight.
Blade banked the fire, and turned to smile at her, his cock framed magnificently by the low fire burning behind him. “We don’t need the fire anymore. Do you want me to leave a lantern lit for you? I don’t want you to wake up in the night not knowing where you are.”
Hawke groaned and pulled her closer. “She’ll know, and I’ll wake up if she does.”
Phoenix fisted his cock, his eyes narrowed. “I’ll be outside for a few minutes.”
Blade chuckled at that. “Put it out of your mind.”
“It’s not my mind I’m worried about.” Phoenix turned to glance back at her. “I want her too much to think about anything else.”
His eyes met hers across the room, the hunger in them unmistakable. With a curse, he turned and went out the door, slamming it behind him.
Hawke flattened his hand on her stomach and pulled her closer, his nakedness warming her. “He’s just aroused. Not mad. Go to sleep. Are you warm enough?”
Relieved at the tenderness in his touch and in his voice, Sarah turned her head toward him. “Yes. Thank you.” Sleeping next to him was probably warmer than sleeping next to the fireplace.
“Keeping you warm is part of taking care of you. Go to sleep.”
Chilled at his cold tone, Sarah turned back and nodded, watching the fire.
She didn’t understand men—or Hawke—enough to know why he went from tenderness to hard anger without warning.
She couldn’t deny, though, that she felt safer lying with him than she’d ever felt in her life.
Safe, warm, and too lethargic to move, she let her eyes flutter closed, and was asleep before Phoenix came back.
Chapter Eight
Something was different.
Sarah woke with a sense of urgency, realizing almost immediately that Hawke no longer slept beside her.
> He’d held her through the night, and each time she woke, he gathered her closer, murmuring to her that she was safe.
She hadn’t slept so well in years.
“Good morning.”
Recognizing Phoenix’s voice at once, she sat up abruptly, clutching the soft blanket Hawke had covered her with in front of her. “Good morning.”
Pushing her hair back from her face, she eyed him warily, remembering how tense he’d been when he’d stormed out the door the night before. “I never heard you come back in last night, but the last time I woke up, I saw you sleeping.”
Instinctively looking around the cabin, she noticed that the fire had long ago gone out, and that both Blade’s and Phoenix’s beds had been straightened. Sunlight streamed through the windows, telling her that she’d slept well into the morning.
“So you looked for me last night?”
Sarah shrugged, pulling the blanket higher as he approached. “I felt guilty. I know you were hurting and it was my fault.”
Phoenix grinned and moved closer, reaching for her hand as he crouched next to her. “If you’re going to feel guilty every time you arouse me, you’re going to spend way too much time feeling guilty. I’m aroused every time I’m near you.”
He tugged at the blanket, pulling it from her fist to puddle at her waist. “I won’t let you hide yourself from me, though.”
Holding her breath, she watched him slowly lift his hand, the feel of it sliding up to cup her breast sending shivers of delight up and down her spine. “Oh.”
“Yeah—oh.” Running his hand over one breast and then the other, he paused to give her nipples the attention they ached for. “It’s hard to believe that I have a wife.” Fisting a hand in her hair, he pulled her head back slightly. Still caressing her breasts, he brushed his lips against hers. “We’re alone. Just you and me. Hawke and Blade left hours ago. Are you afraid I’m going to attack you?”
When he lifted his head, she searched his features, trying to judge his mood. “No. Of course not.”
“Well, that’s a start, anyway.” Frowning slightly, he ran his hand over the blanket covering her leg. “How are you feeling?”
Understanding his meaning, she averted her gaze, her face burning. “I’m fine.”
Phoenix’s eyes narrowed, a small smile playing at his lips. “I’m sure you must be sore, but you’re embarrassed to tell me about it. I watched you lose your virginity, remember?”
To her embarrassment, her stomach growled. “I know.”
Smiling, Phoenix tugged at her nipple and rose. “I fixed some coffee for you the way you like it. It’s there on the table. There are a couple of biscuits filled with egg and bacon waiting for you. They won’t be real hot, but I wrapped them in a napkin and put ’em next to the fire.”
“Thank you.” She expected him to leave to give her some privacy, but he merely crossed his arms over his chest and waited expectantly, a small smile playing at his lips.
Tucking the blanket around her, she wondered how she could get out of bed and to the table without revealing her nakedness.
Phoenix took the dilemma out of her hands, gripping her waist and lifting her to her feet with a show of strength that stunned her. “You’re welcome. Would you be scared if I try to kiss you again?”
Sarah smiled, delighted that it mattered to him. “No. I’d like for you to kiss me.” Wondering how he would react, she flattened a hand on his chest. “I’m sorry about yesterday.”
He sucked in a breath, his eyes flaring with heat. “There’s no reason to be sorry. I understand that you were scared.” Still caressing her shoulder, he lifted her chin, staring down at her with eyes filled with hunger. “I am your husband.”
“I know.” Her breath caught again, her heart pounding faster.
He was so handsome that he could have had any woman he wanted, and for some reason, he’d chosen her.
Tilting her head, she bit her lip. “Why did you marry me? Did you do it just because Hawke and Blade did?”
His lips curved in a smile so beautiful it stole her breath. “No. I married you because I want you. Because I’ve never thought I could have a wife—and there you were.”
Chilled, Sarah tried to pull away, but his fingers tightened on her chin. “So you only married me because you wanted a woman in your bed?”
Inclining his head, Phoenix smiled. “That’s part of the reason. Women aren’t exactly fallin’ off trees out here.”
“Your brother said the same thing. Is that why you share wives? For convenience?” She knew that people married for convenience and for security all the time, but she’d hoped for more with them.
“No. Eb and Jeremiah started this place because they both fell in love with the same woman and wanted a place where they could both have her. They didn’t want anyone to be disrespectful to Maggie.”
Sarah forced a smile, remembering the way Eb and Jeremiah had fussed over their wife and allowed her to go first. “I understand all about how people disrespect women. They treated all the women in the saloon like trash.”
Phoenix’s eyes hardened. “Even you?”
Shrugging, Sarah picked up the blanket and wrapped it around herself, suddenly chilled. “I lived there all my life. Of course, there were a few people that were real nice. Mrs. Anderson, the seamstress, is the one who taught me how to sew.”
“You don’t have to worry about that here. You’re our wife, and if anyone treats you disrespectfully, I want to know about it.” He touched his lips to hers, scraping his teeth over her bottom one and nipping gently. “Deal?”
“Deal.” Sarah’s answer came out breathless, the feel of his hand sliding under the blanket and down her side making it difficult to breathe.
Tugging the blanket, he bared her to the waist. Leaning back slightly, he ran a fingertip over her left nipple, lifting his gaze to hers. “You’re very beautiful, and I care about you. Don’t tell me you married me because you couldn’t resist me. You didn’t even know me. You married me for convenience and for protection.”
Running the backs of his fingers down her cheek, he smiled faintly, but his eyes remained hard and cold. “Let’s not lie to each other. Okay? Things will change between us when we get to know each other better.” His eyes softened, the need in them unmistakable. ”I don’t mean to hurt you, but I don’t want any lies between us. I want you very much, but I want you to want me, too.”
Sarah stared into his eyes, marveling at the warmth that accompanied the hunger. “I’m your wife. You have the right to take me whenever you want to.”
Phoenix frowned. “That’s true. My brothers and I have a lot of rights where you’re concerned, but I don’t want sex from you out of duty.”
Her stomach quivered, the slow slide of his fingertip over the upper curve of her breast making it increasingly difficult to follow the conversation. “I d-didn’t think men cared about things like that.” Without meaning to, she arched into his caress, loving the feel of his gentle touch. “I thought that men just wanted relief wherever they could find it.”
Phoenix smiled, his pleasure at her silent demand for more of his touch glittering in his eyes. “Some do. I used to. I don’t anymore.” With a sigh, he bent to touch his lips to her nipple before straightening to kiss her lightly. “You’re my wife, and having you want me is more important than ever. You’re very beautiful. Very soft. I can’t wait to explore every inch of you.”
Pulling her close, he bent to nibble at her lips. “I can’t wait to taste that pussy. I want to spread your thighs and bury my face between them. I want to hear those little cries you make when you come.”
Sarah pressed her thighs together, fighting the wave of longing that washed over her. “I, um—”
Leading her to the table, Phoenix shook his head, his smile filled with devilish intent. “I know that you’re starting to trust me, but it’ll take time.” He ran his hand over her hair, his eyes hooded. “For now, it’s enough that you want me, but we can’t do anything about
that until you’ve healed some.” Running the back of his hand over her breast, he captured her nipple between two fingers, squeezing lightly. “There are other ways to give each other pleasure. I can’t wait to teach them to you.”
Sarah gulped, biting back a moan at the rush of heat that centered at her slit. “I, um …”
Smiling again, he motioned for her to sit, waiting for her to pick up her cup before retrieving her breakfast. “I’ll take mercy on you for now, but the first chance I get, you and I are going to play.”
“Play?”
“Yep.” Grinning, he tapped her nose. “Naked play. Something tells me you’re gonna be real good at it, darlin’. Now, let’s change the subject before my cock gets any harder. I waited for you to wake up because we didn’t want you to wake up alone on your first day here.”
Touched, she accepted the food and gripped his hand, fighting her arousal. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Also, Maggie and Savannah are up at the house making soap. They’re waiting for you.”
“Oh!” Holding on to the blanket, she scrambled to her feet. “Do they need me to help them? My first day here and I’m already late.” She rushed to her bundle and hurriedly tore through it for her other clothing. Since she had nothing clean to wear under her clothes, she stepped into her skirt and reached for her shirt. “I’m so sorry. You should have woken me up sooner. My first day here and I’m already doing things wrong.”
Phoenix’s hands closed on her shoulders from behind. “Stop it. You don’t work for them.” Turning her to face him, he nonchalantly buttoned her shirt, pausing to caress the upper curve of her breast. “Maggie and Savannah get together about once a month to make scented soaps. We bought some for you, remember? They like to do things together, and they wanted to include you. They both knew that you had a rough day yesterday, and didn’t expect you to go up to the big house early. They just want to get to know you. They’re happy to have another woman on the place, and wanted to include you.”
Once he finished buttoning her shirt, he bent to touch his lips to hers. “We’ll meet you for lunch, and since it’s such a nice day, you can come with me this afternoon. I’ll show you around the ranch. Now, come sit down and eat before it gets any colder than it already is.”