4
MADDY
* * *
Justin laid his coat around my shoulders, wrapping me in warm wool that smelled like bay rum and spices. I inhaled deeply and smiled up into his handsome face. His cheeks darkened with a blush and lowering his head, he cleared his throat.
“Are you warmed up?” he asked.
“We’re inside now.” I tried to return his coat, but he wrapped it firmly around me.
“You can give it back when you stop shivering.”
He was frankly beautiful, with high cheekbones and warm ebony skin. His brown eyes were soft and kind, especially after I apologized for my unintentional charade. Although he was at least a foot taller than me and huge with hard muscle, he made me feel safe instead of afraid.
I met his gaze and my breath stalled in my throat. Something hot and itchy took up residence in my belly and my core dampened with sudden need. I shivered, but not because of the frigid weather.
“Let’s get you to supper before you catch cold,” he murmured. “We’ll ask for a table next to the fireplace.”
“Thank you.” I allowed him to put his arm around me, and resisted the urge to burrow against his warmth. Caleb took up a position on my other side, lending his body heat as well. I was fair chilled from the bitter spring wind swirling through town. It seemed I hadn’t been truly warm in days. I hadn’t realized how cold it would be this far west and had only Reggie’s old coat to protect myself from the elements.
Caleb Mathis wasn’t conventionally handsome, but I found him ruggedly appealing. He was unkempt, with several days’ growth of dark blond beard on his jaw, and had icy blue eyes. He smelled, but I didn’t find his scent unpleasant. Instead of perfumes and pomades, he smelled of pine, warm horse, and healthy man.
He seemed every bit as protective as Justin. Being between them was… comfortable. I wondered if Prince would like them. I was more willing to trust my horse’s judgment than my own. The touch of their warm hands was exactly as I imagined it would be, although I never imagined having two men touch me. Hard and rough, but strangely gentle at the same time. My nipples pebbled and rasped against the bodice of my dress, making me ache inside. Their hands on me…
Oh, I couldn’t want both of them! It simply wasn’t done. Yet the thought persisted, and I couldn’t shake my imaginings of what it would be like for both of them to touch me with their work-roughened hands.
“Do you have a private room with a fireplace?” Caleb asked the waiter, dragging me from my thoughts as we stepped into the restaurant.
The man brightened as he looked up, giving us a welcoming smile. “Hello, Caleb. Haven’t seen you in here since last fall. Good to see you as well, Justin.”
“Been busy on the ranch. It’s calving season.”
“Good luck with it. Turning into a right nice year for the Bridgewater herds.” Turning to grin at Maddy, he asked, “And who is this pretty lady?”
His hand tightening on her fingers, Caleb said, “If we can remember how to court a lady, she’s gonna be our wife.”
Our wife? I shook my head, sure I’d misheard. It wasn’t the first time one of them had said something like that though. The thought of having them both sent another sharp thrill through my belly, but it wasn’t possible. The law had an ugly word for someone who took more than the bible said they could.
“Congratulations, and welcome to Bridgewater, Miss…”
“Riordan,” I replied, pinching Caleb’s hand as I gave the waiter my mother’s maiden name. “Thank you.”
“Where do you hail from, Miss Riordan? We don’t get too many ladies from back east.”
“Illinois,” I lied, hoping he wouldn’t catch my soft drawl. It was bad enough that silly dye hadn’t lasted through one washing. I didn’t need my stepmother or Nathan asking questions about a redhead from Kentucky. “I’ve just arrived today.”
Caleb glanced down at me, his expression stiff and angry as the waiter led us through a door into a small dining room. He helped me into chair and stood next to me until the door shut behind the departing waiter.
Both men loomed over me, trapping me with their larger bodies. Caleb pinched my chin between his fingers and said, “Explain yourself, Madelaine. I don’t tolerate liars, and I’m about to turn you over my knee and take my belt to you.”
Justin looked disappointed and I hated knowing I was the one who put that expression on his face. Caleb just scared the spit from me. I didn’t think he was kidding about his belt.
I bit my lip, tears welling in my eyes. I knew how this must look, and it wasn’t fair of me to keep things from the man who might soon be my husband. “I’m sorry. It wasn’t my intent to lie to you.”
“What did you intend?” Caleb asked. He sat next to me, his face softening. “Sweetheart, what are you afraid of?”
“We’re not going to hurt you, Madelaine, but you have to tell us the truth before we can help you,” Justin said, sitting in the chair on my other side.
The tension in my shoulders eased and I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding. They looked so earnest and caring, I couldn’t help trusting them. Both men would make fine husbands for any woman.
“My name is Madelaine O’Connor, Maddy to people I like. My mother’s maiden name was Riordan. I’m from Kentucky.”
“All right, honey, tell us the rest,” Caleb ordered.
“My mother passed when I was a child, and my father remarried a horrible woman named Celeste. He died several months ago, and Celeste decided she wanted to remarry, but needed to get rid of me first.”
“Get rid of?” Justin asked, frowning. “Did she hurt you?”
I chose not to share the scarred lines across my backside from Celeste’s cane. “No woman wants a young stepdaughter around while they’re courting. She decided to marry me off to the saloon keeper, but he waters his bourbon, cheats at cards, and he has…ladies in his upstairs rooms. I don’t like him. He makes me physically ill.”
Justin shared a glance with Caleb, then said, “I see.”
“And to convince me to go along with it, she sold Prince to him. He said if I didn’t marry him, he’d send Prince to a slaughterhouse.”
Caleb scratched at his beard and scowled. “He’s just a horse. What makes him so special?”
Jerking away, I stood and went to stand by the fireplace, letting the glowing coals send welcome heat into my body. “My father gave him to me, and he’s my best friend. You may not care, but I do. He’s also valuable. All his foals have grown into outstanding saddle horses.”
“Horses are free for the trouble of rounding them up,” he countered. “Can’t see why anyone would buy one. Where did you get the money to come out here?”
“His stud fees, and what I managed to save from my pin money over the years. Maybe he isn’t valuable out here, but he’s mine and I’m not going to let some slimy saloon keeper kill him out of spite or because my nasty stepmother wants me gone.”
He didn’t answer, and I returned to sit across from the two men. “That’s why Prince and I both need to stay hidden. Nathan and Celeste might look for us, but I doubt they’ll come this far. And once I marry, my name will change and Madelaine O’Connor won’t exist to be found.”
The door opened, revealing the waiter with a heavy tray. I shut my mouth and gave him a soft smile of thanks as he laid out our meals. When he left, I checked the door before laying a napkin in my lap.
“I suppose you need to get married quickly then. It’s not going to do you any good to stay in this hotel,” Caleb said. “The preacher will marry us after we eat.”
“Does that mean you forgive me for lying?”
Justin shrugged and gave me a shamefaced grin. “Well, we were insulting and rude to start, and fibbed a bit too. We can cook and clean for ourselves, so we don’t want a woman to wait on us hand and foot. It seems to me you’re only missing a saddle you don’t really need.”
“Then why did you ask for it?” I took a bite of overcooked g
reen beans, grimacing at the wilted vegetables. If this was what they considered good cooking, I wouldn’t be hard pressed to improve on it. Although Justin and Caleb seemed happy enough with the meal, the beef was overdone and tasted like shoe leather.
Finishing up his steak in a few quick bites, he said, “We wanted a strong woman with enough good sense to survive out here without coddling.” Pointing his fork at me, he added, “And any woman who can disguise herself and a horse, then travel halfway across the country to marry two men she doesn’t know must have more gumption than most of the menfolk around here.”
My lips twitched into a grin. “Why, Mr. Carter, I believe you just paid me a compliment.”
JUSTIN
* * *
“It won’t hurt our feelings if you’re willing to cook though,” Caleb said. “Neither of us have any skill at it.”
“I like to cook,” she replied, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “Just wait until you taste my biscuits.”
Maddy O’Connor sure was beautiful when she smiled. Her green eyes lightened into a shade that reminded me once more of spring grass, and that pretty bowed mouth looked just right for kissing. In an effort to stop staring at her, I turned my attention back to my meal, surprised when I found it gone.
I took her hand and kissed her knuckles. Our future wife was fascinating, and the more I learned about her, the more certain I became she was the exact woman we’d been praying for. I had to admit some attraction to her even when I thought she was a man. Maybe those tall tales told by Bridgewater grooms about knowing their wives at first sight had some truth to them.
“We’d be most thankful if you took over the chore,” Caleb replied. “Justin’s biscuits are like burnt rocks.”
“We’ll be good husbands for you,” I said, ignoring Caleb’s words. “We might not be rich, but you’ll want for nothing, and no wife will ever be so cherished.”
Her brow wrinkled, making me want to pleasure her until the frown disappeared. She would be delicious and I couldn’t wait to taste her sweet pussy.
“I think it’s time I hear your long story now. Will you please tell me why you both say we when you’re talking about a wedding? It sounds as if you expect me to marry both of you, but that’s quite impossible.”
Clearing my throat, I took a sip from my water glass and scowled at Caleb for leaving me stuck with the explanations. He smirked and ate the last bite of his cornbread, swirling it through the juice left from his green beans. We weren’t ashamed of our desire to share a wife, but we knew outsiders would judge the families of Bridgewater harshly for their choices.
“Well…” I took a sip of water to give myself time to think. “Bridgewater is a special place, and things here are a little different than you might be used to.”
“How so?”
“It all started in a place called Mohamir.”
The skin between her brows smoothed. “That’s near Egypt, if I’m recalling it correctly. Did you and Caleb fight in the war there?”
I blinked, then nearly burst out laughing at the shocked expression on Caleb’s face. It appeared our new wife had a rather broad education.
“How did you know that?” Caleb asked.
“My father and I used to study geography together. He was a professor at Kentucky University.” Her pretty face fell slightly at the mention of what was obviously a fond recollection. “We’d sit on the veranda and share a cigar and sip bourbon while we talked about all the places we’d like to visit someday. I wanted to see the pyramids.”
If her father had allowed it, I couldn’t rightly fuss at her for drinking and smoking, especially if she associated it with such a pleasurable memory. Instead, I nodded in understanding. “We did not, but several of Bridgewater’s men were there. Maybe you can talk to them one day.”
“Yes, please.” She clasped her hands together, nearly bouncing in her chair. “That would be wonderful. I’ve never been anywhere, you see.”
Reaching over, I tapped her nose. “That is an outright fib. You’ve been almost all the way across the United States.”
Maddy blinked, then blushed a charming pink. “Yes, I suppose that’s true. I don’t know why it didn’t occur to me. Will you tell me what Mohamir has to do with Bridgewater?”
“There are certain customs in Mohamir regarding marriage,” I began, trying to decide how best to explain it. “You see, women are highly prized in that country, and to keep them safe, men… Well, that is to say—”
“A woman has two husbands there,” Maddy interrupted. “They believe it’s the best way to protect her should something happen to…” Her voice trailed off and her eyes widened. “You’ve brought the practice here. How is that possible?”
“It wasn’t us, but Justin and I want to embrace the Mohamiran ways. One of us will marry you legally, but you’ll be wife to both of us,” Caleb said. “We will both be fathers to your children.”
“Our lives will be spent making you safe, comfortable, and happy. That is, if you accept us,” I added, shooting Caleb a dark look. He was bound and determined to claim her. So was I, but I wasn’t about to drag her to the preacher and force her to make her vows.
Not yet, at least. I wasn’t above using the tease of the sensual delights we could bring her to further our cause.
CALEB
* * *
She stood and walked to the window, her back to us. Justin laid a hand on my shoulder when I made to go to her. “Give her a moment,” he whispered.
Although I wanted nothing more than to pull her into my arms and give her all the delight we could offer her, Justin was right. I nodded and bided my time while she made up her mind about us.
“Does this mean I don’t have to choose between you?”
“Yes, Maddy,” I said gently. “You’ll have us both, and we’ll devote our lives to making you happy.”
I swallowed the other words I wanted to say. I wanted to tell her how we’d pleasure her. How no inch of her body would go untouched when we claimed her, and how she’d know nothing but joy for the rest of her days.
“Which one of you will be my legal husband?”
I shared a look with Justin, then said, “We’ve decided to let you choose.”
“Very well. Will you tell me about your ranch?”
Wishing she’d turn around, I said, “It’s about five miles north of town, and we have a house already built. You’re welcome to decorate it as you like after we get our cattle to market.”
“It goes without saying you have a house. I’d like to think you aren’t sleeping in your barn or outside.”
The amusement in her words made me smile and I almost teased her about spying on us. “All right. What did you want to know?”
She turned to face us, revealing a wrinkle of worry between arched brows. “I was more interested in your stock counts, acreage, whether you have a stable water source, hired hands, and if I can expect a reasonable level of autonomy while I decide where my skills will be most useful.”
I gave her the information she wanted, pleased when it made her smile. In fact, she looked positively delighted, even though we didn’t have much. I wondered if she’d have that same cheerful smile after we made love to her.
Justin took her hand and kissed her knuckles. “You don’t need to work, honey. We’d never ask you to. The only thing you have to do is be safe and comfortable.”
Maddy’s eyes tightened in irritation. “I’m not accustomed to idleness. Aside from that, you’re attempting to manage two hundred head of cattle during calving season without any hired help. You can’t afford to push me off to the side.”
I shared a look with Justin. It went against everything we believed to allow her to do ranch work. It was back-breaking labor and could be dangerous. I didn’t even much care for the idea of her cooking for us, but only a foolish man would turn down her offer. Maybe this was one of those times we’d need to pick our battles. If industry kept her happy, then we could give her that.
Of course, if
Justin and I did our part correctly, she’d be too exhausted from our loving every night to get up to mischief. My cock swelled and I smiled, knowing Justin and I would begin the important duty right after our wedding.
“All right, tell us what you think you can do.”
She rested her palms on the table. “I can maintain fence, and I’ve spent some time with cattle, though I don’t claim to be an expert hand with them. I can also manage your horses and get them trained to the point you won’t have to fight with an unbroken range horse. I can take a few of your better mares and get them into foal with Prince so you can see what a good horse is worth. Give me leave to do whatever I think I can. Be patient with me when I make mistakes, and let me help you. If you give me those things, I’ll marry you.”
We nodded, accepting her terms. “Have you finished eating?” I asked, frowning at her barely touched plate.
“Yes, thank you. I suppose we ought to go to the church before it gets much later.”
“Not yet,” Justin said. “First, while you’ll be bride to both of us, you have to choose which of us you’ll legally marry.”
5
MADDY
* * *
Squeezing me between them after that fateful coin toss, Justin and Caleb escorted me from the room. I could barely walk by myself. How could a body feel so much pleasure and still remain conscious? I tingled all over. Was this what Dahlia felt like with Reggie? No wonder she smiled all the time. Oh, and they’d touched me like that in a hotel restaurant! Although we had a private dining room, sound carried. If word ever got out I’d never bear the shame of it. Then again, my two men were just about to be my husbands, and a woman ought to obey.
Their Wanted Bride (Bridgewater Brides) Page 4
