by Becca Van
Well, they had a woman under their own roof now, and there was no way in hell they were letting her get away from them without a fight. She drew them to her like moths to a flame. Now all they had to do was convince Bella she wanted them as much as, if not more than, they wanted her.
Clint had suggested they each spend time alone with her, using the excuse of teaching her what she would need to know to survive in the rugged wilderness of Texas. They were killing two birds with one stone. They would be teaching their woman skills she needed to defend herself and also getting to spend some time alone with her. They wanted to learn everything they could about Bella. She was such a contradiction of personalities. She was shy but feisty, independent but naive, yet they could see wisdom and pain hidden in the depths of her soul. She was made for them. Now all they had to do was convince Bella she was safe with them, safe to give her body and heart over to them and know she would never come to any harm.
* * * *
After breakfast was over and Marcus and Clint left, Bella collected the dishes and placed them in a sink full of warm, soapy water. She began to wash the dishes but froze, her hands in the sink, as Adam wrapped his muscular arms around her waist. She always felt so small and feminine when they were close to her, and she liked the feeling a little too much.
“Don’t be afraid of me, darlin’. I’d never hurt you,” Adam whispered against the top of her head. She was so tense it was a wonder her spine didn’t snap. “Whose pants and shirt are you wearing today, Bella?”
“Yours,” Bella replied then swallowed audibly.
“Hmm, I thought I recognized them. You look really sexy in my clothes, darlin’, but we are going to have to take you into Big Lake soon so you can get some of your own clothes. Is that my old belt you’re wearing, too?”
“Yes. Clint gave them to me last night. Why? Do you need it?” Bella snapped.
“No, darlin’, it’s yours for as long as you need it. I should let you go so we can finish up in here and get started on your lessons, but I love the feel of you in my arms. I just don’t want to let you go, Bella.”
“Well, you have to,” Bella replied, trying to shrug Adam off of her.
It didn’t work, of course. He just kept on hugging her, until her muscles were too tired to hold herself so stiffly. She didn’t even realize she’d begun to relax and was leaning back into his embrace until she had done it. Adam placed a kiss on her temple, and then he moved to her side and picked up a dish towel. He began drying the dishes as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened at all.
Once the dishes were done and everything was back in its rightful place, Adam led Bella outside around the back of the barn. He set up some small logs of wood on the top of an old tree stump that was being used as a wood-chopping block. He pulled out the gun he had holstered in his gun belt and walked back to where Bella was standing. He came to a stop next to her, picked up her right hand, and placed the gun in her hand.
“This is a Colt Army Revolver. It has six chambers and, if not held correctly, can pack quite a kick. I want you to just get used to the weight of it in your hand, and when you’re ready, I want you to aim down the barrel at the wood and gently squeeze the trigger. I’ll steady you,” Adam said as he walked around behind Bella.
She could feel the heat emanating from his big body. She nearly jumped when he placed his large hands down upon her shoulders, searing her through her borrowed shirt. She took a deep, steadying breath, raised her arm, tried to sight down the gun barrel, and pulled the trigger. The noise was deafening, and it kicked like a mule. It flung her arm up, and she nearly lost her grip on the gun. It reverberated against her eardrums, drowning out all surrounding sounds, including Adam’s voice. All she could hear was a loud, high-pitched squeal until finally her ears began to work again.
“Can you hear me yet, darlin’?” Adam asked, his arms now once more around her waist, his big body plastered to the length of her back. He continued on when she nodded. “You did good, Bella. You just need to take a bit more time sighting your target, and you need to squeeze the trigger slowly. Are you ready to try again?”
Bella nodded once more, too afraid to speak in case her voice came out as a croak or too high pitched. Adam’s hard cock was nestled against her ass, and she had to concentrate real hard to keep from pushing her hips back and wiggling against his crotch. The temptation was nearly more than she could stand. She felt Adam slide his arm from where he’d placed it around her waist, and then his hand was moving down the limb in which she held the gun. He helped raise her arm again, leaning in low, his stubbled cheek up against hers as he helped her sight the small block of wood.
“Can you see the little indent in the top of the barrel near the tip?” he asked.
“Y–yes,” Bella squeaked.
“I put that little nick there so it would help me aim. Line that nick up with the wood and squeeze the trigger nice and slow,” Adam stated.
Bella could hardly comprehend what Adam was saying, let alone get her body to obey her brain’s commands. The feel of Adam’s slightly stubbled cheek up against hers and his big body surrounding her made her panties wet. She couldn’t breathe properly. She was panting, and she could feel her body trembling. She just hoped Adam thought she was more afraid of the gun, because she didn’t want him knowing how his body affected her.
“Calm down, darlin’. I won’t let you get hurt,” Adam rumbled in a deep voice. “Now sight the wood, take a deep breath, and squeeze the trigger.”
Bella did what Adam said. The recoil on her arm wasn’t as bad since she knew what to expect this time, but the booming noise was still just as deafening. She lowered her arm, took a couple of steps back, and turned to face Adam.
“I don’t like guns very much,” Bella yelled, knowing she was doing it but unable to help it since her ears were still ringing.
Adam gave her a smile, took her hand in his, and led her to the wood. “You got it that time, darlin’.”
Bella squinted to where Adam was pointing, and sure enough, she could see the end of the bullet where it had embedded in the thick wood. She gave a squeal of delight and flung herself into Adam’s arms without any thought.
Adam caught her in his arms and picked her up so Bella was face-to-face with him. His grin was every bit as sexy as Marcus’s, but he had slight dimples on each cheek, and his blue eyes twinkled down at her, making her feel hot yet shivery all over. God, he was so damn sexy.
The atmosphere between them thickened. She saw the muscles in Adam’s body tense and his smile changed to a sultry, heated stare. Bella was aware of every inch of his body. His large hands were beneath the cheeks of her ass, supporting her body against his. Her arms were around his neck, her legs around his waist, and her crotch was aligned with his very big, hard cock. She felt her body softening, weeping out copious amounts of juice. She was so turned on by him she was in danger of coming from just one touch. She slowly unwound her legs and wiggled to get down. She gave a sigh of relief when he let her go.
“I think we should start on the horse-riding lessons. We can always come back to the gun later,” Bella said in a voice devoid of emotion. She turned away and headed to the barn doors.
Bella nearly collided with David. He looked like he was in a hurry to be somewhere, so she stepped to the side, allowing him room to pass. She saw his heated stare slide over her body and felt a frisson of unease tingle up her spine, but she kept right on going. She looked at the few horses still in their stalls and wondered which one would be hers to use while she was here. She had no idea about horses and didn’t like the thought of being so far off the ground. She did know the difference between a stallion and a colt, however, and knew the big black horse hanging its head over the stall door was probably Adam’s mount. It was huge, just like its owner.
“This here is Satan. He and I have been partners for the last three years. Haven’t we, boy?” Adam crooned to the big black horse. “Now, if you’ll step this way, I’ll show you the mare I thoug
ht would be more appropriate for you.
“This is Star. I know, not a very original name, but you can see why we named her that from the white patch on her forelock. She’s a gentle soul, just right for a beginner. Ain’t ya, lady? Now, this here is Star’s tack. This is the bridle. You just place it over her head like so, make sure the bit’s over her tongue, and buckle up.” Adam talked quietly as he showed Bella how to tack up Star.
He opened the door to the horse’s stall and led her out into the middle of the barn. He dropped the reins on the ground. He led Bella over to a wooden shelf, which held a blanket and saddle. He verbally instructed Bella how to tack up and watched intently as she followed his instructions.
“Are you sure you’ve never done this before, darlin’? You do that as if it’s second nature to you,” Adam said encouragingly.
“Nope. I’ve never been around horses in my life.”
“Well, I wouldn’t know it. Okay, let’s lead her out, and I’ll show you where there’s an old tree stump you can use to mount up.”
Bella followed Adam out into the bright autumn sunshine. She breathed deeply, feeling an affinity with the man, land, and horse. She had never felt so at peace before, and wondered what she would do if she had the chance to go back home.
Adam stopped her and Star next to a wide tree stump, took Star’s reins from her, and held the horse steady.
“Okay, now, you always mount a horse from the left. It’s an unwritten law, so don’t be trying to mount from the right. Star would balk if you did. Grab hold of the saddle horn, lift your left leg, and place your foot in the stirrup, then pull yourself up and swing your right leg over.”
Bella did what Adam said and found herself sitting on top of Star’s back in the saddle. She grinned down at Adam nervously, not sure if she really liked being so high up but loving the feel of the horse between her legs. Star was going to be her freedom. She was determined to learn to ride so she would be able to accompany her men out once in a while, or just go for a ride whenever the desire took hold.
Whoa. Where had that thought come from? They weren’t her men, were they?
“You okay, darlin’?” Adam asked.
“I’m good,” Bella replied in a nervous, quavering voice.
“Good. Now you need to grip Star’s belly with your legs, just like you were doing to me earlier. That’s it. Good girl,” Adam said, holding Star steady by the reins. “By squeezing Star with your legs, you’re letting her know you want to move. To steer her, all you need is a light touch on the reins in the direction you want her to go. All right?”
Bella nodded, too afraid her voice would squeak if she spoke out loud. She heard the hooves of another horse drawing to a standstill close by and turned her head to see David had prepared and led Satan out of the barn for Adam. Adam drew her attention when he handed Bella the reins to her horse and showed her how to hold them. Then he moved away and mounted Satan with an ease of long hours in the saddle. He moved Satan in closer to Bella.
“Okay, now, I’m gonna stay close to you, darlin’. I won’t let anything happen to you. Squeeze Star with your legs, and we’ll be off.”
Bella bit her tongue to stop her shriek of excited fear from forming and grabbed hold of the horn with one of her hands.
“It’s all right. Star’s a gentle lady. She won’t throw you, and she’s the least skittish horse we have. Let go of the horn and hold the reins like I showed you,” Adam said. “Good girl. See, you’re doing fine. Just relax and let your body rock in the saddle. Don’t fight her movements, go with her. Ah, darlin’, I knew you would be a natural.”
Bella concentrated on what she was doing for the first half hour of their ride. Then when she was comfortable with the horse’s gait, she relaxed and sat back to enjoy the view. Adam pointed out various landmarks to her—a large, gnarled tree, the glint of water through a copse of thick bushes and trees. Adam eased them into a trot and finally a canter. Bella was surprised at how easy she found it to keep her balance and seat. By the time they got back to the barn, her thighs were tired and sore from her first ride, but she kept that to herself. They spent the afternoon behind the barn, where Adam taught her how to load his Colt and aim and fire the weapon with ease. She was beginning to think that maybe she had been born in the wrong century.
Chapter Five
Bella had another stew prepared and cooked by the time she heard Clint and Marcus return to the ranch house. When the three brothers entered the house, she tried to get up from her seat at the table but couldn’t contain the groan as her sore, tired muscles protested the movement. She felt like an old woman. She could barely stand upright.
“Sit back down, baby,” Clint said as he entered the room. “We’ll serve you dinner and clean up, and afterwards, we’ll drag out the tub so you can have a nice long soak.”
“Really? That would be heaven. I must admit that one of the good things about my time is the availability of hot water. God, what I would give for a shower right now.”
“What’s a shower?” Marcus asked.
“Well, in my time, water is piped into the house through hollow metal tubes, and a shower is like a bath, but you stand up in it. Water comes out of this thing called a showerhead and streams down over your body. It makes it easy to wash your hair and body, and we just turn a tap on, or lever, to get the hot and cold water to flow out of the showerhead. Bliss.” Bella groaned at the memory.
“Hmm, maybe if you can draw a picture of this shower, we might be able to make one eventually,” Adam stated.
“Really? You’d do that for me? Oh, but I can’t ask you to do that. The expense of buying the pipes would be astronomical, and how would you get the water heated?”
“Well, we’ll have to ask you lots of questions and see what we can do,” Clint replied, running a finger down her nose after he’d placed a bowl of stew in front of her. “Eat up, baby. The sooner we’re done with supper, the sooner you can have your bath.”
The four of them spent the next half an hour eating. Bella listened as Marcus and Clint updated Adam on the work they’d done and work still waiting to be done. Bella’s mind began to drift, and she wondered how the men had a cellar-type pantry full of everything they could need if they spent so much of their time working the ranch. She lifted her head and found three sets of male eyes looking at her.
“Where did you get all your food supplies from?”
Clint leaned back in his chair and gave her a smile as he answered. “We trade for some and buy some from the mercantile in Big Lake.”
“What do you trade?” Bella asked curiously.
“Beef,” Marcus replied. “We have quite a bit of land, and a hell of a lot of cattle. I know you’ve seen a few of our herd, but most of it is out on the western range, about half a mile from here.”
“Can I come out with you all sometime and see what it is you do?” she asked.
“I don’t see why not. You get through your lessons tomorrow and the next day, and I’ll see if you’re ready to ride out farther,” Clint stated.
“Okay, thanks.”
“Now, while Marcus and Adam clear up, how about I get that bath ready for you?” Clint asked, rising to his feet.
“Oh, yes please.”
Clint gave her a smile and a nod and disappeared into the pantry cellar. He returned moments later with a large copper tub in his arms. He set the tub close to the stove and pulled the large copper kettle forward until the nozzle was over the tub. He turned the lever-like tap, and hot water began to flow into the tub. When it was half-full, Clint turned the lever and pushed the copper kettle back into position on the stove, picked up a bucket Bella hadn’t seen off to the side, and strode out of the room. He was back in moments, the large metal bucket full of cold well water. He poured some cold water into the tub, tested the temperature, and then poured in a little more. He placed the bucket of water off to the side, bowed over the tub, and swept out his arm with a flourish.
“Your bath awaits, my lady,” Clin
t said with a grin and swept from the room.
Marcus strode into the room, bearing a towel, soap, and a clean shirt for Bella to put on once she was finished, and left again. Adam put the last of the dishes away, gave her a sassy grin and a wink, and left her to it.
Bella stood up, removed her dusty clothes, and groaned as the muscles in her thighs pulled. She carefully stepped over the tall rim of the tub and sank down into the hot water. Heaven, pure heaven. Bella washed herself with the soap and small washcloth and then set about washing her hair. It wasn’t easy, but she managed to work her hair into a lather using the lavender-scented soap. Once done, she reached over for the large bucket of cold water. She managed to pull it over to her, making a scraping noise, but she ended up sloshing water on the floor. She was in a dilemma. The bucket was too big and heavy for her to lift over her head. The only solution she could think of was to get out of the tub, find a small pan, fill it with water, and pour it over her head to rinse away the suds.
“Shit,” she muttered, wishing she’d thought her bathing procedure through before she climbed into the tub.
“Bella, are you all right?” Adam called out.
“Um, I need to rinse my hair. Can you get me a jug or something?” Bella asked in a loud voice.
“I can do better than that, darlin’,” Adam said as he walked into the room. “I’ll fill the bucket the rest of the way up with hot water and then pour it over you.”
