by Reece Butler
“Yes?” He held his breath.
“I have to get married.”
“What?” He shared a look of confusion with Sophie. When Sarah still didn’t move, he gently rested his hand on her nearest part, her foot.
She heaved an enormous sigh. “Hold me?”
He crawled forward. She uncurled enough to let him pick her up. Sophie gestured for him to use her bed and then left, closing the door behind her. Oz set Sarah in the middle of the quilt and curled up behind her, boots hanging over the side.
Sarah sighed and snuggled tight against him. Of course his cock, which never listened to reason, automatically reacted. He tried to back away but she pushed her sweet bottom right back against him.
“Don’t move away,” she said quietly. “I need to know it’s you touching me.”
“Who touched you, angel? If anyone hurt you, I’ll—”
“Joe Sheldrake wants to make my dreams come true by marrying me.”
His blood chilled. He reared up on one elbow to look at her. She opened her eyes and snorted a sarcastic laugh.
“Yes, Oz. The biggest brute in the Territory has decided he will make sure I get my bakery. All I have to do is marry him for a while.”
“I’ll marry you myself before I’ll let him touch you.”
He placed his hand on her wrist. She winced. His chilled blood froze. He sat up, unbuttoned her sleeve and gently pushed back the cotton. Bruises already bloomed on her thin wrist. A ferocious rage descended on him.
“Where?” he growled.
“Oz, he’s gone.”
“Where else did that bastard touch you?”
“I can’t show you.”
“What?”
She flapped her hands to push him away. He didn’t let it stop him.
“All right, I’ll tell you!” He sat back to give her space. “I’ll have finger-shaped bruises on my bottom for a few days. But that’s all.”
“That’s all?” His heart beat so fast he thought it might burst from his ribs. “The bastard manhandled you in the street! I’d kill him just for looking at you, and he put bruises all over you?”
She covered her eyes and looked away. That shut him down faster than a winter sled slamming into a tree.
“I’m sorry I yelled,” he said quietly. He wrapped his hand around her ankle, just to touch a part of her.
“Don’t worry about it. It’s my problem, and I’ll deal with it.”
“No, you won’t.”
She opened her eyes and gave him that honey-green glare. Whatever Sheldrake had done to her, it hadn’t knocked her on her ass. She was no worm like his mother. No, she was a tiger, eager to fight back. But she wouldn’t do it alone.
“We’ll all work on it together. You, me, Gabe, and Luke.”
Her eyes opened wide. She scrambled to sit up, pulling her foot away.
“Oh, my gosh, I forgot about the fight. What happened?”
If Sarah was more worried about his partners than Sheldrake, she would be fine. He would take a while to get over it, though. He needed a big dose of his woman. He undid his boots and kicked them off before answering.
“They beat each other up, of course.”
“I saw that part. But what happened after?”
He stood up and set his hands on his hips. “You get attacked in the street, yet you’re worried about two idiots who needed to settle a few things man-to-man?”
“Oz, if you don’t tell me, I’m going out there and—”
“They’re doing what men do after every fight.” He undid her boots, purposely egging her on just to see that fire light her eyes. When she was fighting mad, she wasn’t crying. Not that he’d seen Sarah cry much.
“And that is?”
He finished her second boot and tossed it on the floor.
“They’re getting rip-roaring drunk. After that they’ll stagger to their horses and ride home, singing rude songs off-key. Unless they make it to the house, they’ll pass out in the barn. In the morning they’ll get up and work a full day, likely without eating. They’ll wince a lot but won’t complain. And they’ll be good friends again.”
“You’re not serious?” She scanned his face, perhaps for a sign he was joking.
“Yes, I am.”
Now that their boots were off he shifted her to the far side of the bed. He lay down beside her and hauled her on top of him. She went along, ending up jabbing her elbows into his chest and resting her head on her palms.
“I will never understand men.”
“Not even if you live with three of them for the rest of your life?”
He said it playfully, but meant it dead sober. She scanned his face so intently that he had to look away from her eyes. He gently tucked her hair behind her ear.
“Better you three forever than Joe Sheldrake for a week,” she murmured.
“You’re not going to marry Sheldrake.” He placed his hands on either side of her face. “Though it scares the hell out of me, I’ll marry you, in front of God and everyone else, rather than let him near you.”
She bit her lip. He saw tears form in her eyes. They turned almost golden.
“You’d do that for me?”
Her chin trembled. He exhaled, shuddering. Luke might not be man enough to face his fear, but by God, Oscar Cutler was!
“Angel, I’d do anything to keep you safe. If you say yes, I’ll be the best damn husband”—he gulped—“and daddy that anyone has ever seen.”
“I love you,” she whispered.
A tear escaped her eye. It flowed to her cheek. He caught it with a finger and tasted it. Like everything else about Sarah, it was salty as well as sweet.
“So, we’ll get married,” he said. He waited for the fear and heavy weight that he knew would hit at the thought of being a husband. But instead, he felt light. Free. He smiled. “When should we hold the wedding? I’m not one for long engagements, unless I can share your bed each night while we wait for a preacher.”
“I love you, Oz, but I won’t marry you.”
“You won’t? Why not?” He shook his head in confusion. “I never thought I’d say this, but I want to be your husband.”
“Thank you. That means everything to me. But if I marry you, Luke will do something ridiculous like run away. He’s your friend and partner, and if he’ll only realize what a true marriage is all about, I’d say ‘I do’ to him.” She leaned down and nipped his nose. “As long as he knows I get all of you.”
“Maybe Gabe punched some sense into him.”
“Shouldn’t we go see how they are?”
Oz slowly shook his head. The way Sarah lay on him, she had to feel how much he wanted her. He’d be cursing himself for weeks, and Luke and Gabe would be right to thump him hard. “You scared the hell out of me, angel. I think we should lie here and forget everything else.”
“Oh?” She pouted and playfully traced his lip with her fingertip. “How are we going to do that?”
“First you take your elbows off my chest. Those things are sharp.” He tugged and she lay flat. “Then we get comfortable.” He rolled over, taking her with him. He leaned an elbow on the mattress and stroked her breast. She murmured encouragement. “That’s it. And then I kiss it all better.” He lifted her bruised wrist and placed butterfly-light kisses on each mark. He then moved to her breast. He placed his mouth wide over her nipple and blew hot air. It rose and he wrapped his lips around it, teasing her. She arched her back.
“Um, Oz?”
“Shh, I’m working.”
“It feels wonderful, but he didn’t touch me there.”
“I was just making sure.” He went back up on his elbow and looked down at her. “But you’re right.” He shifted off her. “Roll over.”
Her face immediately pinked. A thick nubbin rose from the wet spot on her breast.
“You don’t mean to—”
“Yes, I do. Roll over.”
“But this is Sophie’s bed.”
“Yep, and she closed the door to
give us privacy.” He raised an eyebrow to emphasize his demand. “Roll. Over.”
She grumbled and complained, but did as he said. He lifted her skirt, slowly sliding it up her calves, then her thighs. He had to kiss the bare flesh above her stockings. That took him awhile. She twitched, and he used the opportunity to spread her legs. She smelled wonderful, all clean and womanly. He finally lifted her skirt. His lust surged up ten notches.
“You rode on my lap all the way into town without any drawers on?”
“I like being prepared.”
“Now that I know, I’ll take advantage of it more often.”
He revealed her bottom and immediately growled in outrage. Five sausage-shaped marks on her left cheek showed where Sheldrake grabbed her flesh. He must have dug deep, hurting her.
“That’s it. We’re going to kill him for this.”
“Not now, Oz. Just kiss it better.”
He memorized the wounds, though they’d be even darker by tomorrow. Today, his job was to make her forget. And that meant pleasing her. Damn, he loved doing that! Sophie had a thick mattress over boards, making a hard bed. Perfect.
He adjusted Sarah so she knelt at the edge, on her skirt. He pressed her chest to the bed, leaving her bottom high. He lifted the back of her skirt to reveal her ass, not so perfect now with another man’s marks on it. So he kissed each blot, gently and thoroughly. Then he went to work to make her forget everything except his tongue, fingers, and cock.
Chapter Thirty-Two
“Sure you don’t want some spicy stewed tomatoes, Luke?” asked Oz, grinning like an evil imp. “I can open a can to go with this soup. Or what about a cup of really hot coffee?”
“Do you have to enjoy the poor man’s pain quite so much?”
Sarah laughed at Oz’s glee in spite of herself. Before they sat down to eat, she gave up trying to stop Oz snickering when Luke or Gabe suddenly winced due to a sore muscle, bruise, or scrape. Both men looked equally beaten as far as Sarah could see.
Luke had been very quiet since they returned from their fight. Gabe, on the other hand, laughed and joked. He no longer looked as if he had to weigh each word before speaking.
“Why not enjoy their pain? They’ve been doing it to me for years,” said Oz.
“It was a damn good fight,” said Gabe to Luke, “but I went easy on you.”
“You’re just as dinged up as me,” said Luke quietly.
“Nah,” scoffed Oz. “You didn’t even break Gabe’s nose.”
Sarah peered at Luke. “I think Gabe might have straightened it.” Both of Luke’s eyes were swollen and black. He peered at her through slits.
“Stop trying to be nice,” said Oz. “We won’t know anything until the swelling goes down. In a couple of days he’ll be all yellow and green with bloodshot eyes. Real pretty.” He laughed at Luke’s glare.
“Thanks for making soup,” said Luke, barely moving his lips. He pushed away his empty bowl.
“I told her she should give you hardtack to chew on,” said Oz. “But no, even though you brought it on yourselves, the woman kindly made something soft.”
“I opened a can of peaches for dessert,” she added. “They’re sweet and soft, so should be easy for you to eat.”
Gabe, sitting to her right, wiggled his hand under her skirt to rest on her knee. She startled, covering it up with a cough. He slowly moved his hand up her bare leg until his fingers couldn’t go any farther. All the time, he calmly spooned soup into his mouth with his other hand.
“No, thanks,” said Luke. “I’ll wash the dishes in the morning.” Moving carefully, he pulled on his coat and hat and went outside. A couple of minutes later, they heard shuffling noises as he settled in the loft of the front cabin.
“Good thing that door’s not cut yet,” said Gabe. He lowered his head and squeezed her leg again. “Luke’s too sore to sleep outside and I plan to nibble on something sweet and juicy tonight. And it’s not from a can,” he added.
“Did you notice that Sarah’s ass is as smooth and curved like a peach?” Oz spoke to Gabe but watched Sarah. “It even has a slice in the middle that my fingers fit right in.”
She flushed, remembering what they’d done. Before she stepped on the Bride Train, she’d never been kissed. She knew the basics of a wife’s duty, but would never have imagined doing the things she, Oz, and Gabe had shared. Would they do something even more daring tonight? She squirmed in her chair, but it didn’t relieve her swollen pussy’s demands for more.
“Now that’s something I’d like to see,” said Gabe. His fingers delved between her damp thighs.
“I figured as much,” said Oz. He dropped his eyelids halfway, but his look was predatory, not lazy. “Thought you might help me see what else might fit.”
Gabe turned to her, nostrils flaring. There was a gleam in his eyes that she hadn’t seen so bright before. They wanted her, together. She knew this was coming, but hadn’t anticipated how much it would make her burn with need.
“What do you think, sweet Sarah?” Gabe circled her clit with his finger. Though a layer of cotton separated their flesh, her breath hitched at the sensation. “Should we do some exploring to find out what fits where?”
He pressed her clit straight on. She gasped and pressed her thighs together, catching his fingers. He chuckled.
“I’ll take that as a yes.”
Though her heart thumped at her daring, arousal, and a tiny bit of fear, she nodded. Gabe gently kissed her cheek. From the spark in his eyes he would have done more except that his lips were cut and bruised.
“We’ll learn about this together,” he said quietly. “None of us have tried it before, but we’ll make sure you enjoy every part of it.”
Oz walked behind her chair and helped her stand. “Gabe and I care for you a lot.” He rested his forehead against hers for a moment. “No, more than a lot. I’m still not sure what the word means, but I think I love you.”
A shaft of joy lightened her heart. She had to tell him she felt the same. “Oz, I—”
“Shh,” he said, pressing his finger against her lips. “Don’t say anything. We want you to feel, not talk.”
Gabe’s warmth pressed against her from crown to feet. He set his hands on her waist.
“I know what love is,” he said quietly. “It’s being unable to imagine life without you. It’s wanting a small part of me to grow here.” He set his hand below her belly button. “Me, and you, together.” He kissed the top of her head. “We don’t know the future. But no matter what happens, we’ll have had tonight.”
Too many men had told her they loved her. Men who cared more for themselves than they ever would a woman. Gabe and Oz were not like those men. She couldn’t imagine going through the rest of her life without them. She opened her arms to them with a welcoming smile.
Oz’s agile fingers quickly released her buttons. Her single layer of clothing dropped to the floor, and she stood there in stockings and boots. Gabe groaned, caressing her breasts as Oz stripped. Oz suckled her breasts as Gabe shucked his clothes.
Then she was sandwiched between two hard, erect men. Oz’s cock rested on her belly while Gabe’s pressed against her lower back. They continually moved their hips, slowly rubbing their cocks against her.
She grasped Oz and bent over to lick the drop from his tip. Gabe moved back, but kept them touching. He leaned over and captured her breasts, holding her up. Oz hissed when she nibbled him from tip to fuzz.
“Oh, no, this isn’t going to work,” he said in a tight voice. He gently pushed her away. “Gabe, we need to help the lady feel very good. If she touches me with her lips again I won’t last.”
Gabe guided her to lie on one of the two mattresses set side by side on the floor. As the stove was in the front cabin, the room was cool. But she barely noticed as Oz settled between her legs with a groan of satisfaction.
“I might scratch you, so I’ll have to wait to do that again until my lips heal,” said Gabe. “But I think your nipples would
like this.” He covered one breast with a hand and descended on the other with his mouth wide. Either his tongue wasn’t damaged, or he didn’t care if it hurt to play with her nipple.
Oz’s tongue was in great shape, making her squirm as it slid through her folds like hot asparagus in butter. She rested her hands on his ragged red curls and directed him forward. He looked up for a moment and winked before paying attention to her clit.
The first man to touch her had done these things while she was drugged. Her body responded and, over the next two nights, she learned to enjoy the sensations. She hadn’t imagined it could get any better.
But Gabe and Oz wanted to please her, Sarah Unsworth, a woman they knew and cared about, even loved. They looked at her with tenderness, desire, and more than a touch of possessiveness. She loved it. And she loved them. How could this be wrong?
Oz’s tongue danced over and around her clit, and all thoughts but pleasure left her mind. Gabe looked down at her with warm eyes and a silly smile. He held his shining finger at her lips. When she opened, he slid it in and pulsed, as if it was his cock in her pussy.
He traced a wet figure eight around her breasts and then guided her hand to the tip of his seeping cock. He directed her wet fingers to her own nipples, and then to her mouth.
His taste was familiar, and welcome. She motioned for him to bring his cock near for a taste, but he shook his head. She closed her eyes and concentrated on Oz’s touch. Her spiral of need rose, tightening with each circle. She grabbed for the mattress, arching her back.
Oz sat up, panting, his face shining with her juices.
“On your back so Sarah can ride you,” he ordered.
Gabe immediately lay down beside her. Oz picked her up, turned her over, and helped her ease her pussy onto Gabe’s cock. She sighed as he filled her fully, rubbing every part of her. She leaned forward, angling herself so his cock rubbed against her clit. Gabe pulled her forward for a kiss. She had to release half his cock to reach. That’s when she felt fingers and lips roaming over her bottom.
Her breath hitched, but Oz murmured something soothing. She relaxed and let Gabe support her, his palms on her breasts. Oz probed lightly with a finger. Remembering the explosive orgasm, Sarah let him play. Gabe seemed fascinated by her face, whispering how her eyes were green, flashing with honey when she moaned from Oz’s attentions. Seeing his wide, sensual smile made her relax even more. She placed her hands on the mattress beside his ribs, rested weight on them, and arched her bottom.
