by Marie Harte
“You beg me?”
He groaned and leaned his forehead against hers for a moment, then leaned up so he could look down at her. “Whatever you want. Just touch me.” He pulled her wrist between them, toward the crotch of his jeans. “Please.”
She wasn’t sure which aroused her more. Touching the heat of him or hearing him yield to her. Strong, stubborn, arrogant Hinto imploring her to handle him.
“Fine. But you can’t touch me. You take the pleasure, but only what I give you, nothing more.” She couldn’t afford to falter again. Her body, her decisions.
He clenched his jaw tight, searching for something in her face he didn’t find. He swore, nodded, then unbuttoned his trousers.
High on desire, she watched his face, caught in the blaze of desire that flashed in his eyes when she sought the heat of him. The moment her hand closed around his thickening girth, he closed his eyes, his face a study in pleasured agony.
She wiped the bead of moisture from his slit and smoothed it over the wide head of his shaft. Then using both hands, she explored him, wanting to feel every inch of his hard, hot flesh.
“Yeah, that’s it,” he moaned, thrusting between her fingers. “Under the head. Oh, fuck.”
Hinto leaned down to kiss her and began to shove in and out of her hands the way she imagined he’d move if mating with her. To her surprise, she spread her legs wider under him, hungry to feel… something. As much as she derived pleasure from controlling his responses and from the sheer beauty of his need, she felt empty. Wanting him. Inside her. By the Goddess.
She gripped him tighter, addicted to the scent and feel and taste of him as he thrust into her mouth with his tongue and moved between her hands. With trembling fingers she reached lower to cup his taut sac, not easy to do with his jeans in the way.
She managed a hand under him while the other gripped his slippery cock, sliding up and down as he shafted faster. The musky heat, the intense energy between them, and the sense that her world was changing right in front of her took Thais into another place altogether. Without meaning to, by giving Hinto pleasure, she spiked her own. The unselfish desire folded back onto itself, immersing Thais in a swirl of lust and affection she shouldn’t possibly feel for this man. Yet she did. And it made little sense.
His kisses deepened, and she swallowed his groans as he stiffened above her and shoved her shirt up, baring her abdomen.
He broke away and swore, coming all over her belly in a steady fall of bliss.
“Yes, yes, Thais. That’s so good, honey.” Hinto chanted her name as he spent, his climax long and breathtaking. Finally done, he shuddered and pulled away from her. He flopped on his back and sighed, long and loud. “How the hell do you do that to me?”
Satisfied that she’d made him lose all control, she tried to ignore the need between her trembling thighs, all too conscious of his seed on her skin. Thankfully, the binding over her breasts prevented her hard nipples from chafing against her soft, denim shirt. Now that she knew how it felt to let go in the throes of passion, she had no intention of losing herself again. And especially not to Hinto, not when just his seed touching her felt like a stroke of possession.
He was the biggest threat she’d ever faced. Not Gregor. Not Pilar. Not even Bartel. Hinto Dakota could make her forget everything but him if she let him, and she couldn’t afford to fail in this mission. Not when her first huge mistake had cost so much.
Her pride—her honor—demanded she fulfill the Queen’s task. She’d be damned if she’d disgrace her mother’s memory with anything but success.
He grabbed a cloth from his back pocket and cleaned them both. He tossed the dirtied rag aside and closed his eyes. “Just a quick nap. Beast will tell me if anyone nears,” he mumbled.
She glanced at Hinto’s softening face as he drifted into sleep. He was a warrior she could respect, she grudgingly admitted. What would he think of her if he knew what she’d done so many years ago? He hadn’t deserted his father in his time of need. She sighed and turned on her side, away from the temptation he presented and the strange sense of belonging she was starting to feel with him.
An Amazon had no place in the Territories and no heart for a man. Then again, thanks to Pilar and Bartel, an Amazon had no place anywhere. With the queen dead and their numbers so few, most would struggle for years to rebuild what they’d lost, if they even could. They didn’t need an unworthy guardian in their midst. Thais would do what she should have from the first. She’d obey her queen and the last order Estefina had been fit to issue; she’d return the crown.
Hinto mumbled and rolled against her, pulling her into him so that his front blanketed her back. Curled into him, she could almost forget she didn’t belong here. Almost. Still, she didn’t push him away when he laced his fingers with hers. And she fell asleep with his name on her lips.
Chapter Eight
Butch McKenzie considered himself an intelligent man. He’d conquered the town of Morrow without anyone even being aware of it until his hold was complete. The last owners of this valuable piece of property he’d staked now lay buried under several layers of good earth, feeding the very land they’d fought to keep. Even the UTs couldn’t find fault with that.
He frowned, wondering if Freddy’s latest fuck up would cause problems with his own UTO contact. Trust a Nolan to go after the wrong woman. Between the lot of them , it was a wonder any of them could keep their dicks in their pants. The prolific family boasted several branches of Nolans, the latest generation having spawned nine brothers.
Most of them worked for him. Their cousins lived in separate sections of Four Corners, and if he wasn’t mistaken, a group of them lived up in Big Sky Territory. Usually large, brutish, and not particularly smart, they made for decent muscle when he needed something done. Normally.
“I swear, boss, I didn’t know Tilda was still off limits,” Freddy whined in a pained whisper, stroking the bandage at his throat. His brothers tensed with unease, no doubt reading the displeasure on his face. “Thought you had that all wrapped up.”
“Tilda’s brother is still on the council of Four Corners’ central United Territorials Office, you shit. What the hell did you think would happen if you assaulted her?”
“But I didn’t. It was Cedric. I was just funnin’ Daisy.”
“Her best friend. Genius.” Butch sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose to stave off another headache.
Cedric cleared his throat and spoke. “My mistake, boss. But we were just teasing. We weren’t gonna do anything more than scare ‘em. Everybody knows Tilda’s a bitch.”
“A bitch with a brother we don’t want to piss off.” Butch didn’t have to raise his voice. Cedric and the others shifted on nervous feet.
Gregor chose that moment to intervene. He sat lazily by the fireplace, swinging an expensively booted heel as he considered one of the new serving girls. If she had a lick of sense, she’d avoid Gregor until he left town tomorrow. If not, she’d get what she deserved.
Celia passed by the room again, her gaze lingering on Gregor.
Not smart at all.
Gregor’s vanity knew no bounds, and he smirked when he caught Celia gawking at him before she hurriedly skipped out of sight. He shot Butch a sly smile. “Come on, Butch. You know the mess with Tilda doesn’t mean anything. I want to know more about the woman who broke his nose.”
Excitement stirred. As do I.
“And sliced Freddy’s throat,” Cedric was quick to add, flushing a mottled shade of red. The break in his nose had also blackened his eyes, and he looked nothing like the handsome man who’d lured so many young women to their ruin.
Despite the shortage of females in Four Corners Territory, the majority of them lived in major towns. With Morrow’s recent burst of growth over the past few years, they’d seen more and more respectable females moving in and settling into familial protectorates. One female to several men, a legal necessity to increase the population; Increasing the population was one Nature Law no on
e in the Territories objected to. Now if Butch could stop his men from mauling the female citizens of Morrow, he might have a shot at the power he desperately craved.
“The female,” he said slowly, aware of Gregor’s intent study. “What can you tell us about her?”
“She didn’t like us fooling with Daisy and Tilda. And she was one sexy piece of ass.”
Gregor leaned forward, all but salivating. Clearly the traits of their father took root in the youngest McKenzie. He hadn’t the discipline or stamina of their dead mother. Not like Butch. He knew better than most that without control, power and strength meant nothing.
“Long dark brown hair in a braid. Tanned skin, like she sees the sun a lot. No pretty bonnets for her. She wore man’s clothes, but up close I could see her tits straining to be free,” Cedric said, his description almost poetic. The main reason Butch tolerated him. Not many in the Territories read, let alone could speak a civil tongue. Not like it was in the East, where he’d been born and raised for half his life.
“’Straining to be free?’ What the hell you talkin’ about, Cedric?” Ralph, another Nolan, asked with a scowl. “Just tell the boss what he wants to know without all the flowery talk.”
A glare from Butch shut him up.
“Yeah, well. She was sitting on top of a pretty little mare and holding the reins to a real fucking vore. Damned thing was huge. When she came at me and Freddy, she used some weird moves, fluid, almost. Stabbed him with a wicked looking knife that had the prettiest blue gem snug under the blade’s guard.”
“Yeah, it had a white hilt and jewels on it. Like it might be worth somethin’,” Freddy added.
“And she hit me hard, no warning. Just wham. I knocked her some, think I hit her back. But she didn’t slow down. When the gang from the bar showed up, she didn’t look happy to see anybody.”
She hit him hard. Butch’s cock twitched, and he ignored Gregor’s knowing grin. “So the vore is hers?” Butch needed to know more. “Ralph, tell John and Malcolm to find out all they can about our mystery woman. I want them to find her and bring her here, to me, unharmed.” He looked his men in the eye. “No one lays a hand on her. Or you’ll die apologizing for disobeying a direct order. Understood?”
They nodded and quickly left.
“A new toy, Brother?” Gregor asked. The smile on his face didn’t reach his eyes.
“Perhaps. It’s been a while since I’ve had anything fun to do. Taking over the Territory keeps me busy, but it’s all work, work, work. Something you wouldn’t know much about.”
Gregor forced a laugh. “Jealous?”
Butch snorted.
“And speaking of avoiding work… Remember that train robbery you wanted me to look into?”
“The Flower Gang?”
“That’s the one. Apparently, they have a thing for the railroad. They’ve hit the line between Watchco and Redville four times and a Runner once.”
Butch found their targets almost more interesting than their supposed leader. “Why hit the Runner? Who was he carrying for?” Runners carried money and notices for people that didn’t live along train routes. Building in the Territories was a slow and expensive process. Unlike the East, nothing electrical worked out here. Not a damned thing.
“Runner had a fully guarded wagon and close to six thousand gold nuggets for some cattle baron up north. Andy, Amery…I’m not sure.”
“And it was the same gang. You’re sure.”
“Yep. Two rugged bastards… and one tall, muscular woman with a purple flower on her cheek.”
His thoughts racing, Butch asked, “The descriptions of her. She fought with a grace and style very different from what we’re used to seeing, correct?”
Gregor’s eyes narrowed. “Yeah. What are you thinking?”
“That Freddy’s ferocious female and our bank robber have more in common than makes sense.” He’d been intrigued with the Flower Gang since they’d first robbed from the train line. A small but efficient group of thieves who didn’t leave much to chance. Witnesses died, gold disappeared. And a woman led them, one who killed as coldly as her companions.
“Gregor, have Elliot run a note and disseminate news about Cedric and Freddy’s defeat by a woman warrior to anyone who’ll listen, to include the railways. In fact, spread the word that this woman was wearing a flower tattoo as well.”
“Fucking Freddy. And Cedric, good God.” Gregor sneered. “I can’t imagine taking a beating from a woman. That’s just shameful.” He smiled at Butch. In his arrogance, he assumed Butch didn’t know what lay behind the forced grin. But Butch knew everything. Gregor tried but couldn’t mask his distaste for his own flesh and blood. An unfortunate happenstance that in no way detracted from Butch’s duty to his family.
He’d learned everything he needed to know from his mother. Family always mattered, no matter how he felt about his sibling. It was all about the McKenzie name, and making sure his mother’s bloodline carried into the future.
Gregor leaned back in his chair and called out for Butch’s newest servant, never taking his eyes from his brother. “Celia, honey, come here.”
Celia appeared. Young, innocent, and soon to consider herself very unlucky. Gregor could have the naive misses, the ones that bruised and bled and begged so prettily. Butch preferred a stronger female, one that could dish out more abuse than she took. Just thinking about finding a woman that—like the one who’d carved up Freddy—made him hard. He’d been too long without and he knew it.
“You staying?” Gregor asked and pulled a slim blade from his pocket.
Only to make sure Gregor didn’t kill her. “Leave the face alone. I like this one. She’s actually good at her job.” He paused. “Get a child on her and she’s yours.”
Celia’s eyes grew wider but she didn’t move. She couldn’t or risk killing her family, who were indebted to the benevolent Butch McKenzie for putting them up in a nice house on the edge of town. The Lassiter children had food, Mr. Lassiter had a job in the accounts office, and Mrs. Lassiter had the satisfaction of caring for her family. It had only cost them one little thing. Their precious oldest girl.
Excited by her helplessness, Gregor stood, stripped off his clothes, and got to work. A “master,” just like their father.
Butch absorbed it all even as it repulsed him.
Gregor wielded his blade as effortlessly as he took the girl, spurring her moans into cries and then screams. But Butch’s mind was on another woman. One who’d bled two of his men and commanded a wild vore. He imagined her shoving that knife into him, making him bleed. A swell of arousal warmed him from the inside out.
He couldn’t wait to meet her.
***
Hinto woke once during the night, fetched a blanket, and covered himself and Thais with it. Now as the sun rose, he blinked awake. He felt more than well-rested, but satisfied. Thais remained in his arms and didn’t seem to mind when he nestled closer, one arm under her cheek, the other hand palming her slender belly.
Truth is, the little liar likes me. Damned Amazon just won’t admit it.
Smiling because he liked her a helluva lot after what she’d done for him last night, he carefully pulled himself away and settled the blanket over her. After taking care of his personal needs, he thought about what they should do next.
Though he hated the idea of Thais in danger, she’d proven herself more than capable yesterday. How many men, let alone women, could throw a man of his stature? So long as Gregor didn’t use a gun, she’d hold her own. Hinto would see to disarming him. Then again, Gregor was known for using knives, not guns. Kitty’s description of how he’d carved up one of her girls troubled him.
He resolved that the bastard wouldn’t put so much as a scratch on his Amazon. Gregor would die first. Hinto didn’t sit well with harming a woman. His father had raised him to respect the fairer sex, and in the violent Territories, there weren’t many who’d stand up for those in need. But Thais didn’t seem to require his protection at all.
Her resourcefulness confounded him. On one hand, he felt an odd pride that this woman could take care of herself. Yet on the other hand, he wanted her to lean on him. To look to Hinto to protect and provide, to care for her. He didn’t understand his urge to constantly touch her. Sex made sense. A man had to spread his seed, and women had been made to collect and care for the seed once it took root. Why then did he care that Thais should desire him in the same, fierce way?
He’d tasted her. Under her amazing hands he’d come twice already. He should have been over his fascination by now. But he couldn’t stop wanting her. Damned if he didn’t also like her. A real complication.
Hinto groaned when his dick spiked. Thais was under his skin and sinking deeper. He wanted to know more about the people who’d hurt her. Why she held onto that black rock until she bled. Where she really came from, and where she thought she was going. She had vengeance on the mind, no matter what she preferred to call it. But did it stop with the flower woman and this Aaron Bartel? Or were they a stepping stone to get her closer to someone else?
For that matter, why was he letting his cock dictate his thoughts and actions? His father wasn’t getting any better. Time was one commodity he didn’t have. No amount of bounties would bring him more. So what the hell was he doing in Morrow?
He glanced at Thais and sighed.
“What troubles you?” asked a thick voice from beneath a blanket.
His blanket.
His woman.
Shit. I must be losing my mind.
She pushed the cover from her face and turned to him. “Hinto?”
The concern in her voice soothed him, much like his deep timbre calmed Beast. The uncomfortable notion that she was the one taming him surfaced.
He growled, “My father is dying and I’m no closer to helping him.”
“So go find the cure.” Her simple answer. “I can handle Gregor. Kitty will never know.”
He scowled. “I’ll know.”
