Desire Oklahoma The Founding Fathers Trilogy

by Leah Brooke

  Even more alarmed by his gravelly voice, Sarah pulled her shawl more firmly around her. Watching him with the knife, Sarah gulped, pressing against Hawke.

  The man turned his head, revealing a large scar that ran down the entire side of his face, giving him an even more sinister appearance. “Better hurry. More’ll be comin’ in soon.”

  With a supportive arm around her waist, Hawke nodded at the other man. “Sarah, this is Duke, the best cook around, and the only man on the ranch who can sneak up on me. Duke, this is Sarah—our wife.”

  Duke paused just long enough to nod in her direction, his bald head gleaming in the low light. “Ma’am.” He went back to his carving, the huge muscles in his arms plainly visible in his short-sleeved shirt. “You’re later than usual, but I figured you would be. There’s still more comin’ in though. Had a break in the fence at the south end and some of the herd broke loose. It’s gonna be a long night.”

  Duke slid a thick piece of beef on each of their plates, not even glancing at Sarah. “Heard you got hitched. Appears those posters for brides is startin’ to pay off.” Something in his tone—a combination of sadness and fury—had Sarah stiffening and taking a hurried step back.

  Blade closed in on her from behind, rubbing her shoulder. “It did for us.”

  Duke’s lips twitched. “Thought you were supposed to bring the women back here. The bosses built that house for the single women to live in, and it’s standing empty.”

  Blade scooped fried potatoes onto Sarah’s plate and then his. “You never know.”

  Duke nodded and gestured for them to help themselves to a pile of steaming biscuits. “The bosses are happy the three of you finally got hitched, but now they have everyone arguin’ ’bout who’s goin’ on the next run. Bunch of addle-minded cowboys if you ask me. Hart and Gideon are the only ones who have any brains.”

  Phoenix laughed at that, lifting a hand in acknowledgement when several of the men sitting at the tables behind them called out to him. “You don’t want one of those women for yourself?”

  Duke stilled, his entire body stiffening. “No. Not gonna go through that again.”

  “You were married before?” The question slipped out before she could prevent it, and she regretting it almost instantly when she felt both Hawke and Blade stiffen.

  Phoenix helped himself to several biscuits, setting two on the edge of her plate as he whispered in her ear. “Duke doesn’t talk about it. His wife was killed when another man took her as a hostage after a bank robbery. Duke was young and inexperienced. He ended up getting cut with his own knife when he went after they guy. Made up his mind to learn to use a knife to protect himself. He’s deadly with ’em—more deadly than most men are with a gun.”

  Aware of their sharp attention, Sarah straightened, smiling an apology in Duke’s direction. Seeing the huge man in a different light, and feeling sorry for him for what he went through, Sarah stared at him until he met her gaze. “Thank you, Duke. This looks delicious.”

  Nodding once, he looked away. “Eat good. I don’t like people wastin’ my food.”

  Touched by the brief glimpse of tenderness she’d seen in his eyes, she grinned. “I’m hungry enough to eat Hawke’s horse.”

  To her surprise, Duke’s lips twitched. “Well, there’s a thought. I’ll bet I could make a nice stew—”

  “Stay away from my horse.” Hawke glared at Duke over his shoulder as he led her to an empty table.

  Uncomfortably aware of the attention she drew, she hunched her shoulders and hurried after Hawke.

  Blade and Phoenix followed close behind, Blade’s hand warm on her back. “Don’t look so worried. You’re safe here. They’re just curious about you.”

  Nodding, Sarah sat on the hard wooden bench while Phoenix dropped onto the bench across from her.

  Hawke set his plate and hers on the table. “Blade and I will go get some coffee. There’s fresh milk if you want some.”

  “I’d love some!”

  Hawke’s gaze lingered on her lips for several long seconds before meeting hers again. “Eat, Sarah. I’ll just be a minute.”

  Sarah watched him walk away, still unable to believe that such a man would marry her. With shaking hands, she cut into her steak, her mouth watering.

  Phoenix spoke from the other side of the table. “Sarah, look at me.”

  Sarah lifted her gaze, her cheeks burning at his searching look.

  Reaching across the table, he covered her hand with his, his smile playful. “I’ll earn your trust.”

  The memory of what he’d done to her only minutes earlier had her cheeks burning even hotter. Lowering her head again, she stabbed her fork into her steak. “I trust you.”

  “No, you don’t.” Instead of the angry look she expected, Phoenix smiled again. “If Hawke hadn’t been there, you never would have relaxed enough to enjoy my touch. I see the way you keep watching him. You were scared of coming in here, and didn’t let more than six inches come between you. You rely on him to keep you safe. He’s your security.”

  Still smiling, he broke a biscuit in half and used his knife to scoop butter from a crock on the table. “I’m your husband, too.”

  She glanced toward Hawke again. Realizing what she’d done, she sighed and lifted her gaze to Phoenix’s. “I know that.”

  A dark brow went up. “Do you?”

  “Of course.”

  He smiled, a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Then you know that I’m going to want to spend time alone with you.”

  Nervous at the prospect, Sarah nodded again and took her first bite, a moan escaping at the explosion of flavor. “Oh, God. This is delicious.”

  Watching her, Phoenix grinned and placed the buttered biscuit on her plate. “Good, huh?” He touched her hand again, leaning forward as he took it in his. “You get so much pleasure from everything. It makes a man want to see just how much pleasure he can give you.”

  Hawke and Blade came back to the table, saving her from having to reply. Although neither spoke much as they ate, she could feel their scrutiny the entire time Phoenix asked her questions about her life back in Waco.

  “What’s your mother going to say when she finds out you’re missing?”

  Her stomach clenched at the question, and feeling slightly ill, she set her fork aside. “Willy was looking for me, so she’ll know that I left with his money. I wish I could write to her and tell her I’m all right. I just hope he and Rose don’t take their anger out on her.”

  Blade paused with his fork halfway to his mouth and lowered it again, leaning forward. “How do you know he was looking for you?”

  Without meaning to, she leaned against Hawke, the memory of Willy’s features twisted in rage sending a chill through her. “I saw him. I was already on the train and saw him riding down the street looking for me. He looked so mad. Enraged.” Straightening, she picked up her fork and started pushing the last of her potatoes around on her plate. “When he couldn’t find me, I’ll bet he went back to the saloon and questioned my mother. Oh, God. I shouldn’t have left her there.”

  Hawke made that crooning sound, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her into the safety of his embrace. “You can’t be responsible for her. She should have been taking care of you.”

  Blade rubbed her back. “There’s nothing to be done about it now. I’m sure she convinced Willy that she didn’t know where you are. If you want to write to her, do it. It doesn’t matter if she knows where you are now. No one can get near you here.”

  Sitting up, Sarah sighed and shook her head. “Willy’s an outlaw. He’s really good with a gun, and he doesn’t care about killing anyone who gets in his way. He and his men are wanted, and even the sheriff wouldn’t try to arrest them. He’s a dangerous man, and you shouldn’t underestimate him.”

  Phoenix handed her another biscuit. “We won’t underestimate him, Sarah, but he’s walking into something he won’t understand. We’re a family here. We’ve had to be, and we rely on each other to
survive. We watch each other’s backs. He won’t get through us to you. Word is spreading about Willy and his gang, and everyone here is already on the lookout for strangers. That’s one of the reasons that everyone is interested in seeing you, especially since you’re one of us now. Don’t worry. We’ll take care of Willy and his men if they show up here. You have nothing to be afraid of.”

  Sarah picked up her fork again, worried that they seemed to be taking this so lightly. “You men are all alike. You won’t listen, and I don’t know how to convince you how dangerous he is. He’s killed men before, and he will again. He’s an excellent shot. I heard he even killed a man over a bottle of whiskey. The sheriff is terrified of him and won’t lift a finger to stop him.”

  Rubbing her forehead, she stared down at her plate. “I caused trouble when I left, and now I’ve brought trouble here. I hate that. I just wanted to get away. I was so scared. I couldn’t let Willy do that to me.” Blinking back tears, she reached for her glass of milk, taking a sip to swallow the lump in her throat. “I shouldn’t have let you talk me into marrying you. It’s only going to bring you trouble.”

  And once it did, they’d blame her, and wouldn’t want to be married to her anymore.

  * * * *

  Hawke pushed his plate and hers toward Phoenix to deal with. “We’re married, and that’s it. Since you’re done eating, we’ll go home. Hopefully a bath will calm you enough to get a good night’s sleep.”

  Helping her to her feet, Hawke clenched his jaw when she stiffened, meeting both Blade’s and Phoenix’s looks of frustration and concern. “I’ll take care of it.”

  With a nod in Duke’s direction, he opened the door and went out, keeping Sarah’s hand in his and her firmly close behind him so he could protect her body with his. Seeing no danger, he pulled her to his side, unsurprised that she trembled. “There’s no reason to be scared. I won’t hurt you.”

  “I know. I trust you. It’s awfully dark.”

  “I know this yard like I know the back of my own hand. I don’t want you to ever come out here at night alone, though.”

  The thought of her being a meal for one of the wild animals that came out at night sent a chill through him. “I’m gonna have to teach you to shoot. I want you to wear a gun whenever you leave the house. Wild animals roam around out here on occasion, and I don’t want you to be caught alone to face them.”

  He didn’t mention that Willy might be one of them.

  He’d love to get his hands on the man who thought he could take her so coldly and without her permission.

  He and the others had dealt with men like Willy before. They’d dealt with a hell of a lot worse, but he had no intention of telling his wife just how violent he could be.

  How violent he and his brothers had had to be in order to survive.

  He held her closer, regretting that he caused the shiver that went through her. “I don’t mean to scare you, but I want you to be aware of the dangers. I want you to be alert and pay attention to your surroundings.”

  A coyote howled in the distance, the sound drawing a sharp cry from Sarah, who leapt at him, climbing up his body with a desperation that alarmed Hawke, while filling him with masculine satisfaction.

  Wrapping her legs around his waist, she buried her face against his neck and fisted her hands in his hair. “What was that?”

  Within thinking, he turned his head to kiss her hair, eager to dispel her fears. “Coyote. You’ll hear them a lot at night, but they’re too far away and rarely come close. You’re all right, Sarah.”

  Cupping the back of her head, he clenched his other hand on her bottom. “You’ll get used to the sounds here, but I want you to pay attention to them. I want you to learn them so you know when something’s wrong.”

  She lifted her head slightly, looking around while gripping his neck tightly. “Are you sure he’s not going to come after us?”

  “I’m sure, little one.” The endearment slipped off his tongue as naturally as breathing.

  Still gripping his neck, Sarah pressed her face in his hair. “You have a gun, so you could shoot him if he came up to us, couldn’t you?”

  Amused, Hawke rubbed her hair, breathing in her sweet scent as he strode toward the cabin he shared with his brothers—and now her. “Yes, I could if I had to, but he’s more scared of you than you are of him.”

  “That’s not possible.”

  Pleased that her fear seemed to be easing, and aware that she lifted her head to stare at him, Hawke hid a smile.

  Marrying Sarah had been an impulse, something Hawke rarely allowed, but he trusted his instincts.

  His gut told him he’d made a decision that would change his life for the better.

  Her eyes—as blue as a summer sky—captivated him.

  Just listening to her soft voice made him hard.

  She was everything a woman should be—everything he’d never expected to have.

  Beautiful and passionate.

  Brave and resourceful.

  Sweet and shy.

  And she belonged to him.

  His wife.

  He couldn’t forget the way she’d looked and sounded in her passion, or the way she’d come apart in his arms.

  She was his wife, and a virgin—an innocent that a man like him didn’t deserve.

  He understood that she regretted marrying them because she was trying to protect them, but he had to change her mind.

  He couldn’t stand even the smallest regret.

  He’d never wanted anything more than he wanted her in his life, and no had qualms about using her passion to tie her to him.

  Carrying her slight weight, Hawke cuddled her close and went through the door of the cabin. With the scent and feel of soft woman all around him, his cock got harder by the minute—a torture he never wanted to end.

  He didn’t deserve such a woman, but nothing on earth could keep him from taking her.

  After kicking the door closed behind him, he made his way across the dark room, pausing next to his bed, reluctant to release her. “My bed is probably gonna be too hard for you, but I’ll stuff it more when I get the chance. We ordered one while we were in Tulsa.”

  Her eyes went wide, barely visible in the low light of the moon shining in through the windows. “You didn’t have to do that!”

  Anxious to make love to her, he reluctantly lowered her to his mattress, running his hand over her hair before straightening. “I’ll start a fire. It’s a warm night, but I don’t want you getting chilled from your bath.”

  And also give him enough light to see her.

  With his cock throbbing with anticipation, he went to start the fire.

  * * * *

  Sitting back, Sarah reached down to remove her boots, struck by the intimacy of being in Hawke’s bed.

  The moonlight streaming in through the large windows allowed her to watch his tall form, which she did as she set her boots aside, curling her toes against the hard wooden floor.

  He lit a lantern and set it in the middle of the table, every movement smooth and filled with a powerful grace that sent little shivers through her.

  Glancing at her, he made his way to the fireplace. “The fire will warm the water for your bath, too. It’s a warm enough night that bathing in cool water should feel good, though, especially when the fire warms the room even more.”

  A slight breeze blew in from the open windows, but it did nothing to ease the oppressive humidity in the air. She tossed her shawl aside before removing her socks, tucking her feet under her, and settled back to watch Hawke stoke the fire. She couldn’t tear her gaze away from the sight of his broad shoulders and long black hair streaming down his back. “Yes. That’ll feel good.”

  Setting her boots aside, Sarah wrapped her arms around her knees to watch her husband, mesmerized by his sheer size. Remembering how muscular her shoulders felt under her hands, she sighed. “You don’t have to worry about giving up your bed for me. I’m used to sleeping on the floor.”

  As
the fire licked at the logs, Blade and Phoenix came through the door, each carrying buckets of water. Both men stilled, their features hardening in anger.

  Hawke straightened and turned, not even glancing at them. “You slept on the floor?”

  “Of course.” Wary of his tone, Sarah glanced at Blade, who appeared just as angry. “I made a pallet on the floor. There wasn’t a need for me to have a mattress when I wasn’t bringing men to my room.” The thought of what would have happened if she hadn’t run away had her pulling her shawl closer. “That probably would have changed if I’d stayed, but sleeping on the floor was better than the alternative.”

  Swallowing the lump in her throat, she forced a smile. “Willy would’ve thrown a fit if he had to be on the floor in the attic.”

  “Don’t.” Blade set the buckets aside and rushed to her side. “Don’t think about it.” Kneeling on the floor in front of her, he took her hands in his. “Don’t think about what might have happened. It didn’t happen. It won’t happen. You’re here now. We’re your husbands now and we’ll keep you safe. Just do what we say and you have nothing to fear from him, or anyone else.”

  Sarah blew out a breath, once again struck by the knowledge of how many lives would be affected by her actions. “I didn’t think things through, and I’m afraid others might have to pay for my actions. My mother and I weren’t close, but I don’t want her to have to pay for what I did. Coming here sounded like my only chance, but I’m afraid I made a big mistake.”

  Hawke moved closer, lighting another lamp on the table next to his bed before lowering himself to the empty space next to her. “It wasn’t.”

  Phoenix set the buckets on the fireplace next to the others. “I don’t think she believes we can protect her.”

  Unlacing moccasins that went all the way to his knees, Hawke held her gaze. “She has no reason to believe us. She’ll learn.” He stripped out of his buckskin shirt, revealing a wide, muscular chest that gleamed like dark copper in the firelight. “Learning to trust us to protect her will take time, but once she realizes that we can, she won’t be so scared anymore.”