The Sons of Johnny Hastings Box Set

by Patty Devlin

  "Is everything okay with you two?"

  Annie smiled at Matt. "We should tell them."

  "Tell us what?" They both asked in unison.

  "We got married last night."

  While Rose looked stunned at the news, Jeb was grinning from ear to ear. Annie waited nervously for Rose's reaction. She liked Jeb's sister and they had always gotten along, but she didn't want to disrupt the household with her presence. Matt had shared his plans for building their own home. Meanwhile, they would be staying at the Circle C.

  Rose beamed a huge smile and Annie relaxed. "Please, forgive me for forgetting my manners," she said to Annie and gave her a hug. "This is wonderful news. I'm so happy for both of you." She shook her finger at Matt. "I should wallop you for not telling us you were getting married."

  "Now that I'd like to see," Annie remarked.

  Jeb slapped Matt on the shoulder and shook his hand. "That's great, son. I expected something was up when you didn't come home last night." He turned to Annie and smiled warmly. "Welcome, Annie." He held out his arms. "I know you'll make Matt a happy man."

  Annie was near to tears. "Thank you, Jeb."

  "Why don't you two freshen up a bit while I fix us a quick lunch?" Rose suggested. She arched a brow at Matt. "You can tell us how all this came about and then we'll make plans for another wedding where your father and I can attend."

  Matt appeared totally chastised and Annie loved it. "I guess she told you," she remarked as they made their way to his bedroom. Matt kept his room neat and his unique scent of pine and man permeated the air. She saw the bowl of water on the small table next to the bed and removed her boots and socks. "I suppose I'll freshen up a bit." Annie swallowed hard at the feral gleam in Matt's eyes. "What?"

  He strode toward her, shaking his head. "Not yet." Bending her over his arm, he lowered his head to her breasts and tongued her nipples through the thin calico while his other hand slid along her leg and inched under her skirts. Her thighs were nudged apart and Annie's breath hitched. His fingers found the slit in her bloomers and he slipped one digit inside her tight channel. Her knees nearly buckled at the welcomed intrusion and she moaned.

  "Grab onto my shoulders, Darlin'." Matt dropped to the floor and threw her skirts over his head. His breath fanned the area between her legs and Annie sucked in her breath. Rough calloused hands roamed along her upper thighs, hot enough to set her bloomers on fire. His fingers sank into the flesh of her hips and he used his thumbs to open the slit in her drawers. He swiped her moist center with his tongue.

  Annie tightened her hold. "Oh God, Matt, stop, what are you—?" He lapped her wet flesh, swirled his tongue around her womanhood and deliberately avoided the pulse throbbing for attention. He teased her relentlessly. Annie parted her legs wider, her feet seeking purchase on the floor and rocked her hips against his face. She rose on her tiptoes in an attempt to press that part of herself begging for his mouth. He latched onto the swollen button and suckled until her legs began to tremble and her sex gushed.

  Matt righted her clothing and got to his feet, breathing heavily. "Dear God, you taste like a piece of heaven. I can't get enough of your honey." He swatted her on the behind. "Let's wash up for lunch and then we'll see if Rose has an extra dress you can wear. You two are about the same size. Perhaps tomorrow I can get home early enough and we'll go to town and get you a ring. Then we'll stop by the Lazy D and gather up your belongings and get Diablo."

  Annie grew excited at the thought of a ring on her finger and bringing her pet home. "I like the ring part, but there's no need to stop at the Lazy D for anything other than Diablo. I don't have much in the way of clothing." Her wardrobe consisted of two dresses and the rest were pants and shirts. "Pa didn't mind my wearing pants. I don't fancy being trussed up in all the girly fripperies. It's not practical on a ranch."

  Matt sat on the bed and crooked his finger. "Come here, Annie." She approached him timidly and crawled onto his lap. "You know I don't like you prancing around in pants. You will not wear them outside this room." Her pout earned her a tap on the nose. "Annie, must I spank you in order to get my point across?"

  She bowed her head and pretended to play with the buttons on his shirt. He trailed his fingers along her cheek and slipped them under her chin to tilt her face. "What's wrong, love?"

  "I feel a little lost, is all. I'm not sure how to act anymore. I'm used to wearing what I want and doing whatever I want."

  "Annie, only one of us will wear the pants in this marriage and that's me. As for doing what you want, that hasn't changed unless it's something dangerous, then you'll do as I say. As for those pants, you're my wife and I won't tolerate other men staring at what's mine." He squeezed her bottom. "The men need to concentrate on their work, not your curvy little ass."

  Annie's heart did a happy dance. He was jealous. "But what if I want to ride? A dress is so bothersome and I like to ride astride."

  Matt shook his head. "This subject is closed, Annie. Listen, your Pa may have allowed you to do a lot of things that young girls do not do, but not me. You didn't have a mother to guide you and it's not your fault." He traced her bottom lip with his finger. "Give it some time. Let Aunt Rose teach you to do what women normally do. You might like doing girly things."

  Annie scrunched her nose. There was no way she'd win this argument. "Okay."

  "That's my girl."

  Those three little words brightened Annie's mood and they went to the kitchen.

  Lunch consisted of ham sandwiches and cold drinks. Dessert was a homemade apple pie. When the last of the dishes were dried and put away, Annie sat at the table with Rose while Jeb and Matt went outside on the porch. "Everything was so delicious, Aunt Rose. Matt sure dug into that apple pie."

  "Apple pie is his favorite, dear. If you want, I can give you the recipe or we can make one together." She winked. "The way to a man's heart is through his stomach."

  Matt had mentioned about learning to do girly things and Annie did so want to please her husband. "That would be nice, but let's not tell him. I'll surprise him." She may just be able to convince Matt to allow her to wear her pants if she kept him from starving. She had no clue how to cook a decent meal. At the Lazy D, Maria had done the cooking. Annie wanted no part of doing anything that involved dishes. But wouldn't it be worth it if she could make Matt proud of her? Perhaps acting more of a lady wouldn't be so bad. The physical part of marriage was rather nice. Matt made her feel all feminine and pretty when he took her in his arms. Their bodies were so different. His hard, hers soft. He was much bigger, but yet he knew how to control his strength and handle her gently. Growing old with Matt and having his babies would make her life complete. She'd learn all she could from Rose and give Matt no reason to complain. She tugged at her dress. But she sure was going to miss those pants. They were so comfortable and she had them broken in just right.

  "Why the frown, Annie, is something not right?"

  Annie blew out a breath and chose her words carefully so she didn't upset the woman. "Matt sure is set in his ways." She was a little worried about how Rose would take to Matt being criticized.

  "Annie, you of all people know how stubborn Matt can be about certain things," Rose chided gently. "He can be very stern at times." She chuckled softly. "I take it he's already laid down the law?"

  "He sure has." Annie rolled her eyes. "I can't wear pants anymore."

  Rose clicked her tongue. "The fact your Pa allowed you to wear pants in the first place has been a sore spot for Matt a long time already." She squeezed her hand. "He's right, Annie. You should be dressing like a woman, a married woman."

  "I guess you're right," Annie admitted ruefully. "But it's so hard to ride sidesaddle with a dress on and you know how I like to ride."

  Rose clapped her hands together. "I know what we can do."

  "What?"

  "We can fix this problem. I'll get one of my skirts that I don't wear and sew it down the middle. I've seen them in the mercantile. I think they're called
riding skirts. "

  Annie nodded. "I saw them too, but I'm not sure how comfortable they are."

  "We'll get started tomorrow."

  "Will you teach me how to sew and cook?" She could put some dresses together and surprise Matt.

  Rose smiled. "Of course I can." The woman fairly beamed and her hazel eyes sparkled with excitement. "It's so nice having another woman in the house, at least for a while. I'm sure Matt will want to build you a nice little home of your own."

  "We talked about it," Annie replied. The Circle C was a nice house, but it wasn't as roomy as the Lazy D. It was apparent that Jeb didn't have the same amount of money Deke once had, but it wouldn't have mattered. Annie would have gladly offered to help restore the barn and anything else Jeb and Matt needed fixing.

  Darn Eva for ruining everything that had been good in her life. Pa had worked hard to build up the ranch. "The Lazy D would have been a good place for us to begin our lives together. We could have combined our cattle and made the ranch bigger. Most of the ranch hands had stayed on after Pa died, but I don't know if they're still there. Pa lost it gambling."

  Rose brows knitted together in a frown. "I'm sorry. I didn't know. If whoever it is has a mind to collect, I'm sure he'll go after Eva since she is the widow?"

  "I think he's already threatened Eva. She suggested that I marry Lloyd and I told her no. Then, I overheard her telling Robbie about her idea to give me to Lloyd and in turn Lloyd would convince his Pa to pay the debt." Tears sprang in her eyes and Rose immediately gathered her in her arms. "I don't want Matt or you or Jeb to get caught in the crossfire."

  "Now you listen to me, young lady. Matt and Jeb know how to handle matters like this, so don't you be fretting."

  Annie sure hoped so.

  Chapter Eleven

  That night as they lay in bed, Annie sighed and snuggled closer to her husband. Husband. Who would have thought she'd be married to Matthew Caine, the big bloke.

  Matt kissed the top of her head and hugged her close. "You seem awfully quiet. What are you thinking about?" Annie didn't answer and he ran his fingers lightly over her buttocks. Annie purposely wiggled her butt and was rewarded with a sharp slap. "Looking for another spanking?"

  Annie tilted her head back and flashed him what she hoped was a naughty grin. "Hmm, sounds like fun."

  He tickled her ribs. "Is that right? Well, no fun for you until you tell me what has you so preoccupied or do I have to get rough?"

  Annie squirmed. "Stop, I'll tell you. Remember what you said the day I put the horse shit in your boots?"

  "Of course I remember and I apologized for calling you a nuisance." Matt scooted backward, pulling her along with him and leaned against the bed board. "And for the record, ladies don't say shit, they say dung."

  Annie twirled her fingers in the light dusting of hair on his chest. "I was thinking about the other thing you said."

  Matt's eyebrows scrunched together. "Uh, oh, what did I say and how much trouble am I in?"

  She pressed her breasts to his chest. "You're not in any trouble, silly. You told me that you felt sorry for the bloke who took me to wife." She laughed outright and poked his dimpled chin. "The joke's on you because you're the bloke."

  Matt grabbed her hand and kissed each finger. "I also said you'd need lots of taming. As for your earlier remark about a spanking being fun, by the way you hollered last night you'd have thought I was killing you. I'm surprised Mrs. Wegman didn't knock the door down."

  "Well, gosh darn it, it hurt. You have a strong hand, husband." She waggled her brows. "I wasn't talking about the punishment spanking. I meant the other one." Annie's cheeks heated with embarrassment. This was the first time she had asked for a spanking.

  "Ah, you mean like this." Matt arranged her body so she was lying across his groin. He smacked her left cheek lightly, then rubbed away the sting. He did the same to the other cheek and she sighed into the blankets. "Hmm, that's the one."

  She was so happy. She had everything she wanted and needed right here in this bed. There still was the issue about wearing pants, but she would willingly forget about that if she could have Diablo back. "Matt?" His cock was pressing into her belly and she shifted a bit, allowing his hand to dip between her legs. He wiggled his fingers along the crack of her ass and stroked her intimately. "Please Matt," she groaned, "you're distracting me and it's important that you remember what I want to tell you." His touch was pulling her thoughts away from Diablo and she needed to know her pet would be okay before she succumbed to his delightful ministrations.

  Matt stopped what he was doing. "If it's important to you then it's important to me. You do know that I would do anything for you within reason?"

  Not only was Matt stern and expected his orders to be obeyed, he was also attuned to her needs and wants and that made her feel truly loved. The spankings he had given her as a child and the one last night was proof that if she knowingly placed herself in danger he would punish her severely. His gentle tone and soft caress proved to her now that he would do whatever he possibly could to keep her happy.

  Annie maneuvered herself so she was lying on top of her handsome husband and stared him right in the eyes. "I miss Diablo so much. I worry about him. There's no telling what Robbie or Eva might do to him to get back at me for taking off and not marrying Lloyd."

  Matt scowled. "I don't want to hear that man's name again." He slid his fingers through her hair and cupped the back of her head. He kissed her eyelids, her nose and finally her mouth. "I promise we'll get your horse tomorrow after we come home from town. Under no circumstances are you to step foot on that ranch by yourself, do you hear?"

  Annie threw her arms around him and hugged him tight. "I hear. Thank you, Matt. I love you so much."

  "I love you too, Annie Caine."

  They lay together for a while, stroking each other. Annie couldn't get enough of Matt's body and traced the width of his shoulders with her fingers. She placed her mouth on his bicep and licked his skin. He tasted salty and oh, so yummy. Her gaze drifted lower and she swore she saw the blanket move. She focused on that part of his anatomy to see if she had imagined the whole thing and ran her tongue along her top teeth. There was something on her mind and she said, "Um, Matt?"

  "Hmm?"

  Annie positioned herself so she was on her knees. She looked at him eagerly. "Why did Sally tell me not to lick my lips around men?" He moaned low in his throat and she laid a hand on his chest. "Did I say something wrong?"

  "No," Matt croaked. She studied him for a moment, then her eyes widened in surprise. "Never mind. I wasn't sure what she meant, but I think I do now." She licked her lips again and he growled louder. Shivers of delight ran down her spine. His blue eyes darkened, telling her she was on the right path. "Can I use my tongue on you like you did to me last night or would that be considered unladylike?" Her brows knitted together as a myriad of emotions crossed his face in rapid succession. Anger. Surprise and last, downright agony.

  When he finally spoke, his voice sounded as if he had swallowed a pile of rocks. "What you're suggesting is not ladylike at all." That was not what she had wanted to hear. She frowned, upset with herself for asking such a question and making him angry. She stole a glance at him again and was pleased when he winked wickedly. "But, it's totally acceptable between two people, like a man and wife. I would never force you to do something you didn't want to do, Annie."

  "But I want to do it, Matt," she replied earnestly. She wedged her hand under the blanket and he moaned again, much louder this time. She stopped within inches of her target. "Did I hurt you?"

  He shook his head and shifted his hips closer to her hand.

  She squeezed his cock and loved the way he felt in her grasp. "You're so hard, but yet smooth as velvet." She stroked his length. "Can I lick it now?"

  "Sweet Jesus," he cursed. "Ah, sure, Darlin', you can do whatever you want."

  Annie grinned mischievously and crawled to the foot of the bed. She slowly peeled back the blan
ket from his body, made a point of smacking her lips together before she began her explorations. She drove her new husband wild.

  Chapter Twelve

  Bright sunlight filtered through the curtains and warmed Annie's face. She kept her eyes closed and reached for Matt, but his side of the bed was cool. Instead, she grabbed his pillow and brought the cushion to her nose, inhaling his scent. Last night had been so perfect. She squeezed her buttocks and winced. She was a little sore, but oh, he had a such a nice way of easing her pain.

  Annie flung the blankets aside and padded to the small dresser. She washed her face with the water that was in the ceramic bowl. It was cool but refreshing. She slipped the dress she had worn yesterday over her head and made her way into the kitchen.

  "Good morning," Rose greeted with a wide smile. "Are you hungry? I set aside a plate with eggs, bacon and toast for you. Matt said to let you sleep in." Rose pulled out a chair and motioned for her to sit down.

  Annie shook her head.

  "I'm still in shock that the two of you are married." She waved a wooden spoon in the air. "Not that I object, mind you. I had hopes that the two of you would come around and stop your bickering long enough to realize you were meant for each other."

  "You really thought we were meant for each other?"

  Rose nodded.

  "I always got the feeling Matt never liked me. Nothing I ever did seemed to please him."

  Rose chuckled. "That's because you were always looking for ways to rile him."

  Annie blushed with shame. "I did get on his nerves a lot."

  "That you did, Annie, but he had a soft spot for you even though he didn't show it." Rose poured two cups of coffee and sat down. "I honestly think he was waiting for you to grow up. You mentioned yesterday that your stepmother was trying to force you to marry Lloyd Sanders. They are not going to be happy when they find out about this marriage. You must promise to be careful, Annie, and not leave this ranch by yourself."

  "I know," Annie replied. "I did ask Matt if we could go to the Lazy D and fetch Diablo. I don't trust Robbie. He might hurt my horse just to get back at me and I can't bear the thought of Diablo being abused."