Ike pointed to a door beside the stove. “That’s a pantry where we store canned goods, and some items from the garden.” The wall beside it had several frying pans hanging from nails. “Beyond that is the scullery room, you know, for washing.”
Sarah looked closer and saw a door that obviously led outside. There was a board across the wall with several nails that held coats and hats. One pair of boots, covered in mud, sat on the floor beneath them. Before she could say anything, Ike grabbed her arm and propelled her back into the dining room. He continued on to a door she’d not noticed before.
He opened it, and Sarah found herself in a long hallway. From what she could see, there were six doors that opened off the hall. “These are the bedrooms, and we have six of them in this house.” He pointed down the hall. “Mine is the first one on the right, and Abe’s is the last one on the left.” He turned and looked into her eyes. “Would you like to see them?”
Chapter 6
Ike had to bite back a laugh when Sarah pulled away. “I’m sure they’re very nice, but I think we should go back to the sitting room now.”
He smiled, and let her pull away, determined not to rush her. He followed her back to the front room and motioned for her to take a seat on the sofa. “Would you like a cup of coffee, or maybe a cup of tea?”
“I’d love a cup of tea, if it’s no trouble.”
“It’s no trouble at all. You just sit and enjoy the fire. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
Sarah glanced up at the shelf on the wall. “Would you mind if I look at your books?
“Of course not. Please, feel free to act like this is your home.”
Ike rushed to get her tea. It wasn’t hard because Abe was a tea drinker and left everything ready to make a cup at a moment’s notice. He walked over periodically and peeked into the front room to make sure Sarah was still there. He wouldn’t put it past her to take off. She seemed awfully skittish, and it didn’t take a genius to figure out why. She was embarrassed to be with him after making love to Abe. I’m going to have to handle you very carefully tonight, if I don’t wanna scare you off.
He finished brewing the tea and placed it on a tray with a container of cream and a small bowl of sugar. Taking a deep breath, he walked back to the other room. He found her standing close to the fireplace, where he’d left the lamp, flipping through the pages of one of Abe’s books. He set the tray down on the table and moved quietly to stand behind her. The crackling of the fire and the wind blowing through the eaves masked the sound of his footsteps. When he was close enough, he saw that she was looking through their family bible, reading the names of all the marriages, births, and deaths. He moved in close and placed a kiss against her neck.
Sarah screeched, letting the book drop from her fingers.
Ike grabbed her shoulders with one arm and rescued the bible before it could land in the fireplace with the other. He chuckled. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to frighten you.” He watched as her cheeks turned a rosy pink. She stammered something he couldn’t hear and then backed away to sit on one of the leather chairs.
He sighed. She wasn’t going to make this easy. He walked over to the table and handed her the cup of tea. “Do you want cream or sugar?”
“No, thank you.” She took a small sip. “It’s really good. I wouldn’t have taken you for a tea drinker.”
Ike laughed. “It’s more Abe than me, but I enjoy a cup now and then.” He perched on the arm of her chair. “Don’t get me wrong though, we’re avid coffee drinkers, the stronger the better.”
Sarah took a couple more sips and set the cup back on the tray. “Did you bring me here because you wanted to talk about something? I mean, your house looks perfect so you certainly don’t need my advice on decorating. It’s very warm and inviting.” She gazed into his eyes. “So, what did you want to talk to me about?”
He walked over and knelt in front of her chair. For a moment, he merely looked longingly into her eyes. Then, he leaned close so he could whisper. “This.” His lips closed over hers.
* * * *
Sarah kept very still as Ike’s lips moved over her mouth. Shame filled her heart when she thought about making love to his brother. Why do I want both of them so much? They’re nothing alike, but they both make me feel a fire I never thought possible. How can I stop wanting both of them?
She placed her hands on his shoulders to push him away at the same time his hands moved around her waist and pulled her closer. He moved up, pushing her legs apart and wedging himself between her knees. She panicked and began to press harder when she felt his erection.
Ike released her lips and buried his face against her neck. “I want you, Sarah,” he whispered. “You’re all I ever think about.”
Her guilt grew even larger. “We can’t. It’s not right, Ike.”
“Why?” He allowed Sarah to push away from his chest, but kept his hands on her shoulders. “Is it because of Abe?”
Sarah gasped. He can’t possible know about me and Abe. He wouldn’t have told him, would he? She took a shaky breath. “Yes, it’s because of Abe.” She sighed, shaking her head. “It’s not right to be here with you like this when I have feelings for your brother.”
Ike took her chin in his hand and raised her gaze to his. “I know you have feelings for Abe and that’s a good thing.” He cupped her head and stared into her eyes. “But I also know you have feelings for me as well. Can’t you just let us see where this will take us?”
Sarah was blindsided by the love she felt for Ike. Unable to speak, she nodded shyly.
Ike touched her hair lightly, threading the fingers of one hand through the soft strands as if they fascinated him. He nuzzled in close and breathed in deep, and then dropped close to her ear to whisper and nibble on her lobe. “I love the feminine, rosy smell of your skin.
Sarah closed her eyes and moaned softly when he brushed his mouth lightly over hers and then gasped when he took her bottom lip between his teeth. She felt his tongue flick along the sensitive inside skin. She moaned into his mouth as his tongue slid along the length of her own, filling her with his distinctive taste. Her hands flew to his chest and splayed across his muscled torso. His hands brushed hers aside and tore open several buttons. Quickly, he took her wrist and placed her hand under his shirt where she began drawing little circles on his warm skin.
Sarah felt his hands fumble at her back, but didn’t understand until her dress fell from around her shoulders. His fingers glided along the top of her chemise, then plucked at her swollen nipples through the cotton garment.
“You’re so beautiful.” Ike slid the garment down and moved her hands aside. He pulled her closer until her breasts flattened against his chest. “I love the feel of your nipples against me.” His hands ran up her torso to the outside of her breasts and squeezed, rubbing her nipples back and forth across the sparse hair on his body. She groaned harshly, and leaned into his touch.
Ike pulled back and then flattened his tongue over her nipple, flicking back and forth across the throbbing tip a couple of times. “You’re so sensitive.” He pulled the distended tip into his mouth and sucked gently.”
“Ohhh,” she moaned.
“Purr for me, kitten.” Ike gently tugged on the ends of her breast. “Let me love you, Sarah. I want you to feel only pleasure.” He closed his teeth over the turgid flesh and Sarah whimpered.
For a moment, Sarah let the feelings wash over her body. Then, visions of Abe in the grass intruded. How could I betray him this way? She froze, and then caught Ike off guard when she pushed away. He tumbled to the floor, caught up in trousers she hadn’t realized he’d undone. “I can’t do this, I’m sorry. I can’t be anybody’s doxy.” She jumped up and ran for the door before he could stop her, pulling up her clothes.
“Damn it, Sarah, wait.”
Sarah turned in time to see Ike topple to the floor, tangled up in the pants that now lay around his ankles. She ignored his plea, opened the door and rushed to the buggy. Quickly she cli
mbed in and snapped the leather against the horse’s rump. “Gid up, girl.” The wagon took off down the drive.
“Sarah, wait, come back.”
She turned to see Ike standing in front of the house, buttoning his pants. He turned and raced around the side of the house. He was going to saddle a horse and come after her. She turned the buggy off the main road and took off down toward the creek. It was a shorter route, and the horse shouldn’t have any problems with the terrain. Sarah had traveled it the day she came to buy her horses from Abe.
A short time later she came racing across the field toward her house. For the first time, it didn’t seem like a haven to her. She knew Ike would not be far behind her. “Whoa, girl.” She pulled hard on the reins to bring the buggy to a stop.
Daniel came running out the door, her rifle clutched in his hands. “What’s wrong?” He looked back up the road as if he thought someone might be following her. “Where’s Ike?”
Sarah jumped down and handed the reins to Daniel. She moved toward the door. “He’ll be along any minute and I don’t want him to get in the house.” She stopped and looked at the gun. “Don’t hurt him, Daniel, but don’t let him in.”
Daniel’s eyes narrowed, and his face blanched. “Did he do something to you?”
She knew the boy would gladly defend her honor if she needed him to. It’s too bad I don’t have any honor to defend. “No, nothing like that. We just had a difference of opinion and I really don’t wanna talk to him about it tonight. I’d rather wait until we both calm down.”
“Why are your clothes unfastened?”
Sarah sighed. The boy didn’t miss a thing. “It’s complicated, Daniel, but I promise you that Ike didn’t do anything I didn’t let him do. Just please, don’t let him in. Tell him I’ll talk to him tomorrow.” She walked into the cabin and quietly shut the door. She could see the boys asleep on the bed near the fire. What am I going to do? How could I have let things go so far? How can I continue to see Abe when I’ll have to face Ike as well? I just wanted a little happiness for myself, is that so wrong?
She tiptoed across the room and slipped into the bedroom she shared with Rachel. The girl slept soundly, buried under a mound of quilts. I’m going to have to leave. I can’t stay here and watch Abe and Ike settle with wives some day. She took a deep breath. I’ll get the kids settled for the winter and in a couple of weeks I’ll head west. Muffling her cries, she lay down and buried her face in her pillow.
* * * *
Ike spurred Blackie on. “When I catch her, I’m gonna turn her over my knee and tan her backside for running off like that.” She doesn’t know the countryside well enough to be racing around in the dark. Any number of things could happen to her. She could throw a wheel, break an axle or hell, even the horse could get spooked and cause her problems. Ginger’s an older horse, and doesn’t spook easily, but Sarah doesn’t know that. “Damn it, there could be somebody bad out here hiding, waiting to waylay her and cause her some harm.” Why the hell did she have to run away? I know she wants me as much as I want her.
He pulled up to Sarah’s house at a gallop. Before he could dismount, Daniel walked out of the shadows of the barn. Dressed only in a pair of denim pants, he carried a rifle he had pointed at Ike. “Just stay on your horse, Mr. West. No need for you to be getting off because you’re not staying.”
Ike settled back in his saddle and narrowed his eyes. “Boy, don’t you be pointing a gun at somebody unless you’re prepared to use it.”
Daniel’s wrist jerked in a downward motion, pumping a round into the sleek-looking rifle. “I’ll do whatever’s necessary to protect Miss Sarah. She’s one of the finest women I’ve ever known. She’s done everything possible to make a home for us and I’ll not see anybody do her any harm.”
“Did Sarah say I hurt her?”
“No, sir.”
“Son, do you really think I’d do anything to hurt her?”
“It don’t really matter what I think. She come flying in here on that buggy and told me to keep you out of the house.” Daniel took a step closer. “She had tears in her eyes, and I didn’t like seeing them there. I got me a mind that you’re the one that put them there.”
Ike sighed. “Daniel, I need to talk to her. She’s just a little upset but I can make everything better, I swear.”
Daniel shook his head. “No matter. You’re not talking to her tonight. Now, you get on down and tie that horse to your buggy so you can take both of them home. But you need to stay away until Miss Sarah is ready to talk to you. You’re gonna have to give her some time.”
Ike took a deep breath and wanted to shout. He needed to get to Sarah and make her own up to her feelings, but he didn’t trust the boy not to shoot first and ask questions later. From the look in his eyes, he wouldn’t hesitate pulling the trigger. Biting his lip, Ike dismounted and tied his reins loosely to the back of the buggy. He turned to Daniel. “Are you sure you won’t let me talk to her for just a minute? I know everything will work out once I get to have my say.”
Daniel shook his head. “Git on home, now.”
Grumbling under his breath, Ike climbed into the wagon and shook the reins. “Gid up, Ginger.” He directed the horse in a circle and headed back toward the main road. He glanced back once, and saw Daniel standing in the road, the rifle still pointed at Ike’s back.
* * * *
“You’ve got to talk to her, Abe. She’s thinking she’s being unfaithful to you or something.” Ike paced back and forth in the jail in front of his brother’s desk.
“Are you sure she feels the same way about you that you do about her?”
“Hell, yes. We were pretty near the Promised Land when she backed off and ran away. I just know she got to thinking about how she’s been with you and then got scared or embarrassed. Either way, she upped and ran off and sicced that boy on me.”
Abe laughed. “Are you talking about Daniel? He’s a good boy.”
Ike snorted. “Yeah, good with a gun. The little varmint held a gun on me and told me to get lost.”
“I’m sure he was just making a point. The boy probably doesn’t even know how to shoot a gun.”
“Are you crazy? Sarah has been teaching them all to shoot, or should I say Samuel. He cocked the thing and chambered a round, Abe, and from the look in his eyes he would not have had any problems blowing my head off if I hadn’t ridden off.”
Abe frowned, and got to his feet. “I’m going to have to talk to the boy. He shouldn’t be so willing to point a gun at anyone, no matter what the circumstances. I’m thinking those boys could really use a male influence in their life.” He raised his brow and looked at Ike. “You do realize that if we carry on with our plans, we’ll be taking on a ready-made family and not just Sarah.”
Ike nodded. “Of course I do. I have no problem with that. They seem like great kids, even Daniel. He’s showing how much he loves her and just how far he’s willing to go to keep her safe.” He shrugged. “I admire the boy. I’d just admire him a lot more if he’d let me talk to Sarah.”
“What do you want me to do?”
“Talk to her. Let her know that you realize she has feelings for me and that you’re okay with it.”
“You know, it might just scare her off.”
“I’m willing to take that chance because we can’t move forward until she accepts the both of us.”
“Okay, I’ll see what I can do. I’ll ride out and talk to her this afternoon.”
Ike groaned, and grumbled under his breath. “Don’t know why you can’t just do it now.” He walked out the door, slamming it shut behind him.
* * * *
Sarah slowly walked along the creek’s bank, stopping every once in awhile to smell the wildflowers. The weather was changing and they were dying out swiftly. She’d been trying to avoid Daniel and the rest of the children all morning. After they finished their chores, she’d steadfastly sidestepped Daniel’s questions and finally decided to take a walk for some time alone.
Her arms wrapped around her middle when she came to the spot where she’d made love to Abe. She lowered herself onto a rock near the water’s edge and sighed. “Why do I want the same things from Abe and Ike?” She threw a stone into the water. “What am I gonna say to Abe when I see him?” Maybe I won’t see him. He got what he wanted, so maybe he won’t come back now that I’m a fallen woman.
Her head snapped up when she heard the sound of leaves crunching. “Who’s there?”
Rachel came walking through the woods, brushing the leaves from her skirt. “I thought I’d find you here.”
“Why, is something wrong? Are the boys okay?”
Rachel walked closer. “The boys are fine but something is definitely wrong.”
“What is it?”
“You’re making a big mistake, and if you don’t fix it soon, you might not be able to fix it at all.”
Sarah frowned. “What are you talking about, girl?”
“I’m talking about Abe and Ike.” Rachel bit her lip, and looked down at her feet. “Sending Ike away last night without talking to him was a mistake.”
Sarah sighed. “You don’t know the whole story, Rachel. I’m already sort of involved with his brother.”
“I know.”
“How could you possibly know that?”
“I needed to get away from the boys for awhile and took a walk in the trees along the creek.” A red flush began moving up her neck, and she glanced off into the woods.
“When was this?”
“About the same time you and the sheriff were getting up close and personal.”
Sarah winced, and felt an incredible desire to run away. She rubbed at her neck, pulling at her collar, and cleared her throat. “You should have just walked away, Rachel. You never should have seen us.” She looked out over the water. “So, you already know why I sent Ike away last night. I can’t be with him because I’ve already been with his brother.”
Martine, Missy - Star Wishes (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Page 15
