Their Reluctant Bride (Bridgewater Menage Series Book 6) (9 page)

“Like honey, sweetheart.”

I was wet and watching him suck my juices from his finger only made me wetter. He was so carnal, so virile I wanted him to take me again.

“Let’s get you dressed before we fuck you here on the table and make you all dirty again.” He held out his hand and helped me up and off the table.

“I will need to get my clothes from home,” I said, remembering that I had nothing but the one dress.

“Home is with us now, baby,” Tyler commented. “We’ll stop and collect your things on the way.”

Tyler tossed Xander my dress and he helped me into it, did the buttons for me.

“I need my corset,” I said, when I realized I was only wearing my slip with my dress.

Xander finished up the remainder of the buttons, then cupped my breasts through the material. “Not today. We want easy access. It’s a long ride. We may want to stop and fuck you on the way. To take the edge off our needs until we get you home and in bed. Our bed.”

The idea had my folds getting damp.

“I like breasts, baby.” Tyler tugged me to him and he wrapped his arm about my waist, holding me tight. I was being manhandled, bandied about between the two of them like a toy. Perhaps I was to their baser needs. I should have felt embarrassed about this as I did when they played with my ass, but I didn’t. It felt… good. I hadn’t had the attentions—good attentions—of a man before. Now I was the center of two men’s attentions. They wanted me. There was no doubt. The difference between these two and Frank was that they weren’t just taking. They were giving in return. In fact, I’d had many more orgasms than them. Combined.

“I like nipples. I like seeing
your
nipples all tight and hard.” Tyler pushed me back and took his own turn cupping them. He could feel that my nipples had indeed tightened at their words. He growled. “You’re bewitching.” He swatted my bottom gently.

“Breakfast,” Xander said, his voice almost a cranky growl. It seemed none of us wanted to join the others for the meal, instead eager for each other.

Tyler was wrong though. I wasn’t the one who’d done the bewitching.

CHAPTER SEVEN

TYLER

“We weren’t expecting you,” Mason said, opening the door wide for us to enter. We’d walked the distance to his house—with Brody and their wife, Laurel—where the group congregated for the meals. As Kane, Ian and Emma had the biggest kitchen, it was usually served at their house—the house we’d been staying in—but had relocated for the duration.

Emily stood between us, Xander’s hand at the small of her back. I liked having her in the middle, knowing she belonged to us and was ours to protect. What I didn’t like was seeing the outline of her hard nipples through her dress. My cock hardened, which made walking uncomfortable. Perhaps skipping her corset wasn’t such a good idea.

“We will eat and then be on our way,” I told him. “It’s time to return to our own ranch.”

“Yes,” Brody added as he came into the entry from the dining room. Laurel followed. “Kane and Ian’s house is not where you should settle with your bride.”

Xander nudged Emily toward the other woman and they walked off toward the kitchen together. While she was closest to Olivia, all of the women at Bridgewater were her friends. I was glad to see her comfortable here. She would eventually adjust to having two husbands, but it felt good knowing that Bridgewater would be a sanctuary for her, where there were others who understood her need to submit to two men, perhaps even when she might not.

“The food’s on the table,” Brody said, then went back into the dining room. The scent of fried potatoes and bacon filled the air.

We followed and the ladies joined us from the kitchen, Emily carrying a platter of sliced ham. We saved her a seat between us and I held out a chair for her. She paused and looked at Olivia and her men, who were already seated at the table. Color bloomed in her cheeks and she looked away. I’d forgotten about what she’d witnessed the day before.

Olivia stood and came around the table, took Emily’s hand in hers.

“Don’t be embarrassed. Please,” she practically begged. “We are fast friends and I’d hate for anything to come between us.” Olivia looked over her shoulder. “Especially my three very eager, very dominant husbands.”

Emily glanced at her friend out of the corner of her eye. After biting her lip, she said, “I thought they were hurting you.”

Olivia shook her head. “Hurt? No. I wasn’t happy, at least there for a short time when they worked that thing into me.” She’d leaned forward and grumbled the last, but I could still hear.

“She is a fierce friend,” Simon said. Emily and Olivia both turned toward the man. “I thought she was going to shoot us.”

I hadn’t heard the part about a gun. I saw Xander sit up straighter at the reference.

Simon held up his hands as if we were holding a gun to him now. “She took the rifle off the wall. Came barging and would have shot anyone who hurt Olivia.”

“Yes,” Rhys added. “We are lucky our wife has such a friend.”

Cross nodded his agreement.

I wasn’t too keen on hearing my wife had been waving a rifle around, but if Cross, Simon and Rhys were not bothered by the incident, then all I could do was to remember to teach Emily how to shoot.

Emily blushed again, this time for a completely different reason. I reached out and took Emily’s hand, tugged her backward so I could wrap an arm about her waist. “Better now?” I asked.

She glanced at Olivia’s men, who only had looks of respect on their faces.

She nodded and everyone returned to the meal. It was impressive how accepting she was. It could also have been the fact that we’d worked a plug into her ass just as Olivia’s men had done to her. She could understand now. She might not have liked it in the moment, but she certainly screamed her pleasure when we’d brought her to orgasm with it filling her.

“You didn’t wear the men out, Emily,” Simon said as he cut a slice of ham.

I paused in my chewing. I expected a ribald comment or two since we had appeared directly after our wedding night and was glad it was directed at me and Xander. Simon obviously knew she’d had enough embarrassment for some time.

She scooped some potatoes onto her plate, then glanced up. “Oh?”

Cross passed me a pitcher of water.

“You are an
experienced
bride,” Simon added. “I expected both men’s cocks would be too sore for them to walk far.” Laughter ensued and I couldn’t help but shake my head. If we’d been at home, his statement would have been fairly accurate. Once there, I had no intention of letting her out of the bedroom for several days. As for now, Simon could clearly see that Emily was a well satisfied bride and I knew I couldn’t help the content smile on my own face. By the way Xander looked, he might not even be surly for a time yet.

“I was gentle with them,” Emily replied. “As they said, we have a long ride ahead today.”

I couldn’t help but grin as I leaned back and placed my arm over the tall back of Emily’s chair. My fingers stroked her shoulder. I liked seeing her smile, seeing her finally at ease.

Simon laughed and pointed his fork at my bride. “Ah, Emily. I’m glad to see you have some spirit. You’re going to need it with these two.”

The meal was interrupted by heavy footfall on the front porch and everyone turned when Quinn, one of the ranch’s foremen, held a man by his collar and pushed him into the room. The man stumbled, but Quinn jerked him upright.

“Found this man skulking about,” Quinn said, not loosening his hold.

“I wasn’t
skulking
,”
he replied, and tried to tug himself free, without any luck. Quinn held him fast and seemed more than eager to tear him limb from limb.

I recognized him from the picnic. He’d been the man who had made Emily unhappy, the man who we’d run off. What the hell was he doing here?

“Who are you and what are you doing on Bridgewater land?” Simon asked, standing to his very tall height. He made Xander and me seem like growing adolescents.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Emily stiffen, her back ramrod straight. Her fork clattered onto her plate. Based on the fact that neither Simon nor Quinn knew the man and Emily was not eager to see him—again—it was clear he was here because of her.

Xander must have come to the same conclusion because he stood when I did, our chairs scraping against the wood floor. I placed a hand on Emily’s small shoulder. I felt her shudder beneath my palm and was glad she was sheltered between us. If this man meant to harm her, he’d have to get past both of us, and all of the Bridgewater men in the room.

“Explain yourself,” Xander said, tossing his napkin onto the table.

The man turned his gaze to Emily and pointed a dirty, stubby finger. “She owes me money.”

I heard Emily gasp. How the hell did she get involved with this bastard? The answer didn’t matter at the moment. I just wanted him gone.

“How much?” I asked.

His eyes widened, then narrowed with obvious avarice. “Fifty dollars.”

Xander reached into his pocket and pulled out his billfold. Rounding the table, he counted out the money before handing it to the man. Xander didn’t step back, but loomed over him with his hands on his hips. With Quinn at his back, the man didn’t dare make trouble and he knew it.

“Consider yourself paid,” Xander said, his voice cold. “Now get the hell out of here.” He pointed toward the front door.

Quinn tugged on his shoulder, pulling him back toward the entry. “I’ll see that he gets off Bridgewater land.”

“Much obliged,” Xander said, with a nod of his head.

When the men’s steps could no longer be heard, Xander returned to his chair. “Sorry, Brody, Mason,” he nodded at both men. “I know this is your house and you should have been the ones to toss him out.”

Brody held up his hand. “You were protecting your woman.” He said nothing more as he glanced to Laurel in a way that said he’d have killed the man if he had been here for her.

“If you’ll excuse us, we have some things to discuss with our bride,” I said to the room at large. I was angry. Furious. Fucking frustrated.

I reached down and clasped Emily’s elbow with a gentleness that belied my mood, helping her to her feet, then guiding her out of the dining room. While she wasn’t resisting, she wasn’t eager either. Xander went down a long hall and stuck his head in one door, then another. We followed into an office and he closed the door behind us. Only the ticking of a clock on the mantel of an unlit fireplace made noise. That and Emily’s quick breaths.

“Who is he?” I asked, when we both turned to face her.

She looked down at the floor, her shoulders slumped. Her recently flushed cheeks were now pale.

“His name is Ralph.” The sound of her voice was nothing like a few moments earlier when she was joking with Simon.

“How do you know him?” Xander asked.

She spun around, her eyes wild as she pointed at herself. “Me? I don’t. Frank knew him.”

Shit. Her gambler husband owed the man money and he’d been pestering Emily for it. “Is that why he was talking with you at the picnic?”

She looked out the window, but nodded. Her hands played in the folds of her dress.

“Is that why you married us? So we’d pay your debt?” Xander’s words were harsh. It was an angle I hadn’t considered.

Shit.
He thought she’d been using us. Perhaps she had. Without even knowing her answer, I could see why she’d done it, why a woman would choose us to protect her from the likes of that bastard. Xander, though, had a dark soul. He wasn’t trusting like I was. He’d trusted in the past and paid a terrible price.

“We’re rich. You knew that,” he continued.

She slowly lifted her head and met Xander’s hard stare. Her entire face held no expression, her eyes almost dead.

“You could have just asked.” Xander’s lips thinned as he ran a hand over his beard. “Any one of the Bridgewater men would have given him the money. You didn’t have to marry us.”

Tears streamed down her cheeks, but that was the only indication of her feelings.

“He’s gone, but you’re stuck with us, sweetheart.”

When he said the endearment, there wasn’t any warmth to it.

“You want me to tell you I married you for love?” she asked, her voice low. “You don’t love me. You desire me. You proved that last night. But, love?” She shook her head. “No. You wanted me for your own reasons.”

She was right. While I felt a connection with her, a bond that was strong enough to want me to marry her, I didn’t love her. At least not yet. I barely knew her. The way she was standing up to Xander, the way she must have had to deal with Ralph, not to mention her husband before he died, had me admiring her. She didn’t deserve an asshole for a husband. She didn’t deserve to be left as a penniless widow. She didn’t deserve to be hounded by a man who wanted money. Hell, maybe she didn’t even deserve us.

“You got what you want.” Xander placed his hands on his hips. “Now, it’s time for you to give us what we want.”

His intent was clear.

Emily didn’t break his gaze as she swallowed, then calmly turned and leaned over the desk. Reaching back with an indifference born of experience, she lifted up her dress so that it bunched at her waist. Her gorgeous ass was round and curved over the edge.

“Jesus,” I whispered, pissed that she’d done it with such easy acceptance. I stared hard at Xander, wanted to punch him in the face. “She bent over the desk thinking you want to fuck her as payment.”

Xander stepped up to her, ran a hand over one pale globe and she flinched. “You think we want a whore?” He spanked her and she gasped. “We didn’t marry you to be our whore. That’s not what I want from you now.”

She looked over her shoulder, confusion marring her smooth brow. “Then what
do
you want from me?”

“Honesty. We gave the man money and you’ll give us the truth.”

Damn straight.

“I told you the truth!” She tried to rise, but Xander pressed a hand at the small of her back and held her down. A pink handprint was forming on her pale skin.

“I went to jail for six months because of a lying woman,” he admitted.