Covington, Cara - Love Under Two Lawmen [The Lost Collection] (Siren Menage Everlasting) (7 page)

Moving her hips against her right hand, she used her left to pull the material out of the way so that she could touch hot, naked skin. Faster and faster, her hips flexed, the sensations beginning to grow and change from good to better, to
more
. Urgency filled her, and heat built inside her and out as the lips of her pussy swelled and grew hot. Her fingers brushed against one particular spot at the top of her slit, and the urge to cry out came so fast she forced the back of her left hand across her mouth to stifle it. She circled that spot, rubbing quickly back and forth over the tiny nub that swelled and stretched, and then, from somewhere deep inside, a burst of pleasure so intense shot out. Her body bowed off the bed, every muscle clenching tight as the waves of shivering ecstasy washed over her. A tiny gush of moisture coated her cunny, and as the height of the release ebbed, she touched that moisture with her finger, then brought that finger to her lips.

Oh, God
. She’d never believed it would feel so good. She had no doubt in her mind that the two men she’d met today—only today—lay at the root of her body’s awakening hunger.

If I leave with them to search for the gold, we’re going to become lovers
.

Amanda drifted toward sleep knowing she not only wanted them but had already decided to have them.

* * * *
  

“The trail we’re going to set out on is nearly four hundred miles one way.” Adam spread a map out on the dining room table. “We’ll take the shortest route, which would be straight through here to Denison. That’s just this side of the border with Indian Territory.”

Amanda had difficulty focusing on the man’s words when he stood so close to her. She’d gotten the best night’s sleep she’d had since leaving home. She thought when she awoke that whatever effect the two lawmen had on her the day before would have dissipated.

It pulsed stronger than ever.

“Is there a problem traveling through Indian Territory? Call me ignorant, but I had heard hostilities existed between some of the tribes and the whites.” She looked at each of the people standing around the table. Her cousin’s husbands were once more standing on either side of Sarah, again with a hand each upon her. Amanda thought it likely the men weren’t even aware they stroked her almost constantly.

Warren stood on her left, not as close to her as Joshua did to Sarah, but close enough for Amanda to feel his heat. Adam had moved subtly closer on her right, and she could not only feel the warmth from his body, but she could smell him—a musky, male aroma that shouted
man
to all her female parts. She blinked, bringing her focus back to the business at hand.

“
We
won’t have any trouble.” Adam gave her a look that said he realized her mind had wandered and that he had a pretty good idea where it had gone. “Mainly because we’re not carpetbaggers trying to steal Indian land. Plus, I have a good friend, Peter Smith, whose father is a chief of the Cherokee Nation. I know some of the Choctaw, too.”

“A chief of the Cherokee Nation is named Smith?” Amanda was unashamed to admit she knew nothing at all about the Indians who occupied the middle of the country. The only knowledge she did have had been garnered recently when she’d done her digging into her father’s military background. What she had read, though, had sickened her.

How could we have forced those people to leave everything behind and then make such a long, arduous journey
?

What she had learned just served to reinforce her resentment toward organized society. There had to be something wrong with a system that shunned women like her mother, who had made a living the only way she could, and then turned around and treated others, innocents, so savagely.

“Most of Indian Territory is occupied by what’s known as the Five Civilized Tribes. That would be the Cherokee, the Choctaw, the Chickasaw, the Creek, and the Seminole. They have their traditions, their history, and their languages. But for the most part, they have adopted our ways. They farm, or ranch, or live in towns, just like we do. And they’ve taken what can be considered white names, as well.”

Amanda decided she would take Adam’s word for it. “You said you thought you knew where the gold had been hidden?”

He pointed to an area on the map just outside of Tahlequah. “There are old creek beds here, not far from the town. The land on either side of them tends to be rocky, and in some places, quite elevated. There are a number of small caves throughout this entire area.” He looked up and locked his gaze on hers. “We’re going to have to be awfully damn lucky to find the right cave.”

“Don’t you believe in luck, Adam?”

Too late she realized there were many different ways a man might answer that question, some of them quite risqué.

“Maybe one of Peter’s people would be able to help you,” Sarah said. “He and his father were very kind to us when we traveled through their land—after they scared me witless, that is.”

Amanda noticed that the Benedict brothers looked as if they were trying very hard not to laugh. Sarah noticed, too, of course.

To Amanda she said, “They both still think it’s funny. What they won’t likely admit is that until those warriors drew close enough so we could see their faces,
they
were scared, too.”

Adam looked up from his map. “You didn’t tell me that part,” he teased Caleb.

“It was a moment,” Caleb admitted. “We looked up to find a line of warriors almost as far as the eye could see coming toward us. They wore full battle paint.” He paused in the memory and then said, “I don’t know if Peter or his father can help you. I don’t know if any of the elders of their tribe were among the Cherokee party led by Bell or not.”

“I believe Gladstone wanted me to find the gold,” Amanda said. “Do you think there might be a clue in this journal that I missed? Something to make the task less formidable?”

“We can certainly read through the account again. Maybe we can all have a turn with it.”

“That’s a good idea,” Amanda readily agreed. “Perhaps something will stand out to one of you that I missed.”

Adam looked up, his gaze meeting hers. “Maybe I’m just being pessimistic. He doesn’t say how many wagons, but he mentioned a ten men. Two men per wagon gives us five wagons.”

“So?”

“I’m trying to get a picture in my mind of how much gold, and therefore how much space would be needed to hide it.”

“And the men,” Amanda said quietly. Adam had a point. “He said he dragged them all into the cave, so it has to be big enough for them, too. Oh, and he said it had an overhang.”

“That’s right, he did. So it’s a pretty good sized cave, then. That makes our search a bit easier since in part of the area there isn’t enough rock for anything more than a crawl space.”

Adam looked up from the map and seared her with his gaze. “Do I need to detail to you all the things I think we’ll need to get by way of supplies, or will you trust me to go and buy them?”

Clearly, to her mind, he expected her to kick up some kind of fuss. Amanda smiled as she realized she had a new favorite pastime, and that was keeping Adam Kendall off balance.

She reached into her carpetbag and pulled out the envelope of money and handed it to him. “Here. You know what to buy. I haven’t a clue.”

Adam shook his head. “I’m amazed you made it all the way across the country in one piece,” he said.

“Traveling as a widow on her way home to kin, I found few real problems. Most folks wanted only to help me, and I have to tell you it sure was nice being treated with respect for a change.”

Adam’s gaze darkened. “You deserve to be treated with respect all the time.”

Amanda shook her head. “We both know how society works.”

“It’s so damned unfair,” Sarah said.

Amanda blinked. It seemed strange, her delicate and genteel cousin speaking profanities.

“We have a gentle mount Amanda can use,” Joshua said. “No need to buy an extra horse.”

“And don’t be thinking you’re going to pay for it,” Sarah added on quickly. Amanda laughed because that was exactly what she’d been about to suggest.

“You’re kin,” Sarah said, “and that is the end of it.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Amanda chuckled.

Caleb slanted a look at Sarah. “Well, you’ve been true to your word, that’s for sure. The first moment you set foot in this house you told us that speaking your mind and having your way were going to be two of your most notable traits.”

“Damn right,” Sarah said.

Amanda thought she could endorse a personal policy like that.

An hour later, she stood out on the verandah as Adam and Warren brought their horses around from the barn. They were going into Waco and would return the next day with the necessary supplies. The plan was to leave early the day after that.

While Amanda could and would pull her own weight, she didn’t mind leaving this part to the men. Plus, it would give her the opportunity to get well rested before their trip.

When both men crowded their horses close to her, she didn’t back up. Holding her ground, she looked up and into two sets of eyes that seemed to burn with hunger. Sarah had gone upstairs to lie down for a bit, and the Benedict brothers had headed out to chores. She stood alone with no one to overhear or to interfere.

“We’re about to leave, so this is your last chance to back out of going on your treasure hunt.”

Though Adam had spoken, Amanda sensed he spoke for Warren, too.

“Why would I want to back out?”

He let his gaze travel down the length of her body, and she swore in that moment he branded her.

“Because when we get out on the trail, just the three of us, we’re going to have you every way two men can have a woman.”

Oh, yes
. Did she feel threatened by that pronouncement? Not in the least. She felt her nipples tighten beneath the fabric of her dress. She licked suddenly dry lips.

“You do understand that I am a virgin?”

Adam’s smile made her belly flutter. “You won’t be much longer. What do you have to say about that, Miss Dupree?”

She looked from his feral expression to Warren’s hungry one. Did she tell them they already had her seduced when they’d not even laid a hand on her? Probably not a good idea. Amanda feared she didn’t know how to play coy or even how to perform the delicate waltz between men and women also known as foreplay.

What did she have to say about being had by these two lawmen? She felt her smile turn hot and sultry and could only think of one word to say.

“Good.”

Chapter 7

Adam figured it was by mutual consent he and Warren spent the time on the way to town talking about everything under the sun except Amanda.

That was only self preservation. It was hell riding with a hard-on.

As they neared their destination, the reality of the upcoming trek needed to be addressed, at least a little.

“I can’t remember the last time I was this anxious to get away from civilization,” Warren said.

Adam chuckled. “I think we’re both looking forward to this particular trail ride.”

“I’m glad we’re not taking the train. This’ll give us lots of time to get to know Amanda.”

“So I was thinking,” Adam grinned.

“I want to check in with my partner. I’ll tell him I’m going to accompany a client out of town.”

Adam looked over at Warren. “Is he going to be pissed with you?”

Warren shrugged. “If we’re successful, it won’t matter, will it? Besides, he had to travel clear to El Paso a few months back, if you’ll recall.” Warren shrugged. “It’s the nature of our work, sometimes.”

“I suppose it is.” Since they would both be heading out again before long, they didn’t bother to take their horses to the livery, as they normally would. Instead, both hitched their mounts outside the ranger headquarters.

Warren’s office was in the courthouse just across the square. A prime location, Adam knew it cost him dearly. Warren claimed it was worth it, not only to be inside the town square which was good for business, but on a personal level, to be close to Adam.

“I don’t expect it will take me long here,” Adam said. “Then I’ll head over to the livery, and then Pete’s place for the rest of the supplies.”

“I’ll likely meet you there, then.”

Just as Warren turned to leave, a sharp whistle had both of them looking in the direction of the Old Ranch Saloon.

“Well, son of a bitch,” Adam said as he recognized the man approaching. “Wyatt Earp, what the hell are you doing here? Last I heard you were headed back to Arizona.” He stepped toward the tall, lanky man, hand extended.

“Just passing through on my way to Austin.” Earp rocked back on his heels. “Couldn’t visit your town without stopping in to say hello.”

“Lucky you caught me. Warren and I are headed out of town for a couple of months.” Adam introduced Warren to the sometime lawman, sometime gambler.

“Oh yeah? Where you headed? Maybe we can ride together.” Earp asked.