Demanding Satisfaction [Bride Train 9] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (25 page)

He rolled her onto her back and kissed her, wild and demanding. He sucked her tongue, flicking his own over hers. He rubbed his body over her as if trying to cover every inch of her at once. He shifted to one side, taking his weight off, and lifted his head.

“God, what you do to me, woman!” One side of his mouth curved up. He kept his mouth open, fighting to breathe. She wasn’t much better after that kiss. He gently brushed her hair off her face. “That feels so good it’s gotta be against the law.”

“Let’s not tell anyone,” she replied. “Because I’m not going to stop doing it.”

He chuckled and rose to one elbow to look down at her. “How can we leave you behind for the winter?” His knuckle caressed her cheek. “I want you in my bed every night, Sophie McLeod. And not just for the great sex.” He kissed her nose. “You are an amazing woman.”

She couldn’t listen to his praise. It seemed so false. She’d only done what she must to survive. Until now, that is. Discovering what she’d gone without for so long had changed her life. She hoped the Gibson men came back in the spring. She would wait for them. She’d even sell her hotel. But if they weren’t back by June, she’d take matters into her own hands. There were bound to be a set of brothers eager for a lusty wife.

But they wouldn’t be Sam, or Max, or Josh.

“You’d better be back on the first train, Sam Gibson,” she warned. “I’m not going to sit on the shelf waiting for you three to make up your minds.”

Sam barked a laugh. “Good answer.” He kissed her cheek. “We’d best make sure before we head East that you know exactly what you’ll be missing this winter. And,” he added with a warning glare, “that no one else will be coming around.”

“You have nothing to hold me, Sam Gibson,” she replied. “So you’d better make sure I’m so satisfied when you go that I won’t demand it from anyone else.”

“The only men you’ll demand satisfaction from are me and my brothers.”

Max ran his hand through his hair as he stared out the window. He knew what was out there but saw nothing. Even if there had been light, his vision was clouded by what had just happened.

He’d relaxed his responsibility so much that duty had gone out the window. One look at Sophie’s luscious naked body and he’d lost his awareness of anything else. Her nipples had hardened, crinkling into tight buds as she stared at him. She’d demanded that he give in to her sexual demands, and by darn, he’d let her think that he had.

Then she took him in her hot mouth and he was gone. He’d never, ever ask a good woman to do that. But she’d taken him by surprise and then he was coming and,
oh God,
she’d not only sucked him dry, she’d enjoyed it!

So had his cock. Too darn much. Even the reminder had him hard again. He’d come twice in a few hours and couldn’t wait to plow into her willing mouth or pussy again. But what really had him throbbing was thinking of sinking into that tight little asshole. Watching his cock penetrate her flesh. Seeing that pink iris stretch around the head of his cock as he—

A noise from behind had him whirling around, ready to attack. The door opened and Sam strolled in as if he owned the hotel. Max, fists tight and ready, almost punched him.

“Where were you?” he demanded. Sam ignored him. He sauntered across the room, stopping at the table where Max kept a bottle of good brandy. It was for guests only. Sam reached out a hand.

“Don’t touch that. It’s for—”

“Emergencies,” said Sam, calmly.

He poured a finger’s worth, lifted the glass, and swallowed the whole thing. He gasped, of course, then shook his head and shoulders like a wet dog. He set the glass down with a thunk and exhaled.

“That woman will be the death of me.” He shuddered again, and then grinned. “What a way to go!”

“I ordered you to stay away from her. She needs her rest.”

“No,” said Sam, hauling the word out to three syllables. “You said to let her sleep. I did. Then she woke up.”

Max growled at Sam’s attitude. “You bedded her against my orders?”

Sam pursed his lips as if sucking the last taste of brandy off them. He slowly shook his head, showing far too much satisfaction. Sam looked relaxed and refreshed. Though Max had just had the two best orgasms of his life, he felt tighter than an overwound clock.

“You’re denying you had sex with her?” added Max impatiently.

“Heck, no!” A slow leer appeared. He leaned back and sighed. “That woman would wear a man out in a week!”

Max grunted as if a horse had kicked him. He could accept Josh and Sophie enjoying each other’s company while they did what was necessary to fulfill the plan. Screams and fighting, and Josh’s obvious satisfaction, was part of it. Sam had been the first to bed Sophie, back in Tanner’s Ford. Max had now had his turn. Sam had no reason, beyond lust, to touch her. While Max admitted he wanted the woman again, the job was his first priority. His own desires were once more far down the list. Right at the bottom, in fact. Why couldn’t Sam do the same?

Because, Max replied to himself, Sam always got what he wanted. He had the fun while Max did the work. He closed his eyes and counted to ten, twice, before the red haze drifted from his eyes.

No, he admitted once his rage faded, Sam worked hard as well. Max was too good at denying himself anything that could interfere with his plans. The only way to get through life safely was by carefully constructing plans and following them all the way to their successful conclusion. Sam usually followed the plan, but he made sure he had some pleasure along the way.

He was not jealous of his brothers bedding Sophie. It was the fact that Sam was playing when he should be working. He realized his teeth were jammed together so hard that his jaw hurt. That led to him discovering his hands were clenched into fists. When he released them he saw four crescents on each where his nails had dug in.

Fine, Sam had seduced Sophie. Again. The deed was done. His plans could adjust as long as the final outcome was the same. He counted another set of ten while Sam helped himself to a second drink. Then it was time to work.

“What did Josh report about Nathanial Potts? He did speak to you when he returned, right?”

Sam stopped, lips still on the edge of the glass, and stared. Then he snorted a laugh, swallowed the rest of his drink, and set it down. He took a good look around the room and then stared at Max.

“Care to tell me why my so-careful brother tossed his coat on the floor, has his sleeves shoved up rather than neatly folded, and kicked his boots across the room like a kid in a temper?” Sam tilted his head. “And it looks like you’ve been pulling at your hair again.” He made a tsking noise. “It’s all over the place.”

Max glared, daring him to comment further. He yanked his sleeves down. His fingers shook so much it took his full concentration to button them. Sam coughed, but it didn’t cover his snicker. Max ignored it, though his face felt hot. So hot that if he stuck it in the ice cold bowl the water might turn to steam.

“What did Josh say?” demanded Max.

“Before or after he spent ten minutes kissing Sophie?”

Max shot Sam a look that should have nailed him to the wall. “That’s enough! She’ll soon be going back to her hotel and you’ll never see her again.”

Sam narrowed his eyes, returning the look. He shook his head, slowly and deliberately. “Josh said Sophie is his woman. There is no way he’ll let her go now. Neither will I.”

Max jammed his teeth together to stop himself from saying something he might regret. Josh would not appreciate Max telling him that, as the first Gibson
he
would be the one marrying Sophie. Once Josh’s mind was made up, there was nothing Sam, Max, or even Sophie, could do about it.

He pressed his hands over his face, scrubbed as if washing, and then dropped them. Fine. He’d recalculate and move on. Since he could do nothing about it, Max shoved Sophie out of his mind. It wasn’t as easy as it should have been.

“Josh had a job to do. Did he find out about Potts, or not?”

“Nathanial Potts used to be a gambler, a good one,” said Sam. He shoved himself off the wall and stood straight, finally concentrating on the job. “The drink got to him and he got the shakes. He can deal cards, but his days of pulling tricks are over. He finds the bully boys and passes them orders from people like Smythe.”

“Any idea who Smythe’s after?”

“Other than the entire town of Tanner’s Ford?” asked Sam sarcastically. “I suspect Smythe will send Potts after the two ranches highest on his annoyance list. That would be anyone from the Double Diamond or J Bar C. Sin is in town, and Jed is on the way. They’re targets.”

“Annoy?” Max finally had something to go after Sam about. “A buzzing fly is annoying. You swat it with your hand. But Smythe said he’d destroy those two ranches. He’d kill the owners, take anything of value, and burn everything else.” Valuables included cattle, horses, possessions…and women. Jessie and Victoria, to be precise. “It would be Smythe’s last act since they’d never allow him to live if their women or children were harmed.” He shook his head. “The man might be crazy enough to do it, too.”

“Sin’s got Trace, Ranger, Ross, and now Ben and Gillis to back him up,” said Sam. “They were on their way to have a quiet word with that railway big bug, Baird. They only told me about it so we’d know where they were in case something happens with Sophie.”

Max nodded, relieved Sam had the situation under control after all. “Why didn’t you tell me you were working? You come in here like you’ve done nothing but—” He shut up before he could put his foot in it about Sophie. Sam smirked knowingly.

“Because I’m your brother, Maxie. If I don’t shake you up, who will?”

“I don’t need shaking up!” Max jammed his lips together, dismissing the conversation as he knew it would go nowhere. When Sam started calling him that hated nickname, he was too far gone to listen. “Do you know what the ranchers are doing with Baird?”

“Didn’t you meet the man?”

“We were talking about Smythe and Isaac,” replied Max.

“Trace hinted about buying a large parcel of land without Smythe, or anyone else, knowing about it.”

“Anyone else on their way?”

“Jed, Luke, Cole, and Zach should be here tomorrow.”

“What? They’ll only get in the way!”

Sam held up his hands, denying he had anything to do with it.

“Be glad it’s only one man from each ranch. Trace said it took a lot of convincing to keep the women away. They all wanted to be in on catching Isaac.” Sam snorted a laugh. “They told their husbands not to come back until Isaac was strung up or hauled East for a trial. The more bloodthirsty ones said they wanted Ross to have a few hours alone with him before the law hanged what was left.”

Max grunted in agreement. What Isaac had done to some of the women before killing them had turned his usually staunch stomach. His job was to catch the criminals and provide evidence for a trial, not seek vigilante justice. But how hard would he fight to stop a mob from breaking Isaac out of jail and hauling him away to be tortured and hanged? It wasn’t a question he wanted to answer, even to himself.

“Our first priority must be Smythe. That’s who we were sent here to arrest. Isaac has to come second.”

“Sophie will find out who Isaac is without getting hurt. It means a lot to her,” Sam added quietly.

“She’ll have, what, twelve Tanner’s Ford ranchers in town to protect her?”

“No, she won’t. If they go near her, someone might figure out who she is and ruin everything. But there’s another way to speed things up.”

Max had seen that look on his brother’s face before. It meant that Sam had a plan he knew Max wouldn’t like. He impatiently motioned for Sam to speak.

“Sophie, as Queenie, needs to rebel so strongly that Abby has a reason to send for Isaac right away.”

“I thought Josh buying her was the reason to send for Isaac?”

“Won’t work.” Sam rolled his eyes. “Sophie’s not good at the look of a well-contented cat who wants more cream. Abby wouldn’t believe Sophie would refuse Josh.”

“So what plan did you come up with?”

“Josh, who everyone saw hand over his gold poke for Sophie, can’t even buy good whiskey,” said Sam eagerly. “But he likes his drink. So he agrees to let someone else take her for the night in return for good drink.”

“Why would a man do that when Queenie wants him?”

“Because he’s had her already that day, is hung over, and wants whiskey. A drunk wouldn’t be able to get it up more than once a day. When the stranger buys him some of the good stuff, the idea sounds even better. Since he can’t use her that night except as a warm body to snore beside, why shouldn’t he get some money back?”

“And Sophie? I mean, Queenie?”

“She screams and complains, of course. Maybe she attacks Josh like she did the other men, making him angry. If this fight happens early enough in the day there’ll be time for Abby to get Isaac to visit as soon as it’s dark. They’d plan for the stranger to come after Sophie’s been shown she has no choice.”

“And who would play this stranger?”

Sam’s grin answered the question. Max stared at the floor as he thought it over. It was obvious that Sam wanted to “buy” Queenie from Josh. But Max was identical to Sam. Only one of them could be in the public view. Why couldn’t he get the benefit? Isaac would be arrested before he touched Sophie, but she might be suitably impressed with the Pinkerton agents for catching him. Maybe she’d want to celebrate. In bed.