Tucker groaned. “A shy, dirty girl?”
I blushed but couldn’t deny it.
“Then we need to make you ours. We might have you in my bedroom, but we won’t dishonor you by doing all the things we want. Yet. Marry us.”
Elation and eagerness pulsed through my veins, made me shaky.
“Marry you?” I repeated.
I all but jumped into Tucker’s arms when he nodded. For once, God, just once, I did exactly as I felt instead of what was right. The men had kissed me, but I wanted to grab hold of Tucker and never let go.
His arms came around me and held me to him. I could feel every hard inch of him, feel the beat of his heart. Turning my head, I looked up at him, saw the happiness in his blue eyes. “Just like that?”
Gabe came to stand beside Tucker again. It seemed they liked to loom over me. “Just like that?” he repeated. “Hell, woman, we’ve wanted you for a long time, perhaps before it was right. But we waited, let you go away to school. But you’re back, now, and we’re done being patient. Bridgewater men take what they want and give their women what they need. With nothing is standing in our way, we are ready. The question is, do you want us?”
“Both of us?” Tucker added, stroking my hair back.
What they were saying was like a dream come true. Yes! Yes, I wanted them.
“Yes, of course I do. I… I’ve wanted you for such a long time, too.”
Both men sighed loudly, and I saw their shoulders relax.
“You have?” Tucker asked.
I hadn’t even known they’d truly wanted me, but now it was quite clear. They were so strong, so powerful, and yet I had power over them. I forgot they, too, had weaknesses. Feelings.
“I thought it was just a girlhood crush, but it… never went away,” I admitted. “Even after being away at school, it came back stronger when I saw you again.”
“We’ll protect you, precious. Take care of your every need. You saw how much I want you,” Tucker said. “I won’t do more until our ring is on your finger. Marry us.”
This was the second time he said this, and it still wasn’t a question but a command. It didn’t matter. I wanted it. Them. So, so much.
I nodded. “Yes.”
Tucker stepped back from the door, pulling me with him, allowing Gabe to open it. Tucker took my hand in his, and I was down the stairs and out into the sunshine before I knew what was happening. Without any drawers. There was a conversation to be had about it, but I had a feeling I wouldn’t get my way.
CHAPTER FOUR
Gabe
I hadn’t thought much of Robert taking on the role of justice of the peace. Until now. Now, we rode our horses across Bridgewater so he could marry us to Abigail. Taking her to town for a church wedding wasn’t going to happen. We didn’t want to waste a minute before making her ours, and we certainly didn’t want her changing her mind. The way she jumped into Tucker’s arms led me to believe she wouldn’t have second thoughts, but I wasn’t going to find out.
Watching Abigail react to the spanking had been… incredible. I’d known she’d dislike it, fight and squirm to escape my falling hand, but she hadn’t given us much alternative. While she’d stunned us with the truth about her man from Butte, she’d refused to divulge more, even after a stern warning. She’d needed us to spank her, to make her tell us. She’d wanted to submit to us, to receive a reason to finally tell the truth.
And when she did, when she gave herself over to my hold, to my commands, it had been beautiful. Not her tears, for they were hard to witness, but the release of pent-up emotions, of the burden, was incredible. She’d given the truth to us, given the weight of her lie over to us to keep. To think it had all been because of her scar.
But, now, now we would make her ours. Perhaps our becoming her husbands would prove to her once and for all the mark meant nothing. We still wanted her as our bride.
Andrew answered the door, and we introduced him to Abigail. A grin split his face when he learned why we were there. We followed him into the parlor where Robert, Ann, and Christopher were. Robert was sprawled on the floor beside his son, playing with a wooden train.
He stood when he saw Abigail.
Christopher saw Tucker and ran to him, wrapping his tiny arms around one of his legs. He picked the boy up and tossed him into the air. Once, then again.
“Abigail, you know Ann, however I don’t believe you’ve met her husbands, Andrew and Robert.” I made the introductions as Tucker kept the boy busy.
She nodded at the two big men, and I saw her turn her face away slightly. Her mind was distracted by the reason for our unannounced visit, so I had to assume the action was subconscious. I looked forward to breaking her of this habit.