In the previous weeks, her stepbrother had grown more and more bold with his not-so-subtle moves. She feared that once her mother was gone, she would be expected to marry Frank. Her stepfather would force her to marry his crazy son to gain control of her trust.
Not if she still breathed.
After he finished tying up Frank, the man named Jesse walked toward her, and her breathing all but stopped. With his black hair and dark eyes, she felt drawn to him, like he was her protector and nothing could harm her. Through his shirt, she could see his muscles flex and wanted to run her hands across his chest.
“Miss, are you all right,” he asked. “If not, I’ll kill him right now.”
While the thought of Frank dead would be a relief, that was not what she wanted. “Thank you,” she said breathless. “I’m fine. You arrived before anything happened. I’m Mattie Byrne.”
“Jesse Kelton,” he said, his face stern, not friendly like the other man. A sexual prowess seemed to emanate from
him, and warmth flooded her all the way to her center. Never before had she experienced such an instant attraction.
“Alex Craghead,” the other man said, stepping up beside her. She had the most incredible urge to run her finger down the scar on his cheek.
The men exchanged a glance. “I have a shirt if you’d like to wear it over your torn dress.”
With a start, she had forgotten all about the ripped bodice. Glancing down, she could see her camisole was all that covered her breasts, her hardened nipples. When she looked up, neither of the men’s eyes were gazing at her chest like she feared.
Jesse reached into his saddle bags and pulled out a long-sleeve shirt and handed it to her. She slipped her arms into the soft cotton, the smell of the man overwhelming her. The heavy feel of his shirt was almost like he had wrapped his arms around her.
“We’ll get you safely home,” Jesse said.
“Thank you,” she whispered, though, she wished she lived farther away to be near him longer. Jesse helped her into his saddle and then he climbed up behind her. When his arms surrounded her, the protective feeling overcame her. The man acted like a perfect gentleman, though she couldn’t help but wish for more. What she desired, she had no idea, but just the thought of his body being so close had her gasping for breath.
On his horse, with his chest against her back, she felt like nothing could harm her.
“Has your stepbrother been bothering you?”
“Since my mother’s illness, he’s grown bolder. I avoid him as much as possible.”
His clean breath tickled her ear as he leaned in close to talk to her. Though she knew he was trying to shield her, she didn’t want to talk about Frank. Where had these men come from and why were they guarding her?
“What does your father say?”
“My father passed away and my mother remarried several years ago. Frank’s father, Edward, is my stepfather.”
The day her mother married was the day hell arrived. A more conniving man she’d never met than her stepfather.
As they rode toward her home, she didn’t want it to end, though she knew her mother needed her now more than ever. The sway of Jesse’s horse had her rubbing against his chest creating a tension in her body she’d never felt.
The aroma of horse and man had her breathing even more deeply. Something about the way Jesse smelled had her almost swaying in the saddle. How she wanted this ride to go on.
The house came into view and she wanted to groan. Would she ever see these men again?
“What’s wrong with your mother?” he asked.
“Consumption,” she said, the pain gripping her chest. Once her mother was gone, Mattie would be in so much danger.
“Could we meet her?” Alex asked.
“Of course,” she said and wondered what her mother would think of the two burly, handsome men. As she gazed between them, she couldn’t help but wonder which one she would choose. Alex made her knees grow weak and he’d been so kind and caring. In Jesse’s arms, she felt like nothing could harm her, safe and guarded and he smelled so delightful.
When they arrived at the house, Alex placed his hands around her waist and lifted her from the saddle. His touch was warm and when her feet touched the ground, she glanced up into his gaze and felt as though the world spun around her.
A smile spread across his face as Jesse stepped out of the saddle and stood directly behind her. For a moment, she felt sandwiched between them and her heart almost beat out of her chest. Breathless, she moved toward the house, wondering at the feelings they evoked.
The Victorian farmhouse had been in her family for generations. And yet she knew she would be forced to leave the farm once her mother died. Her stepfather and stepbrother would never give her the home and she could not stay. That was obvious.