Their Accidental Bride (Bridgewater Brides) Read online

  Roscoe lowered himself to the bed and tugged me down to sit beside him then he gently pressed me backwards, arranging a pillow carefully under my head.

  “What are you doing?” I wasn’t afraid, merely curious. I was naïve to the ways of the world.

  “We’re going to show you what it means to be ours, sweetheart,” Roscoe rumbled in a deep, throaty voice.

  “Yours? Both of you?” I was confused. How could they both want me?

  “Yes. Ours,” Shane confirmed. “It’s the Bridgewater way,” he said, as though the simple explanation made it all clear.

  “I don’t understand. How? Why?” I let my voice trail off.

  “The founders of Bridgewater spent time in Mohamir,” Roscoe said. “It’s the custom there to share one woman between two men.”

  If that was supposed to explain this curious practice, it didn’t. I was still confused. I knew nothing of Mohamir. My education didn’t extend to geography. Or history. I knew very little of other places, or their ways, and the idea of having two husbands was completely foreign to me. It just wasn’t done. Was it?

  “Two husbands,” I mused. “Is that legal?”

  “You’ll marry Roscoe,” Shane said. “He’s the eldest. But you will belong to us both.”

  “The Mohamiran, and Bridgewater way, means the woman will always be cherished and protected, and if something happens to one of her men, she won’t be left alone,” Roscoe said, like the arrangement they were proposing was the most natural thing in the world.

  I was silent for a moment as I tried to digest what they were saying, and accept the twist my life seemed to have taken. Two husbands. The words spun around and around in my brain, banging against the edges, until it started to seem like a good idea.

  “Oh.” It made sense, I supposed. This way, I wouldn’t have to choose between them. Because how could I choose? Both of them set my heart aflutter. Both of them were handsome, strong, kind and gentle. I’d felt that for myself. Even Shane manhandling me had been done for the right reasons: protecting me. Keeping me safe. Oh how I longed to be safe! Maybe I would be, now.

  I’d come to the Montana Territory prepared to marry one man I’d never met. And now, completely by accident, I’d ended up with two of them. And then it occurred to me. “Was Coleton going to share me with someone as well? He didn’t say anything in his letter.”

  “I don’t think so love,” Shane answered. “He didn’t live in Bridgewater.”

  “Oh.” The term of endearment made my tummy flip. Warmth spread inside me. It felt right, that he spoke in such an intimate manner, like I was his already.

  “But you’ll share me? Both of you? Together? How does that work?” The physical aspect of things had me confused. Aunt Nellie had told me little of such matters. Only that I must do my wifely duty. But she certainly hadn’t told me anything about how to please two husbands. I didn’t even really know how to please one.

  “We’ll show you,” Roscoe answered simply.

  I swallowed, as Roscoe brushed his fingers over my cheek. His thumb was rough and leathery as he slid it over my lips. My skin was left tingling where he’d touched.

  My pulse raced as he lowered his face and pressed his mouth to where his thumb had been. My lips parted of their own volition to accept his eager tongue as his mouth melded into mine. I’d never been kissed before and Roscoe’s magical mouth made my head spin with desire. His beard scratched my cheek but I only noticed that for a moment because his kiss took my breath away. His tongue in my mouth, flicking against mine, sent a sweet ache to my bosom. The air around us seemed to spark. Did he notice it too? Or was it just me being affected? He deepened the kiss, claiming me hungrily, urgently, his hands cupping my face, holding me tight, not letting me go. That sweet ache spread through my body, radiating outwards from my core. His mouth was fixed on mine, claiming me in such a primal way, leaving me in no doubt that I was theirs.

  While Roscoe kissed me, Shane positioned himself between my legs on the bed then lifted up my skirts and wrestled with my petticoat. He untied my drawers and slid them down my thighs. I squirmed with anticipation. What was he going to do to me? Before I could even think about what was happening he had his fingers there, pressed against my feminine folds, sending sparks shooting through me. I gasped against Roscoe’s mouth and my back arched all by itself, inviting Shane to touch me more.

  I reached out to touch them but Roscoe caught my wrists and held them above my head, pressed against the bed. “No,” he whispered in my ear. “You are to lie still and let us pleasure you.”

  “But –“

  “No buts.” He touched his finger to my lips. “Hush.

  Shane’s mouth replaced his fingers, licking and sucking on my swollen sex where his fingers had been. His mouth down there was so unexpected, and felt so naughty, yet I didn’t want him to stop. My eyes widened as his hot tongue explored my pussy, making my pulse race and my whole body tingle.

  “Oh!” I moaned as Roscoe kissed his way down my throat, all the way to my breasts, kissing the edge of my nipple, sucking it into his mouth. At the same time, Shane delved inside me with his tongue, driving me wild with desire.

  Wifely duty? This was no duty. Aunt Nellie clearly had no idea what she was talking about.

  Sparks flew up and down my body and I writhed on the bed under their touch. I’d never felt like this before. I hadn’t known it was possible for my body to feel so alive. All my nerve endings were on fire as Shane and Roscoe both worked their magic with their fingers and tongues.

  “Oh!” I tried to stop my shameful sounds of arousal but it was impossible. The most incredible sensations ricocheted through my body, stretching everything tight, winding me up like a top, making me hot and achy and wanting.

  “Oh my!” This was wrong. So wrong. But it felt so good! I tilted my pelvis up, offering them my body, silently begging them for more.

  They obliged me. Their fingers and tongues moved faster and faster against me, flicking lightly, teasing me, tormenting me. Still sucking on my nipple and caressing my breasts, Roscoe reached down with his other hand, sliding his rough fingers down my torso, to the little nub at the top of my pussy. He pinched it lightly between forefinger and thumb. Shane’s tongue delved deeper inside me and the thin thread holding me captive snapped. I arched my back and squealed out my pleasure like a common hussy as my whole body exploded. I was flying! I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think. I could only feel. And what I felt as the earth shattered around me and wave after wave of ecstasy washed over me was amazing.

  I lay back on the pillows, sated and spent, as my body trembled. Shane and Roscoe both grinned.

  Roscoe took my chin in his hand and looked straight into my eyes. “This is what it means to be ours, sweetheart. Do you want it?”

  “Yes!” I cried. “Yes, yes!”

  There was no doubt in my mind for a moment. I had never, even in my wildest imaginations, dreamed that I would have two husbands. But after what they had just done to me I had to wonder how one could possibly be enough?

  I closed my eyes for a moment, trying to catch my breath. All of the women I knew who only had one husband, were definitely missing out.

  The bed shook as Shane and Roscoe both stood up and I opened my eyes to look at them. Both of them looked sheepish, almost regretful. Their shirts were untucked, their hair ruffled. But still, they looked so handsome. They were both by far the best looking men I’d ever met. Huge, too. So much bigger than my brother. I felt dwarfed as I stood up beside them.

  “We’d better take you to Emma, Kane and Ian’s house for the night. They’re the closest,” Roscoe said. “Dress yourself sweetheart. Then we’ll go before it gets any later.”

  I looked at him in confusion. Go? Why?

  Roscoe must have read my mind. “It’s not proper for you to stay with us tonight,” he said.

  I looked at him, amused. “Not proper?” I asked. “After what you’ve just done to me?” There was no part of my body they hadn
’t seen or touched. Who did they think they were fooling, shipping me off to stay elsewhere? Were appearances really that important? Maybe things out here weren’t so different to Philadelphia, after all.

  “We’ve already gone too far. We don’t want to risk your reputation.”

  “Shouldn’t that be up to me?” I asked.

  “No. It’s a matter of honor not to debauch our wife before the wedding. If you’re not here, we won’t be able to give in to temptation,” Shane said.

  I nodded. That made sense. I didn’t like it, but I understood it. I’d only just met these men and didn’t want to leave them so soon. Especially if it meant meeting even more strangers. But if it was what they wanted, I would do it.

  “Who are these people, then?” I asked.

  “Friends,” Roscoe said. “Ian and Kane share Emma between them.”

  “Ah. A Bridgewater marriage.”

  “Yes,” Shane agreed. “That’s the way it’s done here.”

  “It still seems strange,” I mused.

  “You’ll get used to it,” Shane said. And he was right, I would. Already, I had accepted it for myself. Before too much longer, I would think it was perfectly normal.

  It was dark outside. Clouds muted the light of the moon. But I could see the gentle glow of lamps in the window of a house in the distance and I trusted Shane and Roscoe to deliver me there safely. I clung to the arms of my men and tried not to think about the creatures that inhabited the dark night. Snakes, scorpions. Coyotes. There was a snuffle behind us and I jumped, forced a scream to stay in my throat, and pressed myself closer to Roscoe.

  “It’s just a cow, sweetheart. It won’t hurt you,” he crooned. But I noticed he held me tighter anyway, just to reassure me.

  Shane moved a bit closer to me. “We’ll protect you, my love.”

  It felt nice, being sandwiched between the two big, burly men. Even though I still barely knew them, they made me feel safe.

  They introduced me to Emma and her two husbands, Kane and Ian. Both men had thick accents. Scottish? I wasn’t sure. I’d never heard the brogue before and I had to listen carefully to make sense of what they said.

  Emma bustled around efficiently, settling me in a big, comfortable chair in front of the fire, serving me bread and jam. Her friendly smile broke through my nervousness and immediately put me at ease. The men went outside to talk. When they came back in, it was just for Shane and Roscoe to say good night.

  “We’ll be back first thing in the morning,” Shane told me. “Tomorrow we’ll go into Butte, return your buggy and stand before the preacher.” He held my shoulders, brushed my cheek with his thumb. “That will give you a chance to change your mind about staying with us.”

  I nodded. I wouldn’t be changing my mind, though. Of that, I was certain. After the wicked things they had just done to my body, there was no way I could leave them now. Not now that they had claimed me. I was theirs.

  For the rest of the evening my hosts asked me questions about my past in Philadelphia, but I kept most of my life there close to my chest. I didn’t need their pity when they learned my brother sold me to someone cruel, and I didn’t want them to look down on me when they figured out I didn’t possess any of the skills necessary for a life out here. But I told them enough to be polite. They seemed like they were very nice people, and I hoped Emma would become a good friend. I could use a good friend, especially because I had left the friends I’d had in Philadelphia, behind.

  They also told me a little about themselves, and Bridgewater, and Shane and Roscoe. Kane and Ian both spoke highly of my men, respect evident in their tones. Shane and Roscoe hadn’t been in Bridgewater as long as some of the other families, but they both worked hard, and they fitted in well. I learned that Shane had a blacksmith shop and Roscoe had planted their small ranch out in crops. Together, they would be able to provide well for me. Perhaps not as well as Mr. Yates could have done, but I didn’t care about money; there were far more important things. Shane and Roscoe didn’t frighten me, and that was worth more than all the money in the world.

  Watching Kane and Ian with Emma, I couldn’t help but smile. Both men clearly loved her. They spoke to her tenderly, and their eyes twinkled brightly every time they looked at her. Emma also seemed content having two men to serve and love. She radiated happiness and confidence – the confidence of a woman who knew she was cherished. I hoped with all my heart that my marriage would be as happy.

  Later, as I lay in the strange bed with the covers pulled right up to my chin, I thought of my two men. Shane and Roscoe. Just thinking about them did wicked things to my body, making my breath quicken and my breasts tighten. I’d never felt urgings like this before today, never felt the stirrings of lust. Never felt heat in my core, the sweet ache of desire spreading throughout my body.

  My hand dipped between my legs. I’d never touched myself there before, I’d been taught it was sinful to do so. Good girls didn’t bring themselves pleasure. What I was doing was dirty. I knew that, and yet I couldn’t stop. I felt positively scandalous as my fingers rubbed where Shane’s fingers and mouth had been, reigniting the fire they’d lit there earlier. I bit back my moan as my breath came in short, ragged gasps. Arousal curled up within me, like a wisp of smoke spreading, growing, as my fingers fanned the flames. I remembered the way they’d touched me, how they’d made me feel. Their complete mastery of my body. My fingers rubbed and flicked with wanton abandon, bringing alive the little nub at the top of my mound, delving inside the swollen lips that seeped with my juices.

  I wondered what they would do if they caught me touching myself like this. Would they think me naughty? Would Shane spank me as he’d done earlier? My fingers moved faster as I imagined myself held fast in Shane’s strong arms, his heavy hand turning my bottom red, punishing me for touching a place that only they should touch. I was to be theirs, after all. This little spot that was sending sparks of desire shooting through me would belong only to them.

  I slid my other hand down to join the first, separating my pussy lips with my fingers so I could rub my swollen nub with a feather-light touch. Sparks so strong they were almost painful, ricocheted through me. I pressed my finger inside me, first to the knuckle then further, as far as it could go, and I wriggled it around, sliding it in and out, muffling my groan with the bedsheets. I imagined it was Shane’s finger fucking me like this, his wide digit spreading me open to their gaze. I imagined Roscoe tasting as Shane had done earlier, his short beard scratching my delicate lady parts. I could almost feel his tongue lapping up my juices. What did I taste like? Curious, I brought my finger to my tongue and licked. I screwed up my face, but it wasn’t unpleasant, as such. Just… different. Salty. Bitter. Sweet. Sharp. Quite unlike anything else I had ever tasted.

  My inexperienced fingers couldn’t bring me pleasure as intense as Roscoe and Shane did, and after a while I gave up, frustrated. My body was hot, achy, but I couldn’t find any release. I would have to wait for my men. I couldn’t wait to discover what else they would do to me. Slowly, I drifted off to sleep, the faces of my soon-to-be-husbands on my mind.

  5

  ROSCOE

  * * *

  Shane and I turned up just in time to see Elise helping Emma cook breakfast. At least, she was trying to help cook, but it looked like she was getting in the way. She certainly didn’t look like she’d spent much time in a kitchen. I cast my mind back to yesterday and the contents of Coleton’s letter. In it, he’d said he needed a woman who could cook for a team. I’d asked her, specifically, if she could cook. She had said yes. But by the look of things, Elise could barely cook for one, let alone for a whole team. Already, she’d burned the eggs and overcooked the biscuits and as I watched, she broke the pancakes when flipping them and spilt the syrup. She couldn’t cook at all!

  “I thought you said you could cook?” I tried to keep the annoyance out of my voice, but failed. If there was one thing I couldn’t stand, it was liars. Lies and deceit. All they ever gave anyone
was a lifetime of misery.

  “I can!” she insisted.

  At least she had the good sense to look sheepish when I stared at her hard. Color rose to her face.

  “Well I can learn!”

  In one stride I was upon her and I caught her stubborn chin in my hand. Tears sparkled in her eyes but I steeled myself. I would not marry a liar. I could not. Not after the childhood I’d had, with lies, deceit, cheating and treachery causing no end of problems. Up until yesterday, I didn’t even want a wife at all. I most certainly did not want one who didn’t tell the truth.

  “Coleton would be properly disappointed! You were dishonest.”

  She opened her mouth to speak but I pressed my finger against her lips. “No,” I told her. “You lied, and here in Bridgewater, lyin’ brides get spanked.”

  Without warning, I wrapped my arm around her waist and tossed her over my shoulder like she was a sack of feed and carted her off outside. I wouldn’t spank her in front of Emma; she didn’t deserve that. I would give her a modicum of privacy, at least.

  “I’m sorry!” she cried. “I was desperate! And I will learn, I will! Please!”

  I put her on her feet but kept a firm grip on her arm. “Yes you will learn,” I assured her “Shane and I will teach you how to cook, and everything else you need to know to please us. But my mother lied and cheated and my parents were miserable. They were always fighting. I will not tolerate dishonesty from my wife. Or my wife-to-be.”

  “I’m sorry!” Her eyes pleaded with me, but this was too important to me to let go. She had to learn, once and for all, that she had to be honest. About everything.

  “I’m going to spank you,” I told her firmly. “You will learn, and you will learn well, that I will accept nothing less than complete honesty from you. No matter what it is, you tell the truth and we will sort it out together. If there’s something you can’t do, you say so, and we will teach you. But I don’t want you to ever lie again. About anything. Do you understand me?”