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  “Then you remember the fight?” She captured his hand, tugged it aside, and snuggled down next to him on the bed.

  His good eye opened, and he tucked her close, securing his arm tightly around her. “Babe, don’t worry. I should have killed him.”

  She curled her body into his. “No, don’t say that. It’s bad enough he came here because of me. I’m the one who’s responsible, but I couldn’t let him hurt you anymore.”

  “Shhhh, Bo will take care of everything.”

  9

  “Are you two comfortable?” Bo’s gruff tone drew Sarah away from Chase’s chest.

  Rolling onto her back, Sarah glanced over her shoulder and noticed Bo in the doorway. His dark gaze ran over her legs and settled on her rear. He stepped forward, taking a long stride. The movement indicated he needed more room in the crotch of his pants.

  Pleased he found her appealing, even when she felt as if something the dogs had dragged in from the wild. “I was just...”

  Chase squeezed her ass and interrupted, “She’s sleeping with me. Now go away.”

  Rolling his eyes at his brother’s comment, Bo stepped closer and showed her the clothes in his hands. “No, what she needs to do is change clothes while you rest.”

  “And if I don’t agree with that plan?” Chase grumbled and held her in place, not allowing her the freedom to slide out of his embrace and off the bed.

  “Then you can kick my ass when you’re feeling better,” Bo remarked and captured her wrist. “But for now, let her go.”

  Chase released his grip at the same time as Bo tugged, dragging her effortlessly to her feet.

  Unbalanced by the quick change in position, she stumbled into Bo. He caught her around the waist and held her steady. “Easy there, sugar.”

  Sarah worked her hands over his chest and grabbed his shoulders. The solid wall of his body provided her an anchor. After all that had happened today, she’d felt her strength waning. Lying next to Chase had helped ease her troubled thoughts, but now in Bo’s arms, she realized a desire to reaffirm her place in the land of the living. “Why is it so important I get dressed right away? The doctor and your boss probably won’t get here for hours.”

  “We don’t want to be caught unprepared.” He tossed the clothes in his hand to the foot of the bed and worked his fingers over the buttons of the shirt she had on. In no time, he had her free of the cotton barrier. His gaze heated and stared at her naked form for a moment before he locked eyes with her. “Don’t say it.”

  She blinked and tightened her grip on his arms. Need sizzled through her, demanding one more sensual touch. “What?”

  He shook his head and drew back a step, not giving her the luxury of his hands on her exposed skin. “You can’t hide how much you want me. Your nipples are already tight little berries begging for me to nibble on them.”

  Delighted he understood her needs, she smiled and cocked a questioning eyebrow at him. “So I should simply turn around and get dressed?”

  “No, you should spread your legs and let him fuck you,” Chase insisted and rolled onto his side. “I want to watch.”

  “We don’t have time,” Bo argued, but didn’t move.

  Realizing she’d caused enough trouble for him, she wanted to relent and do as she was told. Something in Bo’s unyielding attitude stopped her. Suddenly afraid that her future might not be as she expected, she stepped forward. The pounding of her heartbeat drumming in her ears sounded like a war cry to claim what she wanted while she still could.

  The dangerous twinkle in his eyes was meant to halt her progress, a warning to keep her distance. She lifted her hands, but before she could place them on his broad chest, he shuffled backward and bumped into the dresser.

  Undeterred by his retreat, Sarah cupped her hands under her breasts, lifting them, quietly offering them to him. “One little taste won’t take but a second.”

  “Do it, Bo. It’ll help relieve the tension firing through you and take an edge off your lust,” Chase encouraged.

  Bo glanced from her to his brother and snarled, “Sex is not what she needs at the moment.”

  “Wrong, she wants it hard and fast,” Chase’s answer surprised her. How did he learn her needs so quickly?

  She dropped her hands and tightened them into fists, refusing to persuade Bo into doing something he didn’t want to do. “Forget it, I just thought...”

  Unexpectedly, the gap between them closed, Bo had his hands around her face. His kiss was light, a soft whispering caress. Then he lifted his head and stared. His gaze filled with concern. “You’re trying your best to deal with the guilt of killing Nevada. Believe me when I say, it’s not easy taking someone else’s life.”

  Her vision blurred, and she shook her head. “I didn’t want to do it.”

  “You’re a gentle woman unwilling to hurt anyone.” His words confused her.

  “How do you know that? I’m not even sure if I didn’t shoot him on purpose. He could be so mean.” She’d decided while cleaning up downstairs that she’d done the right thing. Especially considering what he would’ve done to her if he had gained control of the gun.

  “Sugar, look how you treat your stallion. You thought of his comfort before your own. You insisted on riding him here so he wouldn’t become upset by being tied to the back of the wagon.” He rubbed his fingertips over her scalp.

  “And you accepted Chase without batting an eye. His mixed heritage didn’t even enter into the picture. The only reason you initially refused to make love to him was because you feared I’d think less of you for sleeping with someone other than me.”

  “But...” She fought to hold onto the burden of committing such a horrible crime.

  “No, honey, you did what you had to do.” His mouth again settled on hers. Unlike the first one, this was not a gentle kiss.

  This time, he demanded she surrender everything. Plunging his tongue deep, he slapped his hand over her ass. The slight tingling excited her nerve endings before he curled his fingers into her plush flesh and drew her up onto her toes.

  A hot, burning lust instantly roared between them. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him tighter against her chest. The only thing separating them was his shirt... pants... irritating clothing.

  Suddenly, he lifted her and spun around with her in his arms. Her butt hit the top of the dresser. With her legs spread wide, he stepped between them and freed his cock from his pants. Giving no warning, he slammed into her with one mighty thrust.

  She screamed, not because this wasn’t exactly what she wanted. No, she loved the full feeling of his male strength deep inside her. Instead, she cried out at the pure joy of having her desires fulfilled. His fast-paced, rhythm drove her to submit to his will. She allowed him deeper, past every barrier.

  He increased his relentless pounding, harder, faster, taking her to the very edge of her endurance. Still, he wasn’t satisfied. He demanded more and lifted her legs to circle his hips.

  Gasping for breath, she held on. Instinctively, she knew he held the answer to the bone-deep despair she’d experienced from accidently killing another human being.

  Pressure built in her core, prodding her closer and closer to her release. She twisted and squirmed, crying for the blissful misery to spiral into an explosion of ecstasy. “Please, Bo.”

  He shifted his head and his heated glare forced her eyelids open. The serious glint in his eyes ripped away all pretense and cut to the heart of her soul. As if peering inside, he licked his lips and uttered through his harsh breathing. “You’re mine, and no one will ever take you from me.”

  The words seared her, igniting an explosion. Shivers washed over her. Her core spasmed, milking his cock and demanding even more.

  He didn’t deny her. Instead, he drove deeper and poured himself into her, washing her womb with his seeds and her soul with a healing balm of love...

  What?

  Her muscles jerked at the thought. She tightened her grip on him and pushed the silly noti
on from her head. The man couldn’t be in love with her. They had only known each other for a few days. It was too soon.

  “Oh, brother, if my head didn’t hurt so much Sarah, honey, I’d have you come over here and ride my cock.” Chase rolled over on his back and the bed squeaked.

  Bo kissed the side of her neck and nestled his nose against the hollow under her ear. He smoothed his hands over her body. “Now, are you ready to get dressed?”

  * * *

  “Don’t worry, doc, we’ll make sure he takes it easy.”

  Bo’s words didn’t exactly reassure Chase. Hell, he’d been in fights before and had his share of black eyes. Getting hurt wasn’t what bothered him about this mess.

  He glanced at Sarah, who hovered around the foot of his bed. She hadn’t left his room since she came upstairs over an hour... maybe two ago. Damn, he wasn’t certain how much time had passed but her restless pacing was wearing on his nerves.

  Doc Murphy closed his bag on the nightstand and turned for the door. “See that you do. We don’t want any complication from his concussion.”

  Bo rambled on about how he appreciated the doctor taking the time to visit and escorted the man out into the hallway.

  As soon as they cleared the doorway, Chase waved Sarah forward and captured her hand when she stepped close. “Rest here a moment, babe. You need to calm down before we talk to Bo and his boss about what happened.”

  “I can’t.”

  “Sure you can. You did nothing wrong. Mr. Burns shouldn’t have grabbed for the gun.” Chase tugged her onto the bed as he recalled some of the conversation they had with the man. His belligerent attitude had tested Chase’s patience. “Personally, I wished I’d shot him when he did it to me.”

  “Interesting thing to say.”

  The unfamiliar masculine tone had him turning his attention to the doorway. A short man with a huge potbelly stepped into the room. His worn face and slightly bowed back told a story of a man, who’d lived hard and seen the rough side of life.

  “Jack Templeton.” The man introduced himself and strolled to them. “I’m Bo’s boss.”

  Chase released Sarah’s hand and held out his to the stranger. Bo’s description of the man played through his thoughts, tough but fair. “Nice to meet you. Bo has told me a lot about you.”

  Sarah stood and shifted out of the way, again drifting to the end of the bed.

  Jack clamped his hand around his. The robust grip and his steady, gray-eyed gaze conveyed his determination to find the underlying cause of Mr. Burns’ death. “Wish we could’ve met under different circumstances.”

  Chase frowned. His head throbbed along with the bruises on his face. If he hadn’t hit his head on the floor, which knocked him out, he might have gained the upper hand. Then none of this would be necessary. “Yes, well, the man tempted fate, one too many times.”

  Jack nodded and turned toward Sarah.

  She smiled and stepped forward. “Hello, Jack, it’s been awhile.”

  Her greeting confused Chase. How did she know this man?

  “Yes, I believe it was a month or two before Micah died.” Jack caught her hand, raised it to his lips, and kissed it before he let her go. “I had no idea, you even knew Bo.”

  “Yes, well, I didn’t until recently.” Her hands fluttered nervously over her chest. She lowered her gaze as if reluctant to say anything else.

  Not happy with how the man was trying to intimidate her and wanting to protect her, Chase added, “The two of them have plans to get married here in the next day or two.”

  Jack swung around his eyes wide with shock, an occurrence that didn’t appear to happen often. “You don’t say. Wonder why Bo didn’t mention it before now?”

  “Because I haven’t seen you in a month of Sundays,” Bo answered and strolled over to Sarah. He casually wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

  As if glad to have his support, Sarah leaned into him. “Bo, why didn’t you tell me Jack was your boss?”

  Bo responded by staring into her lovely face. A smile graced his mouth and pressure built inside Chase. For so long he’d wanted to see his brother happy. Now, he had finally found a woman to make his dreams come true. Hell, she had even given in to his demands to share herself with his half-breed brother.

  Anger burned in his gut, robbing Chase of the ability to hear his brother’s reply. Instead, his thoughts turned to that asshole Nevada Burns, because of him their future together was in jeopardy. Aggravated, he rubbed a hand over his brow, fighting the persistent drumming in his head. Damn, he wished he’d killed the man when he had a chance.

  Jack’s loud burst of laughter pierced through Chase’s musing. He winced and concentrated on the conversation going on beside him.

  “Don’t worry, I was never invited to those exclusive parties,” Jack sent a speculative gaze over Sarah, raising the fire of injustice in Chase’s blood. “But I assume Nevada Burns had the pleasure of uh, enjoying your female wiles?”

  Sarah shifted away from Bo and stepped back enough to clamp her hand around the metal footboard. The solid support appeared to steady her nerves. She lifted her chin. “He was one of the men Micah let touch me. Though, I have to say, I had rules as to exactly how far a man could go.”

  “And those were?” Jack inquired without giving her a chance to say anything else.

  “She didn’t just let any man fuck her.” Chase grumbled, growing more annoyed by the moment.

  Jack spun and his eyes narrowed with suspicion. “Who told you this?”

  “I did.” Bo closed the distance to Sarah’s side. He smiled at her before addressing his boss. “Sarah and I both knew her past would come out eventually. We wanted Chase to understand so it wouldn’t cause any hard feelings later.”

  Jack waved his hand and prompted her to continue. “And Nevada took exception to this rule?”

  “He, uh...” her voice cracked. She dropped her head and cupped her hands over her eyes. A low sob broke from her, and she cried, “It just seems so wrong to speak ill of the dead.”

  Needing to console her, Chase rolled onto his elbow. Damn, but she shouldn’t have to go through this. Pain pounded through his head, blurring his vision. He blinked and a picture of his brother gathering his future wife in his arms emerged through the fog. His concern for Sarah sated. He flopped back on his pillow, exhausted. “God, can’t you just leave her alone?”

  10

  “How’s he doing?”

  The man on the couch drew Bo’s attention. He continued down the last few stairs and turned to the sitting area. In the ten years he’d worked for Marshal Jack Templeton, Bo didn’t recall him ever being so nice to a witness. He appreciated the gesture. An officer of the state, however, had a responsibility and couldn’t let Nevada’s murderer go loose without a trial.

  “He’s fine. With the concussion and the questions, he’s merely lost his ability to be patient. He’ll do better once he’s rested.” Bo assured his boss and settled in the chair next to the fireplace.

  “And Sarah?”

  Bo noted the concern on the man’s face. He must be familiar with her life and the activities she engaged in before her husband’s death. “She’s still struggling with the guilt and worried about Chase. She really thought if she hadn’t stepped in, Burns would’ve killed Chase.”

  “He probably would have.” Jack rubbed the back of his neck, the tension of this investigation apparently getting to him too.

  “Did you know him?”

  “Yeah, rich and cocky, he thought he could throw his weight around and get anything he wanted.”

  “Sounds like he was fixated with Sarah.” Bo fought the anger threatening to boil up inside him. Damn, why hadn’t he arrived home a few minutes earlier?

  “Yes, well, he wasn’t very good at hearing no. We’ve gotten a host of complaints through the years about him. Most he managed to put to bed by throwing money at the problem.” Jack glanced at the floor where Burns’ body had been a short time ago. He’d helped Bo
wrap and move the corpse to the barn after he’d arrived. They’d completed the task while Doc Murphy had seen to Chase’s injuries.

  After an extended period of silence, Bo expressed the chief irritant he had with the evidence. “Do you suppose he had a bet with Sarah’s husband and won Pretty Boy from him?”

  Jack shook his head. “Can’t say we can prove it one way or the other. His pockets were empty when I checked.”

  He paused and his gray-eyed gaze fell on Bo. “You didn’t happen to find anything on him before I arrived, did you?”