Their Bridgewater Brides Boxed Set: Books 1 - 4

Chapter 4

4

ANN

"I beg your pardon?" I repeated. Had I heard Andrew correctly?

"I said, I'll marry you."

I stood in a cabin with two men whom I knew nothing about other than recognizing them from up on deck. Now Robert had covered up, at least partially. His… his c**k, that's what he'd called it, had been huge!

It had been difficult not to look at him, for he was the most amazing specimen of a man. Tall, broad shouldered and… and large. Everywhere. Now, I took in the well-defined chest, the dark sprinkling of hair there that narrowed to his navel, which formed a line that went into the top of his pants. His skin was tanned in comparison to the white shirt he was donning. I'd only seen them impeccably turned out in their dark uniforms and it now felt… intimate to be able to see the disheveled man beneath.

I'd first noticed these men on the third day on the ship, sitting together outside in the cool air. I'd noticed their size first; they were quite large, much bigger than my father, and they made Mr. Atherton look weak and scrawny. While the businessman ran a railroad empire, he didn't work as these men did. Their well-formed chests and arms, the bulging muscles of their thighs, indicated a life hard lived. I shouldn't have noticed such things about strange men, let alone two of them, but it was impossible to ignore them. From first glance, I felt hot all over as I snuck glimpses of them. One was fair, the other dark and had a beard. Both wore crisp uniforms and were always quiet and courteous. Formal.

It was when they'd met my curious gaze and held it, returned it even, that I began to think about them. What would it be like for either one of those men to be the one who wanted me instead of Mr. Atherton? What would it be like if one of them set their sights on me—more than just a look across the bow of a ship? That thought kept me up at night, tossing and turning in my private bedroom. How could I choose? While they looked so different, I was attracted to them equally. I imagined them equally. I touched myself and brought myself to climax with visions of pale and dark eyes, of sandy colored hair between my fingers and the soft dark beard against my tender skin.

"You will?" I squeaked. He would marry me. The fair-haired one, Andrew, smiled at me, as if he'd just asked me to join him for dinner, not spend the rest of my life with him.

"I will," he repeated.

"And so will I," Robert added as he finished the last button of his shirt. While he was completely covered now, knowing what was underneath would not leave my mind.

"You… I mean, I don't think… well—" I couldn't do anything but sputter, which was horribly unladylike, however they had made me speechless. I took a deep breath as I'd been taught at Mrs. Carver's School for Girls and smiled serenely, completely at odds with how I felt inside. "I can't marry either of you. I'd been joking."

Andrew shook his head. "You weren't joking. You were very serious."

Robert took a step closer and the small room seemed even more crowded. "Your father seems very eager to find you."

I pursed my lips.

"Why is that? You mentioned a business arrangement," Robert added.

I looked at the brass buttons on the front of Andrew's military coat. "I'd rather not say."

"Sweetheart, Robert's going to go and get the ship's captain to marry us. I think you can tell us what has you hiding in a random cabin."

"With a naked man," Robert added.

While it was embarrassing and shameful to admit being used as my father's pawn, it wasn't all that difficult to share with these men. I'd been brought up to keep my thoughts and feelings to myself, to behave as the docile and obedient wife I would someday become, but with Andrew and Robert, it felt… different. "My father is forcing me to marry Mr. Atherton to expand his business empire. Mr. Atherton is a very wealthy man, but I do not desire the match."

"Why not?" Robert crowded me but I held my chin high.

"Because he is vile, his touch like a serpent's on my skin."

Andrew stepped closer and, for the first time, touched me. It was only his finger beneath my chin, but I gasped at the heat of it and looked up at him. "Ah, there you are," he said, his voice gentle. I was almost mesmerized by his pale gaze. Little crinkles formed at the corners of his eyes and I felt… safe.

"You ran off to avoid marriage?"

I nodded. "I refused him. My father's reply was to tell me he was going to have the captain marry us after dinner, so I decided to hide. I know it was silly, but I really don't want to marry him."

"And you picked my cabin?" Robert whispered the word in my ear, the sensation causing goose bumps to rise along my spine. "Why this cabin?"

Andrew wouldn't release my chin, instead stroking my cheek with his thumb.

"I didn't know it was yours. Remaining on the first class level seemed unwise and so I came down here. No one there would understand my need to escape. Clearly, I'm well cared for and to be married to a man of wealth and position. They'd all wonder what was wrong with me to desire more, for I have everything, don't I?" I glanced at them, but they remained silent. "I saw a porter approach, so I slipped into the first unlocked cabin."

"Lucky us," Robert said. "Instead of marrying this Mr. Atherton, you will marry us."

I blinked once, twice. "Um, did you say both of you?"

Robert moved to stand shoulder to shoulder with Andrew and I had to tilt my head back even further. "Yes. Andrew and I have always intended to share a bride. Since you are in need of a groom, and this Mr. Atherton will not do, we consent to take his place. I can see you are still confused. Andrew will marry you legally, but do not doubt that I will be your husband just as readily. If you are married to Andrew, you are married to me as well."

I couldn't fathom his words. "It isn't done," I countered.

"It is done, but not in America. It is for the bride's protection, having two men to cater to her, shelter her, protect her, cherish her."

"People will know! It's unseemly." I shook my head in refusal as I spoke.

Andrew went to the cabin door and put his hand on the knob. "It is all right, Ann. While we were genuine in our offer, we will not hold you to it. Unlike your father, and perhaps Mr. Atherton, we are honorable. We will not take what is not freely given."

He opened the door and the empty hallway loomed. I could go out the door and find another place to hide, but I doubted other passengers would be as accommodating, or I could return to my cabin and become Mrs. Atherton. I glanced once again at the men. While imposing, I did not sense any danger from either. I touched my wrist where my father had grabbed me, felt the bruising. If he'd done that just for a verbal refusal, I couldn't even guess what he'd do to me when I returned. He'd be livid I'd run off. I had to assume Mr. Atherton was of similar persuasion.

"I will be turned out. If you're after my money, there will be none."

When neither man responded, I glanced up at them. Their expressions were hard and I took a step back.

"We do not want your money," Robert said.

"Money is not a concern for us," Andrew added as he closed the door. "While we are mere military bachelors, I assure you, we can meet your every need. We want you."

"Why?"

"You think your only worth is your bank account?" Robert asked.

"Mr. Atherton thinks so. My father as well."

"You have known the wrong men then."

"I don't even know where you're from, where we would live." This was all so absurd! I knew nothing of these men. Men! Yet, I was seriously considering their offer. "New York is not an option, as my father has too many connections."

"We will settle far from your father, I assure you. We are returning from being stationed in Egypt. Our last mission in the military. Upon our return, we are retiring. Ranching out west seems to be our future."

Out west? Lord, while I'd been to Europe, I'd never been further west than Pittsburgh. Since my father deemed anything beyond Albany or Baltimore to be the land of heathens and Indians, I doubted he'd ever come after me.

They had an answer for every argument, but there was still a crucial one. The most important one, for I didn't care about being a rancher's wife or being poor so long as I wasn't married to a man who was cruel.

"You… you won't beat me?" I asked.

Andrew tilted my chin up. His dark eyes bored into mine. I glanced at his mouth, wondered what it would be like to kiss him. Just the touch of his fingers beneath my chin were gentle. Would he kiss gently too, or would he ravage me with wild abandon? "Someone hit you?"

Robert tugged up his suspenders. "Who the hell hurt you?"

I sensed they'd go after my father—or whomever would do me harm—then and there. I'd gone to a strict Catholic school. Stern nuns and no coddling. My father had left me with a nanny and I was completely taken aback by the concern and anger I saw on these two men's faces. It was the first time I'd been valued as a person, not a bank account, not an asset to be raised and groomed for an arranged marriage. They actually heard my concerns and listened. These strangers cared about me.

"No one," I replied, worried they'd confront my father.

They didn't seem to believe me, but let it rest.

"We will never hurt you," Andrew said.

"Never," Robert vowed. "I assure you, your father will be sorry for his actions."

He'd seen through my vague response and knew the truth. My father had just knocked on Robert's door in a desperate search. The connection was not difficult to make.

"Ann, a husband's job is to love her, cherish her, protect her."

"Possess her," Robert added, his voice deep. "Claim her."

"We do not want you as part of a business transaction. We want you because we want you."

The last made gooseflesh rise on my arms, even beneath the confines of my long sleeves.

I closed my eyes for a moment, struggling with the pace at which my life had changed. An enjoyable trip to Europe had turned into a nightmare. These men were willing to save me—but two of them!—and give me a life I'd never even fathomed. I knew nothing about them other than that they were military. I didn't know where they were stationed, if I would be stationed with them, if they had sisters, brothers, a dislike for green beans. Nothing. I did know that Robert was… eager for me. I did know I was very responsive to him. My n*****s had hardened as I'd glimpsed him naked. My womanhood had become damp and my drawers clung to my aroused flesh. Would being married to him be such a hardship if I desired him so easily? And Andrew, while I hadn't seen him unclothed, my feelings for him were the same.

When Mr. Atherton first bumped into me and grazed his hand over my breast, I'd thought it had been a simple fumble. When he'd cupped my bottom in passing another time, I realized then that he was groping me intentionally. The feel of his hand, the look in his eyes made me nauseous. Marrying Andrew—and Robert—was better than marrying Mr. Atherton. The fact that Andrew and Robert were honorable, were so intent, made them even more appealing. Surely there was something wrong with me if I was desiring two men! Even so, I was going to marry both of them.