Yellowstone Wild

“That sawed-off little shit,” Bodie grumbled. “What the hell does he think he's doing, putting his hands on her like that?”

They were standing at the bar, waiting for beers, when Puckett announced his intention to dance with Libby. Ty set his beer on the bar. “I don't know, but I'm cutting in. Christ, she looks like she's ready to dig a hole and pull it in after her.”

Bodie tried to stop him, but Ty shook him off and strode to the middle of the dance floor.

“I'm cuttin' in, Puckett.” It wasn't a question, and Ty was fully prepared to pull Libby from the man's arms if he didn't cooperate. Fortunately, Puckett stepped back and handed her over.

“I don't want to dance with you,” Libby whispered savagely.

“I know you don't, darlin', but I promise I'm not gonna grope your ass like Puckett was getting ready to do.” He pulled Libby close against him, despite the stiffness of her body. “Relax, Lib. I'm not gonna bite.”

Libby gasped. “You… Holy shit, Cade, you've got an erection.”

Ty drew back to look at her, an eyebrow cocked. “I don't recall you were much for cussin' back in the day, Lib.”

She uttered a delicate snort. “How would you know what I did or didn't do, back in the day? As I recall, you paid me no mind at all, and your brother's primary goal in life was to humiliate me, with you as his able assistant.” She tried to push away from him, but he held her firm.

“We had our reasons, but that doesn't change the fact that we treated you bad, Libby, and we're really sorry about it. I sure wish you'd give us a chance to make it up.”

“Nothing to make up for, Cade. I'm here to do a job for the magazine. Once that's done, I won't be coming back.”

“Not even to see Alex? Thought you two had mended fences.”

“My relationship with my sister is none of your business, and I'm certainly not interested in anything you have to say.”

The song ended, and another slow tune started. Bodie tapped his brother's shoulder. “My turn, little brother.”

Bodie took Libby into his arms and pressed her close, staking a claim, aware that all eyes in the room were on them.

Bodie spun them away from Ty. “You filled out real nice, Libby. How you doin', darlin'?”

Damn, even her glare was adorable. “I'd be better if you'd get your hands off me.”

Bodie shook his head. “Not gonna happen, Lib. Ty and I are determined to make things up to you, starting now.” He danced her away from the spotlight and pressed his cheek against hers. “So why haven't you called to set up a time for the pack trip?”

“Ha! Like I'd ever consider going anywhere with the two of you. I wasn't born yesterday, Bodie. I know you talked Striker into canceling so I'd have to use your company. But you forgot one thing. I've traveled all over the world, backpacked in the Andes and the Himalayas. I don't need help packing my ass into Yellowstone.”

He frowned and pressed his lips against her ear. “You are not packin' yourself into the Yellowstone alone.”

“The hell I'm not.”

“The hell you are, Elizabeth Wild. You try it, and I'll turn you over my knee.”
Libby narrowed her eyes at him, and before he could react, her knee connected with his balls. He released her, bending double to support his upper body, hands on his thighs. Holy shit, that hurt.

“Damn, darlin', you sure know how to hold a grudge.” Jesus, he could barely draw enough breath to speak. “I sure hope you didn't geld me. I was lookin' forward to introducing my cock to your pussy.”

“As if!”

Ty stepped in, sliding an arm around her waist to pin her to his side. “What'd he do, darlin'?”

“He… Of all the nerve… He threatened to spank me,” she huffed, then elbowed Ty in the ribs till he let her go.

Bodie straightened up. “Now tell him why.”

Both men's eyes smoldered when she folded her arms beneath her breasts, enjoying the view as they plumped prettily.

“I don't have to justify myself to your brother or to you. I am a grown woman, and I will go where the hell I please, when the hell I please, and I do not need your permission or your help.”

Her foot was still tapping impatiently on the cement floor when Bodie turned to Ty. “She thinks she's going into the Yellowstone by herself. I told her there was no way, and she begged to differ by jammin' her knee into my balls.”

“I jammed my knee in your balls because you threatened to spank me.”

Ty laughed softly. “He's right, Lib. It's too dangerous for you to go in alone, especially to the areas you're gonna want to shoot. Bodie and I will take you.”

“I don't want you to take me.”

Ty pushed his Stetson back on his head. “Well now, darlin', that don't hardly matter. If you go in alone, we'll just follow you; and if we have to do that, Bodie won't have to paddle your ass, because I will.”

Libby pushed him away, and he let her go. “Fuck you, both of you.”

Bodie raised an eyebrow. “We'll be getting around to that too, darlin'.”
* * * * *
Libby swallowed a groan. Too much, it was too much, this rush of hormones. Because that was all it could be. She didn't like these men, these big, strapping alpha males who held her so proprietarily. Like they had every right to touch her. To press their erections against her belly.

Puckett had been sporting a woody, but nothing like the impressive package rubbing against her the moment Bodie took her in his arms again. She'd felt nothing but repulsion for Puckett's response. But the Cade twins? Jesus, her body was ready to do the horizontal mambo with both of them, and she didn't even like them! Had no reason to like them, when all they'd ever done was make fun of her awkward teenage body, call her Cyclops, and tell her to get the fuck away from them with “that goddamn third eye.” That's what they'd called her old Nikon, her third eye.

When she'd come home for the funeral, she'd heard they were into sharing women, but hadn't taken it seriously. Why would she? People just didn't do things like that in Lovell, Wyoming. Gossip always followed the Cade men. No surprise, really, considering their pa had been a drunk, a womanizer, and wolverine-mean to boot. Now, she knew without a doubt the rumors were true, and, damn her, she was intrigued.

Hormones. That had to be the explanation. Well, that and the fact that she hadn't been with a man since she crawled out of Giraud Boisson's bed after a night of partying in Paris six months ago. Maybe she'd find herself a handsome hiker while she was in the backcountry. Have herself a fling in the wild. That would take care of her rampant hormones.

She narrowed her eyes as Bodie's lips caressed her ear. “You want me.”

“I do not!”

“Shhh… Don't shout, people will talk. But it's true, and you know it. I bet your panties are wet.”

Her mouth moved, but nothing came out, so she clamped it shut and gazed over his shoulder in an unfocused stare. Clearly, she hadn't kneed his balls nearly hard enough.

“Come outside with me, and I'll prove it.” He spun her around and let her go.
Then she was in Ty's arms again, with his equally impressive erection. “Come on, darling. We'll both prove it to you.”

Damn, she wanted to! What was wrong with her? These two men had made her life a living hell when she went to school with them. How could her body betray her? Fucking hormones.

“I don't want either of you.”

Liar.

“You disgust me.”

Liar.

“I wouldn't let you touch me if you were the last men on earth.”

Pants on fire.

She gave him a hard shove, and he let her go. “And you will not be guiding me into the backcountry.”

Libby spun on her heel and stomped back to the table and snatched up her bag. “I'm leaving,” she announced, then looked pointedly at Glory. “Can you get a ride home?”

Glory looked over at the Cade twins, who were grinning like fools. “Oh, sweetie, I'm sorry I roped you into this, but I have to stay. And I think you've had one too many martinis to drive ninety miles to Lovell.”

Libby raised an eyebrow. “I've had two martinis, and I didn't even finish the second one.” She smiled at the grown-up geek table. “They're still staring at me, aren't they?” When Caroline turned her head to look across the room, Libby hissed, “Don't look, for Christ's sake.” She shook her head. “God, it's all so fucking high school. I'm sorry, Glory, but I so have to get out of here. It was really great to see you guys again. Use that e-mail address, will you?” One by one, she hugged them, then spun on her expensive heels and practically ran for the exit.
* * * *
“Think she'll run us off?” Bodie asked Ty as they drove down the drive to the Wild Horse Ranch.

“Maybe. She was pissed last night, but she was also turned on. Much as she wanted to deny it, those hard little nipples gave her away.”

Bodie chuckled. “Yup. But with a woman like Libby, turned on don't mean givin' in. She'd deny herself just to make a point. She's like Alex that way.” He maneuvered the truck around to the barn and cut the ignition.

The brothers climbed out of the truck just as Alex stepped out of the horse barn.

“Well, if it isn't Frick and Frack,” she said wryly, hands on her hips. “If you're lookin' for Lib, she's out in the east pasture mending fence.”

Bodie pushed his hat back on his head. “She talked to you about plannin' on packin' herself into the Yellowstone alone?”

Alex nodded and sighed. “Yup, and I can't say I'm happy about it. Libby's usually pretty rational about things, but she's got her stubborn on over this. Reckon I can understand her feelings, but what happened between the three of you was years ago. Should be water under the bridge when it comes to her personal safety.”

Ty cleared his throat. “Well, if you don't mind, we'd like to give her a hand with that fencin', maybe see if we can talk her around.”

“Help yourselves.”

“Thanks, Alex,” Ty said as they hurried for the truck.

They were inside and throwing it in gear when Alex shouted, “Be sure you latch that gate behind you.”

“Yes, ma'am,” they hollered in unison as they sped toward the east pasture lane, the truck kicking up dust in its wake.

Ty was out the door before Bodie completely braked to a stop, and opened the gate. He took care to make sure it was secure before climbing back into the passenger seat.

“She's liable to be pissed when she sees us,” Bodie pointed out.

“Could be, bro, but does that really matter to you?”

“Hell no.”

The truck jounced over the rutted lane, and Bodie slowed down, pointing to a small figure in the distance. “Well, yonder she is. Reckon we'll know soon enough.”