Boots and Leather: Ugly Stick Saloon, Book 2

  Dedication

  This book is dedicated to those who love cowboys and crave wide-open places! Live free!

  Chapter One

  Libby Jones flipped the whiskey bottle in the air and caught it without spilling a drop, then poured a round of shots for the two men who’d pulled up a stool at the bar. She filled two mugs with beer from the tap and slapped them on the counter. “Anything else I can do for you boys?”

  “How’s about a lap dance, beautiful?” one suggested, grinning. His smile displayed two missing front teeth.

  The man beside him elbowed him in the gut. “What would yer wife say, Harmon?”

  Harmon shrugged. “She’d probably tell me to take out the trash.”

  “Yeah, meaning you. Then she’d knock the rest of those teeth out of that stupid head of yers.”

  “Shut up, Reggie.” Harmon frowned. “Got those teeth knocked out ridin’ a bull on the circuit.”

  “That bull bein’ the husband of that ugly redhead in Amarillo.” Reggie slapped a hand on Harmon’s back and roared with laughter. “Wasn’t worth it, was it?”

  Libby sighed. The same old drunks with the same stories always managed to end up at her barstools. Where were all the good-looking cowboys tonight? She glanced across the crowded saloon. That’s where they were. On the dance floor, while she was serving drinks behind the bar.

  The Gray Wolf twins, Mark and Luke, spun around for the umpteenth time, laughing and smiling, making every girl in the place drool.

  Even me. Libby sighed again. Back in her other life, she’d be the one dancing and someone else would be serving her drinks. But then, she’d hated her other life. No. Libby was better off tending bar and keeping to herself than playing the pampered princess in a city full of people. At least in Temptation, Texas, she could get away from the noise and crowds when she wanted.

  Audrey Anderson, the owner of the Ugly Stick Saloon, laid a hand on Libby’s shoulder. “’Bout ready for your break?”

  “Past ready.” Libby pulled the towel off her shoulder and tossed it on the bar. “I’ll be out back.”

  “The cowboys ’round here can get pretty rowdy,” Audrey warned. “You sure you’ll be all right?”

  “Better than being inside all night.” Libby burst through the back door of the saloon into the night, sucking in a deep breath of fresh air that didn’t reek of alcohol and sweaty men.

  Eight months she’d been working at the Ugly Stick Saloon. Longer than anywhere else she’d stayed over the past couple years. Eight months she’d been watching others having fun and partying, flirting with the handsome cowboys, two of whom had definitely caught her eye since she’d started working at the saloon. Libby’s shoulders tensed. She was better off forgetting about flirting with the Gray Wolf men. A low profile had been her goal for the past two years and the only thing that kept her out of trouble.

  Still, she had yearnings…needs…a hunger for something more.

  Perhaps it was time to move on.

  The door behind her opened and closed, footsteps crunching in the gravel toward her.

  She walked faster, craving the quiet time alone. Before she’d gone two yards, the footsteps caught up with her and hands slid down her shoulders.

  “Hey, beautiful. Need a ride home?” A big, smelly man with bad breath and shaggy hair spun her around.

  “No. I don’t need a ride.” She tried to shake his hands off, but they were like meaty vise grips, clamped down hard enough to leave bruises.

  A spike of adrenaline zipped through her bloodstream as the heat of anger built. She hated being held against her will. For the past two years, she’d lived free of constraint of any kind. She’d be damned if any man would hold her back again. “Let go of me before I hurt you.”

  The man guffawed, spewing clouds of alcohol vapor in her face. “A little thang like you? Hurt me?”

  She raised her knee in a quick jerk, connecting with the drunk’s private parts.

  The foul-mouthed man let go of her arms and grabbed his crotch, swearing in a high-pitched whine. “Damn, girl, I’ll get ya for that.”

  “Yeah, right. Go home to your wife and sleep it off.” She backed away and walked on, dogged by the sound of multiple footsteps in the gravel now following her. When she reached a row of cars, she stopped and wheeled around to face the new threat. “What do you want?”

  The two men who looked remarkably alike and dressed identically in crisp white button-down dress shirts and neatly pressed jeans, stood in front of her, hands raised in surrender and grinning. Libby’s heartbeat ratcheted up a notch as she stared at the Gray Wolf twins. The men she’d been drooling over not five minutes earlier.

  “Audrey sent us out here to keep an eye on her favorite bartender,” one of them said.

  The other’s eyes twinkled. “Seems like you can take care of yourself pretty well on your own. Ol’ Pleaze won’t try messing with you again.”

  If Libby had been wondering where all the good-looking cowboys had gone, she’d found the two most qualified. “Jackpot,” she said beneath her breath.

  The Gray Wolf brothers had to be the best-looking cowboys in the area, especially the twins. Their dark-skin, long, pitch-black hair and brown-black eyes spoke to their Kiowa Indian roots and had every girl this side of the Brazos River panting.

  Libby had to admit, she’d panted a time or two over them from behind the bar. More and more lately. They’d made an effort to stop by and talk to her whenever she had a free moment, not that she encouraged them. It was nice on the ego to know she still had it, and appealed to a couple of damned good-looking men. Not that she could take advantage of it and flirt back. Relationships weren’t in the cards for her. The twins had impeccable reputations as gentlemen and cowboys. Where women were concerned, the Gray Wolfs made fine catches.

  She’d come outside for freedom from noise and people, not to start up a conversation with the cowboys. “I don’t need a babysitter, but thanks anyway.”

  She turned and walked farther away from the building, until the thump, thump, thump of the music blaring inside the corrugated tin walls subsided some.

  The crunch of boots on the gravel indicated her tail hadn’t taken the hint.

  “Shh!” She faced the men and pressed a finger to her lips. “Hear that?”

  Both men shook their heads, the similarity between the twins so remarkable, Libby had never been able to tell them apart by looks, only by personality.

  Mark, the fun-loving, more outgoing one of the pair grinned. “I don’t hear a thing.”

  Luke shook his head. “That’s her point, brother. She came out for quiet, not to hear us flapping our jaws. Come on.” Luke grabbed his brother’s arm. “Leave Libby alone.”

  “No, I’m here to watch out for the pretty lady,” Mark insisted. “I don’t shirk my responsibility.”

  “You heard her. She can take care of herself.” Luke snorted. “You just wanna flirt.”

  “Damn right.” Mark grabbed Libby’s hand, swung her out and back in with his best dance move. When he had her in the crook of his arm, he whispered, “I’ve been trying to get inside her panties since she started here at the Ugly Stick.”

  Libby’s pussy clenched at the thought of Mark in her panties, but she pushed the image aside and twirled out, putting distance between her and Mark. “You and every other horndog in this joint.”

  “Smooth, dickhead. I’m sure she goes for those kinds of come-ons.” Luke reached out and captured Libby’s hand. “Excuse my coarse brother, he never learned manners.”

  Libby laughed. Mark and Luke always had a way of lightening her dark thoughts. “You two are too much. How come you hav
en’t found girlfriends?”

  Mark grinned. “We’ve been waiting for you, darlin’.” He took her hand again and brought it to his lips.

  Luke squeezed the fingers on her other hand gently, his gaze capturing hers, dark and intense. “We were meant for the forever kind of love, not just flirting.”

  Luke’s words made the smile slip from Libby’s lips, the hands holding hers suddenly feeling like manacles. She tugged loose and stepped back, the trapped feeling making her chest tighten, her breaths shorten and her feet itch to run.

  “See there, Luke. You’re scaring her now.” Mark rolled his eyes. “Can’t decide if the bullshit is on the inside or the outside of his boots.”

  Libby pulled away, fighting to breathe past the lump forming in her throat. When she spied her black and red Harley Davidson motorcycle, she hurried toward it, the road calling to her. Not until she’d swung her leg over the seat and braced her hands on the grips did she feel reason return and with it, the confirmation it was time to move on.

  The twins followed, staying true to their promise to Audrey to look out for Libby.

  “Beautiful.” Luke smoothed his hand along the white angel wings painted across the black gas tank, but his eyes were on Libby, not the wings. “There’s nothing like riding, is there?”

  “Nothing,” she agreed, her gaze captured by his intensely dark and sincere eyes.

  These men weren’t just about flirting and scoring with every woman they met. They’d proven over and over that they were honest, helpful and kind as well. On more than one occasion, they’d lent their construction experience to Audrey and the Ugly Stick, free of charge. As Libby knew, not every handsome man had that kind of integrity. Libby had met her share of horses’ asses back in New York City. She suspected the oldest of the Gray Wolf brothers, Jackson, had a lot to do with Mark and Luke’s good manners, having raised them since their parents died.

  “I’ve always imagined riding a bike is like riding a horse,” Luke continued.

  “It’s better.” Libby tipped her head back in an attempt to ignore the twinkle in his eyes. “It’s like pure freedom.”

  “You seem to know your way around a motorcycle.” Mark touched the leather seat. “Have you always been a biker?”

  Libby’s lips quirked and she opened her eyes. “No. Not always.”

  “Then why biking?” he asked.

  “I go where and when I want to.” Libby tipped her chin up as a light breeze lifted the hair off her neck. “No strings, no holds, just me and the road.”

  “That’s how I feel when I’m on horseback.” Luke glanced down at the bike.

  “Have you ever ridden a horse?” Mark asked.

  She nodded. “Lots of times.”

  Mark’s brows rose. “Really? Around here?”

  “No,” she answered. “Back in New York City.” As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Libby regretted them. The less anyone knew about her former life, the better.

  Mark snorted. “That’s not riding, that’s walking the dog. I’m talking about really riding across the range, over acres and acres, with the sun on your back and nothing around but the horse and the sky.” He patted his chest. “Now that’s freedom.”

  Libby tilted her head. She’d never seen Mark so quietly enthused. Most often he was raising a ruckus on the dance floor, twirling some pretty young thing in a short, flouncy skirt and studded cowboy boots. When he talked about riding, his face grew serious, his expression dreamy and far away.

  God, he was gorgeous. Libby’s tummy tightened. “No, I haven’t ridden like that.” But the way he talked about it made her want to.

  “You should come with us,” Luke said. “Why not Thursday? You’re usually off on Thursday, aren’t you?”

  Libby frowned, not sure whether she should be annoyed or flattered that Luke knew so much about her work schedule. For certain, she didn’t like the way her pulse sped at the thought of spending the day with the Gray Wolf men.

  “I have…plans.”

  “Can’t you change them?” Mark asked. “We can show you the ranch. The weather’s supposed to be warm and sunny, not too hot.”

  The tug of the road pulled at Libby. With a man on either side of her, she felt just a little hemmed in…trapped. She got off her bike and stepped out of their overpowering huddle.

  “No…no, I can’t change my plans.” Agreeing to go out with the men would be the biggest commitment she’d made in the past eight months, second only to hiring on at the Ugly Stick Saloon and becoming fast friends with her boss.

  “What plans?” Mark demanded, coming after her.

  She backed up another step, her gaze going to Luke who’d stood back, his brows dipping slightly. “I don’t know…plans.” Heat rose up her neck, spreading out into her cheeks at the lie.

  “Back off, Mark. You’re crowding her.” Luke grabbed his brother’s arm and held him steady while Libby stepped farther away.

  Mark shook off Luke’s hand and stood still, letting the gap between himself and Libby widen. “You like peace and quiet don’t you?” he asked, his tone softer, gentler, his eyes wide like a sad puppy’s, begging for affection. Beautiful and dangerous to her control.

  Libby couldn’t resist, and nodded. “Yes.”

  “And she’s not getting much of that now.” Luke shook his head. “Look, if you feel like getting out in the open air, no cars, no honking, nobody to pester you but the two of us—and I promise we won’t pester you too much—drop by our place at eleven o’clock on Thursday. We’d love for you to join us on a ride.”

  Libby’s eyes narrowed. The way Luke had pulled his brother back and left the invitation open appealed to her, making her wonder what it would be like to have more of his intuitive attention, maybe even having those large, capable hands skimming across her skin, awakening places that had been long dormant. And Mark’s broad shoulders and eager, brown-eyed gaze tripped her heartbeat and sent butterflies fluttering through her belly. No. She shook her head in an attempt to clear it of the vision of delicious twin cowboys. She couldn’t get sucked in. She opened her mouth to decline.

  Luke put up a hand. “Don’t decide now. Sleep on it. You have a couple days to think about it.”

  “We can be as peaceful and quiet as you want,” Mark promised.

  Libby couldn’t help her snort. “Mark…quiet? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you quiet.”

  His brows furrowed. “I can be, especially out on the ranch.”

  She sighed. “I’ll think about it.”

  “Great!” Mark clapped his hands together. “We’ll see you at eleven on Thursday. Wear boots and jeans. We’ll make it a picnic.”

  Libby chuckled. “I said I’d think about it.”

  “Libby!” Audrey’s voice carried across the back parking lot.

  “We’ll be countin’ the minutes until we see you again.” Luke captured her hand and lifted it to his lips.

  Libby’s cheeks warmed and a deep yearning low in her belly blossomed, making her ache for more than just a kiss on her hand.

  “The two of us will make it a treat you won’t forget,” Mark promised, sweeping her into a bear hug, lifting her off the ground and planting a kiss on her surprised lips. Before she could find her wits to struggle, he set her back on her feet and tucked something in her jeans’ pocket. “If you need us for anything…” He waggled his eyebrows. “And I mean anything…call.” He spun her toward the building and patted her bottom.

  Libby hurried back into the saloon, wondering what had just happened. She pulled a card from her hip pocket and stared down at the logo for Gray Wolf Architectural Designs and the phone number listed.

  “Oh good, I was beginning to think the twins had absconded with my best bartender.” Audrey leaned closer, her eyes narrowing. “Are you all right?”

  Libby jammed the card back into her pocket, frowning. “I think I’m going on a picnic.”

  Audrey laughed. “Did Mark and Luke talk you into an outing?” She patted Libby on t
he back. “Babe, you’re in for a real treat.”

  “That’s what they said.” A tingle of excitement threatened to grow inside Libby’s body.

  A secret smile lifted Audrey’s lips. “The two of them are amazing together.”

  Her frown deepening, Libby glanced across at her boss. “And you know that how?”

  Audrey’s lips quirked upward in a smirk. “Did I tell you the story of how they got me and Jackson together?” She slipped her arm around Libby’s shoulder and walked her slowly into the bar.

  “No, you didn’t.”

  Audrey touched a finger to her own lips. “Hmm. Maybe I shouldn’t, and let you discover for yourself why those two are phenomenal.”

  Libby’s core tightened, a wash of moisture trickling out of what she’d thought was her dried-up pussy, shocking her more than she cared to admit. She marched the rest of the way to the bar and took up her bar towel. “I’ve a good mind to cancel.”

  “No way,” Audrey called out.

  Her heart sped and pressure pushed against her chest, the sure signs of the beginnings of an anxiety attack.

  Audrey laid a hand on her arm. “You have to go on that picnic. I promise you won’t regret it.”

  Forcing a smile for the next customer, Libby muttered beneath her breath, “I think I already am.” Yeah, yeah. Then why did a shiver of anticipation spread throughout her body?

  Chapter Two

  By the time the saloon closed, Libby could barely think of anything else…and the date was two days away. She finished cleaning up the bar and called out a goodbye as she passed the storeroom.

  Audrey echoed her good night and giggled. The low rumble of a male voice sounded behind the door.

  Squelching the urge to peek into the storeroom, Libby sailed by, knowing Jackson Gray Wolf had her boss cornered, probably doing naughty things to her among the stacks of supplies.

  With a sigh, Libby let herself out the back door of the saloon and strode toward the spot she’d left her motorcycle. How long had it been since she’d had sex? Too damn long. The invitation from Mark and Luke had been the first time she’d been tempted. The riding date was two days away, making her dry spell that much longer.