Free Forbidden Passions by India Masters Page A

but it was evident last night’s incident with Ty had set them back. Do not pass go, do not collect two hundred dollars. She’d changed over the years, gone from a wide-eyed teenager who wore her heart on her sleeve to this hard-nosed woman who kept her thoughts to herself. He was out of his depth with a filly like Libby Wild, and that was the bald-faced truth of the matter.
    “Look, Libby.” He hoped he’d injected the right amount of patience into his voice. “You have to talk to both of us sooner or later; otherwise it’s gonna be a long two weeks.”
    Libby folded her arms over her chest. “I guess it’s going to be a long two weeks, then, because I have nothing of a personal nature to say to either one of you.”
    It was Bodie’s turn to grit his teeth. The Cade charm was lost on a woman who could hold a grudge the way this one could.
    “Fine. Have it your way.”
    She turned then, giving him a smug little smile. “I always intended to.”
    Bodie cursed fluently under his breath as the entrance to Yellowstone Park appeared. He eased forward and pulled off and leaned over to reach in the glove box for the packet of backcountry permits they’d secured for this trip, inadvertently brushing his forearm across Libby’s breast. He didn’t miss the quick intake of breath from his passenger at that accidental contact and smothered a smile. So, Miss Elizabeth Wild wasn’t as immune to him as she’d like him to think. Interesting. He’d be sure to explore that little fact before they were too far into this trip.
    “I’m gonna check in and leave our itinerary with the rangers. Be right back.” She didn’t comment, but her eyes flicked in his direction. Bodie hopped out of the truck, grinning when his back was to her.
    Ty approached with his packet of information. “What’s so funny?”
    “Nothin’, dude. I just don’t think she’s as mad as she’d like us to believe.” He quickly filled Ty in on what had happened.
    “Huh,” Ty mused. “I guess Arch must have done a better job of talking her down than we figured. Gonna have to take it slow, though, finesse her some.”
    Bodie shook his head as they walked to the ranger station. “I don’t know. Might be best not to let her get too entrenched in her indifference. Break down those walls quick.”
    “How?”
    Bodie handed the ranger his paperwork and asked him about any backcountry conditions they needed to be aware of. After a brief discussion, he headed back to the truck with Ty, resuming their conversation.
    “I say we just take her, like we did in the pasture and at the creek. There’s no one scheduled at the campsite, so we set up camp and let her get some pictures taken as the sun goes down, then fix her a real nice supper and just go for it. She wants us; we both know it. All we have to do is show her how much. We’ll figure out how to explain things once she’s accepted the way things are going to be between the three of us.”
    Ty chuckled. “Sounds like a plan. I, for one, can’t wait to hear her screams echoing off the mountains when she comes.”
    Bodie grinned. “I hear that, brother. Let’s head out. Nine Mile Trailhead awaits, and the crew’s anxious to unload and get back.”
    They parted ways, and Bodie climbed back in the truck to find Libby glaring at him.
    “I don’t know what you two have planned, but you can just forget about it. This trip is about work, not play.”
    Bodie chuckled. “Darlin’, you are too suspicious. We were just conferring on the best way to get to the campsite. Columbine Meadow is only good for one night, so we figured on bypassin’ it for Meadow Creek. Both are hollerin’ distance from Yellowstone Lake, so I figure that’s about as good a place to start as any.”
    “Fine. Just don’t go getting any ideas that I’ll be indulging any of your prurient, adolescent male fantasies.”
    “Prurient, huh?” He raised an eyebrow. “That one of those hundred-dollar college words, Lib?”
    Libby