by Myla Jackson
Samhain Publishing
BLURB:
Ugly Stick Saloon
Libby Jones had been on the road for over a year, running from her past, when she landed in Temptation, Texas, working at the Ugly Stick Saloon. Eight months later, she knows she has to leave or risk her past catching up with her. Then why did she take the Gray Wolf twins up on an offer to go riding on their ranch? Getting involved wasn't in the cards for this free-rider.
They're just the Kiowa Cowboys to rope her in...
Mark and Luke Gray Wolf had been trying to capture Libby Jones's attention since she'd started work at the Ugly Stick, only she's blown them off at every attempt to ask her out, until now. Determined to show her a good time on the ranch, they take her to their special project site on the ranch and show her what she's been missing for eight months. They're plan: to expose her to the temptations only twins can provide to persuade her to stay for the long haul.
Convinced she's falling for the two, Libby longs for a life she can't have, knowing she must leave before her whereabouts are discovered. But all hell breaks loose when her past walks through the doors of the saloon. They Gray Wolf twins have a fight on their hands to keep Libby from running again.
EXCERPT:
LOCATION - UGLY STICK SALOON
When they lifted Charli up onto bar, she carried a microphone and leaned against one of the brace posts, one leg sliding up the other as she sang a dirty, sexy song while Kendall, Lacey, Bella and Libby danced in unison.
The crowd clapped in time, swaying to the sound, laughing and shouting, reaching out to touch the girls on the bar. One drunk cowboy made a grab for Libby’s ankle and almost pulled it out from under her.
Mark lunged forward, ready to slam a fist into every one of the men who tried to grope Libby.
Luke’s backhand across his chest stopped him before he’d gone two steps. “You can’t. It’s part of her job with the saloon.”
“But I want to rip that guy a new asshole,” Mark said through clenched teeth.
Libby pressed her stiletto to the man’s forehead and pushed him back hard enough the crowd had to catch him.
Luke laughed. “The woman can hold her own.”
The other men around him shoved the drunk to the rear, refusing to let him back up to the bar.
“Come on, we need to get to the front of that crowd. I want to talk to Libby.” Mark nudged and pushed through the wall of men, all hollering for the dancers as they strutted, turned and ground their hips to the song Charli sang.
Luke followed right behind Mark as they made slow progress through the throng.
One man raised his fists, his face blotchy with anger and alcohol. “Hey, don’t push me.”
“Not trying to start a fight.” Mark backed off, unwilling to get into brawl, when all he wanted was to get to Libby.
Luke slammed into Mark, and Mark bumped the man with the raised fists, shoving him against another guy.
Fist Man swung at Mark’s face.
Mark shouted, “Duck!” He leaned right.
The fist whiffed past his ear and hit Luke in the jaw.
Luke staggered backward, stepping on the cowboy behind him and knocking him across a table.
Mark faced off with Fist Man and landed a punch in his breadbasket.
The man didn’t even flinch, but his face reddened to a mottled patchwork and he let out a roar. He ducked his head and rammed into Mark’s gut, railroading him through the crowd until he hit a table, slid across it and landed on his back on the floor, stunned and with the wind knocked out of his lungs.
Others who’d been flung or pushed aside leaped into the fray and fists flew unchecked.
Greta Sue muscled her way toward Mark, lifting him up off the floor. “You all right?”
Mark nodded, just beginning to breathe again. When he stood, he swayed, scanning the melee for his twin.
Luke faced off with Fist Man and another guy, holding his own in a two-to-one fist fight.
“I gotta make a call.” Greta Sue let go of Mark and hurried toward the back of the bar and the telephone.
Charli had stopped singing, joining the girls on the bar in the fight to keep the groping hands from toppling them into the crowd.
Everyone was shouting and no one could hear anything, even the sound of sirens. Until the sheriff and five of his deputies pushed through the door. One raised a megaphone to his lips and announced, “Party’s over.”
Other Authors participating in Snippet Saturday:
Megan Hart:Read in bed! Rhian Cahill Eliza Gayle Jody Wallace Mandy M Roth Lissa Matthews Leah Braemel Mari Carr McKenna Jeffries Myla Jackson Taige Crenshaw Delilah Devlin HelenKay Dimon Shiloh Walker Shelli Stevens Zoë Archer TJ Michaels Lauren Dane
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