Page 7 of Trig
A dark thrill shot through me. Possessiveness, fierce and potent as I glanced at her. No fucking way was my brother seeing her bare.
“Yes, she’smine.”
His eyes widened in surprised understanding, then a slow smile spread across his face. His hands came up so I knew he wasn’t going to touch her, probably in response to my junkyard dog snarl. “Just like that?”
That was what my parents said happened to them, meeting at a mutual friend’s wedding. By the end of the reception, they knew they’d be having one of their own.
They had, not six weeks later. Were pregnant with me a month after that.
I nodded, because while we–me and all my siblings–all believed them, it hadn’t happened to any of us. Not one of the nine of us had found their person. Until now.
“Just like that.”
Beau exhaled and laughed. “Shit, man. That’s… that’s good. That’s real good. Guess your decision’s been made about going back on the circuit?”
The competition season was fast approaching–not that it was obvious based on the blizzard we were having–and it was almost time to leave Devil’s Ditch to compete again. Sponsors had expectations, even with a bum knee. We’d gone over all of this at dinner.
Now? He was right. Everything changed. The answer was clear. My choice was obvious.Her.
“Yup. Not happening,” I told him. “If we’re startin’ a family, my rodeo days are done.”
His eyes practically bugged out. “Family? You don’t even know her name.”
I shrugged.
He looked down at the unconscious woman. “Okay. You sure you got her? She’s pretty hypothermic. I can stay if you need me to and–”
“I got her,” I said, grabbing one of the towels and swiping at her wet and icy hair. “Get outta here before we have to come rescue you, too.”
He gave her another quick glance. While I didn’t see a hint of heat or interest in his eyes, I wanted to poke them out anyway. What if she got a good look at him and wanted him instead? It’d happened before on the circuit. On a night out, I didn’t stand a chance standing beside Beau. I had money. A house. I could provide. But I was definitely a hell of a lot older than whoever this woman was. At least a decade. My youngest brothers, Shep and Zeb, were closer to her age.
Fuck Shep and Zeb. And Beau was seeing how beautiful she was. How perfect. None of them were getting this woman.
I felt ridiculously possessive and Beau seemed to pick up on it.
“All right,” he said, complying. “I’ll be in Bozeman, but if you need me to circle back…”
He pushed to his feet.
“Thanks,” I told him. Meaning it. “I won’t. My family can get here by snowmobile real quick if necessary.”
“That’s right. There’s, what, eight of you Wilders?”
“Nine.”
He whistled, then slapped me on the shoulder before he left. “Must be nice. I just have Cammie and she’s the same age as your youngest brother.”
“Zeb.”
“Exactly. If all of you are like this, then he needs to steer clear of her.” He grinned, knowing he was joking. Maybe. “While I’ll miss you on the circuit this year, I’m real fuckin’ happy for you. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
I always knew I wanted to be in the rodeo. I’d been mutton busting when I was five and never looked back. When I graduated high school, I went pro, traveling the country competing ever since. Yet, instead of in some far flung location, I’d found my woman in a blizzard right in front of my house. Fucking finally.
Instead of stripping her of anything else, I scooped her up and carried her upstairs and to my room. Only when she was on my bed did I rid her of her wet clothes. It’d been impossible not to take in her full tits, soft curves, and perfect pussy while doing so.
I’d felt a little like an asshole, because I only touched a woman who was willing and interested. Conscious, too. But this mystery woman wasmy womanand I had to take care of her. Hell, keep her fucking alive. Ridding her of her wet clothes wasn’t an option, it had been a requirement when she was hypothermic. Modesty be damned. Not that she had anything to be modest about, not with me.
But I wanted to see her for the first time when she offered herself to me like a gift. A present I could unwrap and savor.
