Lady Be Bad (26 page)

Her victory, however, was brief. One minute
later she heard the distinct snap of a bolt-action repeating rifle
and found three of them aimed at the cat and a fourth at her.

“Hold it, boys.” Thor stepped between the
guns and their targets. “Let’s keep calm. Buck, pull the horse’s
way back. All right, relax, everybody. There’s no need to get
trigger happy.”

“Maybe she doesn’t understand English, Thor,”
Nate piped, observing her moccasins. “Let me try some Blackfeet.”
He cleared his throat and offered, “
Kokipi sni menuah
.”

Thor exhaled a painful groan. “Nate! I don’t
think ‘do not fear, let’s take a bath’ is very appropriate!“

With one eye on the men, she lowered her chin
and tried hard to control the laughter that threatened to bubble
forth. Her left hand made a graceful gesture that shielded her
smile and then moved on to straighten the bear-claw necklace at her
throat.

The instant the man called Thor advance two
more steps toward her, she stiffened in wary attention. Fingers
tightened on the cat’s leather collar, her left hand dropping
against the ivory handle of the knife sheathed in her
loincloth.

Suddenly, Thor found himself facing two
predators. He didn’t miss the lethal quality in her taut,
ready-for-combat stance. Neither had the saber-toothed cat. A growl
rolled in his throat; powerful haunches were tensed for attack.

Still, the closer he got, the more certain he
became that all was not what it appeared to be. “Seems we’ve got a
Mexican standoff here.” His deep voice was calm as he used slow and
careful movements to take off his hat. “No one has to get
hurt.”

Thor knew she could understand every word.
The animals appeared prehistoric but the lady certainly wasn’t. She
was, Thor decided, a rather haute couture savage. Little
concessions to feminine accoutrements gave her away, like the scent
of skillfully blended perfume that drifted on the breeze and the
mauve tinting that glossed her full lips. And then there was her
hair – a tawny mix of platinum and gold waves, curls and
precision-cut layers that swirled in elegant dishevelment around
her bare shoulders.

While she wasn’t naked, her wearing apparel
left little to the imagination. High, rounded breasts were
individually encased in chamois triangles hooked together by
leather strips; the same laces secured a loincloth that bared
sinuous thighs and sleek hips.

His gaze lingered an appreciative extra
minute on her bronzed, supple body and then returned to study her
face. Thor was surprised to find how easy he became a prisoner of
her eyes, eloquent eyes that were soft and full of character and
intelligence. Almond shaped, slightly slanted, with dark blue
irises that were made mysterious by a fringe of jet lashes that
looked natural despite the obvious contrast with her leonine
coloring.

He liked the confident way she held her head
and how the sun-gold curls that tumbled onto her forehead defied
the leather headband. There was a roundness about her face that was
soft, inviting and he instinctively knew that his little finger
would fit perfectly in the cleft of her chin.

Surprised at harboring such an intimate
thought, Thor took a step back but his gaze was locked onto hers.
“I’d really appreciate an explanation of all this. You, the hairy
elephant, and the cat with the overbite are not the norm in
Montana. So anytime you’d like to begin …”

She really wished he had never spoken. The
deep, husky whisper of his voice caused her breath to quicken. She
also wished he hadn’t removed his hat. Now that his features were
readily visible, she found agreeable sensations flooding her
veins.

He had a head like a Norse god. Thick dark
brown curly hair brushed up and back from his face. A face
weathered by experience. A nice face. A very, very nice face, she
mentally corrected.

His physical features were both strong and
gentle. Wide-set ice-blue eyes, large cheekbones, small nose, and a
fierce chin and jawline. She had always been a sucker for a
mustache and his grew thick over a sensuous top lip.

He had a body that was impossible to ignore,
so she gave up trying. Her gaze wandered up and down a
six-foot-plus physique that was the epitome of strength and vigor,
displayed to full advantage in jeans and a denim shirt, the sleeves
rolled up to mid-arm. The leather gun holster that slung low on his
lean hips gave him an aura of danger that she found rather
enticing.

Her relaxed appraisal hadn’t gone unnoticed
by either the man or the large cat. The latter proved to be her
undoing. His mouth opened not to snarl but to emit a long, loud,
kittenish yawn. The tiger rolled over, rubbed his back and
shoulders into the ground, his hind legs spread-eagled, yawned
again, and pawed sleepily at his face. To the amazement of
everyone, his sword-like canine teeth fell out.

“Damn it, Pumpkin, why couldn’t you have just
growled!”

“Pumpkin?” Thor blinked. “Pumpkin!” Ragged,
sun-bleached eyebrows drew together. “That cat’s name is –“

“Pumpkin,” she supplied, her mouth tilting
with humor. “By the way, the hairy elephant is just that.”

“I suppose his name is Jumbo?’

“No, Ramon.” Her eyes grew bright and, after
placing two fingers between her lips, she let loose with an
earsplitting whistle. The furry pachyderm responded with an equally
deafening wail that sent the horses into a frenzy.

Thor crossed his arms over his chest and took
a deep breath. “Well, that gives me two out of three names. What
about you?”

“Cam Stirling,” she extended her hand. “You
are Thor –“

“Luthor Devlin.” He wasn’t quite sure why he
formalized his name, except the childhood nickname seemed too
frivolous to say to a woman with such a firm grip.

She studied him for a long moment, liking a
little too much what she saw. “I think Thor fits you so much
better.” Her eyelid lowered in a slow wink. “The reigning god of
thunder and lightning, the ruler of the sky and this is Big Sky
country.”

Realizing he was still holding her hand, Thor
released it, cleared his throat, and tried to establish a more
serious vein of conversation. “I’d like some answers.”

“I’ll just bet you have some great
questions.” Abruptly, Cam realized that there were more than just
two people on the limestone cliff. She watched the other men move
closer and raised her voice. “There isn’t any need for those
rifles.” Her posture became defensive. “My friend is quite gentle.”
To prove her point, she dropped to her knees, rubbed the big cat’s
massive chest until he began to purr, then playfully tweaked his
nose.

“What in hell’s goin’ on here?” Nate
demanded, shoving through the muttering queue. He squinted at the
utterly relaxed, obviously contented animal. “Why, he’s nothin’ but
a goll dang pussycat!”

Cam smiled up at the foreman. “He’s an
overgrown cougar but with the help of a good set of dentures,” she
opened the animal’s massive jaw and replaced the foot-long canines,
“and a snarl he’s been practicing for three months, Pumpkin’s a
sabre-toothed tiger.” She stood up in one graceful movement. “All
it takes is magic.”

“Magic?” Nate scratched his stubbled jaw.
“Why and what for?”

“Movie magic,” came Thor’s calm
interjection.

Turning her head, Cam discovered he’d moved
close to her side. “That’s right. Both of my friends are movie
stars. As a matter of fact, I’m sure you’ve seen Pumpkin in quite a
few TV commercials and on billboards. He sells suntan lotion and
cars.”

“Is all this for one of them TeeVee
commercials?” the lanky foreman inquired.

She shook her head. “No, we’re –“

“Movies.” Billy blurted. “I bet you’re here
making a movie. Are you the star?”

“Yes and no.” Before she could explain
further, another new sound assaulted the group’s ears. The whirling
single rotor blade of a helicopter walloped the air. As the chopper
hovered over the escarpment, the winds from the wing sent dirt, and
gravel upward off the ground, and made the horses go wild in
fright. Cam immediately raised her hand in an all clear signal,
then motioned the pilot toward the clearing below.

She turned toward Luthor Devlin and did
something she had wanted to do from the first moment – touch him.
“Your poor horses have had quite a scare today.” Her left hand
settled comfortably on his right forearm; his taut flesh was warm
and very masculine.

Thor looked from her hand to her eyes. “It’s
been an interesting day all around.” He made no attempt to liberate
his arm. Instead, he found pleasure in her touch. “I’m still a
little confused as to what’s going on here.”

Cam reacted with surprise. “The memo that
went out from your forest supervisor was quite clear.”

“Memo?”

“Yes, to all the rangers. We do have the
proper permits and I know Jack is giving credit to the Glacier
National Park at the end of his film.”

“I hate sounding like an echo,” Thor
responded evenly, “but who the hell is Jack?”

“Jack Kenyon, Kenyon Productions.” she gave
an encouraging little smile. “He won three Oscars last year for his
sci-fi epic.”

Thor shook his head, then grinned at her
musical sigh.

“Perhaps Bridget Lawson might ring a few
bells.”

“Bridget Lawson … hmmm …if I’m not mistaken
there are at least three of her posters hanging in the
bunkhouse.”

“How nice to discover that your men are art
lovers!”

“What can I tell you,” came his lazy
rejoinder. Thor patted her hand then left his on top hers. “She’s
nailed right up there next to all the Monet’s and Picassos.”

Cam took a step closer, her feet straddling
one heavily scuffed brown boot. “Well, Bridget is the star of
Jack’s latest movie and by the enthusiastic sounds coming from your
men, she and Kenyon must have stepped into full view.” Looking over
his shoulder, she waved at four new arrivals and shouted, “I’ll be
right down.”

Thor’s hand caught and held her wrist. He
didn’t like her breaking contact. “So, you’re not the star?”

Her blond hair whipped back and forth across
her bare shoulders. “Nope. She’s the star.” Cam was surprised when
he still didn’t turn around. Surprised and pleased.

“And you?”

“I’m the action technician.” She saw his
right eyebrow rise and sighed. “Stunt woman.”

“What’s the name of this little epic?”

“
Empress of Armageddon
.” Tapping his
fingers free of her hand, Cam called the cat to attention by her
side. “Now, I really must report to my boss.” Her soft eyes grew
lustrous. “I’ll introduce you after you make the long –“ she
lengthened the word, “—climb down.”

Seconds later, Thor and his ranch hands
watched in rapt fascination as Cam Stirling did anything but
laboriously climb down the rugged face of the escarpment. What had
taken the men at least a dozen panting, sweat-ladened minutes, she
accomplished in less than five. It was as if there were no jagged
limestone folds or scoured rock surfaces.

She duplicated the cat, not just in coloring
but in sinuous grace. Cam traveled fluid-smooth and nimble down the
steep, stratified slopes. Her movements were agile and lithe and
possessed the style and elegance of a prima ballerina.

“She’s as sure a’ foot as a mountain goat,”
Nate commented, putting a fresh chaw of tobacco into his mouth.

Thor hadn’t realized how long he’d been
holding his breath until he tried to speak and found himself
gasping. He swallowed hard. “More like a gazelle.”

Nate expelled a thin stream of tobacco juice.
“So, what d’ya think?”

“I’m trying not to.” With that insouciant
comment, he pulled his hat brim low on his forehead, grabbed his
horse’s reins, and slowly carefully headed down the rock-strewn
crag.

Jack quickly scratched out another notation –
replenish the fog – before snapping his producer’s logbook closed.
“Very, very nice, Cam, but you should have saved all that graceful
energy for when the cameras roll.” He looked beyond her to the
parade of men and horses maneuvering slowly down the cliff. “Damn,
don’t tell me a ranger brought a tourist group over for the
afternoon. Dammit, we don’t have time to nursemaid visitors. Hell’s
bell’s, can’t anyone read –“

Cam placed a restraining hand on his
shoulder. “They didn’t know a thing about the memo, Jack.
Apparently, they were out riding, blundered right in, and got the
shock of their lives seeing Pumpkin and Ramon.” She patted and
praised the big cat, then smiled at the blond actress who had moved
to join the producer. “Your posters seems to be quite popular with
those men, Bridget.”

“At least they have excellent taste!” Bridget
Lawson lowered oversized sunglasses to peer at the encroaching
group. “Let’s not be rude to an adoring public, Jack. After all,
they’re the ones who’ll be spending money to see me in your
latest.”

Jack took off his Pirate’s baseball cap, used
a handkerchief to blot the sweat from his bald head and bushy black
beard, and then took a deep breath. “Okay, ladies let’s go make
nice-nice with the crowd and then walk through the new changes
while we wait for the three other choppers to bring the cast, crew,
and equipment.”

After leaving the cat with his trainer for
some makeup repairs and water, Cam made the necessary
introductions. “Jack Kenyon, Bridget Lawson, this is Luthor
Devlin.”

The two men shook hands, sizing each other up
in that brief moment. Jack had to crane his neck an extra eight
inches to look Thor in the eyes. “Cam told me how you stumbled onto
our set and –“

“And, we’d love to have you stay and watch
our afternoon shoot,” Bridget inserted smoothly, her coquettish
nature surging to the surface once she looked at Thor’s handsome
face.

His gaze shifted to locate Cam Stirling. She
had settled quite comfortably on a nearby boulder, one shapely leg
swinging in time to silent music, her mouth tilted in a smile.
Thor’s gaze again returned to Bridget Lawson. At first glance, the
two women could indeed pass for identical twins but to Thor’s eyes,
the differences were highly pronounced.