Claimed by 3 Mountain Men (Silver Ridge Mountain Men)

6. Ben

6

BEN

J T and Hank would freak the hell out if they knew she’s here on the property, conducting her research. Being with them is like being caught out in a hurricane, constantly being pelted by wind and their damn bullshit.

She’s lucky I’m the only one who comes out on these trails to relax and get some space from the two of them.

I exhale.

No. They don’t need to know about Mac. She’d only become the target of all their anger and anxiety. Hank’s already on edge around JT, nearly blaming him for the fact that we lost Dad, who didn’t want a funeral or anything to be held in his honor.

They can figure out what to do with the business. I’ll stay here or find somewhere else. Doesn’t matter to me as long as we stick together.

But in the meantime, Mac with her raven black hair and deep, hypnotizing eyes can be my own little secret.

Yesterday, I tried not to stare every time she climbed up a ladder with her long legs and tight ass on full display for me in those little hiking shorts. Damn. She’s the whole package. Whip smart. Sassy and sexy as hell.

My teeth grind together as I remember the sounds she was making yesterday morning in her tent, the soft moans and the flushed face when she saw me standing there.

She’d no reason to be nervous.

We’re all humans—all animals with needs of our own.

And my need was her .

I turn the trail headed towards her campsite.

The sun is already high, casting an unusual heat for this time of year. Even though It’s fall now and the leaves are turning golden and red, the air right now is thick and humid. The usual crispness of the season is nowhere to be found.

I carry two cups of coffee, the steam rising in a lazy swirl in the warm air. The forest is alive with sounds, birds chirping and leaves rustling

When I reach her tent, I call out softly, not wanting to startle her. “Good morning, Mac.”

The tent flap unzips, and she steps out, blinking against the bright sunlight. “Morning, Ben,” she says, her voice still tinged with sleep.

“Brought you some coffee,” I say, handing her one of the cups.

She takes it with a grateful smile. As she sips her coffee, I can’t help but notice how the morning light catches her features, highlighting the delicate curve of her cheekbones.

I find her incredibly appealing.

“It feels like summer decided to stick around a little longer,” she notes, stepping out of the tent.

“Yeah, I’d agree with that.”

Here we are, talking about the damn weather. We stare at one another awkwardly for a brief moment. There’s so much I want to ask, but finding the right words feels impossible at this moment. I don’t know where to begin with her. I want to know what the hell she’s really up to. Why she had picked our family over all the others, but I know she won’t tell me anything. Not until she trusts me.

“How long are you planning on staying here?” I ask.

“As long as I need to.”

I raise a brow.

“What if you don’t find anything this week?”

She shrugs. “That won’t happen.”

“That confident you’re going to find out about this silver lynx?”

She flashes me a brilliant smile and tilts her chin up at me.

“Of course. Though it’s less about finding the silver lynx.”

“And more of…” I ask.

“What’s causing them to go extinct.”

Instantly, I know she’s inferring we’re the problem, my brothers and I.

I cock an eyebrow.

“You’re gathering evidence against us?”

“That’s not what I said. Anyways, all I’m doing today is vegetation surveys. Nothing exciting. I appreciate the coffee, but really—I don’t need the help,” she says swiftly changing the subject.

I chuckle.

“You’re something else, Mac.”

She smiles, her eyes twinkling with mischief. “Why, thank you, Ben.”

We share a rare moment of levity, but then I shrug. “I already told you. You don’t really have a choice in whether or not I help you.”

“Yeah, right. Don’t remind me.”

I lean forward slightly, gesturing the trail.

“Lead the way, girl scout.”

Mac rolls her eyes, but she can’t hide her smile as she starts down the winding trail.

The sound of our footsteps and the forest around us swallow up the silence between us as we make our way through the foliage.

I usually don’t feel so stupid around women. Though JT is the smooth talker and Hank’s the charmer. I’m about to ask her about her family, when she looks over at me.

“You know, logging here has completely ruined the balance of the food chain. The health of these plants is directly linked to the health of the lynx’s prey,” she explains, stopping to examine a cluster of ferns. “If plant life suffers, the entire food chain is affected.”

“We’re just doing our part to maintain the forest. And provide for our town, and there is—” Her laugh stops me. She laughs right at me like I’ve told her the funniest joke she’s ever heard.

“And that’s admirable. But at what cost?”

“We’ve been selective about which trees we cut down?—”

“Selective? The clear-cutting I saw on my way in here says otherwise.”

“If you would just let me get a word in!”

“You’d what? Change my mind?” She raises a brow, taking a step closer to me.

“Maybe I would if you’d just listen for once!”

“Well, maybe I could if you weren’t so stubborn!” Mac glares at me, her chest heaving with each angry breath she takes.

I grind my teeth together watching her closely.

Beads of sweat roll down the side of her cheek to her chin, where strands of black hair are stuck to her face.

God. It’s hot.

“So, tell me, Ben. What do you think you have to offer me in terms of help?”

“More than you know,” I say, my voice low and husky. “And I’m sure you’d be surprised.”

Her face flushes but she doesn’t back down.

“Are all of you this arrogant?”

“There’s only one way to find out, isn’t there?” I step closer, my body mere inches away from hers.

Her breath hitches, and she bites her lower lip.

I see the desire in her eyes, the same way I feel it coursing through my veins.

Christ, this heat is unbearable. Between her and the blazing heat of the sun, I want to jump out of my skin. I need to cool off. I step backward, tugging at my sweat covered t-shirt and lifting it upward.

Her eyes widen in horror.

“What are you doing?” she asks, breathless.

“I’m hot. There’s a lake nearby and I want to cool off before I melt into a complete puddle of sweat.”

“You can’t just..” her voice trails off, her eyes locked on my abs.

“What? Strip?”

Mac’s cheeks turn a crimson shade of red, and she tries to stammer out a response.

I take several steps back towards the trail we haven’t been on yet. We’re deep in the forest, but I know it better than anyone. Almost better than my dad.

“Come on. It’s a few yards this way.” I wave for her to follow. “Believe me. You look like you could use a cool off too.”