Page 214 of Mountain Men Heroes

Will stepped toward me. “How are you going to manage that if they saw you? Even if you get away?—”

The door burst open. All of us twisted toward it as Dyson stormed in with Eeli hot on his heels. They looked huge and fierce in the already cramped back room.

I felt like someone sucked all the air from the room. My eyes darted back and forth between the two men. I couldn’t imagine what they thought, discovering me standing on that stage.

Will moved in front of me in a protective move I’m sure he wasn’t even conscious of. That brought me right out of my Dyson and Eeli-induced stupor. I fought down a giggle. Dyson and Eeli might get angry at finding me hanging out in a bar, standing in front of a room at least half full of men with the alcohol flowing liberally, but they’d never in a million years hurt me.

And I wasn’t even going to touch the fact that, while Will was a big guy, next to Dyson and Eeli, his rangy frame made him look like a pipsqueak.

I moved out from behind him. But obviously, Will wasn’t as sure of Dyson and Eeli as I was. He reached out and placed an arm in front of me and grabbed my arm, blocking me from moving forward.

The second his hand landed on me, an inhuman growl came from the front of the room making my spine go straight and ratcheting up the tension by a million and one percent.

“Get your hands off her.” Eeli stalked toward us, his jaw clenched so tightly, I wouldn’t be surprised if he bared his teeth.

“Eeli, it’s fine.” I tried to break Will’s hold, but he refused to let me go. “Will!”

He shot me a look that told me just how nuts he thought I was. And he wasn’t the only one feeling the tension. Our bandmates moved up to flank us, making Dyson step forward, his face like granite. All the five of them needed were some swords and shields, and maybe a metal skirt or two, and they’d look like ancient gladiators about to battle for their lives.

Men. I ripped myself from Will’s grasp, ignoring the tingle of pain that shot through my elbow as I twisted. “Stop it. All of you.”

“Clara...” Will started.

I held up my hand. “Will, it’s fine. I’m sure Dyson and Eeli are surprised to find me here. But it’s not like they’re going to hurt me.” I turned to the two men who had my knickers in a constant twist lately. “Right, guys?”

Eeli continued to stand with his posture rigid and his gaze locked on Will.

Will and my bandmates weren’t much better. They stood with squared shoulders, grim expressions on their faces, fists clenched and cocked at their sides.

I rolled my eyes and fought the urge to laugh. I’m sure my bandmates could more than hold their own.

In a fight with my guys? No way. Next to the ferocity of the two men who seemed to hold my fate in their hands these days, all of my bandmates looked like pussycats. My guys had them beat by a mile when it came to bulk, brawn, and predatory instincts.

I took a giant step forward and put myself directly between Eeli and the band. I glanced over at Dyson. He’d relaxed a bit. His shoulders were still tight, and I could almost feel the tension coming from him. But he’d rocked back on his heels, and a small smile played over the corners of his mouth. Apparently, at least one of the men in the testosterone-laden room could appreciate the ridiculousness of the situation.

“Clara, over here,” Dyson clipped out.

Okay, maybe I'd overestimated his appreciation.

I sighed, but I couldn’t help myself. Something about his voice, about the look in his eyes, made me want to obey him. A little part of me balked at the idea, but then logic took over. Extricating myself from the current machismo sandwich I seemed to be the meat in was probably the best way to neutralize the situation.

I stepped over to Dyson’s side. You would think I managed to defuse a bomb. I’d be lying if I said the pressure totally left the room, but there was a definite easing of tensions.

Dyson moved into me, pulling me close, his arm a band of solid metal around my waist so that my front was plastered to his side. He pressed a fleeting kiss to my temple.

I’m sure my mouth dropped open at his physical display. And I think I lost my ability to blink. What on earth was going on here?

But while my logical side might be running to catch up to what was going on, my inner woman was in her glory. She stretched luxuriously and urged me to press even closer into Dyson.

“What are you guys doing here?” I finally managed to ask, my voice soft.

Eeli slid up behind me, pressing close to my back. The warmth of the two men enveloped me, infusing me with a languid heat that had me fighting the urge to rub myself against them.

I turned to my bandmates and I couldn’t help it. I giggled. Will had a smug, I-told-you-so look on his face. Moe and Curly, on the other hand, had their jaws on the floor, their eyes popped out of their heads.

Here was one upside to Will’s theory that the three of us were somehow bonded together like a mated trio I’ve read about in those shifter books I love to collect.

But this is real life and not some made-up story on my bookshelf.

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