Page 66 of Mountain Men Heroes

He spoke softly, as though the memory was still fragile. His eyes focused on nothing in particular as wisps of the past flitted across his somber expression. Soft brown eyes settled on her. “The answer is yes, baby girl. Probably not many remember or choose to forget, but in the end, I guess it doesn’t matter because it wasn’t meant to be. Abigail was hit the hardest. She loved us both and you can bet we loved her. A woman’s heart is a little more tender than a man’s, but I felt the loss just the same.”

That explained a lot. “I’m sorry, Mr. Savage.”

“It’s okay. And it’s been ten months, going on eleven. ’Bout time you started calling me Jasha. You’re making me feel old, girl.”

Zahara smiled, nodding as she worked through the few details he shared. Did the rest of the Savage bunch know? She’s never heard anyone talk about having another father. Millions of questions paraded through her mind, and all of them had to do with how he’d survived such pain. But asking them? She couldn’t without feeling guilty.

“Abby and I continued on, had the family we talked about before the accident left us both dealing with the loss of the other half of our heart. We found strength in each other and pushed on.”

Traces of pain lingered in his voice and said volumes more than what he actually shared. She recognized the sound of that pain, knew the damage it caused and the remains left behind.

Holden’s mother was a quiet woman, always quick with a smile, but ready with a firm hand when it came to her boys. She imagined raising men with a stubborn streak the size of Alaska wasn’t an easy undertaking.

High beams from a cherry red Ford truck reflected off the front windows, and they both turned. She placed her glass down as they both stood. Holden’s high 4x4 rumbled through the tall grass and came to a stop at the edge of the field right before touching the lush grass of his momma’s manicured yard.

Zahara glanced up as Mr. Savage wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her in for a brief hug. “Follow your instincts, baby girl, and everything will be okay.” With that, Holden’s father swung the front door open and called for his wife. “Woman, get out here—the boys are home.” He spoke as if Riley belonged among their family.

Two doors swung open on opposite sides of the truck. Dark gazes sought hers. Every promise—every safe fact she clutched to her chest— faded away until all she could see were them, both waiting for her to jump into their arms.

Holden and Riley stepped around the truck, all warm smiles, and open arms.

Her footing slipped and she drew up short of throwing herself at them like some lovesick woman. She may be desperate for them, but she couldn’t afford to arm them with the munitions to use on her when it came time to part ways.

She could barely breathe. “You’re home.” Their watchful gazes seared her soul. Twisting her fingers into the end of her braid, blood rushed in her ears. Everything in her told her to go to them, accept the safety of their open arms, but she couldn’t move another step now.

What was wrong with her?

Zahara glanced between the two men and found her missing ire hanging in the wings, waiting for her to pull her head together. “You scared the hell outta me. Both of you.” She wound the ends of her braid between her fingers. Anything to keep all ten digits, and every other body part, on this side of the invisible line they toed, oblivious to her self-imposed boundaries.

It was increasingly hard to be mad at either man with them looking at her like they worshiped the ground she walked on. Those gold and brown eyes watched her every move. They were dangerously lethal to her willpower.

“Yeah, it was a bit of a rodeo up there, sweetheart, but those kids are safe and sound.” Holden glanced at the ground separating them, brow pinched with confusion.

Two long strides and they swallowed up the safe space she coveted. Holden glided up behind her, pushing her into Riley’s arms. Pressed between them, she had nowhere to go.

“After today those teenagers won’t try a climb like that again,” Riley added, running the tips of his fingers the length of her arms.

Caged between them, heat of a different kind filled her veins.

Riley’s eyes roamed over her, and she knew his focus was on her and not his words.

She tried to slip from between them but there was no use in moving either of them.

“Where ya going, baby girl?” Holden’s lips parted with his softly spoken question as he melded them to the shell of her ear.

She shuddered and involuntarily tilted her head to the side, giving him better access to her neck.

Holden wrapped his strong hands around her waist and pulled. He didn’t have to move her far. They didn’t allow much space between them in the first place.

She worked down a moan. Alaska knew how to grow her men. Hard all over, tall enough to make the submissive in her purr when they pressed her curves between their rock-hard bodies and smooth talkers. Arms made for wrapping around a woman and enough muscle she still had areas she never grew tired of exploring. And dimples to match. Lawdy, those dimples. She and Remy, their younger brother’s woman, had downed many bottles of wine talking over the power of dimples on a Savage man.

Holden’s graced either side of his cheeks while Riley had only one that creased the top left corner of his lip when he smiled. Or when he had a mouth full of her eager, honey-drenched pussy.

Mmm. She groaned low in her throat catching both men’s attention.

Both clipped the sunglasses they held to the front of their shirts. Hands, callused and possessive caught hers. One more night, just the three of them, and then she would say her goodbyes. Yeah, she liked that plan better. Hot sex was always the best way to say adios.

She wore a simple gold band on her left middle finger Holden loved to tinker with. He played with it now, working the metal in circles, his lips trailing over the soft dip in her shoulder. Her other hand came up to rest on Riley’s chest. “Let’s get our girl out of here, Riley. Show her we’re just fine by loving her all night long. The family will understand.”

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