Page 27 of Claimed By 3 Mountain Men

A deer bolts past us down the trail.

Embarrassed, I turn my gaze away from his.

“We should probably get out of here before someone sees us,” I say, my voice no louder than a whisper.

He nods in agreement, but I can still see the heat in his eyes.

“Yeah, you're right.” He clears his throat.

We swim to the shore, and I quickly grab my clothes, desperately trying to cover up my nakedness. He does the same, but not before I catch a glimpse of his chest, with water droplets glistening on his tanned skin.

As we dress, neither of us speaks, the tension between us as thick as the mountain air.

Finally, once we're both clothed, we start the hike back down the trail. It's now silent between us, except for the sound of our footsteps on the rocky path.

What just happened?

8

HANK

The sun is sinking behind the tree line, casting long shadows across the front porch.

I stand there, leaning against the wooden railing, looking out into the forest. The trees are dark silhouettes against the fading light, their leaves rustling softly in the breeze.

I take a deep breath, the scent of pine and earth filling my lungs.

Ben’s been gone all day, and it’s not like him to be out this late without checking in. He was gone yesterday as well.

The forest is quiet, the kind of quiet that feels almost eerie. I can hear the distant call of an owl, the chirp of crickets starting up as night falls. I shift my weight, feeling the rough wood of the railing under my hands, and stare into the darkness.

Where the hell is he?

I pull out my phone, checking for any missed calls or messages. Nothing. I sigh, shoving it back into my pocket. Ben’s a grown man, and he knows these woods better than anyone. But still, something feels off.

He hadn’t said much before leaving this morning, just something about needing to take care of a few things. Whateverthe hell that’s supposed to mean. JT and I have no idea what he’s up to, and it’s starting to get to me.

JT and I have been butting heads more than usual, and Ben’s been the only thing keeping us from tearing each other apart. But now he’s off doing God knows what, and I can’t shake the feeling that something’s about to give.

A rustling sound catches my attention, and I straighten up, peering into the forest. A figure emerges from the shadows, and relief floods through me as I recognize Ben’s tall, sturdy frame. He’s walking slowly, looking tired but determined.

“Ben!” I call out, my voice carrying through the quiet evening.

He looks up, a small smile on his lips as he approaches the porch. “Hey, Hank.”

“Where’ve you been? It’s getting late,” I say, trying to keep the worry out of my voice.

“Just needed to take care of a few things,” he replies, climbing the steps to the porch. “No big deal. I went out, walked the trails to the edge of the property.”

I study his face, looking for any signs of trouble. “Everything alright?”

“Yeah,” he says, leaning against the railing beside me. “Just lost track of time.”

I nod slowly, trying to make sense of his vague responses. “You sure? JT’s been asking about you.”

“I’m fine, Hank,” Ben says, meeting my gaze with those steady hazel eyes of his. “You don’t need to worry.”

I sigh, rubbing the back of my neck. “I just… I don’t like not knowing what’s going on, Ben. We’re a team. We need to stick together. Especially with everything that’s going on right now.”

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