Page 48 of Ten Mountain Men

“Well, I’m guessing they’re still in the river,” Nash says, not even a little bit sheepish.

“I caught three,” Lynx adds.

“Are you kidding me? You should’ve caught a dozen by now. Three?” Grumpy Luke jabs a finger in my direction. I’m ashamed that, in this moment of conflict, I notice his fingers are as big as cocks too. “She needs to go. She’s a distraction. First, Ash with the weather and now…these shenanigans? She needs to go. Now. We said one night.”

Wait. “You’re blamingmefor Ash not being able to control the weather?” I ask incredulously.

Also—I can’t go anywhere yet! I need more of those kisses! I need to know more about these men! I need to have sex. Like…it feels kind of like I’ve been fasting and telling myself it’s okay…but now I realize, it’s not okay at all. I’m two seconds away from literal starvation and there’s a buffet before me and I need to eat. I might actually die if I don’t. The need to have one of them inside me is overwhelming. Not one of their fingers, but one of their actual cocks. How big they must be. Holy shit.

I fan myself.

“I’m blaming you for being a distraction,” Grumpy Luke repeats.

I’m not the distraction! I was a woman on a mission until I crashed into you! All ofyouare the distractions!

That’s what I want to say to Grumpy Luke because, honestly, all I wanted to do was to find the Bigfoot that saved my life, make an award-winning documentary, and show the world that Sasquatches not only exist, but they’re heroes! Kind-eyed, gentle-giant heroes!

And, bam, now suddenly all I want to do is make out with the mountain men.

No, no. Let’s be real, Goldie. That’s not all you want to do.

I flush, cheeks hot as flames at the thought of Lynx’s tongue toying with mine. Never mind what that tongue might do elsewhere…

Get a hold of yourself, girl.The altitude must really be getting to me.

“We wound up eating lunch late yesterday—because of you—and from the looks of it, we’re going to wind up eating lunch late today, as well,” Luke says to Lynx and Nash, then to me, after which he clenches his jaw for a full thirty seconds with such intensity I’m surprised that when he opens his mouth to speak again all of his teeth don’t just fall out in the form of dust. “You have to go.”

“Back off, Luke. She’s not going anywhere ’til she’s all healed up,” Lynx says.

“Says who?” Luke demands.

“Says me,” Lynx replies.

Suddenly it’s like Grumpy Luke is the sun and there’s a full solar eclipse happening.

Lynx has stepped between us.

Whoa, whoa, whoa.

I limp out from behind Lynx, literally putting myself in the middle. I don’t know how these guys handle their disputes. They don’t seem like the types to do rock paper scissors. If physical brawls are their thing, well. I can’t take that chance. Once fists start flying, some of the others might agree with Grumpy Luke that I need to go. I gotta smooth this out. I gotta get more than one night.

“We outvoted you yesterday, Luke. Nine to one,” Lynx says, his tone less confrontational this time but still heated. “We wanted to bring her to the cabin, and if we have another vote on whether or not we want her to stay more than one night, the results will be the same.”

Technically it was eight to one yesterday, since Rusty wasn’t there, but I’m not going to be the one to point that out.

Luke just stares at Lynx, his mouth slightly agape.

I try to put myself in his shoes.

“Hey,” I pipe up, my voice as soothing as possible. “Grumpy Luke does have a point. You all just met me yesterday and—”

“Would youstopcalling me that?” Grumpy Luke glares at me harder.

“Only when you stop being grumpy. And stop interrupting me, for crying out loud! Now. You’re brothers. You’re family. I don’t want you fighting over me.”

“We’re not fighting over you. We’re fightingbecauseof you,” Luke corrects.

“We’re not fighting.” Lynx gestures between Nash and himself. “We were getting along just fine.”

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