Mastered by Malone (Haven, Texas 6)

“Here, look, I’ll show you just how much I’m wasting away.” He reached for the bottom of his T-shirt, pulling it off before she could stop him. And the body he revealed was definitely not going to fat. He was chiseled. Muscular. Tanned.

“See?” He ran his hand over his stomach, pinching at the skin. “Not an inch of fat on me.”

“I don’t know. You kind of look like you’re getting a little soft here.” Butch poked at his gut and she rolled her eyes.

“Yeah? Don’t notice you taking your shirt off, ashamed to show Mia your gut?” Tanner dared.

Oh, hell. Why hadn’t she just given them a cookie and sent them on their way? Now they’d be here all day, competing with each other.

Butch whipped off his shirt. She now had two shirtless men in her kitchen. And it wasn’t the warmth from the oven making her cheeks flush.

“Will the two of your put your shirts back on?” she demanded with exasperation. She needed both of them out of her kitchen. Then, maybe, she’d go take a cool shower or something. It would take a stronger woman than her not to be affected by the two half-naked men standing so close she could feel the heat coming off their bodies.

“Who has the better body, Mia?” Tanner demanded.

Oh, no. No way was she getting into that.

“Yeah, Mia, tell this dipwad that my body is way better looking than his scrawny ass.” Butch held up an arm, flexing the muscle. “Look at these biceps. Feel them, Mia. Touch them.” This little display of testosterone had gone on long enough.

“Both of you get your shirts back on now.” The snap of an icy voice coming from the doorway made her gasp and jump. Her heart raced and she automatically cringed back, looking for a way to flee.

Fuck, she hated feeling this way.

“Just having a bit of fun, Alec,” Butch told him with an unrepentant grin.

“Fun?” He said the word like he didn’t understand the meaning of it. Maybe he didn’t. He seemed to work all the time. “You two get back to work. Mia, you stay where you are,” he demanded as she tried to make her way towards the door.

Drat.

“We’re going,” Tanner told him, putting his shirt back on. “We just came in for a snack.”

“Get a snack and go.”

“All right, no need to get all heated up,” Tanner grumbled. But he reached out to grab a couple of cookies. Butch did the same as he slipped by, giving her a sassy wink.

“We’ll take up where we left off later, sweet Mia,” Butch called back at her.

She gulped and looked at Alec’s hard face. Jesus, was Butch trying to poke the beast? Tanner obviously had more sense than his brother because he reached back and grabbed his brother’s shirt, dragging him out through the mudroom.

Alec turned that icy gaze on her. Shit. She licked her lips. “Look, I—”

“Seems I missed a rule,” Alec said in a low voice. Shit. Shit. Her heart raced. She had to remind herself he wasn’t the enemy. Since the brownie incident, he’d gone back to ignoring her. Meanwhile, she spent most nights recalling the feel of his hard body against hers, imagining what it would have been like if he’d kissed her.

“What do you mean? I haven’t left the ranch or contacted anyone.” Hell, she hadn’t even left the house, other than to hang the washing out on the line. This place felt safe. Out there did not. And she was so tired of being scared.

As she stared into his hard face, she felt her insecurities rush to the foreground. She hadn’t broken any rules. He had no reason to look at her like that. He wasn’t going to kick her out, was he?

“You haven’t broken any rules. I didn’t think you would, knowing the consequences.”

Yes, that she’d lose his protection.

She still worried that being here was a mistake. What if the hit man found a way to get to her? What if he hurt these guys? She couldn’t stand it if any harm came to them because of her.

“I’m talking about a completely new rule. I told them but didn’t think I’d have to warn you. My brothers are off-limits.”

Off-limits? What did that mean? Suddenly it hit her, and she sucked in a deep breath. “You think that I . . . that I want . . . that I could ever . . . ” She couldn’t get out the words, she was so flabbergasted at his insinuation.

“I came in here, you standing between them with their shirts off, face flushed, arousal in your eyes, those stupid grins on their faces meaning they were teasing you about something, and you think I don’t have to warn you that they’re off-limits?”