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him a what-the-hell look, he only shrugged.
    “I’m hungry, Mal.”
    “Whatever.”
    The tension between her and the three men was almost as heavy as the sizzle of lust zipping between her and the Northman men. She bowed her head and concentrated on eating her vegetables.
    Gunner was the one to break the awkward silence. “Mallory, what got you into the business of investigating ranchers and how they treat their animals? Did you suffer a traumatic experience? Like maybe a cow biting your butt?”
    Although she was still miffed at them, she couldn’t help but smile a little. Gunner had a way with words, turning them so that they were humorous even if the question wasn’t.
    “Not at all. Animals have always treated me with respect, which is why I do the same to them.”
    Gunner broke off an edge of his hamburger meat, then tossed it over his shoulder to Rebel. The dog jumped and caught it in the air.
    “And does this pay the bills? Are you with PETA?” Rick crammed a huge bite into his mouth, then grabbed a steak off the platter and dropped it on the ground at his feet. She heard the sound of Rebel chowing down.
    She wished she worked for PETA. That was her dream job. “Not exactly. My day job is at a bank, but on the weekends I work for an organization called Animals for Humans. We provide service dogs to people with disabilities. Researching possible animal cruelty is what I do in my free time.”
    Half expecting a joke, she was surprised and more than a little pleased when both men put down their food and gave her appraising looks.
    “That’s great,” offered a sincere Rick.
    “It figures.” Gunner hurried on at the sight of her lifted eyebrows. “I mean, you obviously care a lot about animals, everything from dogs to cows. I’ll bet you’re very good at your job. All your jobs.”
    “She is.” Kid’s words were muffled as he chewed. “She’s got a way with animals and people. And a kind heart.”
    “I get that.”
    She shivered, loving the way Gunner smiled at her. “So how long have you two lived on the ranch?”
    “All our lives.” Rick took a swig of his beer. “Our family’s owned the land for some time.”
    She had to ask. Had wanted to ask since she’d first met them. “For a long time, huh? So your father or grandfather named the ranch? I kind of figured you two named it. You know. After your porn addiction.”
    Gunner choked on the last bite he’d taken. Laughing, Rick thumped him on the back. “I hate to disappoint you, but the name comes from the fact that our ancestor, the one who first laid claim to the land was illiterate. He wrote his name by making three X s on the paper.”
    She felt the warmth of embarrassment form a ring of heat around her neck. “Oh. That makes sense.”
    Gunner cleared his throat and downed a long drink. “I like your reasoning better. Maybe that’s the story we’ll use from now on.” His gaze jumped to Kid and back. “Although you could help us make the Triple X Ranch a real triple x place.”
    She was the one to almost choke on a slice of zucchini. Was that a proposition? She found herself hoping that it was.
    Suddenly, she could picture them standing over her, their shirts off and their jeans unzipped. Their cocks would thrust straight out at her, prompting her to take one in her hand and the other in her mouth. She swallowed and imagined how musky and deliciously sinful Gunner’s shaft would taste.
    When she saw Kid watching her, she shook the lust-filled thoughts away. She’d already caught enough flak from him after he’d noticed her attraction to them. “Um, if you don’t mind, I think I need to rest a while. It’s been a long day.”
    Kid gave her a curious look, but she ignored him. Thankfully, he didn’t say anything about their having gotten up late before making the trip from Dallas to the ranch. He should’ve been more tired than she was since she’d fallen asleep during the drive.
    “No problem.” Gunner stood up.
    “Do you