Under Pressure [IAD Agency] (Siren Publishing Classic)

sorry,” she muttered. “I don’t believe we’ve met. Hi, I’m Bella.” Her lighthearted grin lit up her face, and she stuck out a hand to each in turn.
    “Adrian and Ryan Savage, ma’am. But you can call me Rock. Everyone does.” Rock allowed his face to relax, staggered by the sheer beauty of her smile. He was a quiet man and preferred to blend into the background. With his shaved head and bruiser physique, most people steered clear of him and would rather approach Adrian, the more outgoing twin.
    They were big men and standing between them was like standing between two boulders. Bella knew by the look on their faces that she utterly shocked them when she went up on her toes and pulled each down to place a kiss on his cheek, starting with Rock.
    Ignoring their astonishment, Bella continued. “Please call me Bella! I know you guys were watching over my parents. I can’t thank you enough. I feel so much better knowing you were watching over them.”
    Just like that, their hearts were lost to her. Bella was like a ray of sunshine for these men, these warriors to be around. She was a bundle of energy, and her very presence made them want to smile.
    Sal laughed at their expressions, earning a frightening scowl from Rock.
    Bella turned to the last man in the room and was startled when he pulled her close to kiss her right on the lips causing Jason to snarl.
    Ignoring Jason, the man continued to hold her close. “Bella, I’m Brett Michaels. I’ve been looking forward to meeting you. Jesus, Mac, you’re a lucky SOB. She’s beautiful.”
    Brett was a big man who looked more like a dangerous felon than someone who helped Jason head up an antiterrorist taskforce. Even with one arm in a brace, he looked more than capable of doing damage. Bella mentally shrugged as she figured it took all kinds to do the jobs they did. He might look scary, but his dark brown eyes were kind as he smiled.
    “You can let go now dammit,” Jason ordered through clenched teeth, making the group laugh again.
    Oblivious to the chaos she caused, Bella continued to smile at the group as she easily removed herself from Brett’s hold and moved back to Jason, where she was immediately hauled up to his side. Her lips twitched with amusement, but she tried to hide it, not wanting Jason going all Alpha male on the room at large.
    “My God, are all the men in IAD so…large? It’s like you’re all supersized. Is it something in the water?”
    They all chuckled.
    “That’s just because you’re the midget of the family, Bells.” Sal laughed.
    Bella put her hands on her hips and glared at her brother. “Anyway, I just got off the phone with Tara. Since we can’t go out and celebrate, I’m planning on making her a big birthday dinner tomorrow night. I know its Friday night, but I would love it if all of you could come.”
    “You’re cooking? Damn, I’ll be here. Guys, you’ve never tasted anything as good as my little sister’s cooking.”
    “She has been cooking for me, and I can honestly say she has no equal. She’s absolutely brilliant.” Jason voice was filled with pride as he put his arms around her, pulling her back to his front.
    “Aw thanks, baby,” Bella said, completely unabashed. “Anyway, I just wanted to check in with my fiancé here before I left for my class. Who’s coming with me today?”
    “Fiancé?” the men shouted as one.
    Bella turned to Jason and smiled up at him shyly. “By the way, I love my ring. It’s absolutely perfect.” She could tell that he liked that by the heat that flared in his eyes.
    “It belonged to my mother.”
    Bella felt honored that Jason had shared a piece of his past with her. “I love it even more knowing that.” She gazed up at him, lost in the moment until her brother interrupted them.
    Sal’s voice was hard. “Isn’t this a little quick?”
    Jason’s eyes gleamed dangerously. Bella stepped between them, giving her brother a fierce frown of her own. “Sal, I love him, and he loves me. Please be happy for us. This is what I want. Jason is who I want. He makes me happy. I know you’re my big brother, but I love him and want to marry him.”
    Jason felt an ache in his heart every time he heard those words. He could hear them every day of his life and never get tired of hearing her say she loved him.
    Sal saw the way that Jason’s eyes softened when they fell upon Bella. Rolling out the tension in his neck, Sal was forced to concede. He stood to hug her close before