“C’mere,” Connor muttered.
Her knees wobbled as he yanked her to her feet, and she was surprised when his mouth suddenly crashed down on hers in a blistering kiss. She knew he could taste Rylan’s salty flavor on her tongue, but he didn’t seem to care. With a growl, he drove his tongue deep, kissing her with an urgency that sucked the oxygen from her lungs.
When he finally broke them apart, she whimpered in disappointment. Waited for him to reach for her again, to undo his pants, to do something.
What he did was take a step back. “Let’s grab some lunch before we get back to work,” he said with a shrug.
Hudson gaped at him. “But…”
“But what?”
His knowing smile grated. “You’re not…” She shook her head in dismay. “We’re not…?”
“No.”
She stared at him for a moment. Then she glowered. “Why the hell not?”
“You started all this by licking Ry, remember? Next time, if you want me inside you, I suggest you lick me.” He didn’t sound angry, but amused, and the bastard actually had the nerve to chuckle as he stalked off.
Wide-eyed, Hudson watched him disappear into the lodge.
What. The. Hell.
Rylan’s soft laughter penetrated the fog of confusion, and she turned to see him tucking his semihard cock into his pants. He zipped up and flashed her a grin. “He likes you.”
“Really?” she grumbled. “Because this is the second time he’s walked away from me.”
“That doesn’t mean anything.”
Rylan picked up her discarded clothing, drawing her attention to the fact that she was still naked. Connor’s rejection had made it difficult to focus on anything other than the extreme annoyance coursing through her blood.
She gritted her teeth. “It means he’s an asshole who likes to leave me hurting.”
“Trust me, gorgeous. Connor has a reason for everything he does. He’s a calculated bastard, but he’s not cruel.”
“Sure as hell feels like it.”
“Nah, he just has a knack for knowing what people need. And that’s what he did now. He gave both of us what we needed.”
She battled her confusion. “How?”
“Well, I like games.” Rylan’s dimples appeared as he smiled again. “Like the one we played now. He knows I need that, so he gave it to me.”
“And what do I need?” She bit her lip. “What did he give me?”
That got her a chuckle. “You know exactly what he gave you.”
No, she didn’t. She had no idea what the rules were in this damn land. She had no idea why anyone acted the way they did. Connor, especially.
Rylan bent over and brushed his lips over hers. “You’ve got a lot to learn.” He gave her another light, soothing kiss. “But Connor is an easy man to figure out, gorgeous. All you have to do is look hard enough.”
9
Connor had known she’d track him down eventually. Not that he was trying to hide from her. He was in the barn because that’s where he went most nights, mostly to stare at the piles of junk littering the room and wonder how to make best use of the space.
Hudson looked apprehensive as she wandered inside. “Hey,” she said.
He nodded in greeting before turning to examine a weathered oak cabinet that was taller than he was. Shit, clearing the place out would be a hassle. Especially when he wasn’t sure it was even worth it. A year in one camp was an eternity in the free land – most folks were lucky to get a month before they had to move on. Usually bandits drove them out, other times it was Enforcers, but either way, packing up and leaving was a fact of life.
“What are you planning on doing with all this space?” Her curious gaze rose to the hayloft above their heads.
“Not sure,” he admitted. “Storage maybe. I keep coming out here to figure it out, but the thought of getting rid of all this garbage is fucking daunting.”
She ran a hand over the side of the antique cabinet, her fingers leaving tracks in the layer of dust on the wood. “You could do what your friend Lennox did,” she suggested. “Turn it into a… playroom. Or whatever you want to call it.”
He chuckled. “There aren’t enough people in this camp to make it worthwhile.”
“Why is that again?” She tipped her head. “I still don’t see why you can’t open your doors to other outlaws.”
“I’m a heartless bastard, I guess.”
“No. You’re not.” She paused. “That’s why I don’t understand it. I don’t understand you.”
“Do yourself a favor and stop trying to understand me.” He turned away. “I’m a fucking puzzle you’re never going to solve.”
She laughed softly. “Rylan said you’re easy to figure out if I just try hard enough.”
“Yeah? Well, Rylan talks out of his ass half the time.”