Her discomfort promptly returned. “No, not really. It’s… complicated.”
“It always is, sweetie.” Laughing, Jamie linked their arms together. “Come and meet the other girls.”
For the next twenty minutes, Jamie introduced her around and talked her ear off. It turned out that Jamie and Lennox had known each other since they were kids. They’d been nomads before they stumbled across this house and decided to make it their permanent residence. Layla and Piper, who Hudson had just been introduced to, also lived there, along with someone named Nell. Everyone else just stopped by when they were in the area, and Jamie confessed that she and Lennox never turned anyone away.
Jamie’s bubbly personality was contagious, and Hudson found herself relaxing as she chatted with the woman. They’d just grabbed some drinks when two men across the room signaled for Jamie to join them.
“Oh, you have to meet Beck,” she gushed, tugging on Hudson’s arm. “You’ll love him.”
“Beck” was short for Beckett. He and his friend were in their early twenties, and both had killer grins, multiple tattoos, and the kind of sexual confidence that would have made Hudson blush if she weren’t used to seeing it on Connor and Rylan.
“Man, you’re gorgeous,” drawled Travis, Beckett’s friend. “Why aren’t we naked right now, honey?”
“And why the hell are you only bringing her out now?” Beckett asked Jamie with a mock glare.
“I’m new to the area,” Hudson admitted.
Travis nodded. “Where you staying?”
“With friends.” She kept her answer deliberately vague, and neither man pushed for details. She was discovering that most outlaws weren’t as nosy as the people in the city.
Beckett eyed her curiously. “Are you sticking around or moving on?”
“Sticking around.” Hopefully. The way Connor ran hot and cold on her, she really had no clue.
“Good to hear.” His lips curved in a smile. “I’m looking forward to getting to know you, then.”
The man was insanely appealing. He had dimples she couldn’t stop staring at, and the colorful ink covering both his arms was damn near hypnotic.
Travis and Jamie drifted off and left her alone with Beckett, who, as it turned out, was the one who’d hooked Connor up with his motorcycle.
“So you’re a mechanic?” she asked.
“I like to tinker around with engines, but it’s more of a hobby than a job.” He shrugged. “Sometimes I’ll find a sweet ride and fix it up, try to trade it to someone who wants it – like Connor and his boys – but for the most part, I fix shit up for fun.”
“I know nothing about cars,” she confessed. “I don’t even know how to drive stick.”
He leaned closer, twined a strand of her hair around his finger and gave it a teasing tug. “I could teach you sometime. Trav and I live in Foxworth, which isn’t too far from here.”
The name rang a bell. “Foxworth… that’s a town, right? Someone named Reese is in charge?”
“She’s in charge, all right.” His dimples made a reappearance. “Reese is a total ballbuster, but she’s a ton of fun at the parties.”
“Parties?”
“Oh yeah. We have ’em every month. It’s a way to release tension, unwind, that sort of thing. Somehow they always end up turning into wall-to-wall fucking by the time the night is over.” Beckett’s voice lowered to a husky pitch. “You should stop by sometime. Reese doesn’t mind visitors. But I’m warning you, Foxworth can be addictive. You might never want to leave —” His expression changed abruptly, playful humor dissolving into wariness.
Hudson was pretty sure what had caused it.
Connor.
She sensed him walking toward them, felt the air shift as electricity rippled up her spine. Then she turned, and there he was.
“Beckett,” he said coolly.
“Con. How’s the Harley working out for you?”
“Good.” Connor rested a possessive hand on the back of Hudson’s neck. “Nell was looking for you.”
Beckett’s gaze moved between the two of them before settling on Hudson. He offered a faint smile. “It was nice meeting you, beautiful. Maybe we’ll run into each other again one day.”
Her answering smile faded when she saw the look on Connor’s face. Features hard as stone, eyes dark and turbulent.
“Go with him if you want,” he said tersely, nodding at Beckett’s retreating figure. “I’m sure Nell would welcome the company. She loves pussy as much as she loves cock.”
Hudson swallowed the anger rising in her throat, because something about Connor’s cloudy expression told her he was purposely trying to provoke her. She just wasn’t sure why.
She studied his face, then spoke in a measured tone. “Do you want me to go with him?”