Rylan drifted over to the motorcycles, but Connor didn’t follow suit. Instead, he surprised Hudson by taking a step closer and cupping her cheeks with his hands. He kissed her, sweet and gentle, the warmth of his lips doing nothing to ease the chill that had plagued her body since she’d decided it was time to tell him the truth.
When he pulled back, unmistakable gratitude shone in his eyes, and then he uttered two words that made her want to cry.
“Thank you.”
19
Connor got the feeling Hudson was avoiding him. Granted, they’d both been busy since they’d returned to camp. Hudson had been cleaning out another cabin while Connor was with Xander in the lodge, but now that night had fallen, she continued to stay away. And Connor didn’t like it.
He knew she was worried about him, but he wished she’d quit stressing. He wasn’t about to storm the Enforcer compound like a paratrooper from the old wars – he was smarter than that. Now that he had the location of Dominik’s base, it was time to start making plans, and not the half-cocked kind. Carefully strategized plans.
It was why he’d spent the day riding Xander’s ass about the communication program. If the Enforcers used it to send messages, then Connor could use it to his advantage and find a way to get to Dominik through the program. But Xan wasn’t making any headway, no matter how many times Connor ordered him to work harder.
A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. The sound was soft and feminine, which told him Hudson had finally decided to stop hiding from him. About time. It was nearly midnight, and he was surprised he’d allowed her to keep her distance for this long.
He let her in with a gruff hello, and she looked exasperated as she walked into the cabin. “Xander said you were driving him crazy today.”
“I’m surprised he phrased it that nicely,” Connor said dryly.
“He didn’t.” She grinned. “I was trying not to hurt your feelings.”
Yeah, he could only imagine the kind of expletives that had left Xan’s mouth.
“I may have been a little overbearing today,” he admitted, albeit grudgingly.
“A little? He said you threatened to chop off his fingers and feed them to the wolf if he didn’t type faster.”
Connor snickered.
“You can’t bully him into making the program work. Technology can be a bitch sometimes.”
“I wouldn’t have to bully him if he spent more than ten minutes a day on the damn thing,” Connor protested. “Honestly? I think he’s stalling.”
She frowned. “Why would he do that?”
“Fuck if I know. But I want that program up and running.”
“And you always get what you want, huh?”
Her tone was half teasing, half resigned, and it brought a devilish smile to his lips. “Yeah, I do.” He arched one eyebrow. “You wanna know what I want right now? You. Naked. On my bed.”
“Oh really?”
He eased closer, teasing his thumb over her cheek. “Yes. That’s exactly what I want.” He pinched her bottom lip between his fingers. “Are you going to give it to me?”
Her gaze locked with his, and her expression became impossible to decipher. “No.”
He blinked. “No?”
“No,” she repeated. Her voice went husky, thoughtful. “You won’t get what you want, Con. But…” Those gray eyes softened with an emotion he once again couldn’t puzzle out. “I think I’m going to give you what you need.”
Before he could respond, she planted her hands on his chest and gave him a little shove. “Get on the bed.”
Her fortitude unnerved him, but he was too turned on to argue. It was impossible for this woman to say the word bed without his dick getting hard, and he was sporting a noticeable erection as he stretched out on his back, waiting to see what she did next.
She began to undress, and he couldn’t take his eyes off her. Sweet curves and sun-kissed skin were revealed with each discarded item of clothing, stealing the breath from his lungs. She unclasped her bra and let it drop to the floor, then undid her braid and smoothed her fingers through her hair. The golden strands covered her breasts, but her pink nipples peeked through, making Connor’s mouth tingle with the need to taste them.
When he tried to sit up, she pointed to the mattress. “Lie back.”
He reluctantly lowered himself back down, his heart thumping as Hudson climbed on the bed and straddled his thighs. Warm hands slid beneath his shirt, delicate fingers stroking his pecs before finding his nipples, rubbing the hard, flat disks until he groaned in abandon and reached for her again.
“Bring your tits to my face, damn it.”
“No.” She intercepted his hands and forcibly moved them behind his head. “You don’t get to bark out orders. Not tonight.”
He frowned.
“You’re always giving everyone else what they need.” Her voice cracked slightly. “Me, Rylan, the others. Just this once, let me give you what you need.”
She tugged his shirt up, nudged his arms so he could help slip the fabric over his head, then gripped his wrists and moved them back to his nape. “Leave your hands there. Let me take care of you.”