An Outlaw's Weakness*Fifth in Crane Gang series*

Chapter Six

Chapter Six

That evening, Xavier found a large tree beside an outcropping of rocks and a slow moving creek for them to camp near. Preston had taken his warning to heart and the men had ridden in silence all day—which had given Xavier plenty of time to study the man.

Preston was good on a horse and he seemed to pay close attention to his surroundings. He also seemed to be sad. Those slender shoulders had been drooped and his blue eyes downcast as they'd ridden side by side.

Xavier told himself he didn't care if Preston was sad—why the hell would he? Whatever caused the other man's melancholy wasn't any of his business. Shaking his head, Xavier slid from his horse and began setting up camp.

Once he had a small fire going and some coffee brewing, he glanced around and realized that Preston was nowhere to be seen. Worry crept up in his mind and then he growled, angry with himself. He didn't worry about people.

Walking around the rocks, Xavier found Preston. The man was sitting on the creek bank. His boots and socks were off, his pant legs were rolled up and he was dangling his feet in the water. The sunset was casting a glow on his face and Xavier clenched his fists tightly as he strode over.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Preston's head whipped around, those big blue eyes widening as his glasses slid down his nose a bit. With a sigh, he fixed his glasses and returned his gaze to the horizon. "I'm watching the sunset. It's pretty ain't it? People ought to take the time to do it more."

Pretty? Xavier frowned. He found himself looking at the horizon and his frown deepened. When was the last time Xavier had taken the time to recognize if something was pretty? Hell, the answer to that was never. His gaze returned to Preston and the sight of that red orange glow lighting up his face.

Pretty.

Xavier crossed his arms over his chest. "You thought it was okay to come kick back and relax while someone else makes camp for you?"

Preston's eyes rolled, increasing Xavier's temper. How dare the man roll his big blue eyes at him! Preston didn't spare him a glance. "I didn't ask you to make camp for me. I would have helped."

"When? After the pretty sunset? By then it's dark and what good would your help have been?"

Preston sighed, pulling his feet from the water and standing up slowly. "Why are you such an ass?" The man's cheeks flushed as soon as the words left his mouth and he swallowed hard.

Xavier found himself offended. "I'm not an ass."

Preston shrugged. "You sure aren't friendly."

"You're right. I'm not. Next time we make camp you can pull your weight before you take time to enjoy pretty sunsets."

Xavier turned on his heel and strode back to camp, aware of Preston following behind him. Both men unsaddled their horses, laid out their bedrolls and settled down beside the fire. Xavier found himself studying Preston's profile in the glowing firelight.

There went that damn word bouncing around in his head again. Pretty. Xavier picked up a stick and poked at the fire. "What the hell are you doing wandering around alone anyway?"

"I'm not alone," Preston countered with a wry grin. "I'm with you."

'I'm with you'. Damnation, why did that sound so good? Xavier poked harder at the fire. What the hell was wrong with him? He should never have volunteered to take Preston anywhere.

"Yeah, I've had to save your ass twice. Answer the question."

"You only saved me once," Preston countered. "I was taking care of things just fine the second time."

Xavier grumbled under his breath. Preston was testing his patience. "I'll remember that next time someone wants to kick your ass."

"He wasn't wanting to kick it," Preston mumbled before his face flushed bright red again and he looked down at his bare feet, digging his toes into the dirt.

A growl left Xavier's lips. He was well aware what that big bastard had wanted to do to Preston. He'd be damned before any man took that tiny ass. What the hell was wrong with him? He shouldn't care who bedded Preston. He didn't care. He didn't care at all.

Xavier busied himself pulling a can of beans from his saddlebags. He used his knife to open it before pouring them into the tiny cooking pan and placing it over the fire.

"You still haven't answered my question," he stated as they waited on their supper to finish cooking.

"Because I don't have to," Preston replied.

Damn that man and his desire to be difficult.

"I say you do. What the hell is a man like you doing wandering around all alone out here?"

Preston still hadn't looked up from his toes. "I wanted to have an adventure."

"And have you enjoyed it so far?"

"Sure have." Came Preston's mumbled response.

Xavier decided to give up on conversation. Preston was determined to be difficult and Xavier wasn't much for talking anyhow.

As they drank their coffee and ate in silence, Xavier worked hard to keep from letting his gaze go to Preston. He was still pretty damn sure he was going brain addled. What other answer could there be for the feelings that the other man was awakening in him.

Feelings of protectiveness. Of caring. Of goddamn frustration due to the man's determination to be difficult. Xavier was a man who didn't care much for disobedience or disrespect from anyone. Normally, he would have punched another man in the face for showing either—but where Preston was concerned, he didn't want to hurt him.

No, hurting Preston wasn't something Xavier wanted to do. There were other ways to teach the man a lesson.

He shook his head roughly drawing Preston's attention. "You okay?"

"Just fine." Xavier shoved himself to his feet. "I'm taking a walk. Try not to die while I'm gone."

He was faintly aware of Preston mocking him as he walked off into the darkness. Damn that man. Xavier was more angry at himself than anything. He had put his own damn self into a situation he should have known better than to get involved in.

He'd spent thirteen years alone. Thirteen years surviving. Thirteen years doing his best to avoid giving in to the urges that lived inside him. Now, he was going to be spending the next few days with a man who had those urges fighting hard to come to life.

Temptation wasn't something Xavier had ever been real good at resisting.

After walking off much of his bad mood, Xavier made his way back to the campfire with hopes that Preston would be asleep. He wasn't disappointed.

Preston was indeed sleeping. He had fallen asleep on his side with his glasses still on his face and a book laying against his chest. He looked so goddamn innocent—so breakable. What the hell was he doing wandering around alone?

Without putting much thought into what he was doing, Xavier walked quietly to Preston and pulled his glasses gently from his face. He grabbed the book as well, laid it on the ground beside Preston and placed the glasses on top of it. Then he grabbed the blanket from Preston's feet and laid it over the man, covering him up to his chin.

With a grumble, Xavier went to his own bedroll and settled down upon it, though he doubted he'd find much sleep tonight.

A/N:  What do y'all think? I think Xavier is going to have his hands full with Preston!