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

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Thirteen

As they made camp that evening, Preston felt as if something different was in the air. Several times he'd caught Xavier staring at him with an intensity in those light green eyes that took Preston's breath.

Preston might be innocent but he'd spent his life around intense men with intense passions and so he knew exactly what was on Xavier's mind. That knowledge had Preston nearly tripping over himself as he attempted to act as if this were simply an ordinary evening.

"Gonna watch your sunset?" Xavier asked once he had a small fire burning.

Preston swallowed hard and nodded as he pushed himself to his feet and walked on shaking legs to the edge of the small hill they were camped beside.

As he stood there and looked at the glowing orange sky, his thoughts were most definitely not on the sun. They were on the man back at camp. Xavier. They were on a pair of sharp green eyes and firm lips. A strong body, big rough hands and long legs. Would Preston give Xavier what it was clear the man was wanting?

His racing thoughts were sputtering to a stop in a rush when two strong arms suddenly circled around his waist and pulled him tight against a broad chest. "Enjoying your sunset?"

Once again, Preston had a hard time coming up with words. He had a fairly decent vocabulary thanks to his love of books, but it seemed that Xavier's closeness rendered that vocabulary useless.

Xavier didn't seem bothered by the fact that Preston didn't answer. Instead, his warm breath blew across Preston's neck causing his legs to nearly buckle beneath him.

Teeth grazed Preston's ear and those big hands gripped his small hips, pulling him closer. Preston's legs were rendered useless as Xavier feasted on his neck. He tightened painfully in his pants as sensations he'd never felt before washed over him. Preston raised his arms and reached behind him to bury his fingers in Xavier's hair. A throaty moan escaped Preston causing a low growl to leave Xavier's chest and those teeth nipped at Preston's skin. Preston knew that he would give Xavier anything the man wanted from him without hesitation.

"I see why you like sunsets now," Xavier whispered against his ear and Preston was suddenly brought back to earth and once again aware of his surroundings. The sun had indeed set and Preston was standing there on trembling legs with his blood thundering through his veins and his heart racing while Xavier's hands remained on his hips and held him close.

"Come on, Preston. I'll tend to your stomach."

Xavier took Preston by the hand and led him back toward the fire. Preston's mind was racing. His stomach? Xavier was going to tend to his stomach? What about the rest of him? He'd thought for sure that Xavier was going to take him right there on the hill—and Preston, while nervous and unsure due to lack of experience, he'd been more than willing to let Xavier do what he wanted.

Preston's eyes were drawn to their joined hands. His were small and pale while Xavier's were big and tanned. They were so very different but seemed to fit together perfectly. Could Preston and Xavier be the same way? Two very different people who might just fit together perfectly? Like Wyatt and Zachariah. Like Craig and Ezekial. Like Jeb and Gill. Like Eleanor and Willa.

Preston smiled. Maybe he'd found his person the way so many in his family had. The person who could be by his side for the rest of his life.

His short life.

That was like a bucket of cold water over his nice warm thoughts. Silence reigned as Xavier released his hold on Preston's hand and went about cutting potatoes for supper.