Outlaw Vices (third in The Crane Gang Series)manxman

Chapter Five

Chapter Five

It took every bit of Ezekiel's self-control to keep from bursting into laughter at the wide-eyed expression or pure shock on Craig's face.

The man stumbled backward, lunged toward the bed and threw a blanket at Ezekiel just as he was shedding the last of his rain-soaked clothes.

Taking pity on the other man—and because he was chilled to the bone—Ezekiel wrapped the large, rough, wool blanket around him.

"You better take your clothes off too," he warned Craig. "You really will get sick and even though you called me a nursemaid, I'd rather not play one for you again. I had enough of that when you busted your head open the night we met."

Craig's hand went to his head and Ezekiel knew he was running his fingers over the scar beneath his messy blond hair. "I didn't exactly bust it open myself. I had help."

Ezekiel fixed him with a stern gaze. "Take your clothes off."

Giving Craig that order sent a shockwave of desire through Ezekiel. Hell..... Craig was temptation and Ezekiel had spent the better part of his life so far giving in to temptation real quick.

And when a look of hunger entered Craig's green eyes, it took everything in Ezekiel to keep from striding his way and taking him in his arms right there.

Confusion quickly replaced the hunger in Craig's eyes only to be shook away and have that trademark sarcastic smirk put firmly back in place. "Nice try, Ezekiel, but only the women get to see what I have to offer."

With a roll of his eyes and a heave of his shoulders, Ezekiel walked to the cot, grabbed the second blanket and tossed it at Craig. "Cover yourself then. Don't put me through what you put them poor women through."

Again Craig shifted uneasily. "I'm fine. I'll dry out."

Ezekiel could see the way the other man was beginning to shake and it had nothing to do with nerves. He was cold and growing more chilled.

Turning his back on Craig, Ezekiel pulled his own blanket tighter around him. "I promise I won't peek."

He could hear Craig as he grunting and struggled to shed his soaked clothes. Tempted as he was to turn and sneak a peek, Ezekiel stayed true to his word and kept his gaze on the wall.

Once both men had their clothes laid around the cookstove, the fire built up and their blankets tight around them, they sat on the two small cots and nibbled at the jerky and hard tack they'd brought along.

"We won't be able to do any work in this mess," Craig lamented. "And I don't think it's going to let up any time soon."

Ezekiel listened to the rain pounding like rocks on the roof and had to agree. "Hopefully it'll be done by morning."

"But the job is gonna be ten times harder. This thunder and lightning is bound to have the herd scattering."

"You aren't scared of a bit of hard work, are you?" Ezekiel teased.

Craig swallowed down a chew of jerky and chuckled. "You know damn well I'm not. If I was, you'd have kept me terrified all week."

It was true. Ezekiel could admit that Craig was a hard worker—when you stayed on him. But when given free time, he tended to want to slip back into bad habits that were bound to end with him dead... would have already caused his death if Ezekiel hadn't hauled him out of that ditch.

He chose not to mention that, however. He was enjoying spending some time around Craig without the man's defenses raised sky high.

"We'll probably need the whole day tomorrow to round them up. Leading them back to the ranch will probably have to wait until the next day. This shack will probably end up being home for two nights."

Craig glanced around and his face curved with that boyish grin. "It might be hard to believe but I've actually laid my head in worse places."

"Oh, I believe it," Ezekiel assured him. "I've seen some of your company at the whorehouse."

"The ladies prefer the term brothel."

Ezekiel shrugged. "It is what it is."

"Are you going to say you're a monk?" Craig asked, his brow raising.

Ezekieltossed the sack of jerky aside and laid back on his cot, using this hands for apillow. "No, I'm not a monk." He glanced over at Craig and winked. "I've justnever had to pay for it." �b�-J$�