Outlaw Vices (third in The Crane Gang Series)manxman

Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty

The sunrise shone through the window and fell brightly across Craig's sleeping face. Ezekiel, who had been awake for nearly an hour, simply laid beside the man and study every visible inch of him.

He had long ago memorized every inch of Craig's body—every line, mole, muscle and dip in the man's body was burned into Ezekiel's memory.

Craig was beautiful. And he was Ezekiel's.

A peace that hadn't been his since losing Craig was suddenly his again. Ezekiel didn't know what their future held. He didn't know where life would lead them. But he did know that wherever it led, wherever they ended up, they would end up there together.

He wasn't letting anything take Craig away from him again.

"I can't blame you for staring," Craig's sleepy voice whispered. "I'm damn nice to stare at."

Ezekiel chuckled. "I was wondering if it was worth chopping off my arm to get away without waking you."

Craig snuggled up closer to him and wrapped his arm tight around Ezekiel's middle. "You aren't going anywhere."

Ezekiel smiled and kissed Craig's head. Neither man was in any hurry to turn the moment into anything other than one of laying together. They'd made love twice in the night and both of them were in need of a bit of rest.

"I'm hungry," Craig finally admitted.

"You're always hungry," Ezekiel noted.

"Yep. And you picked me so that means you have to tend to my gut."

"Your gut isn't all I get to tend to."

Ezekiel saw the tremble that washed over Craig even as he moaned. "Please... not now. You've tended those needs just fine."

Ezekiel smiled and gently kissed his warm lips. "I'll have mercy. And I'll go get your breakfast."

Craig shook his head as they both sat up. "We'll go together and eat at the diner. Get a change of scenery for a while."

As they stepped out into the early morning sunlight, Ezekiel put some distance between them. Craig grumbled and closed the distance before taking Ezekiel's hand in his.

Quickly, Ezekiel's eyes scanned up and down the boardwalk and street. He was ready for someone to harass or attack them for the display of affection.

"Calm down," Craig scolded. "You look a lot like a blood thirsty attack dog."

Ezekiel shook his head. "Should we be so open and uh.....close? Folks don't usually respond well to folks like us..."

"Folks can take a long walk off a short plank," Craig replied, his eyes full of mischief. "And most folks around here are used to seeing it. Jeb and Gill broke them in good. Then Wyatt and Zachariah. By now they don't mind. And if it does bother anyone, they're too intimidated by the family to say anything."

Ezekiel remembered the men who had been harassing him just yesterday and how quickly those men had backed down when Zachariah and Gill had gotten involved.

"So, I can hold your hand on the street here?"

Craig nodded. "If you're real good, I'll even let you kiss me now and then."