Claimed(11)
Rylan’s neck had stopped bleeding, but the bullet had taken off a nice chunk of skin. More of a burn than a cut, and it would definitely leave a scar.
“I don’t think stitches are necessary. All we can do is bandage it up,” she concluded, reaching for more gauze and a roll of medical tape.
Kade returned, followed by Connor, who still wore a scowl on his handsome face. Hudson gathered up her bloody shirt and iodine-stained gauze. “What should I do with these?”
“I’ll take care of it. Here, this is for you.” Kade took her items and handed her a flannel shirt.
She accepted it gratefully, quickly slipping it over her shoulders and doing up the buttons. The worn fabric hung down to her knees, but it was better than nothing.
“How you doing?” Connor asked Rylan.
The other man grinned. “All better. Hudson fixed me up and kissed all my boo-boos.”
Connor just frowned.
She cast him an apprehensive look. “Why aren’t there more people here? You’ve got so much space, and the place seems secure. People could have a nice little community here.”
His features sharpened. “We don’t take people in.”
“Why not?”
“Because we don’t.” His voice brooked no argument, and she decided not to keep pushing.
“Where do you get your electricity?” She awkwardly gestured to the glowing light fixtures on the ceiling.
“Generator,” he said curtly. “There’s a well on the property, and the plumbing works, but we try not to use hot water unless we absolutely have to, because heating the water tank drains the genny. There’re a few outhouses too, and every cabin has a shower and a bathtub.”
Her breath caught. A bathtub. Holy hell. The thought of sliding into a tubful of water, even cold water, made her shiver with pleasure. She’d been traveling for seven days, so eager to put distance between herself and Dominik that she’d barely had time to sleep, let alone bathe. She’d passed streams and lakes along the way, indulged in quick dips, but she still felt dirty and unkempt.
She sensed Connor’s eyes on her. They were more green than hazel, she realized. The color of the dark leaves on the trees outside.
“You want to take a bath,” he said with a sigh.
“More than anything else in the world.”
She thought she saw the corners of his mouth twitch. “Fine. I’ll take you to one of the cabins.”
Happiness danced through her. “Really?”
“I just said it, didn’t I?”
“Thank you —”
But he was already stalking off, forcing her to hurry after him.
They’d reached the door of the lodge when he spoke again. “One night,” he said brusquely, his big hand landing on her arm. He squeezed her wrist as he stared at her. “One night, and then you’re gone.”
She nodded weakly. The response seemed to satisfy him because he released her arm and walked out the door.
Hudson trailed after him, glad that he was in front of her so he couldn’t see the determined set of her shoulders. Her show of agreement hadn’t meant shit, because she had no intention of staying for one measly night.
She needed to find a way to convince Connor to let her stay.
3
“Bath’s ready.” Connor stepped out of the bathroom and found Hudson on the edge of the double bed, bending over to unzip her leather boots. She kicked one off, then the other, while he stood there trying not to check out her endless legs.
He was getting tired of the lust surging through his veins. He’d been sporting a hard-on since the moment he’d met her, but he was determined to ignore his dick and start using his head.
He’d given her the cabin closest to the lodge, the one right next to his, mainly because he wanted to keep an eye on her, but also because the cabins in the forest were in shambles. He’d asked Kade to bring some clean sheets, fluffy pillows, and a thick duvet, and he’d even set the water temperature in the bath to lukewarm instead of frigid. Not out of the goodness of his heart, though. Oh no, he wanted her to lower her guard, to trust him, and once he lulled her into a false state of security, he would go in for the kill and get the answers he needed.
Hudson stood up. “Thanks again.”
“You’ll find soap and shampoo in the cabinet under the sink,” he said graciously.
She disappeared into the bathroom and closed the door behind her, but Connor made no move to leave. He stood outside the door instead, waiting, listening. He heard rustling, fabric sliding over skin and softly hitting the tiled floor.