Claimed(72)

After an awkward beat, she stuck out her hand. “We weren’t properly introduced before. I’m Hudson.”



The woman smiled as they shook hands. “Jamie. I was rude last time you were here. I should’ve come over and said hello, but I was too caught up in Rylan.”



Hudson had to laugh. “Yeah, I noticed that.”



“He doesn’t come here as often as he used to, so you’ve got to make every second count, you know?”



Something about Jamie’s tone gave Hudson pause. And those blue eyes had softened with emotion when she’d said Rylan’s name.



Shit. Did Rylan know that this girl was in love with him?



Hudson didn’t think so. He would never deliberately lead someone on, and he probably wouldn’t be so eager to have sex with Jamie if he knew that her feelings for him ran deep. Like Connor, Rylan went out of his way to keep emotions out of the equation.



Jamie swept her gaze over Hudson. “So. You’re Con’s woman, huh?”



Her discomfort promptly returned. “No, not really. It’s… complicated.”



“It always is, sweetie.” Laughing, Jamie linked their arms together. “Come and meet the other girls.”



For the next twenty minutes, Jamie introduced her around and talked her ear off. It turned out that Jamie and Lennox had known each other since they were kids. They’d been nomads before they stumbled across this house and decided to make it their permanent residence. Layla and Piper, who Hudson had just been introduced to, also lived there, along with someone named Nell. Everyone else just stopped by when they were in the area, and Jamie confessed that she and Lennox never turned anyone away.



Jamie’s bubbly personality was contagious, and Hudson found herself relaxing as she chatted with the woman. They’d just grabbed some drinks when two men across the room signaled for Jamie to join them.



“Oh, you have to meet Beck,” she gushed, tugging on Hudson’s arm. “You’ll love him.”



“Beck” was short for Beckett. He and his friend were in their early twenties, and both had killer grins, multiple tattoos, and the kind of sexual confidence that would have made Hudson blush if she weren’t used to seeing it on Connor and Rylan.



“Man, you’re gorgeous,” drawled Travis, Beckett’s friend. “Why aren’t we naked right now, honey?”



“And why the hell are you only bringing her out now?” Beckett asked Jamie with a mock glare.



“I’m new to the area,” Hudson admitted.



Travis nodded. “Where you staying?”



“With friends.” She kept her answer deliberately vague, and neither man pushed for details. She was discovering that most outlaws weren’t as nosy as the people in the city.



Beckett eyed her curiously. “Are you sticking around or moving on?”



“Sticking around.” Hopefully. The way Connor ran hot and cold on her, she really had no clue.



“Good to hear.” His lips curved in a smile. “I’m looking forward to getting to know you, then.”



The man was insanely appealing. He had dimples she couldn’t stop staring at, and the colorful ink covering both his arms was damn near hypnotic.



Travis and Jamie drifted off and left her alone with Beckett, who, as it turned out, was the one who’d hooked Connor up with his motorcycle.



“So you’re a mechanic?” she asked.



“I like to tinker around with engines, but it’s more of a hobby than a job.” He shrugged. “Sometimes I’ll find a sweet ride and fix it up, try to trade it to someone who wants it – like Connor and his boys – but for the most part, I fix shit up for fun.”



“I know nothing about cars,” she confessed. “I don’t even know how to drive stick.”



He leaned closer, twined a strand of her hair around his finger and gave it a teasing tug. “I could teach you sometime. Trav and I live in Foxworth, which isn’t too far from here.”



The name rang a bell. “Foxworth… that’s a town, right? Someone named Reese is in charge?”



“She’s in charge, all right.” His dimples made a reappearance. “Reese is a total ballbuster, but she’s a ton of fun at the parties.”



“Parties?”



“Oh yeah. We have ’em every month. It’s a way to release tension, unwind, that sort of thing. Somehow they always end up turning into wall-to-wall fucking by the time the night is over.” Beckett’s voice lowered to a husky pitch. “You should stop by sometime. Reese doesn’t mind visitors. But I’m warning you, Foxworth can be addictive. You might never want to leave —” His expression changed abruptly, playful humor dissolving into wariness.