The Man Who Loved Cole Flores (Dig Two Graves 1)

“Bored?” Tessa asked, leaning over the barrels so her bosom gravitated forward like two platefuls of pudding.

Was it too low of a move to see whether Cole would be jealous of him?

Or better yet, maybe Ned wasn’t broken, and just hadn’t met the right woman yet. Tessa was pretty enough, and always friendly to him. What if he could channel his misguided lust her way? Or any woman’s.

He inched closer and pushed his bandana down to reveal his face. “Can’t say the landscape’s terribly entertaining. That is, other than the hills.” He smirked and gave her breasts a pointed glance. He was left unmoved by her breasts, but had heard enough of flirting to know he was doing it right.

Tessa looked back at a friend of hers, who sat inside the wagon, and they both chuckled. “Why, look at you! And I’ve been thinking you were made of stone, Ned O’Leary. Turns out you just needed the right encouragement.”

He leaned forward, as if he longed for her closeness. “Is that what you say about me in secret? I’m plenty red-blooded, promise.” Cole had proved to him that he could be, but the hungry smile he showed Tessa was so fake he didn’t even recognize himself. He’d been lying every single day since joining the ranks of Butcher Tom’s men a month ago. Smiling at people he intended to betray had become second nature. The only moments of honesty had been shared with Cole.

“Isn’t that man getting too bold?” the other girl, Judith, asked, but Tessa was already climbing over the barrels, her eyes shining with curiosity.

“They say you might break a girl with that gun of yours,” she whispered in a voice so soft he could barely hear it over the noise of the creaking wheels.

Ned was glad for the dirt on his face, because it would dull the color of his flush. Right away, he remembered his dick pulsing in Cole’s mouth, stretching his lips…

He clicked his tongue. “Should I worry about peeping Toms? Or maybe peeping Tessas?”

She chuckled and sat with her back to the barrels, resting her heels on the edge of the wagon. Something passed passed her face, and then her legs spread under the wide skirt. “Any girl who knows what’s good for her should be curious.”

Ned’s lips went dry, but not because of excitement. So many would have dropped everything to be in his place, yet there he was, awkward and cold.

This pretty young woman was so blunt in her flirting, so smiley, close to giving him a peek under her skirt, and his cock wouldn’t even stir. The first time he’d gotten a glimpse of Cole’s nipples, he’d been so aroused, he’d spilled his coffee despite not yet understanding the illicit nature of his own reaction. Even now, while Tessa expressed her interest by running a finger across her breasts, all Ned could think of was rubbing himself off on Cole’s chest and feeling the dark hairs sprouting there tease his sensitive flesh. He’d then lazily drag his spent prick over the nipples while Cole smiled at him in encouragement.

Ned licked his top lip, fighting the urge to move aside and see whether he could spot Cole at the front of the wagon train. “You want to make sure it’s not the wrong caliber for your holster? Wouldn’t want a shotgun where one expects a revolver.”

Tessa bit her lip and pinched the fabric of her skirt, lifting it ever-so slightly. “Give me two dollars, and you’ll find out. It’s dark in the wagon. Judith could watch your horse.”

Ned felt as if he’d walked into a trap only to find himself as cold and indifferent to feminine charms as he’d been when his pretty cousin made eyes at him. Tessa’s lady bits might as well have sharp teeth, and he had as little interest in diving under her skirt as he did in biting into a lemon.

“I couldn’t,” he said, covering his unease with a wink. “I know someone has their eye on you.” He hoped it was an acceptable way to sweeten the rejection.

Her lips parted, eyes wide. “Who?”

Ned laughed. “A gentleman doesn’t tell.”

“You’re no gentleman, Ned O’Leary!” she yelled without malice, and threw a walnut at him.

But Ned was already off. He urged Nugget forward before his brain had even made the decision to and left his post. He needed to be close to Cole. Now. The longing deep inside his chest was so unbearable he’d gladly pick a fight, just to be the object of Cole’s attention for a couple of minutes.

He’d been baffled when Cole had shown such a keen interest in him at first, but he learned to thrive on it, and away from the brilliant shine of his smiles, Ned was withering on the inside.

He rode past all the wagons and horses, nodding and waving when it was appropriate, but his gaze remained pinned to the figure in black at the very front, riding alongside a man in a stupid bowler hat.