Devon lifted her head and looked at me, the moon was high in the sky and in just the right position to be reflected in her beautiful eyes.
“I survived, Gabriel, losing mum and the consequences that came after moulded who I am today. The day I turned eighteen, I went to a tattoo parlour and had one word tattooed on me. Right above the worst scar from the accident, I have the word Survived. I don’t know why I did, and she didn’t, I don’t know why everything else happened only to survive that too,” she said. I found what she said deliberately cryptic, but I let it go. Her story was tragic and the fact she was sharing it with me after less than a day of knowing me meant more than I could say.
“Maybe you survived so you could be in this moment with me right here, right now,” I suggested softly, hopefully.
The smile on her face made me shiver, she was so fucking beautiful, everything about her was. Yeah, she was a goddamn knock out, but it was her uniqueness and her strength that was drawing me deeper and deeper. Deeper than I had ever wanted to go with a woman.
Devon reached out and cupped my face, her soft hand gently rubbing at my stubbled cheek. Without a conscious thought, I leaned into her touch, turning my face slightly so my lips could press a kiss to her palm.
“I think that is exactly why I survived Gabriel. Everyone has a path plotted out when they are born. It is up to us if we choose to follow it or ignore and go another way, and hope that it was the right one.”
“You know you can call me Gabe, most people do other than my parents or if one of my cousins wants to annoy me,” I said around the lump in my throat. Devon was affecting me more with each second I spent with her. I wasn’t going to say she was definitely the one, but like my old man, I knew something special when I saw it.
“Do you not like me calling you Gabriel?” she asked frowning at me.
“Fuck no, I love it!” I rushed to reassure her, my voice a little too loud echoing around us.
“Then I would like to keep calling you that then,” she announced happily.
“Gabriel?”
“Yes, Pixie?”
“Kiss me?”
“Whenever and wherever you want,” I rumbled in a low groan, unable to keep the desperation out. Fuck, I think if she asked me to leave the army and join the circus, I would agree. I waited for any sign of panic to set in, to hear my inner voice telling me to go slow, be smart, but when nothing did except for a deep need to do exactly what she wanted, I gave in and went with my gut.
Pulling her around me, I settled her on my lap, her small body feeling so right on me. Dropping my head, I touched my lips to hers, the soft warmth of them sparked something I’d never felt before. Like a homecoming, finding something I never knew I was looking for in the first place. As I opened my mouth and deepened our kiss but still keeping it gentle, I moved my lips over hers, enjoying Devon’s sensual moans of approval, feeling them from my chest down to my crotch.
Devon was special.
And I hoped like hell she was on the path I was taking.
I slowed my pace as the Ozone hotel came back into view. I wasn’t ready to end our night, wasn’t ready to say goodnight to Devon or tell her I was heading back to Ballarat early the next morning. I didn’t want to go, didn’t want to leave the newness of us especially after the passionate kiss we shared back at the park. We kissed for a long time, our mouths fusing together, neither one of us breaking until the need for air was at crisis point.
But, as was my life, leaving was what I was used to doing. A call for a job could and did come at times when you least expected or wanted, it didn’t matter what was happening in your life at the time, a call came and you picked up and left.
Since leading Team FIVE I had walked away from birthday parties, weddings and even a baptism. My job came first, always would.
My mother was used to it, as was the rest of the club. The Souls’ men knew the drill, knew the commitment and the sacrifice a soldier gave to his country. Whether Devon was going to be around when a call came in and I would have to leave for a duration of time unknown, was yet to be seen. I fucking hoped so, my body was still humming from the scorch of her mouth on mine, my tongue could still taste hers. The most intoxicating delicious taste.
Devon must have sensed my reluctance, because suddenly her grip on my waist tightened and her steps faulted.
“Pixie?” I asked worriedly.
“I don’t want tonight to end, but I know that there will be more, so that alone makes it easier to say good-bye,” she whispered looking up at me, her eyes shining.
Fuck where did this woman come from? And how lucky that it was me standing on that dune and not some other arsehole. Moving to stand in front of her, I gently cupped her face. Emotions like I never felt before overwhelming me as I looked down at her.
“It’s not good-bye baby, I won’t say good-bye, no matter how long I have to leave for,” I told her firmly, willing her to believe me.
“How about see you in a few then?” she suggested with a grin, her hands had made their way to rest on top of mine, holding them in place.
“I like that,” I whispered, my head down so my lips were a whisper off hers.
“I like you,” Devon whispered back at me. “A lot.”
“Thank fuck for that, because I never want to stop doing this.” And then my lips were exactly where they wanted to be, devouring Devon’s. She was so tiny compared to me, I had to bend my knees and she had to get up on tiptoes but we made it work. Pulling her up my body and wrapping her legs around my waist was not for the first date, or in front of the pub where the people inside wanted my head on a platter for even considering going out with the sweetest girl in the town.
Too fucking bad.
I nipped and sucked at her plump lips, swallowed her moans and gave her a few of my own as our mouths became addicted to our tastes.
“And just in case you aren’t picking up what I am putting down, I like you a lot too,” I murmured against her mouth.
“Oh, I am picking it up Gabriel, loud and clear,” she purred, her belly pushing softly into my hard groin.
“Fuck,” I groaned, dragging my mouth away, taking a lungful of crisp air. “What are you doing to me Pixie? Our hands still clutched on her face, our foreheads pressed together, our out of control breaths mingling.
“The same thing you are doing to me,” Devon panted, her eyes firmly on my lips silently begging for more.
“I have to go back and see my parents. There is a party happening at the club this weekend I can’t miss or Shiloh will have my arse,” I explained, only half joking. Shiloh had sent a letter to me while I was in Timor explaining in great detail what would happen to me if I didn’t make it to her daughter’s birthday this year. I missed her christening and her second and third birthdays. One more and my balls were on the chopping board.
A sad cloud passed over Devon’s blue eyes, then quickly it was gone, replaced with a genuine smile.
“I understand. I am sure your mum is eager to see you, and your dad. You have my number, maybe you can call me while you are there if you get a spare moment away from visiting,” she said, hope in her voice.
“I can do better than that baby.” An idea formed in my head and I decided to go for it.
“Would you be able to get away on Friday and come to the party with me? I will come back and get you and bring you back home again,” I added quickly when I saw a frown form on her pretty mouth. I would never have made her drive, in fact I was thinking about my bike and having Devon wrapped behind me for the hour-long trip.
“Really? You want me to meet your family only a day after knowing each other?” Devon asked me sceptically. I got what she was getting at, it was too soon for that, but something felt right about asking Devon to meet my family, introduce her to the world that was my comfort when I wasn’t on a mission.
“Don’t ask me why, but I feel something here,” I said, wiggling one finger between her and myself. “I have never asked a woman home for the weekend
before, one-night parties at the compound yes but they were open to anyone the Souls deemed safe to enter.”
Devon’s lips quirked. “Deemed safe?”
I chuckled shaking my head.
“Yeah, I get that sounds all high security. But at the end of the day we are an MC, and some people would give their eye-teeth to party on Wounded Souls’ property. It is a family orientated club, no loose women dancing naked on bars, or men shooting guns unless you count my Uncles Steel and Creed competing down at the back shooting range to see who is the better sniper,” I said with a smirk. Creed and Steel liked to torment each other any way they could, they had a love-hate relationship, but most of the time, the love won out. Steel used to be the VP of the club and Creed, the road captain back under my dad’s leadership. Nowadays, the kids were stepping up more, starting with Shiloh and her husband Zander taking his old man’s patch a few years ago. James took on the role of VP after Shiloh took the Presidency for a year but with his work in the Federal Police he couldn’t commit to the time the patch deserved. The last I heard Zander reluctantly stepped up and took the patch handing the Road Captain role to Doc.
“What no nude dancing! And I was so looking forward to shaking what my mama gave me,” Devon sassed at me then playfully bit into the fleshy part of my thumb.
“So, is that a yes?” I asked, rubbing my nose down the length of hers, my heart pounding so hard waiting for her answer it was a wonder she couldn’t hear it.
“Yes,” Devon replied softly. “Definitely, yes.”
“Great. Now time to get you home, even though I don’t want to,” I pouted.
Devon laughed as she pulled out of my embrace, the loss of her warmth did not make me happy.
“I have my taxi— oh here he comes now,” Devon announced looking down the road at the sound of a clunking V8 engine that sounded like it was only running on six cylinders.
“I can take you home Devon,” I argued not liking that our date wasn’t ending the way I wanted or hoped.
“I know, but then Burt would miss out on a fare. I texted him when you went to investigate the noise in the carpark,” she said raising her brows at me, a knowing smile on her lips.
“Hey, how was I to know it was a bloody possum? It could have been a pervert watching us from the shadows,” I declared, defending myself.
“Oh, I don’t know, because I told you it was a possum maybe. Come on Bruce Lee, walk me to the car.”
Taking my hand from her face, Devon once again laced our fingers.
“Call me anytime, I have three walks tomorrow and the same for Wednesday and Thursday, and only one on Friday morning.”
Nodding, I made a mental note of her schedule, overlooking her attempt at changing the subject.
“Devon—”
“Gabriel, please. Let’s leave you meeting my family until they are all there. That way we can get it over all at once and only one ambulance will need to be called.”
“Ambulance? You are aware that I am in the military right? Hand to hand combat training, weapons, ninja shit?” I asked her amused.
Devon stood on the gutter reversing our positions so I was lower than her then wrapped her arms around my neck.
“Yes, I was talking about medical help for them not you. Now, kiss me once more before Burt gets here. He might be old but he is feisty.”
Laughing, I did exactly what she asked, holding her hips in my hands, I pulled her closer to me. Even standing down in the gutter I still had to bend my knees, Devon however didn’t have to go up on her toes. I liked that she didn’t have a problem with our height difference or make a big deal about it. Some chicks complained about it, but they were a thing of the past. Devon was all that mattered for me now.
Pressing my lips to hers, I kept the kiss gentle and quick. I didn’t understand small-town life, but I did know what it was like to be protected by those around me. I liked knowing that when I wasn’t with her, she would be guarded well, but I also knew that I was going to have to have words with a few of them. I wanted a relationship with Devon, and the town was just going to have to get used to seeing her wrapped in my arms.
Her family too.
CHAPTER EIGHT
DEVON
“Where did you get to last night?”
My head dropped to my chest when Kyle walked into the kitchen the next morning, what would normally be a question from anyone else was more like a demand to know now, from him.
Why didn’t I make my coffee in my kitchenette this morning, like I usually do? I questioned myself.
“Morning Kyle, the kettle is boiled. If you want something fancier than instant you are on your own,” I said, instead of answering him. Kyle might be the youngest of the three buffoons I called my brothers, but he was the worst one when it came to sticking his nose in my business.
“Instant is fine, so, where were you? I came home last night and you weren’t in your wing.”
“Is that right? Fancy me not being home while you are out having fun doing god knows what.” Slamming a coffee mug down on the bench in front of him, I pointed to the coffee and sugar canisters. “I gotta go have a shower,” I announced without looking at Kyle.
“Devon Maree, where the fuck were you?” Kyle shouted at me loudly.
And I don’t know if it was the fact that he was yelling, the fact that he honestly thought he had a right to interrogate me, or if it was the new feelings Gabriel evoked in me and the niggling worry that my idiot brothers were going to wreck any chance I had with Gabriel. I wanted to keep last night and Gabriel to myself as long as I could because I knew before too long he was going to come face to face with at least one of them, there would be words, chest-puffing, and muscle clenching, and then the story of my cancer would be out. I liked that Gabriel didn’t know, liked that he treated me like a normal woman, not some sickly freak. I just wanted a little longer with him just like last night, where he kissed me with abandon, almost desperately.
Whirling around, I faced him for the first time since he walked in the room and started his demanding.
“Where I was last night is absolutely no concern of yours. I don’t ask where you go, so take some advice, Kyle, and mind your own business,” I growled at him. Suddenly sick and tired of all the eyes constantly watching every move I make, harassing me about my health and basically stopping me from living. “I am twenty-three years old, quite capable of living my own life without having to punch in and out and telling you of my whereabouts. Get a life Kyle and stop trying to run mine,” I shot at him then turned and left without waiting for a comeback. Not that I was interested in hearing one, whatever Kyle had to say about my outburst he could go tell the fish for all I cared.
Stomping through the house, I hurried to my end before Kyle got over hearing me yell at him and came after me.
None of my brothers ever heard me sound off like I just did. I mainly rolled my eyes, complained to my dad and ended up doing exactly what they wanted me to do.
“My days of compliance are over,” I declared, reaching my door and walking inside letting the door slam behind me, then twisted the dead bolt with a satisfying click.
Stupid idiot, Devon Maree, blah blah blah. I hated it when they used my first and middle names as if I was a six-year-old being told off for eating a lolly before dinner.
And there lay the problem, they still thought of me as the six-year-old with cancer. Just once, I would like it if they admitted I was a grown woman who was now in full remission and the cancer was gone, hell the doctors believed that diagnoses why the devil couldn’t they?
Crossing the small living space to my room, I grabbed the hem of my nightie and lifted it angrily over my head, leaving me in just my knickers.
“Who the hell does he think he is? Demanding arsehole!” I fumed, getting a full head of steam as I stomped around my bedroom nude sans my lace knickers.
Mumbling obscenities, and making up some new ones about my brother, I started for my small bathroom when my mobile rang.
“Seriously! He has dobbed me into the other turds already?” I cried out in dismay.
Ignoring the ringing phone, I continued on my way, but something got the better of me, making me dash back to my bedside table, and thank god I did.
The screen displayed the name Ninja Man sending me into a fit of nervous giggles.
Oh. My. God.
Gabriel was calling me!
Well answer the bloody thing you stupid bone-head.
Shaking my head, I snatched up the phone and swiped the screen hurriedly.
“Hey you!”
“Hey, I thought for a second you weren’t going to answer,” Gabriel’s deep velvety voice purred in my ear.
“Sorry, I was just about to jump into the shower when my phone rang. I was debating whether I should answer it,” I answered, sitting down on the edge of my bed. My mood immediately changing directions from pissed off to swooning.
He called me!
“I can call back later if you are busy,” Gabriel suggested.
“No!” I shouted into the phone loudly. Rolling my eyes, I laughed nervously. “No, it’s fine, my door is locked so no one is going to barge in and see me sitting on my bed naked. Well, not completely naked I have a pair of panties on, lace ones,” I babbled. There was no stopping me, I was in the oversharing zone.
“I have my own area here at the house. My wing consists of my bedroom, a small kitchenette and living area as well as my own bathroom. It isn’t uncommon for me to walk around without clothes.”
I received no reply. Absolutely nothing from the other end of the line. Silence.
“Gabriel?”
“Yeah baby, I’m still here.” His voice came out rasped, he even sounded like he was panting.
“You okay?” I asked concerned.
“Baby you gotta give me a minute. I pulled over on the side of the road to call you, and now I am standing next to my bike trying to will my hard as fuck dick down before I can get back on and ride,” Gabriel said in a strained voice.
Gabriel (The Wounded Sons Book 1) Page 6