Never Kiss an Exile: Exile Love Biker MC Series Book 1
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“Good night, Chloe. I’ll see you in the morning.”
He left me in the hall way, stunned and flushing from embarrassment. This man was getting under my skin and I couldn’t bring myself to fight the pulsating attraction I felt for him. This was going to be a serious problem.
Chapter Eleven
The night passed slowly. A part of me was afraid to go to sleep; I was waiting for the other boot to drop and that fear made it difficult to close my eyes. This was all so strange. I’d never expected kindness from bikers and here I was trying to reconcile the fact that Damien had pretty much saved me from my own father.
I laid awake, staring up at the ceiling, my eyes wet with unshed tears as I thought about what might have happened to me if my dad would have traded me to any other gang. I completely agreed that I probably would have been in a much worse way, but the fact that I was relatively safe didn’t make it easier to understand or accept that a parent could just trade their child away.
As expected, I didn’t sleep well that night despite the cool southern breeze and the soft bed. The sheets felt like they were made out of very expensive silk and I found myself wondering why the hell a biker would care about thread count.
I tossed and turned all night, dozing off here and there until the sun finally started to rise. As the sun peaked over the rolling Tennessee hills I stumbled out of bed and wandered into the kitchen, my eyes red and stinging from a combination of crying and not enough sleep. I took it upon myself to go through the cabinets and locate dishes and food. I secretly thanked the universe when I saw a box of Pop Tarts shoved into the back of a cabinet.
It took some climbing, but I managed to grab them and toss them onto the counter, putting one in the toaster. Hell, I might even consider having two. These last few days had been a wild ride. I waited patiently for my breakfast, smothering the sweet treat with butter once it popped. I knew it was terrible for me, but I figured I deserved something a bit more indulgent.
As I ate my breakfast in peace, my phone began to ring and I felt a terrible anger bubble in my belly. I was convinced it was my father for some reason, but when I looked down, I saw that it was Gina. Part of me was relieved and part of me was saddened that my father didn’t seem to care about my well-being. I swallowed thickly but picked up the phone and answered the video call.
Gina’s face popped up on my screen and it was clear she’d been crying. Guilt ate at my belly and I frowned a little. “Gina are you okay?”
“Did you really just ask me that fucking question?! Of course I’m not okay! We were supposed to meet for lunch and you never showed up! You haven’t been answering my texts and this is the first call I could get to go through! I know you’re mad about the biker bar, but completely ignoring me isn’t cool!” she practically yelled.
A stab of guilt made my chest tighten and I sighed, looking down and nodding slowly. “I know, I know. I’m sorry, Gina. A lot of shit has happened the last few days,” I muttered, dropping my head into my arms.
The look on Gina’s face softened and she frowned a little. “What’s going on?” she asked, her voice far more understanding now.
I swallowed and wiped my eyes, lifting my head to catch her gaze. There may have been a great many miles separating us and talking to her on the phone wasn’t the same as talking to her in real life, but it was still comforting to just see her face and know that someone was missing me.
“It’s still so fucking surreal,” I whispered, laughing bitterly.
She frowned and looked at me for a long moment. “You’re starting to freak me out, girl.”
I wiped my again eyes and took a deep breath. “My dad traded me to bikers,” I blurted out.
“WHAT?! Oh my God! OH MY GOD! Did you have to sneak your phone away? Are they holding you hostage?! I’m calling the cops! Where are you?!”
“Don’t call the cops, okay? I’m-I’m actually kind of glad I’m here.”
“What the hell do you mean girl?! You’ve been gone for like three days, don’t tell me you have Stockholm syndrome already!”
I rolled my eyes and shook my head. “No, I’m free to go whenever I want. I just don’t really see the point in leaving. Where would I go? I mean it’s obvious that neither of my parents want me, besides, this is kind of an adventure.”
“Are you cracked in the head? Are you being serious right now? Do you HEAR yourself?” Gina yelled.
“Of course I do,” I murmured, rolling my eyes again. “Listen, my mom wants nothing to do with me, that’s why she sent me to my dad’s. And my dad clearly doesn’t want me either or he wouldn’t have traded me to a fucking biker gang,” I snapped. “Where am I supposed to go? No one wants me.”
“Come with me,” Chloe offered.
“You’re in school.”
“You can’t live some weird outlaw life with bikers! Where are you anyway?”
“I’m in Nashville in a really nice house with my own bedroom.”
She set her lips in a thin line. “Whatever happened to the girl who hated bikers?”
I shrugged and smiled. “People can change love, people can change. And get this. Do you remember that hot biker guy that saved me at the bar? He’s the leader of this biker gang and the one I’m staying with.”
She sighed and shook her head. “Holy cow are you serious? That hottie with the nice ass?! Well I guess that’s the ONE good thing I can see in this insane situation. I don’t like it at all, but I guess it’s your decision. Are you sure you aren’t being threatened or held at gun point or whatever?”
I sighed and stood up, holding the camera and circling the room. It was a fairly normal kitchen with good light and no one holding a gun. I circled slowly so that she could see the whole room before finally setting the phone down and putting my chin in my hand.
“See? No guns,” I assured with a smile.
She still seemed hesitant but nodded. “Alright. But if you need me, you call, okay? And answer my texts!”
I smiled and nodded. “Of course I will. It’s just been a bit of a wild ride,” I murmured.
“Understood. Keep me in the loop, okay? I don’t want to be worrying about you.”
“Alright.”
“Love you.”
“Love you too.”
I hit end and stared at the phone, already missing my best friend.
Chapter Twelve
I was still a bit nervous to find myself living with a bunch of bikers. I didn’t trust them as much as they seemed to want me to, but I was getting there. It was hard to override such a primal fear that I’d always had. Bikers, in my mind, were bad people and they always had been. Those views were slowly being challenged and I was unsure as to how to handle it.
Damien was kind enough to me. He encouraged me to go around and meet the other people in the community, though I suspected that was to get me to admit and realize that maybe bikers weren’t as bad as I thought. I couldn’t blame him for wanting to try and show me the good things his community was doing, but it still wasn’t easy for me.
I sighed and threw a pat of butter into a skillet, putting a hand on my hip as I watched it melt. I’d just come back from a long walk and my stomach was gurgling very loudly, begging me for food. I couldn’t, in good conscious, tell it no. I was thankful that Damien’s house always seemed to be stocked with food. At least I wasn’t going to go hungry any time soon.
Damien poked his head into the kitchen from the living room, his hair brushed back out of his piercing eyes. The grin that spread across his face somehow softened his sharp angles.
“What’cha doing?” he asked.
In the weeks that I’d been living with him, I learned that he was only a few years older than me at 24. He hadn’t pushed himself onto me or done anything appropriate and I was starting to get suspicious. I guess I was still waiting for the other shoe to drop.
I glanced over at him and cocked a brow. “I’m making lunch. Would you like something?”
“Yeah. Put that shit away. Let�
��s go get some real food.”
“Real food?” I asked, glancing over my shoulder.
“Yeah. Things have settled down and I believe I recall you wanting to go into town?” he asked with a little smile.
“Into town? Like Nashville?”
“Hell yeah, girl,” he said, grinning brightly. “Let’s go have a night on the town,” he said, offering his hand.
I blinked but slowly reached out and took his hand, more than a little excited at the prospect of finally being able to see Nashville. The lights on the way in had dazzled me and I wanted to see them up close.
“Are we really going?”
“Of course. Why in the world would I lie?” he asked, tugging me along. “Come on. I want to show you around.”
I followed him easily, allowing myself to really smile for the first time since I’d arrived. We got on his bike and I wrapped my arms around his strong chest before we took off into town. We were about forty-five minutes outside the city and I was surprised at how quickly rural farmland turned into downtown.
He found us a parking place in one of the downtown garages and we came out onto a bustling street that smelled of fresh barbecue and wet grass. It had been raining over the past several weeks and the smell of wet earth had been overwhelming and I loved it, especially after the stifling heat of Atlanta.
We walked through the streets and stopped in candy stores and little shops that sold strange souvenirs and trinkets. I was having a really great time and Damien only made it better. He was warm and always seemed to be laughing, slinging his arm around me as he bought me anything I looked at for more than a few seconds.
“This is a place I really think you’re going to like,” he said, pushing the door to a boutique open.
As I stepped in my hands flew to my mouth and my eyes widened. The store was simply called Tatiana’s and inside were racks and racks of vintage swing dresses. Now, I know I’ve said I don’t like dresses, but when it comes to vintage pin up girl clothing, I can make an exception. The dresses were obviously all newly made and never worn, but my knowledge of fashion design told me they were all made with vintage patterns.
“How did you know to bring me here?” I asked incredulously.
“Well, you remember that night we were drinking on the porch?”
I nodded and blushed, remembering that I’d told him I thought he was handsome. He smiled at my flushed cheeks and chuckled, putting his hands on his hips.
“Well, you told me you’d always wanted to design clothes. You talked about that a lot and I knew I had some connections here. The owner’s on vacation right now but he told me to bring you by so you could pick out something nice to wear. He also wants you to send him some drawings. If he likes them, he’d be willing to consider working with you as a designer.”
My eyes were so wide that they were actually starting to burn. My throat felt tight and I was choking on my own words as my eyes became glassy. I whimpered softly and put a hand over my mouth, the tears starting to stream down my cheeks.
“Yes! Oh my god! YES! Are you serious?! Please tell me it isn’t a fucking joke?!” I pleaded.
He chuckled and held his right hand up. “Swear on my honor.”
The tears burst forth and I threw myself at him, wrapping my arms around him and letting out a soft sob as I buried my face in his chest. He seemed shocked but smiled and wrapped his arms around me in return.
“You okay?” he asked softly.
“You’re turning my world upside down! No one has ever cared about me enough to listen to my dreams, let along help me make them come true! You came into my life and I really didn’t know what to do with you!” I sobbed, covering my mouth
He smiled and rubbed my back gently. “Just let me help you. From the second you came to stay with me, I could tell you’d been driven into the ground. I understand what that’s like. People judge me and what I do every day. They don’t give us the time of day and they make assumptions about us. I understand what it’s like to be put down and turned away. I’m not going to let that happen to you anymore,” he said, wiping a tear from my cheek.
Another sob forced its way past my lips and I looked up at him with wide eyes. “Why? Why are you doing this?” I whispered.
“Because from that very first day I met you in the bar, I knew there was something special about you,” he said softly, cupping my cheek.
I don’t know what came over me in that moment. I jumped up and threw my arms around him, pressing my lips to his and kissing him right there in the middle of the street. I didn’t care who saw. This man had done more for me in these last few weeks than anybody had in my entire life. Deep down, I knew he was going to change my life.
I knew I was going to fall in love with him.
Chapter Thirteen
We stayed out on the town until the moon rose high in the sky. I used my fake ID to get into a few of the bars and we drank together, laughing and enjoying music. We even danced until our feet were sore. I never would have pegged Damian for a dancer.
Every minute that passed I fell harder and harder for those piercing blue eyes and that deep, rumbling laugh. My body ached for him and I knew I was in love. There was a strange flutter in my belly when I looked at him and I had never felt that before for anyone.
We eventually stumbled out of the bar, clinging to each other and more than a little tipsy as we made our way through the street, managing to hail a cab. We climbed in and Damien tossed the driver some cash, patting him on the shoulder and telling him to take us to the Opry Hotel.
When we arrived and checked in I was surprised that we walked right into a large, open atrium full of flowers and other foliage. There was even a damn river that ran through the hotel. I didn’t get much time to enjoy it, however, since we were soon stumbling our way to the elevator, trying to hold one another upright.
I knew where this was going, and while it wasn’t my first rodeo, I was far more excited for this than any other encounter I’d ever had. It was a miracle we made it to the door without falling over.
We tumbled onto the bed and I pulled him into a long, desperate kiss, enjoying the way it felt when our lips finally met. I whimpered against his mouth and pulled away, pressing our foreheads together. “I need you. I need you, Damien,” I whispered, shivering as his hands ran up my sides, his thumbs brushing along my shoulders as he pushed my bra and tank top aside. He was making it more than clear that he wanted me as badly as I wanted him.
His touch made my body come alive in a way I’d never expected. I’d been with men before, but none of them had been this attentive or gentle. I was suddenly hyper-aware of everything, especially the throbbing ache between my thighs. My body was begging for him and the burn of it made me hungry for his touch.
He pressed me back into the sheets and the expensive hotel silk felt good against my skin. I melted into the bed and pulled him close, moaning against his lips as he met me for another long kiss. I tangled my fingers in his hair before letting them explore his muscular back, my nails digging into the flesh.
“How badly do you want me?” he whispered against my neck, nipping at the sensitive skin.
I shivered and moaned softly, arching my back in a desperate attempt to get more of those delicious kisses. “I can’t even put it into words,” I admitted.
He smiled and caught my lips, kissing me deeply. We didn’t break from each other until our lungs burned for oxygen. We met each other’s eyes and in that moment we knew we didn’t need words anymore. This was how things were meant to be. He needed me and I needed him. My life was finally starting to come together.
“Spread your legs for me beautiful,” he ordered, growling deep in his throat.
The warmth of his breath made me shudder and I did exactly as I was told, surprisingly enjoying his dominance. I was usually the type of person to argue with being bossed around, but not today. I wrapped my legs around his waist as he slid into me with a long, low groan. I whimpered and arched my back, trying to take him
deeper inside me. We fit together like the pieces of a puzzle and it was more than I ever could have hoped for.
When he was completely buried inside of me, he ran his fingers up and down my sides. As his fingers came to rest at my hips, he dug them into the tender flesh. I knew he would leave little bruises come morning, but I didn’t care. I wanted to be marked by him. I wanted the entire world to know he was mine and I was his.
He thrusted deeper and deeper, soft growls escaping his lips. Each thrust and growl was another proclamation of his control over me. I was his. Maybe it was a little early to start making proclamations, but I didn’t care. My hazy brain knew what it wanted and it wasn’t going to back down in the face of reason.
He wrapped his arms around me and held himself over me, whispering sensuous, erotic things in my ear. His hand cupped my breast as he rocked into me again and again, beckoning me to moan louder, which I did without hesitation. I wanted him to know how good he was making me feel. The alcohol coursing through me dulled my inhibitions. I was drowning in pleasure and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
He put his hands on my hips and squeezed, groaning happily when I moved with a sense of urgency. I could feel my orgasm just out of reach and I knew I had to chase it. I gasped and arched my back, throwing my arms around him in a desperate attempt to hold him closer. I wanted him as deep inside of me as possible and as close. I needed him.
The fire burning in my belly became too much to bear and soon I was arching my back, trying to meet his hips, while moans and pleas for more slipped from my lips. My hips rode up against his in reckless abandon.
Stars exploded behind my eyes as my orgasm washed over me. My body shook with the force of it, wrenching sobs of pleasure from my chest. I buried my fingers in his hair and begged for more. He pumped into me twice more before letting out a long, low groan as he emptied himself into me, the pearly liquid filling me until it dripped from between my legs, staining the sheets underneath us.