Yep, no bra.
Eating up the distance between us quicker with my bigger strides, I reached her and in one smooth motion, swept her up into my arms and swung her around, revelling in her giggles and the feel of her arms around my neck. This public show of affection, and yeah it may have looked kind of over the top for two people who had only known each other for a few days, didn’t feel weird for some reason.
Nope, it felt fucking perfect and right.
“Fucking missed you,” I murmured into the soft skin of Devon’s throat, her pulse under my lips going crazy telling me she was just as happy to see me as I was her. Well, that and her enthusiastic greeting.
“I’m sorry for coming without letting you know; I just wanted to see you, so I grabbed the bus this morning and… here I am,” she whispered in my ear. She sounded drained, upset, and I wanted to know why.
“Baby,” I said, pulling back so I could look into her beautiful blue eyes, but still in my arms, her feet dangling off the ground.
“Not now Gabriel, later I promise.” Her lips pressed chastely on mine, the short contact exactly what I needed to soothe my earlier feeling of unrest. I wanted to deepen the kiss, show her just how much I really did miss her, but I reigned in my control and settled for two more quick pecks, for now. Once I got her in my room in the compound, she was definitely going to give me a much better, much longer kiss, and preferably horizontal.
Devon released one hand from my neck and brought it to my face to cup my cheek. I grunted in acknowledgement to her plea, and the smile she rewarded me with was genuine and relieved.
The sweetness of her touch and the bright sparkle of her eyes nearly brought me to my knees.
God is this what dad goes through every time mum looks and touches him? I asked myself. And this after just a few bloody days!
“I was about to say fuck it and go back to Queenscliff and get you. You haven’t answered my last calls. I was worried you weren’t into me anymore,” I told her, not caring that I was letting her see how vulnerable she made me.
“Yesterday was a hard day, then I just got it in my head to get to you as soon as possible, I guess I had one goal and forgot everything else,” Devon offered, giving my chin a cute bite.
“Well let me introduce you to the family then we can grab some alone time.”
“Oh shit! I forgot that I would be meeting your parents. Do I look okay? Maybe I can change into the dress I brought with me.” Devon squirmed in my arms until she dropped to the ground, then walked backwards talking the whole time.
“I dressed in shorts because buses aren’t the most comfortable seats and the dress would have wrinkled ya know? Nothing worse than a wrinkled dress, plus I didn’t bring my travel iron… and this tee isn’t exactly my best but it is so comfy… oh shit I didn’t put on a bra!” She finished her latest ramble with her arms crossed over her chest, and a horrified glance at Seb. The quiet long-serving member of the club simply smiled indulgently at my Pixie’s verbal diarrhoea, his head shaking once.
“Goddamn another word vomiter, perfect for the Flock,” he mumbled, but I noticed he never let his eyes stray to Devon’s chest, as was his high respect for women. Something he learned after more than thirty years as a Soul.
“Something we are very used to, hey mate? Just in case you missed it mate, this is Devon Mercy, baby, this is Seb, he is the club’s go to man for just about anything you need.”
“Hello Seb, is that short for Sebastian or is it a nick name?” Devon asked taking his offered hand and giving it a small shake. My eyes narrowed in on the joined hands of my Pixie and lifelong friend and I couldn’t help the displeasure of seeing it. Fuck me drunk I needed to talk to my old man, then kick his arse for handing down his crazy DNA to me.
“Both really,” Seb answered simply. He wasn’t much of a talker, and didn’t like to engage in conversation if he didn’t feel the need. He wasn’t rude just… not a talker.
“You go on little Booth, I will take Talker’s bag into the main room and leave it behind the bar.” Picking up Devon’s large luggage bag, Seb took off without another word.
“Talker?” Devon asked laughing, her hand taking my offered one.
“Get used to it baby, by the end of the afternoon everyone will be calling you that,” I warned her, lacing my fingers through hers. I wanted to sigh at having her hand in mine again, after our walk the other night, it was fast becoming our thing.
“And little Booth is…?”
“Not to be discussed,” I growled, leaning down I gently bit the exposed flesh of her shoulder, receiving a shrill giggle from Devon. “My dad is known only as Booth, his given name is Vincent but no one but Shiloh is allowed to use it, and on occasion Charlotte. And the little is because obviously, I am not little.”
“Well, duh.” Another giggle from Devon pierced my heart, making me so proud I could make her go from sad to happy.
“Come on Pixie, you have people to meet and then—” pulling her closer to me, I bent at the waist so our mouths were level, “then I get you all to myself,” I growled, then moaned when Devon licked her bottom lip, her sexy, pink tongue leaving a trail of wetness that teased my dick to press against my zipper.
“Can’t wait Ninja Man.”
Oh, baby neither can I.
CHAPTER TEN
DEVON
I have never been in a biker compound, any compound for that matter. So, my overactive imagination kicked in on the short walk from the main gate, through the carpark that led into a huge outdoor concreted area. My mind warp on the bus drive did not involve a kid’s adventure playground, picnic tables covered in food, nor the people seated at them all laughing and chatting over each other. I did however, imagine the hunks of spunks dressed in sexy black leather jackets and the beautiful women.
Last night, I did a little research on bikers on the internet, probably not the best thing to do before meeting a bunch of bikers for the first time, but I was a planner. If I was going to a restaurant I always googled the menu, I meticulously planned the dog walking routes I took. I even put out my clothes at night after checking the weather for the next day.
For as long as I could remember I’d planned, maybe it was due to the years of cancer treatments, appointments, calendars, and medication schedules taped to the fridge. Whatever the reason, the sight in front of me was as close to perfect as it could get.
“Holy crap! All the men are so hot! Do they always wear those leather jackets? Have you got one? Oh my god that man over by the bar is smoking pretty!” I spewed out before I could stop myself, but come on. That blond man at the bar was one hot silver fox, well blond fox because he looked to be at least in his late forties even older, but there wasn’t a single grey hair that I could see from my position.
Gabriel growled beside me, his hand tightening around mine. Oops.
“It’s called a cut and yes they wear it most of the time especially when they are off the compound. Yes, I have one too, I don’t hold an officer’s patch but I am a member. That man is my Uncle Steel, and stop looking at him,” Gabriel muttered, as he led me towards a table where a large, no, scrap that, where a massively-muscled man sat with a beautiful blonde by his side and another stunningly pretty, short blonde woman was sitting next to… an older, and just as hot version, of my Ninja Man.
Oh my god these are his parents! Why didn’t I change on the bus? Frig it! I don’t even have on a bra!
“Baby calm down. I can practically hear your crazy rambling that is going on in your head,” Gabriel soothed me, pulling me in closer to him and dropping a kiss to my head.
Smiling up at him, surprisingly I did exactly that. I calmed down, the nervousness suddenly replaced with some major swooning. Gabriel had this effect on me I couldn’t explain, his calm and cool balanced my tendencies to… panic.
“How do you do it, calm me so quickly with just a touch and that calm deep smooth sexy voice of yours?” I blurted, which of course made Gabriel’s booming laugh catch the attention
of the table we were currently walking towards.
All four sets of eyes turned to Gabriel and I, one set of familiar intense, grey ones zeroing in on our hands, and one set of pretty, hazel ones firmly on me.
And here we go. Doting adoring mother meets… the girlfriend?
I wasn’t going to lie; secretly, I already thought of myself as Gabriel’s girlfriend despite our short time together and lack of anything sexual. Not that I would have jumped into bed with any guy after one date, but if I was to, Gabriel would be the one. I mean just look at him? Those muscular arms, thick strong thighs and I just bet the rest of him was just as big.
Oh, for heaven’s sake Devon not now!
I felt a squeeze of my fingers, reminding me where I was and why I was here in the first place. Leaving Queenscliff as hurriedly as I did, needing to see Gabriel so badly, I didn’t even tell my brothers or dad except for the note that I pinned to the corkboard. A very short note.
“Everyone, this is Devon, and Devon, this is everyone. My parents Booth and Stella, and Deck and Charlotte,” Gabriel announced, releasing my hand to wrap his arm around my shoulders.
“Hello Devon. What a lovely name, so unusual but so pretty,” the lady named Charlotte said, with such a welcoming smile I couldn’t help smile back, despite my nerves.
“Thank you. My mother named me after lunch meat.”
Oh shit.
The laughter started out as chuckles then suddenly all four people at the table and Gabriel started laughing hard. It wasn’t the kind of laughter that made you want to run and hide, rather it made me join in with them.
“As you just heard, Devon doesn’t exactly have a filter,” Gabriel said in between chuckles, “and I love it.”
“Oh yes, you are definitely going to fit in here,” Booth said with a smirk.
Opening my mouth to argue or at least explain that Gabriel and I didn’t have anything worked out about what we were or… in my head, we were something, but Gabriel and I were yet to have labelled it when his father continued.
“Devon the fact that you are standing inside my compound next to my son, who has a mushy and indulgent look on his face, tells me all I need to know,” Booth replied to my unspoken thoughts. How on earth did he know what I was thinking? My god were the Booth men telepathic?
Stella took that moment to give her husband a playful smack on his broad chest.
“Oh, don’t worry Devon, you will get used to having your mind read by these guys. They get it right most of the time, but like most men, they still get it wrong on occasion. Isn’t that right handsome?” Stella quirked her perfectly shaped brow at Booth, and I was surprised to see a red stain creep over his cheeks.
“Honey, how was I to know you didn’t mean that?” Booth grumbled.
“Because there was no way I would have meant what you thought that was,” Stella shot back. Their coded conversation made absolutely no sense to me at all but it was entertaining to see Gabriel’s father squirm under the scrutiny of his family.
“What the fuck did you do Booth?” Deck asked laughing.
“Go fuck yourself brother. You don’t have a perfect track record when it comes to your wife and daughter,” Booth shot back.
“I have a fucking gift when it comes to knowing what Sweetness wants, all it takes is one—”
“Okay, that’s enough from you lot, Devon let’s go meet the rest of the family,” Gabriel cut in, turning us from the table.
“But Gabriel I wanna find out what—”
“Pixie the last thing I want to know is what my parents are talking about, so please let’s move on. I am sure the Flock will get mum to spill the beans soon enough and then you will find out.” I allowed him to pull me away happily knowing that the tantalising information may still come my way. I was also happy that I seemed to be already included in the dynamics of this intriguing family.
All around me there was loud laughter and loud friendly talking. No one was scowling or complaining their life was being interrupted with my presence.
“Hey baby, where are you going in your head,” Gabriel asked me, stopping us half way across the room to stoop down to look at me.
Tears formed behind my lids to my utter horror, but the overwhelming jealousy of not having the beautiful support Gabriel enjoyed upset me.
My silly decision of keeping my cancer from Gabriel until we had more time together as a couple meant I needed to be careful how much from the day before I could share with him. Basically, the whole situation with Mitchell had to remain unspoken, and the hours Gabriel couldn’t get me on the phone. But I could tell him about my father’s indifference and his lack of interest in spending time at home.
Taking a breath, I tried to explain without sounding like a petulant child.
“My family isn’t like this,” I said, waving my arms around indicating the tables of people. “We aren’t close, we hardly talk in fact and we never get together and laugh. Being here and seeing this, is an eye opener. It makes me wonder what my family would have been like had we not lost my mum,” I said sadly. Gabriel’s beautiful grey eyes expressed his sadness as he listened to me. Big strong arms wrapped around me, Gabriel gathered me to his chest, so tight against him I could feel his heart beating against my cheek.
I loved his cuddles, and he did like to cuddle. On our first date he cuddled me to him most of the night expect for when we ate dinner.
“Baby, I know I can’t ever make up for the loss you suffered when your mum died. I wouldn’t insult you by trying, but I can give you my family, and me if you want us,” Gabriel murmured, his face buried in my hair. Gulping threatening sobs deep in my throat, saying anything was impossible at that moment. All I could do was nod my head, my hands fisting the back of Gabriel’s shirt holding him as if letting him go meant I would lose everything.
“’kay,” I shuddered out, my voice trembling, not just because of my tears but because I wanted what Gabriel was offering me. A family. Love. A sense of belonging.
Feeling wanted.
“Now breathe for me baby, take as long as you need. I’ve got you in my arms and I am never letting you go, you never have to be alone ever again,” Gabriel said softly. And in that moment, standing in the Wounded Souls’ compound, surrounded by his family and friends, I fell in love with the most gentle and kindest man that ever lived.
“I can’t believe you made Gabe fall!” Shiloh said again for the fifth time since being introduced to the beautiful dark-haired woman an hour ago.
Shiloh Stephens was probably the most interesting woman I had met in a very long time. Mrs Walters back home I thought had that title, that is until now.
I mean, who else could say they were the president of a motorcycle club? Married to a scorching hot and very intense sexy man, and have the cutest kids ever born. Her daughter, Jewel, was the spitting image of her mother, and from what I had seen so far of the seven-year-old, just as sassy. Her son, his name alone made me want to keep him let alone his huge dark black eyes and just as black hair. One-year-old Ezekiel, or Zeke, which Gabriel called him when he handed the baby to me earlier, stole my heart the minute his slobbery smile looked my way.
Laughing at her, I shrugged not sure how she wanted me to answer that question for the fifth time.
“I can’t believe you are the president of an MC,” I countered instead.
“Sometimes I can’t either; I always wanted to sit at the head of the table the club my father started with his brothers. It used to be my greatest dream, even as young as three; I wanted that patch.” Shiloh looked down at her leather cut, her finger skimmed over the material patch that declared her position. A unique wedding band sat on her ring finger. White gold and diamonds sat along a plain white gold band, the only other jewellery she wore was a rose gold bracelet with letter charms decorated along it.
“Then I had another dream, and he was worth giving up all the others for, lucky for me, I managed to have it all. My club, the love of my life and two kids I would lay down my life
for without hesitation.” Shiloh looked away and I knew the minute she found her husband, Zander. I knew because a loving, dreamy glow appeared on her face.
Following her line of sight, I saw her hunk of a husband standing at the bar with a large group of more good-looking men. Gabriel one of the tallest, standing in the middle of the bunch.
God he is so handsome.
“Seriously Devon, how did you make him fall?”
“To be honest I have no idea. He is so… put together you know? And I am definitely not. He is an accomplished soldier, a hero. I walk dogs for a living and can hardly drive down the street to buy a paper. He has a huge support base of family and friends; my family treats me like I need punishing for my sin of surviving. Three times!” My mouth closed the second I finished speaking, I held my breath and waited to see if Shiloh caught on to what I had unwittingly said.
“Aww, sweetie, I might have only met you today, but I know that you are special, simply because you are here with Gabe. He has never brought a woman back to the compound, and he has never shown so much affection as he does with you.” Shiloh leaned in close to me, almost as if she didn’t want anyone else to hear her but me.
“Gabe is a sensitive man. When he was a boy he used to watch Booth and Stella get all mushy, and unlike the rest of us, who got all grossed out with our parent’s PDAs, Gabe would stare at them with a whimsical look on his face. And now he brings you here and he has that same look on his face every time his eyes search you out.”
“He…. that’s not… he does?”
Shiloh’s smile was huge, and her laugh even bigger. “Yep. Trust me, Devon, that man has fallen hook, line and sinker for you,” Shiloh declared, and just hearing it even from someone other than Gabriel, it made my pulse speed up and hope flared in my belly.
His actions spoke volumes about what he wanted to happen with us, his affection and heated stares, the way he talked me down from my panic about my family. Gabriel was definitely giving me all the right signals. The only thing was, the affection was only going so far. Our time together had been very limited, but over the next few days, I hoped to change that situation. If the kisses we’d shared so far were any indication of what was to come, I wanted to speed up the process.
Gabriel (The Wounded Sons Book 1) Page 8
