Owned & Untamed (Back Down Devil MC #11)(47)

That line flicked over my belly button and cut between my breasts. I put my head back and felt him climb up my throat and to my chin. I thought he would stop there but he didn’t. Next thing I knew Duke’s tongue was in my mouth. He kissed me hard, fast, letting me taste my own sweet flavor. My eyes went wide and his hands grabbed the back of my legs. He lifted me up and opened my legs.

His cocked touched me and that was it.

One thrust forward and I let out a groan as he entered me.

He held me up and f*cked me right against the wall.

The water started to get a little cool but the heat between us stayed wildly hot.

And with every thrust into me, I fell more and more in love with him.

**

I was dressed and had a bag packed. Duke stood in the doorway to the bedroom. His arms were folded and he nodded to the bag.

“That enough?”

“How much do I need?”

“Enough,” he said with a grin.

“I’ll manage.”

I started to move toward the door but Duke put his foot up and blocked me. “The guy that ditched you when Jim and Big Jim weren’t having it… did you really love him?”

The question caught me off guard. I didn’t expect Duke to ever bring up Niles.

“What…”

“Jim told me he was good to you. You were good for each other. He would have bought you any house you wanted. You would have had that dream life of yours.”

I swallowed hard. “The best part about Niles was that he wasn’t you. Okay?”

“Meaning?”

“He wasn’t rough around the edges, Duke. He was clean cut and straight. I knew what I was getting and when. He had it all planned out as though life was nothing but a board game.”

“And that made you happy?”

“It made me happy to not think about you,” I said. “So, yeah, maybe I did love Niles. In a certain way, yes. In a comfortable way. Okay?”

“No. Not okay.”

Duke turned and his wide body filled the entire doorway.

“No?” I asked.

“He just left you?”

“Yes. It was too much. I couldn’t handle nursing school and taking care of my brother and father. Niles pushed me to get outside help.”

“Dick.”

“No.” I rolled my eyes even though it was sort of cute that Duke was showing jealousy. “He wasn’t a dick. He offered to pay for it. I just couldn’t do that. The doctors were very clear that Dad wasn’t going to make it long. That’s when Jim started taking an extra pill here and there. It started to get out of control. I stopped focusing on Niles. So he wanted to call it quits.”

“Just like that? Didn’t he put up a fight?”

“No. He found a new girlfriend.”

“Asshole.”

“Why does it matter to you?”

Duke touched my face, stroking my cheek. “I’ve never in my life loved anyone but you, sweetie. Nobody ever came close and nobody ever would. What I did was wrong, Belle. I’ll spend every day for the rest of my life apologizing to you if that’ll help. But I would never give my heart to someone else.”

“That’s sort of sweet.”

“I can’t give my heart to someone else. I’d have to take it back from you first.”

Okay, now that was really sweet.

I swallowed hard and felt my heart racing. “I don’t know what to say to that.”

“Nothing. You don’t have to say a thing to it. That’s the best part, sweetie. I’m not putting you in a position here. I’m just telling you like it is.”

“Thank you, Duke. For being here now. I can’t believe Jim thought about Maggie. He’s always loved you like a brother.”

“I know,” Duke said. “I love him too. Right now we just have to be safe. Figure this out. Settle everything and then go from there.”

As I stared at Duke, something suddenly switched in me. Something happened. It was like a light went off deep in my soul. Maybe Jim wasn’t so wrong with wanting to part ways with the past. It was just a house. It was just land. We had the memories. If Jim could see something that resembled the future, why couldn’t I?

I stood there and stared right at my future… right at Duke.





chapter twenty-three.



(duke)



Eden and Harlee took right to Belle. It was almost a load off my back when I saw Belle and Maggie hug each other, too. It was good that they could find a way to try and relax. The clubhouse had gone into lockdown before but it never involved someone I loved. Yeah, I f*cking loved Belle. I’d always love her. I would protect her for the rest of my life.

I kept Jim outside with the prospects, making sure he was safe. Inside the clubhouse, it was anxious. Tense. Everyone sort of looking over their shoulders.

Inside the conference room, Trev, Jasper, and Cade were going over all the paperwork. Cade hovered over the table with papers spread across.

“What do we have?” I asked.

“A f*cked up thing,” Cade said. “I need to get these to a lawyer we trust. The money hasn’t cleared escrow yet but there’s movement with the deal. We might be a day late and a dollar short on this.”

“So what’s the plan?” I asked. “Can’t we bust up the dummy corp?”