OWNED & UNTAMED (Back Down Devil MC #11) - London Casey Page 0,31

mind, replaying history that could never be changed. I got lost in the entire moment of it all, knowing I had stepped way over a boundary that should have been left the hell alone.

We stopped kissing at the same time and looked at each other.

It was like we both realized the same thing at the same time.

But instead of saying something, we just kept kissing.

**

I pulled Belle into my arms. The room was finally silent but everything we’d done still lingered in the air. The wild passion. It was like we had picked up where it all left off. Only knowing I had years of experience and her body had years of maturing.

Her left hand touched my chest. I couldn’t help as I looked at it, remembering the days when I envisioned my life with Belle for forever. That she’d be wearing a diamond ring, then a wedding ring. That was the goddamn plan and it seemed pretty easy. So cut and dry, just waiting for me there. Then I fucked it all up by wanting to be a war hero. Part of it was Big Jim telling me that I had to find my purpose. That playing with cars and motorcycles wasn’t going to always cut it for me. Maybe that was his way of trying to get rid of me. Or maybe he really wanted me to find something greater in life.

So much for that.

My lips brushed against Belle’s hair. She smelled like fruity shampoo and sex sweat. It was intoxicating.

“When was your last time?” she asked out of nowhere.

“What?”

“You asked me. So now I’m asking you. When was your last time?”

“You really want the truth about that?” I asked.

Belle propped her chin on my chest and looked at me. “Please tell me it wasn’t with someone else tonight. That would make me feel…”

I moved down and kissed her, stealing her worry.

“Sweetie, there’s only one thing you need to know,” I said. I had the words and I knew I was putting myself way out there. “The last time that actually mattered… was with you.”

Belle smiled.

She kissed my chest and put her head back down. Her left hand then moved for my hand. Our fingers interlocked and I felt my heart thumping harder than ever.

I was used to living in a world of life and death.

I was in a world of life and love.

fourteen.

(belle)

I cracked the last of a dozen eggs and started to mix them up in a big bowl. My hands were still shaking from the night before. The last thing I expected to wake up to was Duke next to me in bed. It all felt like a wild dream. Waking up on Duke’s big, strong chest. Looking up at his chiseled jaw and wickedly handsome face. I had to get out of the bed or else something was going to happen again.

And nothing could happen again. There was no way Duke and I could get tangled up in bed again. Last night might not have been a mistake but it wasn’t something to go bragging about. It was simply a moment caught up in twisted emotions and we resorted to the one thing we knew and appreciated about each other.

Plus, waiting a year…

I poured the beat up eggs into a pan and grinned.

Was it so wrong to say I got what I wanted?

The coffeepot made its growling noise and I was there a second later with a mug. I poured a big cup, tended to the eggs, and completely skipped any attempt at cooking bacon. I learned my lesson from the last time when I almost caught the house on fire.

When Duke came into the kitchen, our eyes instantly locked. We both played the entire night over in our minds. He stood at the table, hands on a chair, looking bad ass and sexy mixed together. It didn’t seem right that a man like Duke could wake up, toss on his shirt from yesterday, and look as good as he did.

“There’s coffee,” I said.

“That I could use,” Duke said.

He walked through the kitchen - mind you, it was a big kitchen - but he purposely walked my way. I felt his hand gently touch my back. His presence was massive yet it felt great. So protective.

He kissed the top of my head.

Then he whispered, “It’s going to be okay, sweetie.”

I nodded.

I had no idea what he was talking about but it was good to hear those words being spoken. From the corner of my