OWNED & UNTAMED (A Back Down Devil MC Romance Novel) by London Casey, Karolyn James Page B

said.
    “Maybe you can tell me about the person you were fucking while waiting for me,” he said.
    “Maybe I will.”
    Duke put his hands to my waist. It was the same way he held me last night. When we were both naked. When he was thrusting at me. Fucking me. When he was…
    “In my mind you were better off,” he said. “That’s all I can say. But I would never leave you hanging to suffer. What you have here is bullshit, sweetie. I’m not leaving you again. But I have to go right now.”
    “Club stuff?” I asked.
    “Exactly.”
    “Duke, do you ever worry about getting caught? Getting into trouble? Going to jail?”
    “Every day,” he said. “But this is my life, Belle. This is my brotherhood. It’s all I know.”
    He leaned forward and kissed me.
    I pulled at his steel jaw, demanding more of him. I actually wanted him to lift me up and take me back inside. We could walk right up the steps and let the day waste by.
    We kept kissing and I could sense I was just seconds away from my wish coming true.
    Then I heard the sound of a car and tires hitting the rocks in the driveway.
    That broke the kiss as Duke turned, blocking me.
    It was sort of romantic, but truthfully, scary. His hand reaching back, grabbing at his gun.
    Was this how he lived? A target on his back? Would someone try to hurt him here, with me? Did that make me a target?
    Those were questions that would remain unanswered.
    It was Maggie.
    Shit.
    I forgot about Maggie coming.
    She got out of her car and stood there, her face in shock.
    As she walked forward, she pointed at Duke. “Tell me I’m dreaming right now.”
    “Jim is inside,” I said.
    Maggie couldn’t stop smiling. “I never thought I’d see you again, Duke.”
    “Maggie,” he said.
    “I like the look,” she said.
    “Thanks. I see you’re still fighting to win prom queen.”
    I grinned, taking note that Maggie had gotten herself all dressed up to come here. Little did Duke know that Maggie was there to clean and help out with Jim’s house.
    “I’m going inside,” Maggie said.
    “I’ll be right behind you,” I said.
    “I won’t,” Duke said.
    “Don’t stare at my ass when I walk by,” Maggie said. She touched Duke’s arm. “Don’t hurt Belle again.”
    That was a total cheap shot.
    I saw Duke’s lip curl.
    Maggie shut the door behind her.
    “Sorry about that,” I said. “She’s…”
    “Bitter,” Duke said.
    “No. Just a bitch.”
    Duke touched my face. He gently kissed me again. “Sweetie, she’s bitter and jealous. That time we all went camping in the woods? Right after you turned eighteen. She was in my tent. She was not wearing any clothes. She confessed her love to me, willing to do anything to get with me. I zipped up my sleeping bag and picked her up, carrying her out of the tent. I made her hop away just like that.”
    “What?”
    Duke winked. “True story.”
    “That’s why you only had one sleeping bag that night,” I said. “I thought that was your cheap attempt at getting me to sleep in the same sleeping bag with you.”
    Duke backed away. “Sweetie, I don’t do cheap attempts. I go all in. Never forget that.”
    Duke left those words lingering in the air as he walked to his motorcycle.
    Just like that I had found out a piece of our history I never knew.
    I watched Duke ride away… and within seconds I felt lonely and missed him.
     
    **
     
    “What the fuck is this?” Jim asked as I pressed the lid on all the eggs nobody freaking ate.
    I turned and jammed the container against Jim’s gut. “Eggs. You have breakfast for the week. You’re welcome.”
    Jim chased me down as I exited the kitchen. “Belle, stop this. What is Maggie doing here?”
    I paused. “She owns a cleaning business. She offered to help here.”
    “Tell her to stay on your side of the damn house.”
    I pointed to the kitchen. “My house is clean, Jim. Yours is disgusting. What did you want me to do? I’m not cleaning your house.”
    Jim showed his teeth.