HIS SWEETNESS (WOUNDED SOULS Book 1) Read online

  I didn’t, not yet.

  Softly, I explored her lips, nipping lightly while never taking my lips from hers. Oh, God, has a kiss ever felt this good? I’m done for, I’m sure of it. If I couldn’t tell how Charlie was enjoying our kiss, her tiny ladylike moans of pleasure were sure telling me. And my dick loved them.

  But so did my heart.

  Weird little pulses were dancing in my chest. I needed to slow this down, which was crazy as fuck. I didn’t do slow and steady, and I certainly didn’t do soft. My usual MO would have been tongue down her throat and fuck her against the car after she’d sucked my dick. Just the thought of Charlie being shoved to her delicate knees on the cold, unforgiving asphalt had me reluctantly pulling away. My forehead rested on hers as we both tried to catch our breaths.

  “What…what was that?” Charlie stammered as she took deep gulps of air, letting me know it was totally worth pursuing. She wanted me but was maybe scared. Apprehensive?

  “That was us beginning, Sweetness,” I told her. Serious shit now. This was hopefully the start of something serious and real. For the first time, apart from Shiloh’s birth, I wanted to be part of something real and honest.

  I didn’t want to give her any time to argue with me, so grabbing her keys from her fingers, I pressed the remote and deactivated the central locking. Leaning over, I reached in and made sure the car was in neutral and started the car. I hopped back out and pulled Charlie back into my arms once more. She looked happy and something else I couldn’t place. It had me worried. I didn’t have time to figure it out with her right then. Shiloh was waiting, and she always came first. Always.

  “You with me on this, Charlie?” I held my breath, waiting for her answer. It seemed to take forever, but in reality, it was literally only four seconds. And only one word that meant the fucking world to me.

  “Yes.”

  5

  CHARLOTTE

  I honestly had no memory of the drive home from the compound. I literally remembered Deck placing me gently inside my car, one sweet kiss, and then I was putting the key to my flat in the lock and going inside.

  I should have been concerned and alarmed that I didn’t remember operating a manual vehicle eighteen kilometres through traffic lights, roundabouts, and stop signs, but I wasn’t. I was too shocked by the night’s events. I was overwhelmed by the handsome single father. He wanted me. He hadn’t made that a secret at all, and I wasn’t used to being wanted.

  I was used to being used—used to disappointment and used to rejection.

  I was certainly not used to being pursued, cornered, and then kissed like Deck kissed me in the car park at his compound.

  It hadn’t been a deep, all-consuming tongue kiss. It was better. It was a promise of more to come. A commitment to giving us a chance. It was a claiming. Well, that was how I was taking it. I was a twenty-four-year-old virgin, an ex-ballet dancer, who had absolutely no one else in my world other than my students and my cat—my two-year-old chinchilla, a silver Persian named Winnie, who was now dancing around my feet, her melodic meowing welcoming me home…or chiding me for being so late.

  Whichever it was, I leant down and picked the huge cat up. And when I said huge, I meant it. Her fluffy, silver and white coat made her look even bigger. It took a lot of grooming, but she was so worth it. She came into my life at a time when I was at my lowest. My dancing career had come to a grinding halt. Not one of my family members wanted to have anything to do with me after a family incident that hadn’t even been my fault. The courts had seen it differently, and I was humiliated in front of the entire town and friends—well, not so much in front of her friends—when the decision had come down, and no one took my side.

  Walking into the small kitchenette, I went about filling Winnie’s food bowls with milk, dry food, and some water. Shiloh would love to meet Winnie, I thought absently as I watched the cat eat her food like she hadn’t eaten for weeks.

  “Silly cat,” I muttered to myself, walking out and taking the twenty steps it took to get to my bedroom slash living room. The flat I rented was so tiny that it didn’t even have room for a clothes closet. So, I’d brought an old antique-looking wardrobe that stood to the side of my bed. It had mirrored doors, which became my vanity, too. The only other room in the place was the bathroom, which, surprisingly, was quite large compared to the rest of the place. It was large enough to house my washer and dryer, and the best part was it had an old-fashioned claw-footed bathtub, complete with the old-fashioned tapware and chain plug. I loved it and used it every single night without fail.

  Bustling around the room for my bathrobe, I checked on Winnie’s progress before I picked up her food bowl for the night—there was a reason Winnie was four kilograms heavier than she should be. Well, two reasons, really. I had to take quite a bit of the blame, as I was the doofus who gave her too much food in the first place—but I allowed her to keep her milk, as I didn’t have it in me to be too cruel and deprive her of everything. Rueful thoughts of my overweight cat led me back to thinking of Shiloh and her daddy while I filled the tub with hot water.

  I was curious about Shiloh’s mother. Her school records just stated that the mother was deceased and other than Deck, there were ten other men mentioned as contacts for the little girl.

  My smile widened as the image of Shiloh’s attire today came to mind. Her tutu was a constant every day. Always pink. Her hair, though, was different quite often, I mean really different, from styles to degrees of messiness. Giggling, I lowered myself into the steaming liquid, a moan of pleasure escaping my lips. There really wasn’t anything better than a steaming hot bath.

  I knew I was on the right track thinking those ten men on the contact list were also responsible for taking turns dressing and getting Shiloh ready for day care. The vision was just too funny—big, bad former soldiers, experts in the field of weapons and barehanded combat, using ribbons and hair bands to put up the long raven hair of the club princess.

  In the privacy of my bathroom, I could freely admit to the bubbles and shampoo bottle that I wanted that, too. Family. I wanted to be a part of something. To belong and be important. Missed if I wasn’t there. Cared for when I was.

  My hand absently traced the scars on my lower stomach. They were not as ugly as they once were, but they were still there. Still reminding me that I was not missed. Not cared for and not loved.

  Suddenly, my bath mood was ruined. I was too inside my own head to enjoy it.

  Getting out of the tub, I made quick work of drying myself off and dressing in my silk nightie. I didn’t bother with eating. My stomach was churning too much with bad memories to enjoy anything else for the night. Instead, I grabbed Winnie and cuddled down into my bed, hoping her warm and abundant fur would help stave off the chill of the flat. Heating cost money, and I certainly didn’t have much of that these days.

  I laughed at myself. “Hello, pity party for one,” I said aloud. Only Winnie was around to hear it, thank God. I closed my eyes and prayed my estranged family and the memories of them didn’t deprive me of sleep again.

  ————

  “Holy snakes alive,” I wailed as I jumped from my bed, displacing poor Winnie in the process. I’d slept through my alarm. Of all the days to be late. Deck had said he would drop Shiloh off at day care early today so we could chat and get to know each other a little more. And now I would be lucky to make it only a half an hour late. A half hour that would be docked from my wages—that I was sure of. Old Mrs Fumberg hated me with a passion. She didn’t believe the day care needed the dance program and had been trying for twelve months to have it completely disbanded from the curriculum and budget. So this would really please her. And because my family had my wages garnished by nearly half for restitution payments before I even got my hands on it, I needed every single cent.

  Rushing around the flat, I dressed quickly, did half a makeup job, and fed Winnie. I managed to throw myself out the door with my stomach growling from no breakfast and no dinner last nigh
t. Peachy! Of course, I didn’t think it could get any worse until I got in my car and realised the dial for the lights was in the on position. Great, a flat battery. I allowed the tears to fall.

  The pity party was definitely back on.

  About an hour later, I was seriously questioning my footwear and my choice of workplace for two reasons. One was being the distance from my house. And two was that I’d rung the office to tell them of my dilemma and that I would be horribly late, only to have the bitter Mrs Fumberg come on the line to inform me I would indeed be docked a minimum of three hours as stated in the laws of our pay agreement. Blah, blah, blah. Yeah, I got it, you old cow. Maybe a small creature can come by and eat that mole off your chin. The mean-spirited but very fun thought entered my mind, which made me laugh and nearly miss the large, loud, and shiny Harley Davidson cruising on by me. The rider looked over at me and looked almost amused to see a woman walking in a tight, pencil skirt and four-inch stilettos.

  Yeah, yeah, have a laugh at the silly, pathetic woman, I thought to myself after he graced me with a similar chin lift that I’d seen from Deck and his brothers yesterday at the compound. Maybe it’s a biker or former soldier thing. I have never seen the male teachers at my old job, or even the male dancers of my former dance company do it. Nope, must be an Alpha thing. My absent and random thoughts pushed me on towards the Sunshine and Daisies building.

  6

  DECK

  I wasn’t happy. Actually, I was really fucking pissed off.

  I had woken this morning with a smile on my face. I mean a fucking smile. The thought of seeing my sweetness again at drop-off had me twirling around the compound kitchen like a teenage boy. Well, okay, I didn’t twirl, but I came pretty fucking close, and the only thing that stopped me was Creed walking in on me. I had the squirt dressed and ready in record time, only to find Charlie hadn’t shown up for work. And then, I got a call—again, it was Creed—to tell me my woman was walking in stilettos and a ‘tight-arse skirt that would make a grown man weep’—Creed’s words—walking to work! Of course, I jumped straight into my truck and drove along the road Creed said she was on when he saw her.

  Gritting my teeth, I held onto my anger as I scowled at the area Charlie had obviously walked through.

  On her own.

  In a tight skirt.

  With her killer body.

  Yeah, I was pissed. Enough said.

  I drove for another five hundred metres before I finally laid eyes on my woman, and Creed wasn’t lying. She with her beautiful, curvy body poured into a tight as fuck skirt that just reached her knees. Now it wasn’t so bad as far as length went, but Charlie had legs that went on for days. Perfect legs to wrap around my waist. Or to hold open by the ankles. Spread out as I ate her sweet pussy.

  But what made the outfit was the way her arse swayed and how the sexy fuck-me heels made her calves look like a man’s wet dream.

  My wet dream.

  My woman.

  Reining in my anger, I quickly pulled up beside the hot, sexy distraction to any male motorists going by and got out, then made my way to her.

  “Deck.” She gasped, clearly surprised to see me—at first. Then a look of understanding crossed her face. “Ah, chin lift guy on the big, black motorcycle was one of yours,” she concluded rightly.

  “Yeah, Sweetness. That was Creed. Now, you wanna tell me why you are walking to work this morning?” I asked as I took her hand and led her over to my truck. It was a fairly hot day, and she shouldn’t have been walking, and especially, not in that area.

  Opening the car door, I ignored her protests and lifted her into the passenger seat, turning her so her feet were hanging out the door.

  “Sweetness,” I prodded.

  I watched her shake off the fog she seemed to be stuck in.

  “Oh, um, I mean, my car, I left the lights on last night, and my battery was dead. And I slept in, so yeah, I had to walk.”

  She watched in fascination, and I thought aw as I took off her stupid but sexy shoes and began to massage her stocking-covered feet. I had always found stockings on a woman sexy. Just something about the silky feeling as my hands slowly made their way up her leg turned me on.

  “Baby, why didn’t you call me?”

  “I don’t have your number,” she whispered, her face going red.

  She was chewing on her lip again, munching away like it was her last meal. I couldn’t take it anymore. My hands reached out and framed her beautiful face as I leant in and took those lips. And I knew the minute our lips came together that yesterday hadn’t been a fluke. This woman was mine.

  Game over.

  Done.

  Enough fucking said.

  And I was happy as all get out as I felt her arms wrap around my shoulders, and she pulled me closer to her. Our bodies were as close as they could be with one person standing and the other sitting sideways in a truck cab. Her moans of pleasure fuelled my desire. Her skills in kissing were so innocent that I could tell she hadn’t done much of it. And that made me want to roar like a fucking lion.

  In my heart, I knew she was untouched. I also knew I should not have been happy because of it, but fuck it, I was.

  I lifted my lips just a breath from hers and smiled when she tried to chase them.

  “Let me show you, Charlie,” I whispered as I descended on her sweetness once again, expertly showing her how good it was between us. I angled my head so I could take the kiss deeper.

  I fucking devoured her. There was no other option. I couldn’t go slow. I had to claim her with the kiss, make it so she never wanted another man’s lips anywhere near hers. Just the thought fuelled our kiss even more. And I was shocked as shit when her warm, wet tongue tentatively delved into my mouth—searching for its mate.

  So I gave it to her.

  Our tongues danced as if they had known each other forever. There was nothing awkward or messy about the kiss. It was perfect. It was new. It was us.

  All too soon, though, I could feel Charlie’s gasp. I needed to slow it down and not just for Charlie. My dick was hard against my zipper, painfully hard. I had to remember where we were. I nipped at her bottom lip, and with small, wet kisses, I made my way across her jaw and down her neck where I sucked on her pulse point, which was really working overtime. I loved the effect my kiss was having on her. I really fucking loved it. Her neck was a thing of beauty. Long and slim, classically sexy.

  “Deck, we should stop.” Her declaration sounded unsure and nervous.

  “No, we shouldn’t!” I wanted to shout.

  “I know, Sweetness. Just, just give me a minute, okay.” My breathing was coming out in pants. And we had only kissed, I marvelled to myself as I thought of what was to come for us.

  “Yeah,” Charlie agreed softly as she laid her cheek against my chest.

  I could feel her mouth move against it and knew she was smiling. So was I. Damn, if only Darth could see me now!

  We stayed there for a good few minutes, just holding each other. Controlling the heated desires we both had. I’d never held a woman, not with our clothes on, anyway. It felt nice, good. But only with Charlie. Only with my sweetness.

  “Deck,” Charlie prompted. “I really have to get to work. I can’t afford to be docked too many more hours today,” Charlie explained self-consciously, her faint blush staining her pretty face.

  Her words finally penetrated my lust-filled mind.

  “Docked?”

  Charlie looked at me like I had grown two heads. “Well, yes, of course. When I’m not working, I’m not earning,” she explained.

  “Are you casual, baby?”

  Nodding, Charlie reached down to the truck floor for her sexy but soon to be thrown away heels. After she put her shoes on, I helped to adjust her in the seat, pulled the belt out, and then buckled her in. All the time, my eyes never lost hers.

  “Then we better get you to work, hey?” I pressed my lips to her gently one last time, using extraordinary powers to pull back and not devour
her again.

  Her smile was wide and happy, and her green eyes danced with so many emotions that it nearly took my breath away.

  Pulling away, I closed the door firmly but didn’t slam it. If there was one thing that was my pet peeve, it was slamming car doors. They weren’t meant to be, and anyone who did never got back in my truck. Which is why Squid, the club’s prospect, wasn’t allowed to get in my ride anymore. The dumb-arse slammed fucking everything he touched.

  Making my way around the front of the truck, I climbed in and settled into my seat, going through the same process I’d put Charlie through with my seat and belt. Once I started up the vehicle, I instantly reached over and took Charlie’s hand in mine. I brought it up to my lips and pressed a kiss to her knuckles as I carefully pulled out into the traffic.

  My world was starting to move back to where it belonged. Charlie was safe with me and was on board with what was starting to happen to make us an ‘us.’

  Looking over at her, I could still see her pulse delicately beating against her porcelain throat, but I still saw apprehension. I needed to take it easy, but I was not slowing down. I’d never had this happen to me, this all-consuming feeling to conquer, protect, and own. At thirty-six years of age, I figured it was happening for a reason. It didn’t happen in my twenties or with Shiloh’s mum, but it was now, and there was no way I was going to let it go.

  Kissing Charlie’s knuckles one more time, I let our hands fall to my thigh. I looked at Charlie as she looked at our joined hands, and the smile that played across her face hardened my resolve. This woman was mine.

  After dropping Charlie off at work and prying her keys from her, I called the compound and had Squid and Seb meet me at Charlie’s shitty flat. We loaded up her piece of shit car and transported it back to the workshop we had at the compound.

  The two prospects were decent mechanics and had been in the army before their release six months before. Both of them had seen a tour of Afghanistan and were onto their second when their team was ambushed. Seb’s injuries had been worse than Squid’s with Seb losing a few fingers and a small piece of his forearm, which earned him a medical discharge.