Cole: The Wounded Sons by Leah Sharelle (recommended ebook reader .TXT) 📕

“You did not ask me to do anything of the kind, honey,” Oaklee insisted, her eyes flashing the prettiest dark emerald green, “I didn’t lie to Memphis. I told her I was going to the beach for the weekend with friends, and she never needs me on Saturday or Sundays anyway.”

“I agreed that you and I need time to establish us before we go to your dad, and I’m fine with it Cole, please believe me when I tell you I am fine, and I am all in,” Oaklee stressed her words with kisses to my cheeks, lips and chin. Desperate pecks that left me breathing hard and aroused as fuck.

Leaning my forehead to hers, I kissed the tip of her nose and smiled.

“I like you calling me honey,” I teased, lightening the moment. Oaklee’s medical history was always going to worry me, no matter how much she stressed she was recovered. My research on the subject discovered that anorexia stayed with some patients years after successful treatment, lying dormant, never rearing his head, and sometimes it did. My worry was I was asking too much of her so early into our relationship.

“Is that all you got from my speech?” Oaklee giggled, wrapping her hands around my neck, pushing herself into me. Her soft body perfect against my hardness.

“No, I heard everything you said, and I believe you, baby. But you have to promise me one thing, okay?”

“Okay.”

“If it gets too much, if anything about this deal makes you uncomfortable, you tell me, and I will fix it. My dad means the fucking world to me; my mum is the centre of my world, and hurting them is the last thing I ever want to do.” Pausing, I laid a kiss on Oaklee that promised more than any words ever could. She had to know that she was close to being that important to me, too, if she wasn’t already. Going fast wasn’t my usual style, I preferred to survey, get a lay of the land before showing my hand.

Oaklee turned all that upside down with her honesty and trust.

“But you are just as important to me, baby, promise me you’ll keep me in the loop with your feelings, yeah? Don’t push them aside thinking you can handle it on your own, okay?” I whispered, not taking my eyes off her greens.

“I promise honey,” Oaklee agreed readily, “it’s only for a little while. Who knows, after this weekend you might decide to run. Decide I’m not the one for—”

Growling, I slammed my lips down on hers, giving her my tongue and taking hers as if it belonged to me because it did. Twisting my hands in her hair, holding her still, I lost myself in our kiss. Focusing all of myself on Oaklee and the moment, not the tingle of dread creeping inside my head and heart that I was in danger of fucking up and hurting Oaklee.

The day was turning out to be pretty warm for Autumn. March down at the beach was the time when holidaymakers packed up their caravans and went back to their homes. For me, it was the best time of the year to be back in the country. I preferred the colder weather for the peace and quiet, and no tourists meant no crowds and noise. If this unseasonably warm weather continued, I might have to spend more of my time at the compound, and that didn’t suit me at all. Not now I had Oaklee.

Spending time in Ballarat meant less time with her, or at least until I came clean with Mum and Dad.

“She is nice, Ghost,” Gabe said, handing me a beer and taking a seat next to me on the sand dune. Ammo, Grill and Rafe were sitting on my other side and Kodah was sitting on the esky in front of us.

“That she is,” I agreed readily.

“I can’t believe she has been around the Club for a year and I barely noticed her.” Gabe laughed shaking his head.

“She is good at hiding, likes to stand in the shadows and not be part of the crowd,” I explained, not wanting to go too much into her story with him without Oaklee’s say so. I know she wasn’t embarrassed by her history, and neither was I, but I wanted to tread carefully, start this relationship right.

“Well, she is finding her way now. Pixie and the other wives are grilling her up in our place,” Gabe laughed.

“Fuck!” I jumped to my feet, only to be pulled back down by my captain. “Leave her be, mate, she might as well get her feet wet with Devon and her crew before the Flock get their hands on her.”

“Of course, first you have to actually tell people you and Oaklee are together,” Bastian tossed in, giving me a smug grin.

“It’s complicated,” I mumbled, feeling my cheeks heating up.

“Are you … are you blushing, Ghost?” Rafe leaned over to poke me in the face, his laughter loud and annoying.

“Complicated how exactly?” Kodah asked me, his beer at his feet untouched. It didn’t escape my attention that he had already been drinking today since Oaklee and I had arrived. I didn’t have to smell his breath to know he was on something harder than beer. Kodah was a fun bloke, the life of the party, but when he got on the spirits, his harder side came out to play. His tone became more clipped and guarded, the tells were subtle, but I caught them.

“Just complicated.” My tone matching his. I planned on getting into the ins and outs of Oaklee’s and my relationship with the guys, but dealing with Kodah’s attitude was going to make it difficult.

“You want her?” Grill interrupted, looking between Kodah and me, with a what the fuck expression.

“She’s here with me, isn’t she? When was the last time I brought a woman here?”

“Calm down, Ghost, it was just a question, mate,” Bastian interjected, sensing my mood.

Breathing deeply,