Page 117 of Healed

I looked at him then, my head snapping back in shock.

I wasn’t stupid. I knew Vienna hadn’t lived the life of a monk since we’d been apart. I didn’t want to know, and I wasn’t going to ask. What happened wasn’t any of my business.

Apart from that one kiss with Rachel that I was absolutely not focusing on, was no longer jealous of and had, in fact, completely forgotten.

Almost.

“I mean it, Gabriella,” he said, stepping closer to me and gently pulling on the strands of my hair. “I’ve had women on my bikes—but not this one. This is ours—as much yours as it is mine. We christened it together, named her together, and I would never insult the memory of that by allowing a fling to climb on the back of her.”

And I didn’t doubt him. Not for a single second.

Because Vienna was a lot of things, and I’m sure every member of this club could find a colourful insult for him. But one thing he was not was a liar.

“I don’t know what to say,” I breathed, feeling ridiculous tears pool in my eyes.

As one slipped down my cheek, Vienna gently grabbed my chin, licked it away, and then kissed me deeply.

“How about ‘take me for a ride, master’?” he murmured against my lips.

I laughed, pulling back and reaching around to slap his ass.

“Let’s ride… buddy.”

The second I climbed onto the back of the Harley, it was almost as if my body forgot the last ten years had ever happened.

Before I’d even had the chance to think about it, my hands were settled around Vienna’s waist, my cheeks pressed against his back, as though it were as natural to me as breathing.

My fingers hooked loosely through the belt loops of his jeans, exactly where they had always been, and my cheek found that familiar place between his shoulder blades that had always been so comforting to me.

This felt like home.

I could inhale deeply, and smell his leather, masculine scent. I could feel the heat of him through his cut, the slight pressure to my cheek as he breathed.

Everything slipped away. The pain, the aches, the bruises. None of it mattered. Not whilst I was on the back of Vienna’s bike and holding him tight.

It was strange, really.

I’d forgotten so much over the years. But I’d never forgotten this. I’d never forgotten the feeling of being so close to him, the weightlessness of racing through the city, the sound of him laughing like he couldn’t stop.

These were memories I’d always treasured. Memories that had kept me going in the darkest of times.

Just me, Vienna, a bike, and miles of road ahead of us.

His hand reached back and squeezed my knee. “You ready, princess?”

“I was born ready.”

He laughed, the sound vibrating through his back and into my chest.

The engine roared to life beneath us, vibrating through every bone in my body, and I couldn’t stop the smile that spread across my face as Vienna rolled us gently through the compound.

We went through the streets we’d walked through yesterday, only this time it felt so much more familiar.

Sunshine was working on a car, his feet sticking out from underneath it as Tools passed him whatever he needed. Monster was washing his bike outside his house, barely looking up at us, simply lifting two fingers from the cloth in greeting before carrying on.

Steph was sitting outside the pet shop with what appeared to be three dogs, a cat and, for reasons I wasn’t entirely sure I wanted explained, a plushie goat wearing a pink collar.

“Do I even want to know?” I shouted to Vienna.