Page 15 of Property of Scythe (Kings of Anarchy MC: Ohio #1)

I don’t know what I was expecting when Scythe told me we’re staying at his clubhouse instead of his home, but it isn’t a barn. And I mean a huge barn. It’s more than a rustic wooden structure; it’s a fortress.

As we drive up, my jaw drops in shock. We have to be let in because the property is fenced in, and the gate is the only way in or out.

I’m told the prospects and a patched member are always on the grounds, and they patrol the whole perimeter.

Scythe waves as we pull through, followed by Hangman who’s driving Scythe’s truck.

I open my door and slide from my seat, taking in the beast of a building in front of me.

It’s shaped like a horseshoe. As we enter, I see the bar along the back wall.

In the center, there are tables with matching chairs.

To the right, several pool tables. To the left are leather sofas, chairs, and a couple of coffee tables.

It’s the décor that’s both surprising and warm: the rustic wood fixtures, plenty of light, and a few plants.

Framed art adorns the walls, and thick braided rugs cover the hardwood floors.

It’s homey. I’m not sure what I think a biker clubhouse looks like, but this isn’t just a place to party. It’s a home.

“Do you like it?” Scythe asks as he pauses beside me.

“I do. It’s beautiful.”

His dimple pops as he grins. “Glad you think so.”

Scythe takes my hand and pulls me into the center of the room. It’s crowded with bikers. I see a few kids and women. The place is packed with members, and I’m guessing family.

“You know why you’ve all been called to The Barn. We’ve got a crisis on our hands, and the club needs to lock down. This is your home. We’ll defend it by any means.”

Fists pound nearby tables and the bar.

“But there’s good news to share.” He glances at me, all smiles. “This is my Lottie. My ol’ lady. If she’ll have me.”

The air fills with an expectant pause, and I feel my cheeks heating with a blush. Everyone is looking at me. “Um, yes?”

There’s an explosion of laughter and fists pounding the tables again. I don’t know what to make of this, and I just giggle. I’m nervous but also flattered.

“It’s okay, baby. You’re family now.”

Mila jumps up and down and throws her arms around my waist. “Are you my mommy now?”

The humor dies as we all realize Mila makes a connection that’s delicate. I don’t want to say the wrong thing. Scythe looks like he’s about to choke on his emotions, so I kneel in front of Mila.

“That’s a really tough job, but if you want, I’d like to try.”

Tears shimmer in her eyes. “I want you to be my mommy. She left and never came back. You never miss school. And you hold my hand and hug me, and when you say my name, it’s with love.”

She’s so intuitive and intelligent. I would be honored to be a mother to her. I didn’t know how much until now. “Oh, Mila.” I can’t help the emotion that sweeps over me, almost like a tidal wave.

Scythe kneels beside us. “You just said her name with love again.”

“You’re okay with this?”

“It’s what we both want.”

Wow. I wait for the feeling to overwhelm me, or for doubt to surface, or for something in my gut to tell me this is wrong. It doesn’t happen. “Me too.”

My arms wrap around Mila, and I hold her close, soaking in all the acceptance and love she’s offering. My gaze sweeps the room, and I see tough-looking bikers wiping at their eyes. It’s an intense but happy moment.

Scythe scoops Mila up and slides his arm around my waist. “Church in an hour.”

He steers us away from the bar, and we take a set of stairs, walking up to the next level. We don’t stop there, climbing to the third floor, where Scythe leads us to a set of doors. “This is an apartment with a connecting door. Mila’s rooms are on one side. I’m on the other.”

The sly man. He made it sound like we had to sleep in the same room as Mila. Now I realize we don’t. He snickers as he knows I figured it out.

“You’re sneaky.”

He winks. “I know.”

Our bags are already upstairs, so I help Scythe get Mila ready for bed. We read only one story to her before she closed her eyes, fast asleep.

Scythe takes my hand and leads me into the hall. He closes her door, and we enter his room, which really is more of an apartment than a bedroom. There’s a kitchenette, table and chairs, a living room, and a master bedroom with a bathroom. It’s clean and tidy. I can tell he doesn’t stay here often .

He turns toward me, a soft smile that transforms his features, and he’s almost too handsome to stare at. “You really feel that way?”

“I do.”

“Fuck, Lottie. It’s so damn sexy that you love my daughter.”

He’s shrugging out of his cut and ripping off his shirt before I can reply, draping them both over the nearest chair. “Come here.”

I’m almost tongue-tied as I obey, trying not to stare at all the ink covering his upper body. My fingers lift to brush over his skin as he sucks in a breath of air. “Go ahead. Touch me.”

I explore his tattoos, especially the skull with wings on his chest, and let my fingertips trace a pathway down his chiseled stomach, roaming the two V-shaped grooves on his lower abdomen. When I reach for his belt, he stops me.

“I want you to strip for me. Right here.”

I’m wearing a skirt, blouse, and a sweater, so it takes a second to remove the layers. When I unzip the skirt and it falls to the floor, Scythe groans.

“Fuck, baby. You have any idea how gorgeous you are?”

I smile as I leave on my heels, reaching behind me to unhook my bra. It falls to the floor with a whisper. My nipples immediately harden in the cool room and under Scythe’s intense gaze. Propping my hand on my hip, I smirk. “Gonna help me with the rest?”

“Christ. I’m torn between stuffing my cock in your pretty mouth or diving between your thighs. I want to taste you so fucking bad, baby.”

“Oh?” I slide my hand inside my panties and slip a finger between my folds. “Wanna see if I’m wet?”

That’s all it takes before his control snaps. Scythe growls before he hauls me up over his shoulder and slaps my ass. “That’s for teasing me.” He strides into his room and drops me on the bed .

I bounce with a giggle.

“Wicked girl. I need to see your pretty little cunt.”

“Oh, such dirty words.”

“What? You want more or less?” There’s a twinkle in his eye, and I can tell he’s turned on, but he’s also happy.

I make him happy. Me. The girl who lost herself after she was attacked. The woman who moved across the U.S. to escape pain and trauma.

While I know there’s a killer out there who wants to hurt us, I also understand it’s nothing in the grand scheme of things because it won’t tear us apart or taint what we’re building together.

And maybe we’re more lust than love right now, and that’s okay too.

It’s the foundation that’s important. And I truly believe we’re forming one that will endure.

Is this happening fast? Sure. Some people will probably say love at first sight doesn’t exist, and you can’t know someone well enough with such a small amount of time. But when you meet the right person, you know. I can’t explain it, I just know it’s true.

“I just want you,” I admit. “Any way I can have you.”

He pauses as he yanks off his belt. There’s a tenderness in his gaze that I’ve never seen unless he’s looking at Mila. “I’m all yours, Lottie. You get what I’m sayin’?”

“I think so.”

“I’m claiming you, marking you, and making you mine. If you’re still not sure what that means, I’m fucking you, baby, and then I’m putting my property patch on you, so everyone knows you’re mine.”

It’s so caveman. I like it, though, knowing I belong to someone who wants me and sees my value. “Then you should show me your cock so I can decide.”

He smirks. “I waited because once you see my dick, it’s gonna be over. ”

He’s so damn cocky. “I’ll be the judge of that.”

“Well, darlin’, that’s the point.”

He takes his time popping the button on his jeans and lowering the zipper. I can see the bulge, so I know he’s got some size to him. What I don’t expect is the girth and length.

Scythe drops his jeans and underwear and grins. He turns sideways and flexes. OMG, he’s incorrigible. The smug look on his face is ridiculous.

But he’s not wrong. I lick my lips and stare until I’m squirming on the bed. “Wow.” I wink at him. “I think I can see it.”

He’s growling as I laugh, pouncing on me as I lean back and open my legs wide. He settles between my thighs and brushes the hair out of my face. “Woman, you’re asking for it.”

“By it, do you mean your cock? I feel like I’m waiting forever.”

He drops a kiss on my lips. “Worried I won’t live up to the hype?”

“Maybe.”

“Oh, you’re in trouble now.” He scoots down the bed and hikes up my knees. He’s ripping off my panties and tossing them aside, groaning as he stares at me. “You’re glistening.” Before I can ask what he’s doing, his mouth is on my core, his tongue hot and spearing inside me.

“Oh!” I gasp.

“Yeah,” he pauses. “I’m gonna eat this pussy and fuck you good, baby.”

I’m riding a high I don’t think I’ve ever experienced as he uses his fingers and mouth to coax the pleasure from my body. He’s not giving too much attention to my clit, and I tell him.

“That’s because you’re coming on my cock, baby.”

Just when I think I’m going to topple over the edge and it’s too much, he lifts his head and grins. His hand wraps around his impressive length as he begins to stroke .

“You ready for me?”

I think so. He’s the biggest guy I’ve ever been with, but I’m turned on and wet, thanks to him. I nod.

Slowly, he lines up and begins to pump his hips, pushing the tip of his cock inside me. I feel full already, and he’s barely inside me.

“Relax, baby. I’m gonna fit.”

And he does. Perfectly.

His body drapes mine once he’s buried deep, and he kisses me. Long, languid kisses that soon deepen with hunger. His hips snap back and then plunge, stroking in and out as I cling to him. It’s the most delicious torture.

It doesn’t take long before I’m rising off the bed, matching his thrusts. We’re both moaning. Faster and harder, he’s keeping his promise and fucking me into the mattress, owning me with every snap of his hips.

My orgasm hits out of nowhere. I cry out as he covers my mouth with his, kissing me as I pant against his lips. I’m shaking when it’s over, eyes wide because I don’t think I’ve ever come without having to stimulate my clit for a long period of time.

“Fuck. You’re so wet, baby. So fucking tight too.”

He shudders, pumps a few more times, and then he’s filling me, rutting hard as he empties his cock. His warm breath is at my ear as he whispers into it.

“You’re mine, Lottie.”

I feel like he wants to say more, and that elusive L word is trying to pop up, but neither of us wants the first time we say it to be because we’re having sex.

It’ll happen when it’s right. I don’t need to hear it to know he cares about me.

Scythe pulls out and rolls over, reaching for me. I drape over him, one leg settling between his thighs as he strokes my back. “ I know we didn’t discuss this yet, and we probably should have, but I’m clean. I usually use a condom, but not with you, Lottie. I need to feel you bare.”

“And pregnancy?”

“Are you on the pill?”

“Yes. To regulate my periods.”

“Then we should be good.”

“But if something happens?” I persist.

“Baby, I want you. All of you. If that means more kids, okay. I love Mila and being a father. I’m not opposed to having more. Is that what you want to know?”

“Yes.”

“And you?”

“I want kids when I’m ready,” I confirm. “But I’m happy to have Mila for now.”

“I don’t think you can get any more perfect, Lottie. I need your lips.”

I lift my head and kiss him, which only leads to round two. And three. We don’t sleep much.