“Harlow?” Scarlett’s groggy voice floated in from the lounge room and I hurried in there to make sure she was okay.
Kneeling next to her, I said, “How much pain are you in?”
She held her face. “On a scale of one to ten, I’d say a motherfucking eleven. That prick deserves everything he gets. I’m sorry I pretty much passed out, but damn, he hit me hard.”
“I slapped him for you.”
“You should have fucking punched the cocksucker.”
“God no, I didn’t want to hurt myself in the process.”
She laughed and shook her head at me. “You’re a fucking princess, but I do kinda like you.”
“Harlow!” Scott came barrelling through the front door at that moment, a look of sheer horror on his face. When he saw me, he stilled, and stared in surprise. “You’re okay?”
I stood and wrapped my arms around him.
Home.
He’s my home.
His strong arms held me tight and then he ran one hand over my hair. “I’m taking it from the blood on Scarlett’s face that Bourne has been here, but where is he now?”
“King took him downstairs.”
His brow furrowed. “King is here?”
“Yeah, he saved our lives, Scott. If he hadn’t turned up when he did, Scarlett and I would be dead by now.”
“Fuck.” He pressed his lips to my forehead and then pulled his face back to find my gaze. “I think this is the last of all the shit. I think Bourne was the one behind everything.”
If I knew my man well, I knew he was itching to get downstairs and help King, so I jerked my head towards the back door. “You should go and see if King needs a hand.”
He bent his face so he could whisper in my ear. “You know me too well, sweetheart.” When he shifted his face away from mine, his concerned eyes took mine in. “Seriously, though, are you okay?”
I exhaled. “Surprisingly, yes. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sick of being threatened by assholes, and I was terrified of him, but I’ll be okay.”
And I would be.
I had Scott and it looked like this might be the end of all the bad stuff that had been bringing the club down.
We’d stuck together and gotten through it, even when it felt completely overwhelming at times.
We can get through anything so long as we stick together.
18
Scott
Two Days Later
It had been two days since we’d taken out Bourne and finally put to rest all the problems Storm had been having. Order had been restored and questions had finally been answered. And I’d told all club members to take a few days and spend them with their family.
It was a sunny January afternoon and I was sitting on my back deck, beer in one hand, my woman in my lap with her tits pressed up against me, and her lips on mine. Order definitely had been restored.
I ran my hand over her ass. “I’ve missed this,” I said when she ended our kiss.
“Missed what?”
“Making out with you, without a fuckin’ care in the world. Storm’s had so much shit going on for so long now, that I can’t remember the last time I could dedicate so many hours to this.”
She gave me one of her sexy grins. “I’ve missed it, too.”
A memory flashed in my mind and I chuckled. “Do you remember that three date policy bullshit you tried to pull on me when we first started seeing each other?”
Her grin lit up her face. “I do, and I’ll have you know you are the only man I ever broke that policy for.”
“Maybe I could bribe you into marriage the same way you tried to bribe me into sex.”
“What would this bribe entail?” She tried to plant another kiss on my lips, but I pulled my face away to deny her that kiss.
“I’ll give you a kiss if you agree to marry me.”
She slapped me playfully on my chest. “Worst marriage proposal ever , Scott Cole!”
I laughed. “What? I was only copying the bribe you started us with. I distinctly recall you trying to bribe me with a kiss in exchange for sex.”
Leaning in close, she whispered, “I would have done anything to get you to have sex with me back then.”
I brushed my lips across hers before whispering, “And I would do anything to get you to be my wife now.”
She took my hand and placed it on her stomach. Her eyes glistened with tears as she spoke. “Can you feel that?”
“Feel what?” I wasn’t sure what she meant. I knew she was referring to our baby, but I couldn’t feel it yet.
“Your heart is in here. I get to carry you around with me all day, every day. You might not get to carry my heart, but it’s completely yours. Always. I’ll marry you and be your wife, but a piece of paper doesn’t make any difference to the fact I’m already yours.”
Her words meant the fucking world to me.
How the hell did I get so lucky?
“Are you one of those women who wants the full wedding?”
“All I want is you. I don’t care how that happens.”
That was all I needed. “I’ll take care of the wedding.”
She was quiet for a moment. “You really are a big softie underneath all that hard exterior, aren’t you?”
I kept hold of her gaze. “I’ll own that for you. But only for you.”
Her face came to mine and she took her time as she kissed me. I could have spent eternity kissing Harlow. Her lips were soft and addicting as they took charge of that kiss, and when her tongue swept across mine, I groaned as my dick grew harder than it already was.
Kneeling next to her, I said, “How much pain are you in?”
She held her face. “On a scale of one to ten, I’d say a motherfucking eleven. That prick deserves everything he gets. I’m sorry I pretty much passed out, but damn, he hit me hard.”
“I slapped him for you.”
“You should have fucking punched the cocksucker.”
“God no, I didn’t want to hurt myself in the process.”
She laughed and shook her head at me. “You’re a fucking princess, but I do kinda like you.”
“Harlow!” Scott came barrelling through the front door at that moment, a look of sheer horror on his face. When he saw me, he stilled, and stared in surprise. “You’re okay?”
I stood and wrapped my arms around him.
Home.
He’s my home.
His strong arms held me tight and then he ran one hand over my hair. “I’m taking it from the blood on Scarlett’s face that Bourne has been here, but where is he now?”
“King took him downstairs.”
His brow furrowed. “King is here?”
“Yeah, he saved our lives, Scott. If he hadn’t turned up when he did, Scarlett and I would be dead by now.”
“Fuck.” He pressed his lips to my forehead and then pulled his face back to find my gaze. “I think this is the last of all the shit. I think Bourne was the one behind everything.”
If I knew my man well, I knew he was itching to get downstairs and help King, so I jerked my head towards the back door. “You should go and see if King needs a hand.”
He bent his face so he could whisper in my ear. “You know me too well, sweetheart.” When he shifted his face away from mine, his concerned eyes took mine in. “Seriously, though, are you okay?”
I exhaled. “Surprisingly, yes. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sick of being threatened by assholes, and I was terrified of him, but I’ll be okay.”
And I would be.
I had Scott and it looked like this might be the end of all the bad stuff that had been bringing the club down.
We’d stuck together and gotten through it, even when it felt completely overwhelming at times.
We can get through anything so long as we stick together.
18
Scott
Two Days Later
It had been two days since we’d taken out Bourne and finally put to rest all the problems Storm had been having. Order had been restored and questions had finally been answered. And I’d told all club members to take a few days and spend them with their family.
It was a sunny January afternoon and I was sitting on my back deck, beer in one hand, my woman in my lap with her tits pressed up against me, and her lips on mine. Order definitely had been restored.
I ran my hand over her ass. “I’ve missed this,” I said when she ended our kiss.
“Missed what?”
“Making out with you, without a fuckin’ care in the world. Storm’s had so much shit going on for so long now, that I can’t remember the last time I could dedicate so many hours to this.”
She gave me one of her sexy grins. “I’ve missed it, too.”
A memory flashed in my mind and I chuckled. “Do you remember that three date policy bullshit you tried to pull on me when we first started seeing each other?”
Her grin lit up her face. “I do, and I’ll have you know you are the only man I ever broke that policy for.”
“Maybe I could bribe you into marriage the same way you tried to bribe me into sex.”
“What would this bribe entail?” She tried to plant another kiss on my lips, but I pulled my face away to deny her that kiss.
“I’ll give you a kiss if you agree to marry me.”
She slapped me playfully on my chest. “Worst marriage proposal ever , Scott Cole!”
I laughed. “What? I was only copying the bribe you started us with. I distinctly recall you trying to bribe me with a kiss in exchange for sex.”
Leaning in close, she whispered, “I would have done anything to get you to have sex with me back then.”
I brushed my lips across hers before whispering, “And I would do anything to get you to be my wife now.”
She took my hand and placed it on her stomach. Her eyes glistened with tears as she spoke. “Can you feel that?”
“Feel what?” I wasn’t sure what she meant. I knew she was referring to our baby, but I couldn’t feel it yet.
“Your heart is in here. I get to carry you around with me all day, every day. You might not get to carry my heart, but it’s completely yours. Always. I’ll marry you and be your wife, but a piece of paper doesn’t make any difference to the fact I’m already yours.”
Her words meant the fucking world to me.
How the hell did I get so lucky?
“Are you one of those women who wants the full wedding?”
“All I want is you. I don’t care how that happens.”
That was all I needed. “I’ll take care of the wedding.”
She was quiet for a moment. “You really are a big softie underneath all that hard exterior, aren’t you?”
I kept hold of her gaze. “I’ll own that for you. But only for you.”
Her face came to mine and she took her time as she kissed me. I could have spent eternity kissing Harlow. Her lips were soft and addicting as they took charge of that kiss, and when her tongue swept across mine, I groaned as my dick grew harder than it already was.
