Page 25 of Scythe's Salvation
“How was your day today?” I question, wondering if she’ll mention Portia’s visit. It’s possible she won’t because Chance is here, but still, I’m interested in her and want to know everything she’ll share.
“It was… interesting,” she replies while giving a pointed look at Chance. “I uh, I heard from Selah after one of my appointments. Seems as though I’m being… watched.” She carefully chooses her words so Chance has no clue what she’s talking about. Protecting her boy is paramount to her, and it matters to me as well.
“So I heard,” I reply. “You’ll meet Selah at the celebration and on the Fourth.”
“What celebration?” Chance asks. “Are we going somewhere, Mommy?”
“We are, bud. We’ve been invited to go to Scythe’s clubhouse to see my friend Roxy and her husband finalize the adoption of their two kids, and then we’ll go back the next day to celebrate the Fourth of July,” she says. “I heard there’s going to be fishing, and a bunch of other things I’m sure you’ll enjoy.”
“Hot dogs?” he questions, making me chuckle.
“Chance, we’ll have brisket, hot dogs, hamburgers, brats, barbecue chicken… pretty much, if it can be grilled, we’ll be eating it,” I tell him. “Plus, the ol’ ladies are all good cooks, so there’ll be a lot of things to eat with whatever meat you choose. Oh, and I know there’s going to be watermelon, popsicles, and cake.”
“Cake?” I snicker at how he honed in on that one thing out of all the food I listed. “I like cake.”
“Well, you’ll be able to eat some on the third. Plus, you’ll get to meet Roxy’s son, Canyon, and RiffRaff’s son, Callum. While Canyon’s a teenager, I think Callum’s close to your age, but that doesn’t really matter. You’ll have a good time, I promise.”
“That sounds fun! Mommy, I’m done, can I have a brownie and some ice cream now?”
Tamara starts laughing. “How about you let Scythe and I finish eating first? Because I know for a fact that brownies with ice cream are only good when the brownies are warmed up. Plus, I have chocolate syrup that I’ll drizzle over the top.”
Great. NowIwant to skip to dessert. I’m a sucker for sweet treats but try to limit them to a few times a week. It’s difficult with the cooking the ol’ ladies do, that’s for damn sure. Especially Jillian, RiffRaff’s ol’ lady. She loves being able to get into the industrial size kitchen and create meals for all of us. It doesn’t matter that most of the taken brothers have their own cabin or trailer on the property. We all seem to gravitate to the main clubhouse around mealtimes. Brick just rolls his eyes and goes along with it at this point because it makes Ryleigh happy.
“Can you two please hurry?” Chance asks, causing me to chuckle.
“Patience, little man. Good things come to those who wait,” I tell him, winking at Tamara.
Because she’s a good thing and I’m definitely waiting.
After dinner and dessert, we watch a movie with Chance and then he’s off to bed after a story from Tamara, leaving me alone with her. When she comes back into the living room, I look at her and say, “He had a good time tonight.”
“He really did and I wanna thank you for being so patient with him. He gets so excited about stuff and will ask a million questions without even stopping to wait for the answers.”
“He’s a kid, that’s what they do,” I reply. “And I don’t mind, Tamara. Now, how did you feel once you knew who your client was?” I’ve wanted to know but had to wait, of course. Chance doesn’t need to be involved in adult situations any more than he’s already been dragged into it, having to have a DNA test done.
“Honestly? I felt violated, Scythe. That might seem like a strong word to use considering the fact that all we did during our session was light conversation, just like your appointment. I usually let the client dictate whether or not we talk, or they just relax. But she asked such innocuous questions, I honestly didn’t know there was anything going on or that she was there with an ulterior motive. That pisses me off more than I wanna admit, though. Because until Selah called me, I kind of thought maybe she and I could be friends. Knowing that she’s married tohim, however, is upsetting as hell. He’smyson. I’m the one who stayed up all night when he was sick, walking the floor when he would cry because he felt so bad. I was there last year when his tonsils and adenoids had to be removed because he kept getting ear infections and strep throat. I was the one who went through nine months of pregnancy with only Amara and her family by my side and then spent ten hours in hard labor before he was born. The only thing that asshole did was fertilize my egg!”
I kinda like feisty Tamara; she makes my dick hard, that’s for damn sure, and I cannot wait to explore that side of her in a more private setting. Pulling her into my side, I cup her jaw with my hand. “Tamara, sweetheart, we’re going to find out what their intentions are, I promise you. Three of the best IT people I know are on it, and if it’s able to be found, they’ll ferret it out. In the meantime, feel free to vent to me whenever you need to. I won’t try to fix it or give you advice, I’ll just listen.”
She rolls her eyes at me and replies, with a sassy tone no less, “Uh, yeah, you’re an alpha, Scythe. It’s in your genetic code to fix shit.”
“Well, you’ve got me there,” I say. “Come on, walk me out to my bike, babe.”
CHAPTER
SIXTEEN
Tamara
Without hesitation,I take his hand and he helps me up then we walk toward the front door. Part of me hates that our date is ending, because I’ve enjoyed being with him tonight. Actually, I’ve loved it, and outside of the times I’m with Amara or her family, this has been one of the best days ever. Shyness overcomes me slightly as we finally make it to his bike. He pulls me into his arms, something that immediately makes me feel a hundred times safer and leans down to whisper, “Think we could finish our date off with a kiss?”
My heart is now pounding as I merely nod. It’s been a few years since I’ve kissed anyone, but I instinctively know that it’s going to irrevocably change me. That’s how different Scythe is in the big scheme of things. “I’d like that,” I murmur, my face raised to look at him.
He’s such a handsome man; while he’s muscular, it’s a combination of hard work and gym time based on his hands. His closely cut beard looks so soft, and my traitorous body wantsto know how it would feel grazing against my inner thighs. But it’s more than his looks. He carries himself with such assurance and confidence, without being cocky. He has a way about him and the fact that he and my son are slowly bonding doesn’t hurt either!
When he leans down a bit further, since he’s about six or seven inches taller than me, a little shiver courses through me in anticipation. As one hand cups my jaw, the other bands around me, pulling me closer while his lips descend. The kiss is soft at first, but not tentative. No, there’s nothing unsure about what he’s doing at all. It’s more exploratory, and I decide to let him lead while I follow. The kiss deepens, and I hear a rumble come from his chest as I lightly moan. Hell, if just a chaste kiss feels this way… yeah, I need to turn off that way of thinking right now! His tongue swipes across my lower lip and I gasp, allowing him entry, which is slow and exploratory, as though we’ve got all the time in the world.
Time seems to stop as we learn each other’s mouths. His touch elicits responses in my body that have laid dormant for a very long time, and I realize that my BOB will be getting a workout. Yet, despite how carnal our kiss is, he doesn’t do anything else, although his fingers lightly stroke my cheek. I had no idea my face was an erogenous zone, that’s for sure, but right now, with this simple embrace, I’m ready to toss my clothes aside and beg him to fuck me.
