Patriot (Hades Abyss MC 6) - Harley Wylde Page 0,27
to go there anytime soon. Well, not on a party night anyway. The days the clubhouse was for family only was another matter. I enjoyed going when Phoebe, Delilah, and the kids would be there.
“Right, so… I’m gonna go. I just needed to come say that. You need anything, let me know.”
He backed away and I shut the door. Archimedes followed me into the kitchen and laid down near the table. The kitten immediately went over and started to chew on the poor dog, but Archimedes ignored him. I checked on the bacon and biscuits, then cracked the eggs into a bowl and beat them. I put in a dash of milk, a handful of diced ham, and a good bit of shredded cheese. I tried to be quiet as I dug the skillet out from the bottom cabinet, then set it on the burner to warm. By the time I’d finished the eggs and plated our breakfast, I heard Patriot coming down the stairs.
“Something smells wonderful,” he said as he stepped into the kitchen.
“Wonderful!” Hatter said and fluttered his wings.
“I thought I’d make breakfast. It’s not anything fancy.”
He paused long enough to kiss my temple before going straight for the coffee. I smiled as he drained a cup, gulping it down, then poured a second one. I set the plates on the table along with forks. Patriot nearly collapsed onto a chair. It always took a few cups of coffee to get him going in the morning. I poured myself some juice before I sat down.
“You doing okay?” he asked. “After last night… I wasn’t sure what to expect today.”
“You worried I’d regret what happened?”
“Something like that.”
“Eat your eggs before they get cold. I’m fine, Ronan. Better than.” I smiled before I dug into my food. “Smoke stopped by. He wanted to apologize.”
“Good. Means I don’t have to kick his ass again.”
“The first time was more than enough. You shouldn’t beat on your brothers.”
He grunted and kept eating.
“Do you think someone would take me to the store? I want to get some more baking supplies. I seem to do better at that than cooking most of the time. I’d also love some eggnog. It’s nearly Christmas and I haven’t had any yet.”
“I can take you.”
“Really? You don’t have club business to handle?” I asked.
He paused, fork halfway to his mouth, and stared at me. After a moment, I squirmed and wished I hadn’t said anything. Had I overstepped? Or come across as too eager for his company? I didn’t have much experience with men. Not the right kind anyway. I’d never had a chance to date, or have a boyfriend.
“There’s only one rule, Little Bit. I will tell you anything you want to know, as long as it isn’t club business. But to answer your question, no, I don’t have other obligations today.”
I felt my cheeks warm. “Sorry.”
“Not mad, Little Bit. But I need you to know that’s one thing I won’t discuss, even now that you’re my old lady. Speaking of, you should have your property cut in the next day or two if all goes according to plan. It’s been ordered.”
“Like the ones Phoebe and Delilah have?”
He nodded. “Yep. Except yours will say Property of Patriot.”
“I can’t wait to see it.”
He winked and finished off his food, then carried his plate to the sink. “Better get ready, Little Bit. I’ll clean up in here. Won’t take me but a minute to change.”
I eyed his beard and bedhead. “Might want to use a comb or something too.”
He looked at me over his shoulder. “You saying I look rough?”
Not exactly. More like extremely sexy. He looked like he’d recently gotten out of bed, which he had. Except any woman who saw him like this would be imagining what he might have been doing other than sleeping.
“Keep looking at me like that and we won’t be going to the store,” he said before facing the sink again.
Part of me wanted to see if he’d really take me back to bed. But the other part wasn’t sure I was ready for something like that in the light of day. While my nightmares had mostly happened at night, it had felt like the darkness outside had somehow wrapped me in a cloak, made me braver. I couldn’t explain how else I’d gotten the courage to do what I’d done. Removing my clothes in front of him, letting him touch me and so much more… it hadn’t been easy, but with the sunlight