Astrid Chapter 6 #2
I wouldn’t mind going for a swim, but I was more anxious to check out Mayhem’s house.
When we informed the others of our plan, we were told to join them later if we wanted.
Before returning to Mayhem’s place, and before we lost the light, he took me on a quick tour outside.
I got to see the exteriors of the houses.
All were different, yet they seemed to fit, if that made sense.
I loved how the club set the compound up to resemble a real neighborhood, complete with streets that were even named.
The main road coming from the gate that ran through the property was called Punishers’ Way.
The street that Mayhem lived on, which only had his house and Tinker’s, was called Backbone Lane.
The other residential streets were Cruiser Lane, Chopper Way, Burnout Way, and Ironhead Trail.
I loved how they all in some way pertained to riding or the club’s name.
Mayhem offered to take me inside some of them, but I told him we should do it another time.
Once I had my overview, we went back to his place.
I paid attention from the moment we got to the front of it.
Looking at it from the front, there were three stories.
However, when he walked me to the back, I found that the house was built with a stone basement that was fully covered by the ground in the front.
In the back, it was open, featuring three sets of French doors and windows, and was covered in stone.
The other levels above it were a combination of siding and wood framing.
The wood accents were featured in the railing and posts, as well as other Craftsman details.
The siding was a medium gray-blue color, and the window and door framing were a darker shade of the same.
The wooden accents were stained a medium wood shade of cherry.
The stonework was river rock in various shades of gray and cream.
Mayhem led me inside one of the French doors.
Inside, instead of an unfinished basement, I found three large rooms. The largest contained a fireplace and had a full bathroom off it.
All three rooms were painted and had carpeting on the floor.
There was a mechanical room where the water heater and other equipment were located, which was left unfinished.
Only one room had anything in it. The largest room was set up as an adult game room.
There was a pool table, dartboards, a foosball table, and an L-shaped sectional sofa with a big screen on the wall.
Below, on a shelf, were audio equipment and game controllers. This setup would be a gamer’s heaven.
Moving us upstairs, we ended up on the main level, where we had been earlier.
The front and sides of the house had a covered deck around it.
In the back, outside the rear entrance, was a small, covered porch.
When you came in the back door, you went from a small foyer past the stairs and kitchen straight into the great room.
The kitchen had an island with seating for five, as well as space for a large dining table.
The great room featured a fireplace and a built-in entertainment space on either side of it.
Off the kitchen was the pantry, the laundry room, a short hall with a door to the deck, a full bathroom, and a bedroom slash office.
It was being used as an office by Mayhem.
The opposite side of the main floor contained the owner’s suite, bathroom, and walk-in closets.
A set of French doors led from the bedroom to the deck.
The bedroom was very spacious, and the bathroom we’d used earlier was a dream.
I could spend hours in it. Every room except the owner’s bedroom, the bathrooms, and the laundry room had hardwood floors.
The bedroom was carpeted, and the laundry and bathrooms were tiled.
From there, Mayhem took me upstairs. On that floor, there were three bedrooms, two full bathrooms, and a loft area, in addition to the open space that overlooked the entry below. Everything on this floor was carpeted except the loft, which had wood flooring, and the bathrooms, which had tile.
As we walked through, he shared his ideas for the various spaces and explained how he arrived at the design and colors he used.
The interior was painted in six different colors that worked together seamlessly.
There was a dark slate blue-gray, then a slightly lighter version.
It matched the outside of the house. Then there was an antique cream, a warm beige, a medium green he said was called thyme, and another green that was more of a taupe-green mix.
The only rooms furnished on these floors were his bedroom, the great room, the laundry, and his office.
We returned to the main level. Mayhem took me to the oversized chair that matched his leather loveseat and extra-long sofa. He sat and eased me down with him. I ended up sitting on his lap crossways so that we could see each other.
“So, what do you think?” he asked.
“I think that you have a gorgeous house, an incredible amount of space, a color scheme that works beautifully together, and you need more furniture and to add some decor to the walls.”
He laughed. “I can’t agree with you more.”
“Jamie, why did you build such a big place when it’s only you?”
“Because I planned only to build once, and I was hoping I’d find someone to share it with and we’d have a family.
If that happened, we’d need space. Yes, it’s bigger than I initially wanted, but when I saw the house plan, I knew I had to have it.
As for your remark that it needs furniture and decor, you’re right, and now that you’re here, we can do that together. ”
“Wait a minute. You want me to have a say in how you complete your house?” I squeaked.
Sure, I would love to get my hands on this house. It was calling to me. My long-suppressed desire to have free rein in a home was pushing to the surface. I never had that even as a kid.
“That’s what I said. Who better to do it than my woman?
After all, I hope like hell you’ll love it here so much that instead of wasting your time and money finding yourself a place in town or the nearby countryside, you’ll move in here with me.
There’s plenty of room. We can fix it up however you want.
All I want is to keep the game room. If you need an office, we can share mine, or there’s room in the basement to convert one of those rooms into a second office. ”
My mouth dropped open and I stared at him, shocked. I searched for a sign that he was messing with me. I found none. I blinked a few times, but his expression didn’t change.
“Jamie, you’re serious.”
“Damn right I am. If we’re together as a couple, and I told you that I want this to be permanent, then there’s no way I want us living apart.
I know this must sound crazy and too fast, but in a couple of months, it’ll be a year since we met.
It’s not fast. And if we’re both willing to do whatever it takes to make our relationship work, then wasting time renting or buying something is ridiculous.
If you did that, one place or the other would sit empty a lot. ”
“Empty?” I asked, still trying to believe what I was hearing.
When he said he wanted me with him, my heart sped up. The thought of being in this house made me feel amazed, but the idea of living with Mayhem, while scary, was more thrilling. He raised one of my hands to his mouth and nibbled on my fingertips.
“Yes, empty because I won’t sleep apart.
Now, don’t panic. That doesn’t mean we have to jump into full-on sex.
I’ll take things at your speed. When you’re ready for us to take the next step, we will.
However, I want to be able to hold you, and I hope that you’ll let me have more experiences like we had earlier.
After getting that sweet taste of you, I’m not sure I can go totally without it. ”
His voice dropped and took on a smoky tone when he mentioned our make-out sessions. My nipples tightened and tingled while streaks of fire raced between my legs. I clenched my thighs together to make it stop. It didn’t work. By doing it, I broadcast to him that I was turned on.
“Would you like that, baby? To be able to have me touch you anytime? And for you to be able to do the same to me? We can spend our free time together, getting to know each other better. We can begin to build our rock-solid relationship. No wasting time running between homes.
“Plus, by living here with me, you have the safety of the walls and my club family. Not that I anticipate anything to be dangerous, but there’s crime on the outside.
We keep that shit out of here. In the event of danger, we have a large safe room set up in the basement of the clubhouse.
I’ll show it to you tomorrow. Lastly, you’d be able to visit with Haven and the other ladies whenever you wanted as well. ”
“You’re trying to sell me on this idea. The thought of moving in with you is scary, Jamie. What if we don’t work out?”
His hand covered my mouth. “Stop right there. We’re not saying that.
It will. If we want it enough, we can make it happen.
If there’s anything you’d like to change about the house, please don’t hesitate to let me know.
Oh, and there’s a three-car garage, so there’s room for your car, my bike, and my truck.
“I’ve never been tempted to ask a woman to live with me until you.
Hell, no woman has ever been in my bed in this house.
I didn’t want them tainting it. But I have to admit, over these many months, I’ve pictured you here and in my bed.
I’ve dreamed about you so much. And none of those dreams came close to what I saw and felt with you this afternoon. Please, say you’ll consider it.”