Vendetta Road

by Christine Feehan

  Ice leaned down and brushed a kiss over her lips. “Don’t look so scared. You’re safe with me, Soleil. I swear to you, I won’t let anything bad happen to you. I intend to make you the happiest woman in the world.” He gestured toward the steps leading to an ornate glass door.

  The heavy door had a replica of their jackets’ Torpedo Ink logo, only this was in stained glass and very large, taking up a great deal of the door. The tree, the skulls in the roots, the ravens in the branches as well as a few flying away, were very distinct and detailed.

  “Someone made this for you,” she guessed. The attention to each element was superb. She could look at the door all day. “Someone you know.”

  “One of the brothers, Casimir, is married to Lissa, a glassblower. She’s famous for her chandeliers. She also does metal and stained-glass work. I pitched the idea of the door to her and she went to work on it immediately.”

  “The work is amazing.” Soleil knew quality when she saw it. Again, her preconceived notions of how her husband lived were completely wrong. She pictured him living in a clubhouse with his brothers and partying every night.

  “Haven’t really lived here,” Ice admitted as if guessing her thoughts. “None of us are comfortable living alone. We spent far too much time together watching one another’s backs.” He reached around her and opened the door, swooped her up and carried her inside, laughing, his expression happy as he kissed her and then set her feet on the entryway floor.

  Soleil stepped deeper into the house, and her breath caught in her throat, the question of why they had to watch one another’s backs fading along with her joy at his carrying her over the threshold as she gazed inside. The house felt welcoming. It was large, but not too large. The high ceilings gave it a spacious feel, and the thick, luxurious carpets and long, stone fireplace made the house feel unexpectedly cozy. She found herself clutching Ice’s arm in excitement.

  “I’ve never had a home,” she admitted, sounding breathless even to her own ears. “This is spectacular.”

  Ice flashed his heart-stopping smile and gestured to the interior. “Look around, princess, this is your castle. Feel free to do anything you’d like with it. The brothers and Lana hastily added a few pieces of furniture for us. They also stocked the refrigerator. It’s nowhere near the things we’ll need, so we can go furniture shopping in a few days.”

  Her heart was pounding, beating way too fast. For a moment she thought she might not be able to breathe. She wanted a family and a home more than anything. Ice was so casual about it, waving his hand around, and telling her they’d go pick out furniture. That was what couples did—they shopped for household items together.

  Tears welled up and she looked away from him, not wanting him to see. Naturally he did, because when something involved her, Ice seemed to see everything. He stepped in front of her and tipped up her chin with his finger under it.

  “Tell me what’s wrong, baby.”

  His voice was soft and compelling. Her body reacted the way it did around him, coming to a full alert, every nerve ending springing to life. She wanted to close her eyes and escape his scrutiny, those amazing blue eyes of his that seemed to see everything, but it was impossible.

  “It’s not wrong. It’s all right. Unbelievable.” She choked back the tears threatening to clog her throat. “This is like a dream, and I’m going to have to wake up soon and realize it isn’t real and I’m alone in an endless string of hotel rooms.”

  He framed her face with his hands. “You never have to wake up alone again, Soleil. This is your home. You can do any damn thing you want with it.”

  “I may never leave it.” She tried a watery smile.

  “That’s fine by me. Stay in the bedroom naked. I’d go about my business all day knowing what is waiting for me at home. I’d be perfectly happy with that.”

  She caught her lower lip between her teeth, anxiety gripping her. “I’ve never cooked for anyone. I want to learn. I actually took lessons, but I’ve never had the chance to practice.”

  “You don’t have to cook, princess. You aren’t here to be my servant. I wouldn’t mind you being my sex slave, just so you know that option of never leaving the house and never wearing clothes is always open,” he teased.

  Her heart actually fluttered. She couldn’t help but laugh. She tried not to look at him with her heart in her eyes, but she was beginning to think she was feeling more for him than the intense physical attraction she’d admitted to herself they had between them. She couldn’t fall for him. Not with her heart and soul.

  She’d already tried giving her heart completely after Aunt Deborah died and she’d gone to her other aunt—the one who despised her. Soleil had tried desperately to get her to love her. She wasn’t the lovable type. Even Kevin, although she loved him because he was the only father figure she could remember, hadn’t come out from behind his phone, not even on holidays when she’d begged him.

  “Soleil.”

  Ice’s voice brought her out of her memories, although the sadness lingered. Her gaze jumped to his. Those eyes of his saw too much, and she tried to look away.

  He kissed her. Long. Hot. Driving sanity away. Driving sorrow away. He left behind feeling. Her body sang, her heart leapt, her sex clenched, and blood immediately heated, rushing through veins to settle between her legs.

  She kissed him back. Giving herself to him. Giving him everything she was. Fire burst through her, as hot as the flames leaping in the fireplace. She couldn’t hold back when he kissed her like that. She’d had a crap childhood, but she had the feeling his was far worse. She had tried to develop a guarded interior, but evidently, when it came to Ice, the walls tumbled down fast.

  It was Ice who slowly, and very reluctantly, lifted his head. “I want you to look around, Soleil. Anything you don’t like, we’ll change.”

  “I can’t imagine not liking something in this house.” The idea of exploring was exciting. She was going to continue the fairy tale they’d started and tell herself the house really was hers and she’d never have to leave. She was there, for whatever reasons, and she was going to take advantage of it. This was her dream, and strangely, the house came close to being her fantasy home.

  She moved away from him, toward the other end of the room. The great room was just that—great. It was large with high ceilings and an immense stone fireplace. The room opened into a hallway that seemed massive. Four people could easily walk shoulder to shoulder in that space. She could see why Ice wanted the house if he felt confined indoors. There was no way to get claustrophobia when everything about the design of the house felt spacious.

  The kitchen was extremely large. It included a breakfast nook, which, in her opinion, was no nook but almost a separate room. The nook was situated in a rounded glass turret. The view was of a green forest of tall redwood trees. She could look out and see wildlife, trees and shrubbery as she ate any meal.

  The setup for cooking was fantastic. She might not be a chef or know much about the inner workings of their space, but she could see how easily one could get from the refrigerator to the oven in a few short steps. Counter space was abundant, as was work space. She really was eager to try her hand at cooking.

  The formal dining room had one of Lissa’s chandeliers hanging over the table. This chandelier dripped drops of ocean spray captured in crystal. There was color to it, a blaze of light blue. Ice blue. Glacier blue. All of that was captured in crystalline drops.

  She swung around to grip Ice’s arm tightly. “She’s a genius, this Lissa. I’ve never seen anything more beautiful.”

  “It is nice, isn’t it?” Ice admitted, cocking his head to one side to study the light fixture.

  “It’s brilliant,” Soleil corrected. “Beyond brilliant. She drew inspiration from your eyes. Can you see what she did?”

  He shrugged. He was watching her closely, his gaze on her face, a faint smile on his, as i
f her reactions made him happy. She liked that. She wanted him to feel the happiness he gave to her. She wasn’t used to it and she didn’t trust that she’d have it long, but she loved being present in the here and now because she was experiencing something perfect and she wanted to capture the memory forever.

  “Look at this room.” She waved her hands to encompass the large dining room. It held a long rectangular table made of cherrywood, the light playing over it making it gleam a dark, almost bloodred. The sideboard was made of the same wood, that dark, rich red. The floor was tile, swirls of light blue twisting through a field of white, creating the look of sky and clouds—or the ocean on a stormy day. She loved the floor.

  She went on through the archway leading to the other rooms and the stairway. It went both up and down. She looked at Ice for an explanation.

  “Upstairs is the master bedroom. Guest rooms and bathrooms are on the main floor and beneath this one, we have the play rooms. Kick-ass home theater, billiards room, as well as a game room with VR, and all kinds of other cool games. And the indoor pool.”

  “Are you kidding me? There’s an indoor pool?”

  He nodded, watching her face. “It’s more like a spa. A full-sized pool, with a hot tub. It’s nice. At least I think it is, I’ve never actually been in it. I’ve never slept here.”

  “You own this amazing house and you haven’t lived in it?”

  He shook his head. “What the hell would I know about livin’ in a house? Never settled down before Czar gave us the big order. What am I going to do rattling around by myself in a house like this?”

  She threw her arms out wide and turned in a full circle, joy bursting through her. “I would give anything to own a house like this. It’s a home, Ice. A real home. This is the kind of house you raise children in.”

  He rubbed his chin. “Don’t know about that, princess. We have kids, I’d have to block off the stairs so they couldn’t go down to the pool. I’d worry about that all the time. Then there’s the staircase. What if they fall? If their bedrooms were downstairs and we’re upstairs, what if someone tries to kidnap them? Or they sneak out the window and I don’t know and can’t protect them. There’s other houses with different floor plans that might make it easier to raise children.”

  He wanted children. The relief was tremendous. He had clearly thought about the hazards of raising children in the house. He might be just a little paranoid, but he wanted them protected. She loved that. She loved that children mattered enough that he’d actually given their protection thought.

  He gestured toward the stairs and pointed up. “You need to get ready for bed. Meaning a shower or bath to help with the soreness from the ride.”

  “I caught a glimpse of the flower beds, the landscaping rolling out beyond the kitchen. So many flowers, and I love the little garden.”

  “The one outside the kitchen is all herbs. The one on the side of the house is flowers. The other side, where we get the most sun, is vegetables. I’m no good at gardening, so someone comes here a couple of times a week.”

  “I saw a gazebo.” She glanced up at his face, hesitating. “There is a child’s play yard, Ice. I didn’t see much of it, but it seemed pretty amazing.”

  She didn’t want him to think she was making an argument to raise children at the house. If he didn’t feel comfortable, then she would change houses in a heartbeat. She wanted to sit on the stairs and weep. This was her dream, dangled right in front of her by a gorgeous man who didn’t seem to be able to keep his eyes off her.

  She just knew not to invest too much. Not her heart. Not her hopes. She’d been crushed too many times. When she really let herself love, she went all in. She didn’t know how to be any other way. It was just that he was giving her every little piece of her dream. Every detail. As if he had seen inside her and turned her fantasies into reality.

  “If you keep getting that look on your face, Soleil, you give me no option but to take matters into my hands. If you want that shower or bath, you’d better look happy.” He made it a threat.

  She turned to him and framed his face with her hands. “I’m terrified of falling in love with you.” She didn’t know why she’d told him the truth, but she had and now it was right there and he could push her off him and say there was no such thing. Their relationship was about sex, that bright, hot chemistry that sizzled and scorched, demanding they stay with each other until the attraction fizzled out.

  “I’m terrified you won’t,” he answered.

  Once again, he kissed her. This was no claiming kiss. Not rough. Not aggressive. This was sweet, gentle, almost tender. Her heart lurched hard and slipped closer to him. She wanted to grab it and pull it back to her, but it was impossible. Ice filled her with him. Her mind accepted him the way her heart did, and she couldn’t shut down and protect herself. She just surrendered to that gentle kiss.

  The strange thing was, just like when he was aggressive, her blood pounded through her body, racing straight to her clit. No matter what, no matter how hard she tried to keep her emotions apart from the sex, the two things seemed to be intertwined. There would be no saving herself from the consequences of falling in love with Ice.

  He kissed his way down her throat to the curve of her breast. She was wearing a tank, and he pulled it over her head, bunching it in his hand.

  Soleil laughed. “You’re insatiable.”

  Ice nodded. “Your point is?”

  She reached behind her and unhooked her bra, so her breasts jutted out for him, begging attention. “Are you going to take a bath with me?” Her voice had turned sultry. She was tempting the devil and she knew it. “Or a shower, although I don’t want to get my hair wet this time of night. It takes forever to dry. I put it in a braid this morning and it’s still damp.”

  “A bath it is.” He cupped her breasts, his thumbs sliding across her nipples, bringing them to tight, responsive peaks. “You going to tell me what kind of trouble you’re in?”

  She stiffened. He was always so casual about everything. She’d made the decision to get on the back of his bike with him. Winston had seen the club leaving. Sooner or later he would discover the marriage certificate, or his friends would put two and two together.

  His body urged hers up to the top of the stairs. She went but stopped again on the landing that was more of a long, wide room, running the length of the great room downstairs. It overlooked almost the entire floor. Ice wrapped his arms around her from behind and cupped her breasts.

  “We’re walking into our bedroom and I expect you to tell me what you’re so fuckin’ afraid of. I’ve been patient with you, Soleil. I hoped you’d tell me on your own, but so far, I don’t see you’re inclined to do that, so now I’m telling you let’s put it on the table. Now.”

  His hands on her felt good. He had big hands and strong fingers. He kneaded gently, his mouth kissing and then nipping her neck and shoulder repeatedly. Desire in the form of shivers crept down her spine. She didn’t want to tell him. Not now, when she had this beautiful house to spend her time in pretending the fairy tale was real. She glanced over her shoulder to see his expression. She wasn’t certain she could seduce him into forgetting he’d issued his command.

  “I can see that you think I’m going to forget all about this if we fuck, but that isn’t going to happen. Just tell me.”

  Soleil took a breath and looked around the room that was supposed to be the master bedroom. The series of rooms, one opening to the next, were all connected. The bedroom seemed to go on forever. There was a sunken area right in front of a second fireplace. Both fireplaces were gas rather than wood, which she was happy about, because she could wield a remote, no problem, but it was difficult to build a fire. She had no clue where to start.

  The front of the room faced the ocean, and like the room directly below them, the entire front of the master bedroom was glass. There were privacy screens, but she couldn’t imag
ine using them—the view of the ocean was too amazing. The bed faced the view, and on either side of it were end tables. The end tables were carved from some type of wood she didn’t recognize but thought was beautiful.

  The bedroom, like the great room, was carpeted, a thick, luxurious weave. The bed dominated the room. It was king-sized. The headboard had very thick spindles, looking like a fan. When she got closer, she could see the headboard resembled a sea fan. It was quite beautiful and intricate.

  Ice left her to open the door on the right. She followed him into the bathroom. She was used to luxurious hotels, but hands down, this bathroom had been crafted so someone could live in it. The bathroom was made up of a makeup room, a long wide area housing double sinks with golden taps, an immense shower, all glass, with benches and so many jets she wasn’t certain she’d be able to remember which golden knob went to what. It was definitely a two-person shower.

  The bathtub was enormous as well. A claw foot with the same golden taps. Ice was already filling the tub with steamy water and some kind of salts Lana had provided for them. At least she was certain it had to have been Lana. Whatever it was smelled like heaven, and she was done exploring. She wanted to sink into the hot water and get all the kinks and cramps out of her muscles.

  She stripped right there. It wasn’t like he hadn’t seen her entirely naked. He had explored every inch of her body with his lips, tongue and teeth. He’d claimed every inch. She refused to blush when his icy eyes drifted over her, yet she did. It was that possessive way he looked at her. As if she belonged to him. She’d never belonged to anyone so she didn’t know how it was supposed to feel, but to her, it felt wonderful. Perfect. Exactly what she needed and wanted from a man. Her man.

  She stepped into the tub and gasped at the heat. He grinned at her, already removing his clothes and stepping into the tub. Right away, her attention was caught and held by his cock. She really had fallen a little in love with that portion of him. She licked her lips, remembering the weight of him in her mouth, tasting him on her tongue.