The bastard’s name was Winston. He glanced at Player, and the man nodded and disappeared in the direction of the main room, where Code was busy pulling up everything he could on Soleil.
“I couldn’t believe when he hired a lawyer without so much as consulting me. It should have been my decision when to hire one after Kevin died. Kevin was my lawyer from the time my parents died. I wasn’t ready to have anyone else come into my life, but Winston decided he was in charge. Nothing I said deterred him. I decided then not to marry him, but I didn’t tell him that. Not decisively. I kept saying I needed more time.”
Out of desperation to stay on track with his intended agenda, Ice had lined up his next shot as he listened, but he straightened and then stalked her purposefully around the pool table. He must have looked scary because she backed up a few steps. He kept coming. He caught the front of her dress again, this time very gently, and pulled her to him.
“Baby, you don’t like something I do, I want to hear about it right then. You don’t like something anyone else says or does to you, I want to hear about it right then. You don’t tell me, I’m going to be pissed off. You don’t want to see me pissed. You get me? You talk to me. That’s how we resolve this shit. We talk. You. Me. You get me?” he repeated.
His voice was pitched low, but it was intense. She swallowed hard and nodded.
“Don’t do that. Don’t be afraid of me like you are of him. I would never hurt you. Never. I don’t hurt women. You need to learn to say what you think, and I can help you with that, but between us, I need to know you’re going to always tell me what upsets you. I need that from you.”
Soleil nodded slowly. “I’ll try, Ice. I don’t like being a drifter. I just never learned to be any different. I grew up in hotels. Being alone. I think I wanted to fit in so much I just learned not to say what I thought. I was always afraid it would get me kicked out.”
Ice took Soleil’s hand and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. “Torpedo Ink welcomes opinions, and we listen to everyone with equal attention. Say what you want, baby. You’re free.”
She took the drink Maestro put in her hand and took another sip. “For tonight anyway. You have no idea how lucky you are.”
He sank three balls in a row and then straightened up to look at her. “You’re rid of that parasite, princess. There’s no reason not to be free. We’re celebrating, remember? What are we celebrating? Your freedom. You’re one of us and we’ve got you safe. You can say or do anything you damn well want to. No one can get to you.”
She took another sip of her drink. “That sounds good, Ice, but it isn’t exactly the truth. You’re going to get on your motorcycle and go wherever it is you go, and I’ll still be here, facing him. He’s out there, and yes, tonight I can forget him, but he’s going to keep coming after me.”
“You want to park your sweet ass on the back of my bike, baby, just letting you know, that seat will always be reserved for you.”
* * *
There it was. The invitation Soleil wanted more than anything. Ice had just opened the door for more. For visiting the twenty-four-hour chapel or just riding away on his motorcycle. She wanted that with every breath she took. More and more she wanted him. The more time she spent with him, the more she wanted to dare to be the bad girl and seduce him. He was there. He wanted her. It was easy so far. He couldn’t take his eyes off her breasts or her butt.
Ice was everything Soleil had ever fantasized over. Everything. Why had she finally met him now, when there was nothing left for her? She could feel the burn of tears at the backs of her eyes. Ice acted like more of a man than Winston ever had. He actually seemed to really care what she thought and felt. No one had ever given that to her before. She could fall hard if she let herself, and she was afraid she was doing just that. Maybe it was the alcohol. She wasn’t used to mixing drinks, but she didn’t care. She wanted this night with him. She wanted as much time with him as possible. A lifetime. She had this one night to pack a lifetime in, and she made up her mind she would do every single thing she’d ever dreamt of doing—and more—if she could.
If she drank enough, she might just dare to get on the back of his bike and ride off with him. She wouldn’t look back. She wouldn’t want to look back. He would be enough for her. She could make a life with him, she knew she could.
* * *
Ice turned back to his game and sank two more balls. Soleil was coming with him no matter what. She needed someone like him. Someone ruthless and ugly mean, someone willing to beat the shit out of anyone for looking at her wrong. Someone willing to kill an enemy that scared her so badly she’d walk into a biker bar for protection. The sad look she sometimes got on her face had to go.
He heard her soft laughter and couldn’t help but look over his shoulder to see her face light up the way it did whenever she laughed. “What?” he demanded, his voice harsh because his body was reacting to that laugh and he couldn’t afford not to be in control. The stakes were too high. He was going to get her to go home with him, but their code demanded she give full consent.
“Park my sweet ass on your bike?” she repeated.
He winced. He really needed to learn how to talk in polite society. On the other hand, she might as well know what he was really like. “You’ve got to admit, baby, you have a very sweet ass.”
“I love that you think so. I’ve never ridden on a motorcycle with someone else. I own one. And I fly planes. I love planes. Have you ever been on a glider? So cool. Especially when the sun is coming up. And then there’s paragliding. And parachuting.”
His girl was an adrenaline junkie. Who knew? That beautiful little angel face liked to do crazy shit. He was all kinds of crazy. He just might suit her. Hell, he fucking hoped so.
“I think you need the experience of riding with me,” he said. “You like all that, you’ll love going up the California coast on my bike. What difference does it make if you wait a few days—or weeks—to face this bastard? Come with me when I head back. You’ll be able to see Lana again. She went home with the president, his wife and a couple of others.”
She didn’t answer, and he turned back to the game. She was thinking about it. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her finish off the screaming orgasm. They went down smooth and tasted even better. He concentrated on his shot. He needed to win this game—and the next. She was a hell of a pool player. He’d probably have to cheat next game and distract her. He grinned to himself, thinking about how he’d do that.
He sank the rest of the solid balls and then went around the table to indicate where he was sinking the eight ball. Maestro handed Soleil another screaming orgasm. She was going to need it. Very smoothly he sank the ball and turned, grinning at her. Maestro had a glass of whiskey ready for him. He was grinning just a little too much at Ice as well. What the hell was up with that look?