“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.