Page 24 of House of Pawns
“I’m ready,” he says, kissing his way along my chest, his right hand coming up to cup my breast. “So damn ready.”
“Whoa, holy fu…”
Ian and I both turn to find Samuel looking embarrassed but way too smiley in the doorway to my bedroom.
“Sorry, I knocked, heard something, and thought it was a come in,” he gives us a little side-glance. His eyes linger way too long on my chest. Ian lets me down from the door.
“Like you couldn’t hear exactly what was going on,” Ian says with about a truckload of annoyance. “Pervert.”
Samuel raises one eyebrow and gives a little shoulder shrug. “Maybe. But damn, can you blame me for wanting to catch a little glimpse?”
Samuel’s head suddenly cracks against the doorframe, Ian’s hand closed around his throat.
“You catch another glimpse, and I’ll make sure you never get a look atanythingever again,” Ian seethes.
“Ian!” I yell. I debate dashing across the room to break up the fight, but it hasn’t worked yet. “Let him down. He’s just being a Kask.”
“She’s right,” Samuel squeaks out. “But I promise. I won’t do it again.”
Ian drops Samuel, who doesn’t even cough or sputter. He simply straightens his own suit jacket and extends his hand, dangling a pair of silver pumps. “The reason I’m here. Lillian asked me to send them up.”
Ian snatches them from Samuel’s hand, shoves him back out the door, and shuts it in his face.
He turns back to face me and shakes his head in annoyance. “Let’s get that damn dress on you before the rest of your House gets a peek at my property.”
“Your property?” I question as I give him my own raised eyebrow.
“Mine.” He buries his face in my neck and growls. His hands snake their way around my back once more, but just as I’m about to get way too excited once again, he grabs my dress and before I realize I’ve been moved like a rag doll, he slips it over my frame, not disturbing one strand of my perfect hair.
It’s still something I’m getting used to, Ian being like this. Being able to do impossible things. So, I don’t say anything. I let him spin me around and slowly, he zips me up.
THE ESTATE LOOKS AMAZING. AND Rath had it all done in just one day.
Twinkle lights line the entire length of the driveway and are strewn and twisted around every single tree on the property. Inside, there are just as many fairy lights crisscrossing in every direction. Silver and blue is the theme of everything; glitter and sparkles make everything feel light, airy, and completely unreal.
It’s a fairytale in my house.
And to my surprise, a few hundred people walk its chambers.
Ian told me there are around thirty-five hundred people who live in Silent Bend. I invited every one of them, knowing not many would come, but there are far more in attendance than I expected.
Most are here out of curiosity, I’m quite sure. This house is a town legend, it’s a part of their history, and now they’ve been invited inside its walls. I would have been curious, too.
I don’t make myself a big deal. I wander through the ballroom, loop through the library, and make a track through the foyer. When people have a comment for me, they speak to me, but most don’t. Most are still too afraid to address me directly.
That’s okay.
Baby steps.
I didn’t expect much, but there is a mounting pile of presents on the round table in the foyer. Large, wrapped boxes, small envelopes, many bottles of wine. I didn’t expect that at all.
Music plays from the ballroom and I make my way back there. I find a few couples dancing, but mostly people are just looking around in wonder. I study the faces I see.
There’s Fred, dancing with his lovely wife. He greeted me with a bear hug and a warm happy birthday. Luke came, as well; it was his night off. He’s watching everyone from the far wall. Lillian talks to two other women, who look nervous, but they aren’t exactly running away. Samuel sits in a chair against the wall, looking grumpy.
Ian has yet to come downstairs. I wanted to wait, to make a grand entrance for him. The rumors of his death have to be spreading through town, with him not going to work and I have no idea how much Elle has said to her peers. So, we are going to show the town that someone they have know forforever has indeed risen from the grave and that they do not need to fear him.
It took a lot of convincing. Ian still wants nothing to do with my games and ploys. He’d rather be out, patrolling the streets of Silent Bend. But he finally agreed that he needed to break out of his shell of hiding. He needs to get back into a normal life and that includes interacting once again.
