“I can’t help being nervous, Ice,” she pointed out, giving him one of her snippy looks.
He loved when she went all haughty on him. It was that “princess” look he loved so much. She rubbed her hands over her arms and he immediately realized she was cold, not just nervous. He preferred the cool coastal air in comparison to Vegas’s heat, and she was from San Francisco, but she didn’t have enough clothes. She needed sweaters and jackets. He’d have to get on that, especially since she never complained.
He took his jacket off and had her slip into it. Immediately she got that look on her face, the one he loved most, as if he were her white knight, the only one in the world. She looked at him as if he were a decent man. He’d even confessed that he’d been sober when he’d married her, that he’d deliberately plied her with liquor, and she still looked at him like that. She insisted she’d been the one to trick him into marriage. He was falling harder every day for her.
Ice threaded his fingers through hers and pulled her closer since she was reluctant to take a step away from the motorcycle. “Come on, baby, you’ll like everyone. They might look a little intimidating, but you’re family. Once you’re in, you’re not ever out. They’ll all accept you. You’re the one who will need the open mind to accept all of us.”
She nodded, but he could still feel the tremors running through her body, telling him her nerves hadn’t settled. Now that he knew more about her, he understood. She hadn’t felt a lot of acceptance in her life. Maybe that was what had made her more tolerant than most people. No one would ever believe a woman with her kind of money would settle for a biker. She had no real idea of their wealth—or where it came from: Code had stolen most of the money from criminals.
They moved in sync together as they walked from his motorcycle to the entrance of the clubhouse. He couldn’t help placing his hand on her bottom as she walked. He loved the way the muscles in the cheeks of her ass bunched and released. It was sexy as hell. He’d had her three times in the night. The first time he’d held her on the edge for over an hour. It had been a long hour for both of them, although they’d both gotten the benefit of prolonging the time before the explosion came. When it did, it had been more than spectacular.
He loved that she didn’t object to his touch ever. She wore a thong under the dress, and he felt the curve of her bare cheeks as she walked up to the clubhouse. He felt very connected to her. As he reached around her for the door, he rubbed her bottom, trying to convey strength and solidarity to her. He was there with her. For her. He wasn’t about to leave her on her own.
He leaned down to press his lips against her ear. “I’m right here with you. You feel afraid, you just look to me. I’ll take over until you feel safe again.”
She pressed back into him, her cheek in the palm of his hand, her eyes suddenly meeting his over her shoulder. Those eyes held something soft and tender. For him. He was asking her to meet the others, to trust them when she had no cause to, yet she gave him that look. Inside him, there was a curious melting sensation, and he knew he was falling harder than he’d ever thought possible. This woman could break him when nothing that had come earlier in his life ever had.
The common room held all the members of the club. Ordinarily, they would meet in their conference room, but Soleil wasn’t part of the club and she’d be much more comfortable in a less formal setting anyway.
Ice took her hand again as they went inside. Immediately he felt the squeeze of her fingers as she walked in with him. She looked regal, very much like the princess he called her, but he could feel trepidation pouring off her in waves. He wanted to wrap her up and carry her out of there.
Alena detached herself from the group and rushed to her side. “Soleil! How are you? Is my brother behaving?” She hugged Soleil to her and gave Ice a look over her shoulder. She felt his wife trembling and instantly blamed him. “Everyone’s here to help. We’ll find these people and make certain none of them ever come near you.”
Then Lana was there. She hugged Soleil as well. “I can’t believe you’re married to Ice. No one thought any woman could ever tame him. Is he treating you right? I can put the smackdown on him if you need me to.”