House of Payne: Ice Page 20

  “It’s much too late to ask for Christmas presents now,” Claire announced, almost choking on a swallow of coffee. “Write to Santa if you want, darling, but this lady is done shopping.”

  “You are definitely feeling the Christmas spirit,” Matt remarked, handing Claire a napkin. “Or something like it, anyway. You excited about your big day?”

  “I am. And nervous. And a smidgen borderline-crazy, but hopefully that’ll go away now that I have my lucky pen. If I have my lucky pen, everything will be fine.”

  “Yeah,” Matt snorted, and grinned at Archie and Claire. “That’s not crazy at all.”

  “Some people believe in four-leaf clovers. I believe in my lucky pen. Don’t judge.” Sunny headed for the warming tray on the counter, helped herself to a couple strips of bacon, then turned to the fridge to grab a yogurt. “Today’s my first official day at House Of Payne, and I want everything to go perfectly.”

  “I feel like you’ve already been working there for weeks,” Hannah said, pouring Sunny a cup of coffee before topping off everyone’s mugs. “After putting in a full day at IBKC, you’ve spent most of your evenings over at the House learning their computer system and setting up your office. How’s that coming along, by the way?”

  “Other than the paint fumes, it’s ready for me to move in.” She took a sip of coffee, closed her eyes for a blissful moment as the hot liquid woke up her soul, then grabbed up a spoon to stir her yogurt. “What’s more, I’m ready to move in. I can’t wait to get things started.”

  “That explains why we’ve barely seen you around lately,” Claire drawled, sipping at her coffee.

  That was true enough. But as much time as Sunny had spent after work at House Of Payne, she then went to Ice’s condo once he got off work. Over the past two weeks they’d fallen into a routine of sorts, usually grabbing some take-out to eat back at his place. And all the while they talked. It was the most amazing part of her day, sharing anything and everything that came to mind, from her favorite places in Chicago that she wanted to experience with him, to plans for Christmas. She’d never known that a new level of intimacy could be reached with words alone, but when she and Ice talked, just talked, she found herself slowly becoming more bonded to him than anyone else in her life.

  Though she still kept her family’s secrets. That would never change. She’d been trained too well for it to be any other way.

  At one point she’d insisted that Ice get a tree. When he finally gave in, she took half the night to decorate it, with Ice complaining about the monumental waste of time. But it was hard to believe he really meant it; not only did he wind up helping her in the task, he then spent a good part of the night making love to her under the soft glow of the tree lights.

  Sunny wasn’t sure when she’d started thinking of sexy times with Ice in terms of making love rather than having sex, or even banging or fucking around. All she knew was that the shift in her thinking had started around the time she’d begun decorating his condo. He’d grumbled about the snazzy wreath on his front door, along with the garlands and lights she’d strung around his condo, insisting she’d made his manly place look like something out of a “chick magazine.”

  But just as she was ready to label him a genuine bah-humbug, she’d been shocked to discover that at some point, a stocking bearing her name had been hung by the fireplace. She’d never forget that moment of discovery as she stared at her name embroidered on the cute red velvet and white marabou-trimmed holiday confection. Warmth had filled her chest until she’d half-feared she glowed with it, but as she opened her mouth to question him, he announced she wasn’t allowed to say one damn word about it, gruffly took her by the hand and hauled her into the bedroom.

  And they’d made love that night.

  Not had sex.

  Made love.

  Which was damn close to actual love.

  At first she’d been alarmed by this weird new trend in her thinking. When it had first shown up, she’d consciously tried correcting herself. But as time had gone on and the sky hadn’t fallen, she now found herself shrugging at the whole making love label her brain insisted on using. It wasn’t wise to overthink the details. The devil lived in those pesky things, and who the hell had time for that?

  Not her, that was for sure.

  “It’s going to be a busy week,” Matt said, handing Archie a slice of buttered toast. “Hannah’s dumping me for the day so she can go shopping, and apparently the entire back of the house is now off-limits, because Claire has turned it into some kind of package-wrapping factory.”

  “I take Christmas wrap and its accompanying tags, ribbons and bows very seriously,” Claire announced haughtily, making everyone chuckle. “We’re only ten days away from Christmas, which means it’s time to go into hyper-elf mode. Speaking of which, Sunny, what’s Ice doing for Christmas?”

  Sunny blinked at the breakneck change of subject. “Um…well, later in the afternoon I had planned to go over to his place so we could exchange gifts then.”

  “Darling, don’t be silly, you’ll be having Christmas dinner at that time. Invite him to stay Christmas Eve, and he can enjoy spending a leisurely Christmas day with you.”

  Her jaw sagged so much it was a wonder her chin didn’t drop into her yogurt. “You’d be okay with Ice spending the night here?”

  Claire rolled her eyes before slanting a pitying glance at her husband. “Your daughter is such an awkward girl, my love. I blame you, of course, as I don’t have an awkward bone in my body. Sunny bunny,” she went on with a patient sigh, “you’ve been discreet about where you spend most of your evenings lately, something a mother appreciates. But it’s Christmas, darling, a time where you gather your loved ones close and share the magic of the season together. Of course I’m okay with Ice being here. Unless…that’s not what you want?”

  “Of course I want Ice here,” she blurted, then sighed when Claire gave her a Cheshire-cat grin. Mothers. “I’ll be sure to invite him.”

  “It’s a joy to have family around, isn’t it, Archie love?” Claire reached out and squeezed his hand, prompting him to turn toward her with a sudden, brilliant smile.

  “I love you, Claire,” he said, so clearly the whole room came to a standstill. “Everything you do is a joy.”

  “Archie. Sweetheart.” Tears sparkled in Claire’s eyes before she framed his face in her hands and kissed him. “I love you, too.”

  “And on that happy note,” Sunny said softly, blinking away tears of her own, “it’s time for me to head off to work. House Of Payne, here I come.”

  Butterflies were having a party in Sunny’s stomach by the time she parked next to Scout’s car near the House’s rear entrance. When she walked in, she at first thought it was her buzzing nerves that made the atmosphere seem electric. But by the time she made it into the main lobby, she noted a knot of people near the art gallery on the lower level. While she was busy being torn between dutifully punching in like a good worker bee and seeing what was going on, Payne suddenly appeared at her side.

  “I’m brilliant,” he announced, stifling a yawn before he politely took her arm and headed toward the hubbub. “I knew you’d be in early. Ask me how I knew.”

  By now she’d adjusted to Payne’s bossy, mercurial personality, so she merely rolled with whatever his hyper-imaginative brain threw her way. “I don’t have to ask. You knew I’d be in early because you’re brilliant. And how do I know you’re brilliant? Because you just said so. I enjoy circular conversations, don’t you?”

  “Smartass,” he said pleasantly, and she was happy to see he’d learned to roll with whatever she threw at him as well. “I knew you’d be in early because you’re like Scout, who was also in early to organize a little welcoming party for you in the form of a press conference. Surprise.”

  Holy shit. “A press conference? For me? That’s ridiculous, I’m not artistic talent.”

  “No, but you’re almost as famous as Ice.”

  “I’m in admin. Admin people
are never famous. We’re too boring.”

  “You’re a successful YouTuber, a reality TV star, the daughter of one of the most beloved mayors this city’s ever had, and you’re a Fairfax, which is Chicago’s equivalent of the Kennedys. Trust me, signing you to work for House Of Payne deserves a press conference. Enjoy the moment.”

  Enjoy the moment. She’d enjoy this about as much as she’d enjoy a paper cut on her tongue, but whatever. “How very considerate of you.”

  “Is that how the well-bred tell people to fuck off?”

  “Pretty much.”

  “Awesome.” He grinned, only to have it do a quick fade. “Something tells me that, unlike you, Ice isn’t going to hold back on his view of the situation.” His mouth flattened as he nodded toward the reception area. She glanced that way and found Ice steaming toward them at full speed, with Scout hurriedly trailing behind. One look at Ice’s expression told her he was about a second away from committing murder.

  Uh-oh.

  “Are you out of your mind, Payne? A year ago I acted like a goddamn maniac to get Sunny out of the spotlight, yet here you are setting up a fucking circus to slam her right back into the center it,” Ice growled, making Sunny’s brows shoot up almost to her hairline. What the hell…? “Life is stable for her now in her old hometown, but that doesn’t mean it’s always going to be that way. Play it safe and let her live her life on the downlow.”

  “It’s safe for me now? What does that mean?” Sunny wanted to know, while in her head she heard Ice’s words whisper back to her. I’ll set fire to my own world… “Why do I need to live on the downlow? What are you talking about?”

  “Yeah,” Payne said, crossing his arms and looking thunderous. “That’s what I’d like to know. I thought you said you had this shit handled, Ice.”

  Sunny frowned.

  Shit? What shit?

  “I do have it handled, but it’s tempting fate, letting the world know Sunny’s working here now, under the same roof as me.” Ice scowled at Payne so viciously it was a wonder the other man didn’t melt on the spot. “She’s just quietly trying to live her life, while you’re busy shoving her in front of a bus for the sake of House Of Payne.”

  “It’s a press conference, not a bus, and I’ve already told you what’s first on my list of priorities.” Payne’s lips barely moved as he spoke, and his eyes had gone as steely as Ice’s. “I’m here for the House. Nothing’s allowed to get in the way of that. You got a problem with that, you know where the fuckin’ door is.”

  “No one’s got a problem.” With the sixth sense of a clairvoyant, Sunny saw where this conversation-slash-pissing contest was headed. Quickly she stepped in with an outwardly calm smile, while dread over Ice’s reaction ate into her stomach like acid. “Ice knows I wasn’t aware of this press conference, but now that I’m up to speed, I’m fine with it. Let’s get this show on the road, all right?”

  “A word, Sunny.” Without waiting for her to agree, Ice clutched her elbow and dragged her a few feet away, then angled his head to make sure only she could hear him. “Quit.”

  She couldn’t have been more surprised if he’d told her to streak. “Excuse me?”

  “You heard me. Quit. You don’t need to work. The sale from Skull and Bones Ink alone can keep you living large for the rest of your days. Forget this dog and pony show.”

  “I told you I don’t want that money. Buy a yacht with it. Or a winter home in Florida. Put it toward your future children’s college nest egg. I don’t care what you do with it, because I don’t need it.”

  “Exactly my point. You don’t have to put yourself on display like this.”

  “Display?” That word tripped a memory, and she frowned up at him. “That was always your gripe. Not mine.”

  “What the fuck’s that got to do with anything?”

  “You told me the reason you never wanted to be put on display was because of your father. I’m assuming this is your reflexive response when it comes to publicity? Is it because of your father?”

  He dragged a hand through his hair and glared at the gaggle of media. “The old man has a long reach, Sunny. I think I’ve got him where he can’t touch us, but it’s stupid to take chances where he’s concerned. Why put yourself on display when you don’t have to?”

  “I’m sure you feel like you’re once-burned, twice-shy when it comes to your dad, but I’m not Ethan, Ice. Nothing’s going to happen to me.”

  “You don’t know that.”

  “Damien Eisen has never targeted me because I lead a very boring life. I have no scandals.” Not of her own, anyway, she thought, then nearly gasped out loud when the enormity of that thought hit her. “Unless you have something to tell me that I don’t know?”

  If anything, his face got harder. “You do not have to worry about that bastard, you hear me? All I’m saying is that living quiet’s a good idea.”

  “I’m living as quietly as I know how.”

  “Fuck me, you are, aren’t you?” He shook his head with a grudging admiration that even she could see. “It’s that brilliant brain of yours. There are just some people in the world who’re born to stand out, and that’s you all over. That habit of winning at whatever you do puts you out there front and center, and there’s nothing I can do about that. Shit.”

  “It’s so weird that I now have this odd desire to apologize for having a brain,” she muttered, then relaxed a fraction when he snorted. “Why are you freaking out over this?”

  “Because I’m a paranoid fuck who knows there are first-rate bastards out there waiting to rip you a new one before you even know what’s happened. It’s my job to keep those bastards away from you.”

  “Is that what you did in California? I’m not stupid, Ice,” she added, while frustration and dread intertwined at his almost imperceptible flinch. It had been a shot in the dark, but she was certain she’d managed to hit a bull’s eye. “You just called me brilliant, and you’re right. I am. That’s why I know you didn’t fire me because some lame-ass producer told you to. Something spooked you. It spooked you so bad you got rid of me, and then you burned your whole world down, just like you said you would. But you’re still not copping to that, or offering up a reason why you’d go to those insane lengths for little old me.”

  “Little old you?” That got her a spectacular eye-roll. “Did you really just say that?”

  “That’s what I was to you. Back then, I was just your pal, Sunny.”

  “Don’t kid yourself. You’ve never been just anything. Not to me.”

  She put a hand to her thudding heart. “I don’t know what I am to you, because you’re not being straight with me. You can start now by telling me the truth.”

  “Hard-ass.” He scowled, but there was no real heat behind it as he tagged her by the hips and pulled her close. “You only need to know one thing—I’m not going to let the world come between us again. I now know exactly what it is I’m fighting for. I’m fighting for you, and all the promise that comes with you. I’ll keep you protected, no matter what, so fuck it. Do the presser. Do a thousand pressers, for all I care. Nothing’s going to get to you.”

  Each word closed around her heart like a velvety fist, but he was still coming up short on the details. “Ice—”

  “So,” Payne said loudly, snagging their attention. When they turned his way, he opened his arms wide, his expression a masterpiece of aggravation. “We doing this, or what?”

  “Yes.” With Ice’s vow ringing in her ears, and frustrated that she didn’t have any more time to push for answers, she nodded firmly. “We’re absolutely doing this.”

  It took every ounce of strength Ice possessed to not fucking grab Sunny up and haul her out of House Of Payne. It didn’t matter that he had Damien Eisen over a barrel. Instinct had him looking for the nearest exit, and to hell with everything else.

  You can start now by telling me the truth.

  Hell, Sunny had most of it figured out already. No surprise there. She’d always been too smart t
o begin with, and she knew him better than anyone. Of course she’d figured out that firing her on some bullshit excuse didn’t pass the smell test.

  Took her long enough.

  They were on firmer ground now, thank fuck. No longer did it feel like she’d vanish into thin air if he so much as looked away for too long. But she was still holding back with him, keeping some vital part of herself out of reach, and it was driving him crazy. As far as he’d come with Sunny, they still had miles to go before she’d be ready for him to unload some of his baggage. No way was he going to crush what was growing between them now with the fact that up until very recently, his life had been an even worse train wreck than she knew. He was positive he could keep her protected, as long as he had control of things. But if she knew everything, she’d probably want to go on the attack in order to protect him.

  That was the way Sunny was.

  Loyal to the bone.

  But she was no rebel, no matter what she said. She only knew how to play fair. Having her go on the attack would be like taking a kitten to a gun fight.

  She’d be obliterated.

  Eventually, though, he’d have to tell her everything. Hell, he even wanted to. Secrets and lies destroyed lives. He knew that better than anyone.

  A wave of warmth hit him as he stood in an alcove at the back of the press conference, a warmth that went deeper than mere lust as he watched Sunny standing next to Payne, fielding questions like the pro she was. When he’d fired her from Skull and Bones Ink on-camera and in front of the whole world, he’d known he was taking one of the greatest gambles of his life. A move like that had been a brutal slap in the face. Almost no one on the planet would have put up with his sorry ass after a stone-cold stunt like that.

  But Sunny had.

  More than that, she’d found a way to not just forgive him, but to look for alternative answers as to why he’d done it. That was huge. It was huge because it meant she believed in him. She believed her man would never intentionally hurt her, so she went searching for answers as to why he had.

  Even when their relationship was at their worst, she’d believed in him.