43
CORA
Jorden starts talking to me before the patio door can even close behind her.
“I think Niles puts something illegal in this lemonade.” She holds up her glass to the light and squints as she studies it. “Do you think it’s drugs?”
“Good morning to you, too.”
She gives me a quick wave and then swirls the drink with her stainless steel straw.
Apparently, being kidnapped is only novel for a day. Because it’s now day four of being home and I’m losing to a glass of lemonade.
“To answer your question, I don’t think Niles puts anything in it that shouldn’t be there. He’s too proper to drug people without asking first.”
“If that’s true and there are no drugs in here, then explain why I would be willing to barter my firstborn child to have one of these in my hand for the rest of time.”
“Maybe it’s the fresh fruit frozen in the ice cubes. That’s a nice touch.”
She wrinkles her nose. “Maybe. But since I’ll never know for sure, I’ll just have to come over here every single day and get a glass straight from the source.”
“And talk to your best friend.”
She lounges in the chair across from me and winks. “Obviously. You’re the real reason I’m here, Cora. The lemonade is a delicious perk.”
Lies. She and I both know Jorden isn’t here for me. She isn’t here for the lemonade, either. She is all about one blonde, right-hand man.
Whenever Yasha is in the room, it’s like no one else exists. I’ve taken to slipping silently away whenever they happen upon each other and can’t help but gaze into each other’s eyes like they’re being hypnotized. I have it on good authority that they have been going at it like rabbits any chance they get. Ivan spilled the beans to me a couple days ago, after we participated in some rabbit-like activities of our own. Of course, we did that in our bedroom, not the linen closet next to the den.
“What’s with that look?” Jorden asks suddenly.
“What look?”
She circles a finger in the direction of my face. “That dopey smile.”
I dip my fingers in my ice water and flick some at her. “My face isn’t dopey.”
“Fine. What is with that blissful look of radiant joy on your incomparably beautiful face?”
“I don’t appreciate the sarcastic way you said that.” I laugh. “And it was nothing. Just smiling about you and your lemonade.”
“Good. Then it’s bringing you just as much joy as it’s bringing me. Ever since this lemonade has come into my life, I’ve been walking on sunshine.”
I’d bet her very fulfilling sex life has a lot more to do with her sudden joy than lemonade, but I keep my thoughts to myself.
Since we’ve seen each other every single one of the last four days, there isn’t much to talk about. Jorden and I sit and look out on the lawn. At the butterflies fluttering around the marigolds. At the hummingbirds hovering near the feeder at the edge of the patio.
Locked away in my stepfather’s house, I forgot what it felt like to just be. To sit in silence without plotting or planning. To enjoy the fresh air.
“How are you doing?”
I startle at the sound of Jorden’s voice.
“Sorry,” she laughs. “Did you forget I was here?”
I wave her off. “It’s okay. I was just thinking.”
“About…?”
“Nothing.” I shrug. “Everything. I’m not sure. I’ve had a lot of time to think recently.”
She frowns. “Is that a good thing or—”
“It’s not bad. Ivan is letting me rest. He wants me to relax. And I need to. The last few weeks have been a lot. I’m happy to have a second to breathe.”
“But…?” Jorden presses, eyebrows raised.
There are pros and cons to having people around you who can read your every facial expression. I’m not sure which one this is. “I guess I feel like I should be doing something,” I concede.
A male voice calls over, “As far as I’m concerned, you are doing something.” I turn around to see Yasha strolling across the patio, his eyes fixed on Jorden.
“Oh, yeah? What’s that?”
He reluctantly turns to look at me. “Ivan has been in a helluva good mood since you came back. Thank God, too, because I was about to smother him in his sleep.”
“I didn’t really have to do anything for that to happen, though,” I argue.
Yasha snorts. “I disagree. The two of you ‘do’ plenty.”
“Ew! Like you can talk.”
“We’re talking about you, not me,” he corrects sternly. “But Francia is also gone. That was all you. The household staff is in love with you for it. Ask four of them to carry you around on one of those beds that royalty use and I bet they’d do it.”
“A litter,” Jorden says.
Yasha turns back to her, his eyes going starry. “What?”
“A litter,” she repeats. “That’s what the bed thing is called. I sometimes fall asleep with the History Channel on.”
“I wouldn’t have pegged you for a history buff.” He takes a step closer to her and I can already feel myself fading out of their notice.
She smiles, her cheeks tinting pink. “I like to watch the conspiracy shows about ghosts and aliens.”
“I’ve never seen those. Maybe we can watch them together. When are they on?”
“Late,” Jorden says softly. “Really late.”
They are looking deeply into each other’s eyes when I clear my throat. “Well, I’m glad the staff still likes me. After everything, I thought maybe they’d think I was more trouble than I was worth.”
“No way,” Yasha insists. “They like having you around. It’s nice for them to have someone they can go to with household operations questions. Ivan hates that stuff.”
“I thought Niles handled all of that.”
“He does it because Ivan refuses, but it would usually fall to the Bratva wi—lady of the house,” he corrects quickly. “But no one expects anything of you right now. You’ve earned some time to rest and relax.”
“Amen,” Jorden agrees.
“Speaking of…” Yasha lays a hand on Jorden’s shoulder, and I can practically see the sparks flying between them. “Maybe you want to nap? I can escort Jorden out if you want to be alone.”
I start to shake my head. “No, that’s okay. I’m actually—”
Jorden jumps up quickly. “You do look sleepy. You know, sleep is one of the most important factors in overall health. You need to bank some to catch up, I bet.”
I narrow my eyes at her, but she won’t be shamed.
“I’ll get out of your hair.” She turns to Yasha. “You can escort me out if you—”
“Yeah, okay.” He gives me a tight, guilty smile. “See you later, Cora. Goodbye.”
The two of them run into the house like the patio is on fire. I can’t even be mad at them. I’m glad they’ve both found someone. Jorden deserves a good guy and I know Yasha will take care of her.
I’m smiling when I feel strong hands massage my shoulders from behind.
“Niles, what strong hands you have,” I moan.
Ivan bends down and nips at the very top of my ear with his teeth. “That’s not funny.”
I jolt playfully, throwing my arms over my chest to cover myself. “Oh, Ivan! It’s you. I thought it was… someone else.”
He walks around my chair, his woodsy scent wrapping around me as I take in every climbable inch of him. Maybe I’m no better than Yasha and Jorden. He’s been here for half a second and I’m molten.
He sits in Jorden’s chair and then deftly pulls me onto his lap. “I like Niles. It would be a real shame to have to kill him.”
I hook my hands behind his neck and kiss him. “Don’t kill Niles. I think his lemonade is the only reason Jorden keeps coming to visit me.”
He laughs and my heart squeezes. I still can’t get over how nice it is to see him like this. Free.
“What’s so funny? Are there really drugs in it? Jorden thought maybe he was dosing her, getting her hooked.”
“Niles buys lemonade by the gallon from the store. He pours it into pitchers and then takes the bottles to the recycling.”
I gasp. “No way! He uses fruit ice cubes.”
“Those are all Niles. But the rest?”
“Liar!”
He rubs his nose against mine and lowers his voice. “Don’t tell him I told you. He doesn’t even know that I know.”
I shake my head with faux disappointment. “I can’t believe the kind of loose ship you’ve been running here, Ivan. I thought I was signing on for the life of luxury, but I’ve been drinking store-bought lemonade like a common peasant.”
“What can I say? I’m a heathen.”
His eyes have flecks of yellow and green in the sunlight, and the sight of him here—smiling and in my arms—is almost too much for me to take. My heart hurts from happiness.
“Then it’s a good thing I’m here to keep you in check.”
He presses a slow kiss to my neck. “You can certainly try.”
I’d like to. If he keeps those teasing fingers moving up my thigh, everyone just on the other side of the wall of windows is going to get quite the show. And yet suddenly, I don’t give a damn.
I’m about to tell him that we haven’t had sex in this particular chair yet and that seems like a terrible mistake we should correct immediately, but before I can, his phone rings.
“I really don’t want to get that,” he murmurs against my lips.
I catch my breath. “And I really don’t want Niles to see me naked.”
Sighing, he answers and heads inside to take the call. I lie back in the chair with a dreamy exhale. If Jorden thought I looked dopey before, she wouldn’t know what to make of the smile on my face now.
When I hear the patio door open, I’m ready to get Ivan right back to where we were. Then I turn around and see his face.
When I do, I sit up and spin to face him. “What is it? What happened?”
He hasn’t even said anything and my heart is racing. Underneath my calm facade, I’ve been waiting for the other shoe to drop. And here it is. My little slice of paradise is going to be snatched away, I just know it.
“Nothing.” Ivan pulls me to my feet and guides me through a deep breath. “Everything is okay. You’re safe.”
I inhale and exhale slowly. “Okay. Then why do you look like that?”
“Because there’s someone here to see you.”
“It can’t be anyone good if you look like that,” I say softly.
“Jury is still out on that one,” a voice says from behind Ivan.
A familiar voice.
It’s been over ten years since I’ve heard it. But it’s hard for a person to forget the voice of their own parent.
Ivan steps aside so I’m standing face to face with my father.
Marcus St. Clair raises one hand in a small wave. “Hi, Cordelia.”