“I haven’t, but that’s not why I want you to do it.”
Ian understood perfectly. She felt the same attraction that he felt, she’d said as much earlier, at the ball. The kind of courage it must have taken for her to admit that to him, especially after the way he’d treated her, and then to ask him to kiss her, was unlike anything he’d ever seen before.
“No,” he said, and Nica’s heart sank. “There’s no reason for you to leave, Nica. I’m leaving for the country tomorrow anyway.” Then he bent his head, and kissed her.
It started off slowly, just his lips, soft and firm, pressed against hers. Her lips parted in a soft gasp of surprise and he took advantage of the opportunity, slipping the tip of his tongue between them. Nica immediately opened to him, wanting this more than she’d wanted anything in so long she could barely remember what it felt like to want. The book fell to the floor as she raised her hands to his face, then his arms went around her, pulling her body tightly against his.
She was trying to memorize every sensation. The rough stubble on his cheeks beneath her fingertips, the soft wet heat of his tongue against hers, the hard throbbing of his erection pressing against her stomach. But the more she felt, the more she wanted. Their bodies fought to get closer, their tongues swirled against each other faster and faster until, finally, Ian broke the kiss simply because they both needed to breathe. They stayed pressed together, the harsh sounds of their panting filling the dim hallway.
Nica came to her senses first and took a reluctant step back. Ian’s arms fell away, and they stared at each other in silence. How long they stood there, neither of them knew. This time it was Ian who made the first move. He reached out and opened the door to Nica’s room, then dropped his eyes. Nica swallowed the lump in her throat, stepped inside the room and closed the door without looking behind her.
Chapter 6
Nica awoke the following morning feeling fully rested despite her interrupted sleep, all traces of the horrible headache from the night before gone. A moment later she remembered asking Ian for a kiss, and felt her face heat. Why she’d done such a thing she couldn’t quite fathom. She shook her head. Nica tried very hard to never lie to anyone, especially herself.
No, she knew exactly why she’d done it. She’d done it because she’d wanted it, and the idea of never knowing what it was like to be kissed by him made her chest hurt. What she didn’t know was where she’d gotten the courage to ask for it. Or how she was supposed to face him again this morning over breakfast.
That, she told herself, was easy. All she had to do was walk into the room.
She got up, went into the bathroom and took a long hot shower, washing away the last vestiges of the headache or the elixir, she wasn’t sure which. She towel dried her hair and combed the tangles out, her stomach growling hungrily. Fifteen minutes later she entered the morning room with a smile on her face that she’d practiced in the mirror while combing her hair. “Good morning.”
“Good morning, Nica,” Bree replied. “You sure do look better this morning. How do you feel?”
“Great,” Nica replied as she poured herself coffee and loaded a plate with food. “My headache is completely gone, thanks to Nance. Whatever was in that elixir she gave me, it worked like a charm.”
“I’m glad, but not surprised,” Bree said. “Nance’s cures always work.”
“I’m glad you’re feeling better,” Ian said.
“Thank you,” Nica replied as she carried her plate and coffee to the table. She took a seat across from Bree and reached for the cream. “I’m really sorry you two had to cut your night short because of me.”
“We didn’t mind, Nica, I promise,” Bree said.
Nica looked into Bree’s eyes and knew she was sincere. “Thank you anyway,” she said. “Both of you.” Ian and Bree bowed their heads, accepting her thanks, and Nica bowed her head in return, completing the ritual. “So, what’s on the calendar for today?”
“I have to leave town this morning,” Ian said, as though he hadn’t told her the night before.
“Is something wrong?” Nica asked, taking her cue from him.
“No, nothing’s wrong. I just have a very full schedule for the next several weeks. I really am grateful to you, Nica.”
“For what?” Nica asked, terrified for one split second that he was going to thank her for the kiss.
“I’m not going to be in town much this season, and Bree can’t attend formal functions by herself. It’s bad enough that she spends nine months of the year at the estate without companionship. I really hate the idea of her being stuck at home for the summer season because I have to work and there’s no one to accompany her. With you here, that changes because it’s perfectly acceptable for the two of you to attend together.”
“We’re going to have so much fun, Nica! We’ll go to all the balls, and the theatre, and concerts. We can visit the museums and art galleries, and go riding in the park and have picnics. It’ll be great.”
“It sounds both fun, and exhausting,” Nica said, smiling at Bree. Then she turned to Ian. “Will you be gone for the rest of the summer?”
“Mostly,” Ian replied. “I’ll have to come into the city every couple of weeks, but I won’t stay long.”
“Just out of curiosity, how long does it take to reach your estate?”
“About six hours by ground car, once we’re out of the city,” Ian replied. “It takes about an hour to get to the car park.”
“I didn’t realize Cidade was that big.”
“It’s not,” Ian said. “It’s the traffic that makes it take so long.”
“What do you do with the horses?”
“The driver will bring them back here,” Ian said. He glanced at Bree, then Nica, then down at his plate. “If you need to contact me, you can send a comm to Fadden Fields. I won’t be there all the time, but if you send something urgent my estate manager will see that it finds me as quickly as possible. Bree will show you where the comm unit is and how to use it.” He looked at Bree who nodded agreement. “Just remember that whatever message you send will not be private. Comm lines are all hard wired on Apedra, and those lines are public to each area.”
“Well, at least we can send you a message if necessary,” Nica said. “That’s better than nothing.”
***
After Ian’s departure right after breakfast, Nica went upstairs with Bree to the new suite that Ian had chosen for her. Nance had already supervised the moving of the majority of her belongings, but Nica carried her most valuable things in her tote bag. True to Ian’s word, there was a big safe in the dressing room, set into the wall beside the vanity. Bree explained how to set the combination, then left, closing the door behind herself.
Nica set the combination, then removed the hard leather case that held the star diamond jewelry that had been custom made specifically for her. She flipped open the lid to visually check the items inside, running one fingertip lightly over the cool, fiery stones of the necklace. She kept them with her all the time for reasons that had nothing to do with their beauty, which was exquisite, or their value, which was almost incalculable. She carried the jewelry as a constant reminder of the legacy she’d received along with them on her eighteenth birthday, and the meaning behind it.
She closed the lid and placed the box in the safe, then removed what appeared to be a thick, lumpy roll of black fabric from her tote. She placed it beside the jewelry case without unrolling it, added her wallet, and closed the safe door. The tote now contained nothing but a few items of casual clothing, so she set it on the dressing table and went back into the large, tastefully decorated bedroom.
The walls were painted a soft, pastel yellow, with white trim, and white oak furniture. There were dark yellow touches here and there, just enough to give the room interest and, much to Nica’s relief, the only thing ‘floral’ was a delicate yellow vase filled with fragrant white roses on a dresser top. “This is a beautiful room, Bree.”
“Yes, it’s always been my favorite,” Br
ee said, looking around wistfully. “I decorated this room myself, actually. I don’t mean that I painted it of course, but I picked the colors, the furniture and fabrics, everything.”
“You did a really good job with it,” Nica said. “Did you do any other rooms?”
“No,” Bree replied. “Ian only let me do this one because someone got careless with the fireplace. This was the only room damaged, but it was a mess.”
“You need to get your brother to understand that you are not a little girl any more, Bree,” Nica said, irritated with Ian on his sister’s behalf. “You’re smart and talented and you have to have something constructive to do with your time.”
“I know, Nica,” Bree said with a frustrated sigh. “I’ve tried, believe me. It’s like talking to rock. If you can think of a way to convince him that I’m a trustworthy, competent adult, I’d be forever grateful. Just don’t hold your breath.”
“I’ll give it some thought,” Nica said, meaning it.
Bree smiled, and changed the subject. “Except for the staff, we have the house to ourselves now. Would you like to try taking that ring off?”
Nica looked up at Bree, then down at the floor as though the pattern on the pale yellow and white rug suddenly required her full attention. Bree waited, giving Nica time. It took a full minute for her to make up her mind.
“Yes, let’s try it.”
“Good,” Bree replied briskly, pretending not to notice how pale Nica had gotten. “Let’s go down and use Ian’s study.”
“Why not here?” Nica asked, not liking the idea of invading a room that belonged to Ian without his knowledge or permission.
“Because it’s soundproof,”” Bree said, already at the door. “Come on.”
Nica left the room with Bree, but she was still worried. “Will he be angry?”
“What he doesn’t know won’t get us yelled at,” Bree said, then laughed at the expression of shock on Nica’s face. “No, he won’t be angry,” she reassured Nica. “We’re not going to go through his desk or anything like that. We’re just going to sit on the floor for a while in a place where we can’t be heard.”
“All right,” Nica agreed. She followed Bree out of the room, down the stairs, and up a wide corridor to an intricately carved door of dark wood. Bree opened the door and stepped inside, then waited for Nica to follow. As soon as Nica was inside, Bree closed the door and turned the lock.
There were floor to ceiling windows at one end of the room, covered with draperies that were now closed, leaving the room dim, but not dark. A large desk took up the opposite end of the study, but the real focal point was a massive brick fireplace in the center of one wall. A pair of high backed chairs sat before it, and a black lacquer table holding a chess board with black and white pieces was set between them.
Bree walked around the chairs and lowered herself to the floor on a thick hearth rug in front of the cold fireplace. “If you scream before I can get the ring back on your finger, no one outside of this room will be able to hear.” Nica nodded and sat down in front of Bree, close enough that their knees touched.
“Are you ready?” Bree asked, her voice trembling just enough to betray her sudden nervousness.
“Yes,” Nica said. “You?”
“I think so,” Bree replied.
“I’m sorry this is so difficult for you,” Nica said. “Just keep in mind that I probably won’t remember it afterward.”
“None of it?” Bree asked, then shrugged. “I know you’ve told me all this before, but I can’t seem to help asking.”
“I understand, Bree,” Nica replied. “I know intellectually what I’ll see, but I won’t remember it.”
“If you’re so sure it won’t work, why are trying this?”
“Because I don’t want to be tied to this ring for the rest of my life.”
“Good reason,” Bree said.
“Okay, let’s do this,” Nica said placing her hands in Bree’s. She closed her eyes and relaxed, trying not to anticipate whatever was to come. She felt Bree grasp the ring and gently slide it off of her finger, past the first knuckle, then to the second, the warm metal barely touching her as Bree paused to take a deep breath. She had to fight the instinct to snatch her hand back, or to clench her fist, anything to keep the ring from leaving her hand. She concentrated harder on the feel of the ring at the end of her fingertip, and then the ring was gone, and the world fell away.
Bree held Nica’s wrist firmly in one hand, the ring poised just beyond the end of her forefinger with the other, ready to slide it back on. She counted off the seconds to herself, reaching ten just as Nica’s breathing changed to short, tension filled pants. Bree had seen this twice before and knew that in just a few more seconds, Nica would start to scream and she wouldn’t stop until the ring was back on her finger. Without waiting for that to happen, Bree shoved the ring back into place, then froze, holding her breath while she waited. When Nica’s eyes opened a few moments later she looked confused. Bree let her breath out and relaxed.
“It’s over,” she whispered. Nica nodded, then turned her wrist slightly. Bree released her and sat back. “Do you remember anything?”
Nica shook her head. “I remember closing my eyes, and feeling you take the ring off, then opening them. Nothing in between. How long did it take?”
“About as long as it just took you to describe what you remember,” Bree said. “I’m sorry Nica.”
“It’s not your fault, Bree. Thank you for helping me try.”
“You’re welcome, I guess,” Bree replied. “Are you all right?”
“Yeah, but I have another headache.”
“I don’t remember you having so many headaches when we were in school. Is this usual?”
“No,” Nica said. “I almost never get headaches, and never this bad.”
“Maybe you should see a med-tech.”
“I’m just a little stressed is all, don’t worry about it,” Nica said, pushing herself to her feet. “I’ll take some of Nance’s magic potion and lie down for a little while.”
“But I was going to teach you some pattern dances,” Bree said with obvious disappointment.
“I thought Ian was going to call in a dance instructor.”
“He did, but he won’t be here until tomorrow and I wanted you to know at least one dance for tonight.”
“I’m sorry,” Nica said. “But if I rest a bit now, I’m sure I’ll be perfectly fine in time for the ball tonight.”
Bree’s eyes widened. She hadn’t considered that. “I’ll go get Nance myself. You just go straight up to bed,” she said, leaping to her feet.
Nica smiled. “Don’t worry, Bree. Headache or not, I’ll go with you tonight. I couldn’t bear to see you disappointed again.”
“You’re the best, Nica,” Bree said, giving Nica a quick hug. “But what kind of friend would I be if I let you go out when you don’t feel well, just for me.”
“Well, let’s not worry about it now,” Nica said. “I’m sure Nance’s remedy will work just as it did last night, and my headache isn’t nearly as bad this time.”
**
It was early afternoon before Nica’s headache retreated, but half an hour later she could feel it starting to return when Bree insisted on explaining, in detail, the common rituals, rules, and behaviors expected of guests at formal balls on Apedra. It had been Ian’s idea, though both women had misunderstood his true meaning the day before. Luckily, he’d rephrased it to Bree before his departure that morning.
Nica agreed that it was information she needed to know. Social customs differed from culture to culture, world to world, and it was all too easy to unknowingly cause great insult to one’s hosts. Unfortunately, Bree began talking the moment she left her room, continued through an early dinner, and stopped only when they parted to dress for the ball. Nica had no doubt that her friend would pick up where she’d left off the moment they were in the carriage, and she was right.
It wasn’t until they were standing in the
receiving line that Nica truly appreciated Bree’s attention to detail. For some reason she hadn’t worried about such things when Ian had been with them the night before. Now she felt exposed. Vulnerable, almost. When she felt like that, arming herself with knowledge was usually the best remedy. She already had a growing list of questions and they’d barely gotten through the front door.
She’d never seen a house so blatantly ostentatious in her life. There was white marble, black marble, glass, and glittering gold leaf on every stick of furniture, every molding, every door…well, just about everywhere she looked. The chandelier in the foyer was so big it nearly covered the entire ceiling, and was so bright that it made her eyes water. Once they got past the foyer she turned toward Bree to ask a question and saw that her friend was nervous. Unfortunately, there were far too many people close enough to hear anything she might say, so she settled for slipping her hand into Bree’s and giving it a gentle squeeze as the line slowly moved closer and closer to their hosts. Bree responded with a grateful squeeze of her own, and a few moments later it was their turn.
Nica's Legacy (Hearts of ICARUS Book 1) Page 12