Chapter 45 Chapter 45 The Fortress
Three days of beach, theme parks and meals. I slept alone fighting the urge to call Nick into my room. I spent all that time covered up, even at the beach, so much for working on a tan.
Ivan sent me his address and holy fucking shit. We are driving in the middle of nowhere, the walls are at least twelve feet, they look solid and spikes cover the top. We passed one gate already, the security guy told me there are two more. The grounds are littered with security personnel. The house comes into view as we pass the last gate. It's not a house, it's a hotel. Three stories, modern build, palm trees everywhere and wild flowers. There are other buildings, one looks like a garage and a few others.
Then I spot him as we pull into the circular driveway. Ivan is leaned on the massive front doors. Black suit, his tie is loose, top buttons of his dress shirt undone. Cigarette in his hand, blowing smoke out, half grin on his face. He is so devastatingly handsome, it's not even fair. My body breaks out in goosebumps, Gemma giggles next to me. "Does that happen often?"
I rub my arm and pull my sweatshirt sleeve down.
We park one by one, exiting the cars and grabbing our bags. Ivan puts his cigarette out on his hand and sticks it in his pocket. His eyes meet mine, he is looking me over, I can see his jaw tighten. He walks down the stairs and pushes past everyone until he reaches me. Ivan kisses each side of my face, his hand moves over the back of my sweatshirt until it finds skin. I melt into his warm touch. He smells amazing, I take a deep breath, leather, citrus and tobacco.
"What happened?" he ask his voice hits a low I have never heard him use.
"Nothing. It's fine. I'm sorry, I should have changed before we came!"
Ivan grabs my chin and makes me look up at him. "What did I say about apologizing?" he isn't asking me really."Introduce me to your friends!"
He turns and stands next to me, his hand not leaving my lower back. "This is Ivan!" I tell everyone and then go down the line introducing everyone to him. He doesn't move, doesn't shake anyone's hand, doesn't say a word, his face stone cold as he asses them all. His eyes linger on Marcus until he sees him hold Tish's hand. Then Vince, they look at each other like there is some sort of understanding between them.
The doors slide open and another man in a suit appears. "I am the butler, my name is Henry. Welcome in, I will show you to your rooms."
Ivan grabs my bag. "You are staying with me, unless you want your own room."
"That sounds good to me."
He smiles as he leads me inside. Henry is walking my friends up the stairs, Ivan and I take the elevator. Everything is white, the floor, the walls. The foyer is giant, double staircase leads to the second floor but it stops there. I am taking a wild guess that only the elevator reaches the third floor. The house is also full of armed guards and other staff, he is guarded better than most royalty.
"So...what happened?" he says as the elevator doors close.
"I got into it with one of the girlfriends...the tall blonde one." I say because she is the tallest of all the girls.
"About?"
"Her cheating boyfriend."
"The friend with benefits!" his laugh comes out cold. "He looks like he has been crying for days...you told him!"
I look at Ivan in disbelief. "You told him" how does he know...does he know what I am talking about?
"I know!" he says softly but doesn't reach out to me.
The silence is heavy between us until the elevator door opens. A long hallway stretches all the way down to the other end of the house. We walk through black double doors, his bedroom is all black for the exception of the wall facing the sea, that is all glass. His bed is in the middle of the room. More double doors on each side of the room. He points and tells me one side is the bathroom the other the closet. Other than his bed, the only other piece of furniture is a large lounge chair.
"Will you do me a huge favor?" he asks and I raise my eyebrows at him. He smiles, his first honest smile today.
"Can you please teach Marta how to make the meatball soup?" he pauses."But you have to wear this!"
I laugh as he hands me a garment bag, he is helping me unpack and we are in the closet. I open the bag and it's the same dress I had on but bigger. I take my sweats off and he turns away from me like he hasn't seen me naked before.
"I want you in some jeans!" I request and he scoffs but changes anyway.
He slips some light blue jeans on and a white button up, it has a single rose embroidered by the last button on the bottom. Ivan slides his gun in the back of his jeans.
"The safety is on. I am not trying to shoot my ass." he laughs.
"You don't have enough armed guards?"
"The gun is an extension of my body like one of my fingers." he says matter of fact like.
"I've never had a finger like that inside me." I try to joke.
Ivan takes a step away from me, his face turning ice cold once more.
"You have never fucked a girl with your gun?" I am crossing a weird kink line I am not sure I want to cross.
He moves closer. "I would never disrespect your body like that!"
"What if I ask you to disrespect me? What if I like pain? Why did you ask me to come here?"
Ivan takes a deep breath in and releases it in a sigh. "Why did you come?"
"Don't answer me with a question!" I say setting down the rest of my clothes on the empty side of the closet.
"I will tell you when I know you are not going to run away from me again."
"I didn't run from you.......I ran from my feelings!"
He walks around me and turns when he reaches the door. "The kitchen is the right of the elevator. I will see you down there!"
Ivan doesn't say another word. What have I done? I told him a truth and he ignored it. Idiot, idiot!!!