Chapter 15 Kiera
KIERA
The living room was cold after Dom left, Leo following shortly after her. She’d given my arm a reassuring squeeze before she chased after our brooding host.
The fireplace fought back the fall chill well enough, but it was no match for the frost the ice queen left in her wake. I curled in on myself, hugging my knees against my chest to protect from frostbite.
Spencer leaned over and whispered in my ear, “Don’t worry, Bunny. She’ll get over it. She just hates change.”
“Right.” I nodded.
The truth was, I’d met plenty of people like Dom, and it wouldn’t be long before I outstayed my welcome in her mansion. When I did, I needed to have somewhere to go.
My chest ached at the thought, not knowing where to even begin.
As Spencer moved to place a new log on the fire, I shook my head. Dom wasn’t all that different from Gabe, was she? She was rude and abrasive — at times, straight up cruel.
She was unforgiving of my circumstances, unwilling to compromise.
Although she seems to have compromised by letting me stay.
And whatever wall she had up wasn’t about demeaning me or holding me close just to rip my heart out. No, she was pushing me away. She wanted me as far away from her and this house as possible.
Why doesn’t she want me around?
A warm hand on my shoulder shook me out of my haze. “What do you think about a house tour?”
There was a time, before my dad passed and my mother squandered all of our money, that my father would bring us to places like this for the summer. We’d rent them out or stay with family friends.
Before he died, I’d gotten to see a lot of the world. Dozens of yachts, mansions, hotels. We’d lived like kings.
Until…
I hadn’t gotten to admire some old architecture in awhile.
Not wanting to sound too eager at Spencer’s suggestion, I shrugged. “Sure.”
Wrapping her arm around my shoulders, Spencer guided me through the first floor. Her touch was warm, gentle but assured, holding me close like she’d known me for years. I should’ve shirked away, should have pushed her off. But it was a comfort, albeit a strange one.
I’d seen a lot of the house by now, the kitchen, living room, dining room. But beyond the rooms they used everyday, there were dozens of others.
Spencer led me down each of the hallways I was allowed in. Each room looked like it had been renovated in the last five years, fresh paint and modern furniture complimenting the English manor style of the mansion’s bones. Still, most of them were basically empty of furniture.
“Come on, Bunny, this one’s my favorite.” Spencer guided me down a long hallway to the doorway at the very back.
Following her lead, I rolled my eyes at the nickname. “What’s up with that?”
“With what?” Spencer looked over her shoulder as she reached for the knob. “Oh, the name? You’re my little bike bunny.”
“And what exactly does that mean?” Lifting one of my brows, I kept my skepticism clear.
With a lick of her lips, Spencer laughed. “Well, when you ride on the back of a motorcycle, you’re a backpack. But if you jump from biker to biker, you’re a bike bunny. And you’re mine. One I’ll always have back on my ride.”
Laughing, I crossed my arms. “Who said I was going to ride that death trap again?”
“The way your heart was pounding with adrenaline after. The way you were eyeing that Ducati.” Stepping closer, Spencer turned the door knob and pushed it open. “But don’t worry, I don’t mind you looking at other bikes.”
The light of the closed off room was enough to blind me as Spencer threw the door open. Inside was a gorgeous room, covered in windows. At the end of the hallway, it was bathed in light, unobstructed by the rest of the building.
“Jesus.” I gasped at the room. It was sprawling, bathed in light. The modern furniture was covered in white sheets, keeping the gathering dust at bay.
“Right?” Stepping inside, Spencer let out a sigh. “I’ve been begging Dom to let me have it for years. Ever since she finished the renovation in here. Come look at the bathroom.”
She grabbed my hand and pulled me further in.
Her hands were big, long slender fingers wrapping around it easily.
There was something safe about the familiarity, like we’d done this a hundred times.
I stopped in my tracks as we entered the bathroom.
Gleaming white tiles lined the walls, a multi-paned glass panel with black lines separating each piece of glass.
Two showerheads, two vanities. It was stunning.
“Why won’t she let you have it? It’s just collecting dust back here.” But that tracked for Dom, more willing to let it rot than let someone else have it.
Leaning against the walnut, wood vanity, Spencer shrugged. “She’s convinced I’m a frat boy who’s going to leave it a mess. But the jokes on her, I was a sorority girl with the cleanest room in the house.”
“Is that so?” I raised an eyebrow. A laugh almost escaped my throat at the thought of Spencer in those videos of sorority girls in white dresses on rush week.
She pushed off the counter as she guided me out of the room. “Yep, but don’t get it twisted, it was a very gay sorority. I was not the only masc lesbian there.”
As we left the beautiful room and walked back down the hallway, back toward the kitchen, I laughed. “Is that where you met Dom?”
“Not quite, that’s a story for another day.” Spencer winked as we walked.
“Come on, you have to tell me something about your history.” Looking into her dark eyes, I decided to try my luck down a different path. “What about Leo? How is she a doctor already? And where did that medic bag come from?”
A huge smirk took over Spencer’s face. “Well, technically that’s Major Leona Callahan, M.D.”
“No way!” My jaw dropped as I realized her military affect was more than just a look.
“Yeah, she enlisted young, used the Army to get a degree and advanced schooling. Then she left and came to us.” Spencer moved ahead of me, signalling the end to my Q an old servants quarters that had been turned into a massive supply closet; kitchenettes on each floor; and of course a quick peek into the library.
Clearing her throat, Spencer looked down at her feet. “So, I’m not sure how much you heard. But when we leave the house, you’re going to have to be locked in your room until we get home.”
“Yeah, I heard.” I rolled my eyes. “But why exactly? Not like I’m gonna throw ragers while you’re gone.”
With a shrug, Spencer let out a sigh. “I’m not sure, but Dom has rules. She always has, but yours are a bit more strict than ours. We’ll work on loosening them soon, but for now, let’s play along.”
Wrapping a long, strong arm around me, Spencer pulled me closer. “But don’t worry, between the three of us, you shouldn’t be stuck in there much. And you’ve got an en-suite bathroom, so you should be fine.”
My stomach twisted at her touch, but the thought of being alone in this house with Leo and Spencer made it do cartwheels. I had no idea how to interpret the sudden nerves. It had probably just been a while since I made a new friend.
Regardless, I wanted to get to know them better, especially if we were going to be living together.
But the idea of spending time here with Dom made bile rise in my throat. Given how averse to me she was, I doubted that would happen often if at all.
All I could do was pray that would be true.
“Hope you don’t mind being my little prisoner.” Spencer licked her lips as her eyes glided down my body.
I nearly choked, completely caught off guard by the boldness of her joke. I’d hardly known the woman for twenty-four hours, and frankly, it was a little too close to reality for comfort.
But if I didn’t like it, then why was my heart racing?
A ding from Spencer’s phone saved me from having to answer that. She pulled open the text and read it quickly before shoving it back into her pocket, leaving me without an opportunity to look over her shoulder.
With a heavy sigh, Spencer pulled me in tighter. “Looks like I have to take off. And Leo and Dom are already gone.”
She stopped us in our tracks. “Which means you’ve gotta go to your room.”