Shattered Valor (21 page)

“Great,” Val acknowledged Ty’s acceptance of the situation. “You can thank me later.”

“Oh, you know we’ll have a convo later.” He took a full swallow of his red wine, then shifted his attention to his dinner. He’d shredded his steak. It was spread about his plate looking gray and dry, sitting in a pool of blood. All in all, about as appetizing as a fresh hairball.

Just fucking peachy
, he silently cursed. He ventured a look at Eden. The others were talking, but he didn’t care. They might have even been talking to him, but he was fucking checked-out. They’d figure that out soon enough. If Eden looked at him with those smoky eyes full of mystery and softness, he couldn’t be held accountable for what he might do.

After supper, the girls went into Eden’s room. Eden’s bags and boxes were piled on the bed and the floor. She thought about Ty’s grim expression at supper. She couldn’t remember agreeing to half the purchases that Val had made. When she’d tried to dissuade him from buying some of the things, he overrode her concerns, saying,
“It isn’t an issue. You
need
this.”
Or,
“Trust me, you’ll drive your man insane with that.”

“I feel terrible, you guys.” Eden sent Mandy a worried look.

“Why?”

“This is so overboard.”

“No, it’s not.”

“You saw Ty’s face tonight. He was mad.”

“Guys are complicated,” Mandy said.

“I think he’s jealous,” Fee commented, looking at them from behind the pile of shopping bags on the bed.

“Why?”

“Oh, Eden! What a pumpkin you are. You spent an entire day with the gorgeous Val Parker. Trying on clothes. Modeling them for him. It’s eating Ty alive. And he knows Val bought these for you.”

Eden sat on the arm of Mandy’s chair. “Oh, God. That’s not all we did.”

Mandy and Fee exchanged a look. “What else did you do?”

“We got mani-pedis and our hair done.” She looked at the two women. “And waxes.”

“Waxes? Plural? He was waxed?” Fee’s eyes widened.

Eden nodded. “Everywhere. From his neck to his toes.”

Mandy started laughing.

“And because he was guarding me, we were in the same room.”

“He saw you naked?” Fee’s eyes were like dinner plates.

“Well, I figured after what happened at Victoria’s Secret, what difference could it make?”

“What happened there?” Mandy asked.

“He helped me find the perfect fitting bras and their matching panties. I’ve never had fussy bras, ones that weren’t sports bras that fit so comfortably. You should absolutely take him with you the next time you buy underwear.”

“Oh, no,” Mandy whispered. She took Eden’s hand. “That’s what Ty’s upset about. He knows Val, knows he’d finagle himself into your dressing room. Fee’s right.”

Fee laughed and clapped her hands. “Show us what you’re going to wear tonight. With all these things, I know Val has to have selected some sexy sleepwear for you.”

Eden’s face turned red. “I’m sleeping in here. Alone. I hardly need anything sexy.”

“Whatever, Eden. How can you know less about men than I do?” Fee scolded. “Ty’s going to attack you tonight.”

Eden wrapped her hands around her waist as a wave of anticipation washed through her. “I don’t feel well. I can’t do this.”

“Why not?” Mandy asked.

“He looked so angry at dinner.”

They spent the next hour opening bags and boxes, exclaiming over the contents. Laughing and giggling and teasing each other. Eden paused at one point and looked at the other two women, feeling a kinship with them that she hadn’t felt since leaving Sherri and Trudy when she moved west.

“Oh, what I would give to go shopping with Val,” Fee sighed.

“We can make that happen, baby girl,” Val’s deep voice answered from the doorway. She yelped and hid the teddy she’d been holding up to herself. “I’ll take you when you come of age.”

“No,” came Kelan’s terse response as he moved into the room. “Unless you have a death wish.”

Val slowly grinned. “What kind of death did you have in mind, K?”

“A quiet and permanent kind, preferably,” Rocco answered as he pushed past the two men. He looked at Eden and Fee, then at Mandy. “Ready for bed?” he asked her, just a hint of a grin on his face.

Mandy stood up. “I am. I’m exhausted.” She hugged Eden. “Have fun tonight. Above all else, have fun.” She left with Rocco.

Fee stood up and stretched. “I’m turning in, too. Night, everyone.”

Kelan nodded at her. “Good night, Fiona.” He nodded at Eden as well, then took his leave.

Eden frowned as she looked at Val’s face. One of his eyes was red and discolored. “What happened?” she asked, nodding at his eye.

“This?” He pointed to his eye. “Nothing. Blade just thanked me for his gift.” He grinned at her. “Want me to pick your outfit for tonight?”

“No. I don’t.” She took hold of his big arm and steered him toward the door. “Besides, Ty’s not even going to come up here tonight.”

“He moved into the room next to you while we were out. He’ll come by.” He paused and looked down at her. “I hope you had fun today.”

“I did. I didn’t expect to, but I did. Thank you for everything. You’re like a fairy godmother.” She stretched up to kiss his cheek.

He cupped her chin and stroked his thumb across her cheek. “You’re very welcome.” He walked through the door, but looked back at her. “And for the record, that’s fairy godbrother to you.”

She laughed and closed the door. Turning toward the room, she panicked. Her new things were spread everywhere, hanging off every surface. There was no time to put them away. She had to get ready for Ty. She scrambled around the room, shoving things into bags. She picked out the babydoll she wanted to wear and went to take a shower.

Ty wiped a towel over his hair. He’d showered, shaved, brushed his teeth, and now paced his room. He’d moved his things up here after listening to Val’s shopping spree with Eden that afternoon. It was time he staked his claim. The guys were far too free with their eyes and touches. He hadn’t missed the way Angel stroked Eden’s cheek in the game room last night. And he’d caught Val coming out of Eden’s room earlier. She’d kissed him.
Kissed
him.

Val had done things with Eden today that Ty hadn’t, like make her laugh, make her eyes shine with joy. Give instead of take.

He took another turn about the room. Maybe it had been a mistake moving up here. From the looks of how things were between Eden and the guys, she hadn’t settled on anyone in particular. Maybe she would shut him down. She would anyway when the truth about him came out.

No. She was his, dammit. He was the one who’d made love to her. He was the one who’d given her ecstasy.

He tossed his towel aside and went into the hall. He tapped on Eden’s bedroom door. There was no answer. He wondered if she was with someone. He’d be goddamned if he’d roll over and let another man have her—at least, not without a fight. He turned the knob and opened the door. The bed was empty. And still made.

Light from the bathroom speared into the quiet darkness of the room, leading his gaze straight to the woman standing at the sink. Eden. She was brushing her hair, fluffing it into little spikes at the base of her neck.

Through the crack in the door, he could see that she wore the skimpiest mini-dress he’d ever seen. It was little more than a sheer panel of fabric attached to the bottom of a lacy bra. Her panties were non-existent. No. Not true. She wore a thong. The ensemble was a salmon color that complimented her light olive complexion and made her bare skin glow.

He eased the door open more and leaned against the doorjamb. She glanced over at him, turning slightly to face him. He looked into her eyes, but did not dwell there long. Her gaze, soft and inviting, made his nerves hum.

He let his eyes rove from her cheek to her jaw, down her neck to the deep, plunging valley between her breasts. Holy hell. Where had those breasts come from? She managed to camouflage them in the tees she usually wore. Now they formed soft mounds behind the cups of her bra. He remembered their interlude in Cheyenne. He’d held those breasts, sucked them. He wanted to again.

The sheer panels parted slightly around her navel. His gaze consumed that thin column of flesh, stopping at the pink triangle of fabric covering her femininity and the modified Brazilian Val had gotten her.

Her legs were bare. She had long, lean, smooth thighs. He couldn’t help but think what they would feel like wrapped around his face. His gaze slowly reversed direction until he met her eyes again.

Neither of them spoke. Which guy was she dressing for? Who the fuck was she giving herself to?

He moved away, walking out of her room and back to his. It had to be that she was going to one of the team. One of his brothers. It was better this way. Safer for her. It would spare her getting caught in the tangle of his sordid past.

A dull throbbing started in his temples. He ground his teeth. His hands tightened and flexed of their own momentum. She’d chosen another. And he was just going to have to fucking take it. He’d thought he’d fight for her, but he couldn’t. Not when any of them would be a better choice for her than he was.

Smart, smart girl.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Ty drew a long breath, filling his lungs, sucking in air until his lungs pushed against his ribs. He didn’t release the giant breath until the pain of holding it made his brain scream for oxygen.

Eden came into his room. He heard the faint rustling of air, smelled the sweet, scent of her. Like junipers and wind. Don’t turn around. Sweet Jesus, don’t turn and look at her.

She spoke just as the breath wooshed out of him. He missed whatever she’d said. He drew another through clenched teeth. She touched his arm, her fingers like ice.

“Hi.” She looked up at him.

He exhaled. “What?”

“I said, ‘Hi’.”

His gaze flicked over the lacy getup she wore. “Who are you dressing for?” He could barely do more than growl the question.

“You.”

He shut his eyes, unable to face her when she cut him off at the knees with her answer.
Wait
. She was accepting him? Giving herself to him? He looked at her, certain at any moment she’d laugh and dance away, twirling around as she asked him how she looked before heading off to her lover.

“That so?” he asked. Her gaze was tense but unblinking. “Then kiss me.”

She moved in front of him and placed her hands on his chest, watching him all the while. Her palms were cold against the rage burning his skin. She stroked upward, circling her arms around his neck, drawing the soft silk of her top against his bare chest as she stood on her tippy-toes. All of her was like ice. From fear? Of him?

He bent his head, anxious to feel the press of her lips. When her mouth touched his, he couldn’t suppress his shudder. The contact was as pleasing and unsatisfying as a feather stroking his cock. She pulled back, looking up at him nervously. He hooked an arm behind her shoulder, shoving his fingers into her short hair as he brought her mouth back to his. His hand gripped her skull, holding her just how he wanted her. His other hand eased down the soft skin of her back to palm the thin strap of her thong and from there the small, delicious mounds of her ass.

He slanted his lips against hers. Her mouth opened beneath his as she offered herself to him. His tongue swept along her lower lip, then stroked over her teeth to find her tongue. Here she was warm. Hot, in fact.

He broke the kiss to look down at her, torn between wanting to wrap her in the quilt from his bed and cuddle her or tie her to the posts of his bed and devour her.

Instead, he did neither. He left her in the middle of the room as he went to shut and lock the hallway door. There was a tray of decorative candles on the table between two wingback chairs, one of the many decorative touches his father’s designer had left in the different rooms. They’d never been lit before. He found some matches in his nightstand and lit the thick pillars, filling the room with a warm, soft light.

He sat in one of the chairs, spreading his thighs as wide as the chair’s arms would allow, and regarded Eden. She clasped her hands in front of her. That filmy mini-dress ended just shy of the top of her thighs. She wore the most impractical white slippers. Some type of downy fur made fuzzy, white strips across her toes. They were sexy and so incongruent with her no-muss no-fuss personality. He imagined the argument she’d given Val over their purchase.

God, she was hot.

Eden held her chin high as Ty slowly looked her over. He was like a kid with chocolate bunny, trying to figure out where to take the first bite.

He wore no shirt, just his jeans. His feet were bare. His hair uncombed. He had almost no chest hair. No ink distracted from the heavy slabs of muscle that rippled across his chest and down his abdomen. His jeans were tight over the bulge in his crotch and the taut muscles of his thighs.

“Val picked out that outfit, didn’t he?” Ty asked, breaking the silence. The heat in his gaze battled her icy nerves. Beneath his perusal, she felt like a mountain river thawing in the hot, spring sun.