Winter's Touch
Page 28

“I have to admit, I’ve never had an investment pay off so fast.”
The two men left her alone to get dressed, and when she came out through the door, Viper was waiting for her.
He took her arm as they left the office. “You okay? You look a little shocked.”
“I’m fine.” She placed her hand on her stomach. “I’ve been pregnant four months.”
“Yes, you have.” Now that his own shock was over, Viper had a confident swagger that she found endearing. “You want to go get something to eat?”
“No, I’m goo—”
“Mrs. James?”
Both Winter and Viper stopped as a young woman called her name.
“Hi, Megan. How are you doing?” Winter saw Megan had lost the glow she had when she last saw her.
“I’m good. Getting fat.” She patted her growing belly, staring at Viper with envy in her eyes. “Is he who you’re married to?” she asked unabashedly.
“Yes. Viper, this is a former student of mine, Megan… Dawkins.” It still made her sick to think that Curt had married the girl.
Viper held his hand out for Megan to shake. She blushed when he stared down at her.
“Were you in Dr. Price’s office?” she asked nosily, when Viper took his hand back.
As they were outside his office, it was impossible to deny where they were coming from. All the Last Riders and Aunt Shay knew she was expecting, so she saw no reason not to tell her.
“Yes. We’re having a baby.” Winter clutched Viper arm, who would have passed the inquisitive teenager without talking.
“Congratulations. When are you due?”
“November 3. When are you due?” Winter tried to inject a spark of enthusiasm for Megan becoming a mother, hiding her anger that her husband should be in jail instead of being legally able to share her bed.
“December 7th. Dr. Price is your doctor, too?”
“Yes. It’s good seeing you again. We’re just going to get some lunch.”
Winter felt Megan staring at them as Viper held the truck door open, gripping her around her waist to lift her onto the truck seat.
He climbed in the front seat, saying, “Well, that was awkward.”
“Yes, it was. I should have asked how Curt was doing, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it.”
She saw he missed the turn to Aunt Shay’s house. “Where are we going?”
“I thought you might want to get your car. Rider texted me that it was done when you were getting dressed.”
“Thank God! I hate everyone having to lift me up like I’m a bag of flour.”
She stared out her window, making sure none of the deer were by the road as they neared the clubhouse.
“What are you staring at?”
“I don’t want a… deer…” Winter’s mouth fell open as Viper pulled into the factory’s parking lot. She didn’t even look away until he opened the truck door. She saw all the Last Riders sitting in the side yard; all of them were watching her reaction.
Wonderingly, her eyes met his as he set her gently down on her feet. “When did you do this?”
“We started the night we thought Aunt Shay had a heart attack.”
She moved to the side so she could see it better. “Who’s it for?” Her voice was barely audible.
“You. I was tired of waiting for you and Aunt Shay to make up your minds, so I took matters into my own hands.” He took her hand. “Come look at your new home.”
The Last Riders had cleared off the land on the opposite side of the factory and the clubhouse to build a two-story house. Viper had even put up a white picket fence.
“I finally convinced Drake to sell me that property at Christmas,” her husband confessed, as he led her up the path identical to the one at the clubhouse.
She stepped into her new kitchen, stunned by how beautiful it was. The cabinets were white, and there was a huge double oven. She ran her hand along the surface of the gray marble-top counters. There was also a large table, and as she grew closer, she saw it looked like cracked glass.
The living room was next to the kitchen, but unlike the clubhouse, it was an open concept, so she would be able to talk to Viper as she cooked dinner. She ran her hand along the soft gray leather sofa with white pillows. It looked big enough to hold ten people.
“The Last Riders are not allowed to fuck on my couch,” she warned.
“I’ve already threatened them,” Viper assured her.
Turning, she went to the banister that led upstairs. The black stairway led to a large room with three single doors and one doorway that had a double door. The big room was meant to be a family room where children could play, and she and Viper could watch television. In fact, the television was enormous; she hadn’t even known they were made that big.
“Is that a soda fountain?” she asked, seeing it, a mini-fridge, and a coffee pot on the wall counter.
“Yes. It’s for when you girls all want to have a movie night or an all-night drinking party.”
“Or game nights.” She rolled her eyes at his explanation. She would never get the men out of here. “Do all those have beer on tap?”
Viper pulled her hand. “We’ll get rid of it when the baby gets big enough to climb. Let’s look at the bedroom. The walls are all white except for the master bedroom. I thought you would want to put your touch up here.”
Viper guided her through the three bedrooms before he opened the double doors of the master bedroom. The bed was a king, and it still only took up a fourth of the room. There were chairs that were set facing the road and the mountains above. She went to the bathroom, which was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. The black and grey bathroom was almost the same size as the bedroom. It was no spa retreat; it was an attack on the senses, from the two rainfall showerheads to the sleek style of the double sinks. It was everything she could have wished for.
“It’s beautiful. I don’t know what else to say.”
“Does it beat Shade’s?”
“Yes. It looks like it belongs in a magazine.”
“Sasha designed it.” Viper’s grin filled his whole face.
“She did the whole house?” Winter had seen decorating shows on television that couldn’t compare to what she was staring at in shock. Sasha had combined her and Viper’s tastes into one that would work for both of them. It wasn’t too feminine or masculine, using neutral colors, and soft fabrics.
“Yes.” His grin disappeared, waiting to see her reaction.
“It even has a tub. I just can’t believe it. It’s like a dream, and you’re going to wake me up. She did a gorgeous job.” Winter threw herself in Viper’s arms. “I can’t believe you did this for me.”
“The men worked all morning to install that tub. It even has jets. The bathroom had a vanity, but when you said you loved a bath, I wanted you to have it.”
“I bet the men were upset about having to change it.” The tub could fit four people.
“Rider cried.”
Winter laughed so hard she cried.
“You haven’t seen the best yet.” He led her down the steps that ran past a small hall on the other side of the kitchen, where there were two doors, one with frosted glass that had Laundry painted on the door.