He still makes me nervous in all the best ways, butterflies dancing around my heart like being hit with a fairy-tale wish.
My showers are concerts now, with candles flickering against the tiles while I serenade the room.
He’s a soft bed at night, a shot of Jaeger on opening night, my favorite song on repeat.
It’s too much. It’s not enough. It’s every fantasy brought to life.
SAY YES AGAIN
LINCOLN
MUCH LATER (until forever)
I swear London wasn’t half as cold as this when I left. Thankfully, I have the most delicious body heater with me.
It’s been years since I’ve woken up alone in a bed, and as usual, Ivy is curled tightly around me, her breathing slow and deep. Curls fan out around her head like a shield, as soft and wild as she is. I bury my nose in them, drinking my fill of the rose and citrus scent I’ve been addicted to since I met her.
I still remember her in that red dress, cut deathly low, her beautiful skin singing out to be devoured.
Fuck, I love this woman.
We’re only here for a few days. It’s not as long as most of our trips, but Ivy insisted we make time, since Mum will only turn seventy once.
Reed and Felicity and Darcy are here, which means the trip is planned down to the second, and any time I’m not taking the piss out of Reed for his ridiculous clothing choices, Darcy is capturing it on film so we can rib him about them later.
I’m kissing my way along Ivy’s shoulders as she wriggles awake. “Morning,” she says, voice thick with sleep. With her head still tucked safely against my chest, there’s no doubt she hears how my heart beats faster for her.
It’s rare for me to wake before her, a sign she’s been working too hard lately, but it’s worth it to have the chance to watch her blink those beautiful brown eyes open, shining back at me with a depth of feeling that still rocks me to my core.
“Good morning, gorgeous.”
I slide my hand under her shirt, enjoying the feel of her soft skin, until Ivy’s soft smile is shining back at me.
“How do you manage to get more beautiful every day?” I ask, cupping her cheek. “If you keep taking my breath away like this, I’m going to need to see a doctor.”
“Good idea,” she says, her eyes not leaving mine as she turns to kiss my palm. “You can ask why your hands are always so cold.”
“You love my hands.”
Her eyes sparkle with mischief before she’s taking my hand and turning it. My dick wakes up the instant she sucks on my index finger.
A quick look at the cheap plastic clock on the hotel side table informs me we have to be at breakfast in twenty minutes if we want to keep with Reed’s schedule.
Which I absolutely don’t plan on doing.
I brush my thumb across the tender skin under her eyes, where stress has been camping out for weeks.
In the years since she started working for my sister, the business has flourished in ways none of us could have expected. One offhanded suggestion from Ivy became her passion project, working with Felicity and the local shelters she paired with to provide training and job opportunities within the office and the factory.
She even engineered a positive hit piece about the company, highlighting the great working conditions and benefits, along with a personal challenge for their competition to do better.
Darcy says her candidness has made her a favorite in the company. I don’t doubt it. I can’t imagine any good person Ivy couldn’t charm.
As her phone alarm beeps— it’s honestly adorable how accommodating she is to Reed’s absurd organizing— Ivy pulls away with a long-suffering sigh. No doubt rethinking how far her budding friendship with my brother extends.
Silencing her phone, she buries her face in her pillow and mumbles something I don’t catch. Since Mum moved back to London, we’ve made visiting a habit, but the jet lag bowls Ivy over each time.
Plastering myself to her back, I begin to suck a fresh mark on her neck to replace the one that is slowly fading, groaning when she pushes back against my morning arousal.
