“Damn hockey players. I think I can handle it from here, but we’ll see.”
She hurried into the shower. Gabe rifled through her bag, set out some clothes for her, then hung them on the bathroom door.
Five minutes later, Ivy came out with kissable light pink gloss on her lips, a swash of blush on her cheeks and mascara on her eyes. The deep purple shirt brought out her warm eyes.
“Do I look okay?”
“You look great. I’m going to shower. Do you want me to see if the kitchen is open?”
“Not until I know if I have to go or if I can stay here.”
Gabe kissed her, whispering into her ear. “I hope you stay.”
“Me too.”
Ivy took a deep breath and marched over to the table. She was so gorgeous as she threw her shoulders back and stared straight into the camera for her face time call. She looked professional and sexy and in control.
But in the bedroom, I’m in control.The thought jarred him. In the shower, he quickly washed up and let the water pour over him. The last few weeks without Ivy had been hell. But also peaceful because he hadn’t taken his father’s calls, he didn’t care where his brother was, though Xander was looking for him, and as much as he hated to admit it, the sessions with Dr. Laktur made his head clearer.
But he knew what he wanted, and it was Ivy. She was strong, intelligent, capable and fully his. And when she came home from a long day at work, kicked off her heels and knelt for him, it was so incredibly sexy and heady and intoxicating because her surrender was so precious. She met a lot of people at those events she went to. She could have found someone in the time they had been apart. But she didn’t. That and what she shared last night gave him hope. Out there, she belonged to her work. In here, with just them, she was his.
He hated that he didn’t value this before. But he would prove to her that he would worship her dichotomy from now on.
“Yes, we’ll give you three thousand dollars. All you have to do is confirm that Miss Perkins is a piano student of yours if the press asks. Just like that, you don’t lie. You say, ‘Yes, Natasha is a great student of mine.’ Keep it short and simple. What do you say, Rachel?”
Ivy spoke into her headset while making notes with a pen. “She really will come and take piano lessons with you. This isn’t a lie. Okay, that’s a great help, Rachel. I appreciate it. One of my associates will be right over to brief you further. Thanks for answering my call.” Ivy smiled, hung up the call, and made a few taps on her laptop keyboard.
“Hey Danielle, okay, I got it all sorted. Natasha wasn’t there to see Lane Gibson. The rumours of an affair are false. If the press keeps harassing them, they finally spill that she was there to take piano lessons from world-famous pianist Rachel Ikes. I will meet with Lane and tell him he absolutely has to move apartments. We’ll help him handle it. He can’t be seen with his high school sweetheart again if he wants to keep his wife from taking most of what he owns and half his salary. Yes, great work Danielle. Thanks for being so quick on this, and you can call me anytime.”
Ivy’s rich laugh echoed off the walls, and Gabe’s heart glowed.
He was proud of his girl.
She hung up the phone, rubbed her temples and smiled at him.
“Hey, thanks for helping me get through that.”
“I didn’t do anything.” Gabe dropped a kiss on her forehead. “Why don’t I order breakfast in? Do you have time before you have to meet with the hockey player?”
“Yes. On Monday, I will meet with him to say that meeting with his PR Firm was a routine thing and not a crisis management thing.” Ivy yawned. “I could go back to bed.”
“I could have you in bed.” He wrapped his arms around her shoulders.
“Later. I need another call with Danielle and an update on this before I relax too much. You, Mr. Arthur, have no clothes on.”
“I noticed.”
Ivy stood, marched over to him and ran her hands along his chest. Her hand swept down to his cock.
“Nope.” Gabe stilled her hands. “You’re not going to tease me like that, right, Princess? Or I’ll make you cum so many times your pussy will be raw.”
“Yes, Sir,” she mumbled as the sweetest blush coloured her cheeks. “Could you please go throw clothes on?”
“Anything for you.” He kissed her forward, grabbing his bag from the door.
Her phone rang again.
While she answered it, Gabe got threw on jeans, called room service and checked his email. He’d have to tell Ivy that he was no longer working for Axis Management.
