Peyton’s cheeks flushed as she looked down at the mussed robe and snatches of torn shift. She and Ivy had always been open with each other and she was not about to hide from her sister. Ivy would never think poorly of her no matter what she had done, even if she herself was ashamed.
Slowly, she untied the sash to her robe to reveal the entire torn length of shift.
Ivy gasped and sat up on the bed, her eyes wide. “What happened, Peyton? Did he force himself on you? Did he…?”
Peyton shook her head, sheepishly. “He did not,” she stammered for words. “We…. I still do not know how exactly itcame about, but…. oh, Ivy, I am so confused I do not know what to think anymore.”
Ivy swung her legs over the side of the bed. “He was here last night when I arrived. He was sitting by the hearth and you were sound asleep. He said he had brought a potion for your headache but had decided to let you sleep rather than wake you so that you could take it. He left with Ali the moment I arrived,” she stood up and moved to her sister, gazing at the ripped garment. “He did not…. you two did not…?”
“Nay!” Peyton exclaimed. “Of that I am certain.”
Ivy moved to touch the shift and the entire robe fell open, revealing her sister’s naked body and the very purple love bite on her upper abdomen. Ivy’s mouth fell open.
“What is this?” she cried.
Peyton looked down at her white belly, marred with a vibrant bruise, and ran a finger across the mark. “You would not believe me if I told you.”
Ivy nodded vigorously. “Aye, I would, because I have one to match.”
It was Peyton’s turn to be shocked. “You do?”
Ivy reached up and pulled back the neckline of her shift. On the top of her plump breast was a purple and green mark. She and Peyton exchanged confused glances.
“What’s the matter with us?” Peyton whispered urgently.
Ivy simply shook her head. “I do not know.”
Peyton’s gaze lingered on Ivy’s brilliant bite. “You said you hadn’t yet accepted him as your betrothed.”
Ivy touched her sister’s mark, ignoring Peyton’s piercing inquiry for the moment. When their gazes locked, inquiry and confusion rippled in Peyton’s sapphire depths and Ivy could no longer ignore her.
She sighed helplessly. “I cannot describe how I feel about him, Peyton. Only that he has made me understand more aboutmyself, more about life, than I ever dreamt possible. He is unlike any man I have ever met.”
Peyton could read the sincerity of discovery and was suddenly determined to know the man through Ivy’s eyes. “His color doesn’t bother you any longer?”
Ivy shook her head. “His skin is magnificent to behold, exquisite to touch. And he makes me feel more beautiful than any woman on earth. There is a wonderful man beneath the outer facade, Peyton. And I like him.”
“Enough to allow him to…,” she cocked an eyebrow at the vivid love mark, “do that?”
Ivy ran a finger over the blemish. “Aye.”
Peyton touched her own mark hesitantly, a tremendous confusion sweeping her. “I do not…. Ivy, I do not even like Alec, certainly not the way you have come to accept Ali. But something happens when we look at each other and it is as if I have no control over myself. And, lord, when he kisses me…. what’s wrong with me, Ivy?”
“Nothing,” her sister said evenly. “He is a gorgeous man, Peyton. Can you not accept the fact that you find him attractive?”
“Nay! He is…. He is not attractive to me. What I mean is, he is handsome and he has beautiful eyes and a beautiful smile, but…. damnation, I love James! I do not love Alec Summerlin!”
“Who said anything about love, darling?” Ivy said with a faint smile. “Love means different things to different people.”
Peyton looked thoughtful, trying desperately to analyze the situation and her own feelings. Her gaze returned to her sister’s colorful bite. “How far…. how much did Ali touch you?”
Ivy lowered her gaze for the first time. “He touched me nearly everywhere until his parents interrupted. I think had we continued unhindered, we might have…. and do you want to know something? I think I wanted him to bed me. I think I wanted it nearly as badly as he did.”
“Youdid?” Peyton asked, awed.
Ivy nodded and Peyton shook her head in wonderment. “Is Ali so extraordinary that you would turn yourself over to him without reserve?”
Ivy lifted an eyebrow. “Ask yourself that same question. If you discover the answers, then let me know. I have none to give.”
