Katie looks to Wesley, incredulity written all over her face. “Don’t look at him. I’m talking to you. You look at me,” I snap.
Her eyes go wide, and her gaze pivots back to mine.
“I will call every single one of your utilities companies, and have them cancel your service. Water? No more. Electricity? You're back in the dark ages, baby.” Maybe one more for good measure. “I’ll enlist you in the military,” I end in a whisper.
Katie’s face has slowly morphed into one of fear, and confusion. She takes a step back, and stutters out, “You know what, I-I think I see my friends–”
“Run,” I whisper.
Katie whirls around, and scurries off, nearly tripping over a kid with a balloon sword.
I drop the act and peel myself off of Wesley, turning to give him a proud smile. He stares at me, blank and unblinking, before slowly breaking into the widest smile I’ve ever seen from him.
Dimples.
I brace my hands on my hips, beaming.
“You’re welcome,” I say.
————
Wesley
Ivy smiles widely up at me, looking proud of her little stunt. I can’t help it, and smile right back at her.
“That was… interesting,” I say. “Should I be worried?” I tuck a lock of hair behind her ear, and have to stop myself from throwing her over my shoulder and taking her home.
Possessive Ivy is hot as hell.
She pops a hip out and crosses her arms. “Probably not. But… well, she was touching you. And you looked uncomfortable,” she replies, lifting one crossed arm to inspect her nails casually.
I hum in reply, and step closer, looking down at her. “Didn’t take you for the territorial type,” I tease, arching an eyebrow.
She drops her hands to her side, and straightens her shoulders, all acts of nonchalance out the window. “Usually I’m not,” she retorts.
“Usually?”
“But with you, apparently I am,” she admits, crossing her arms again, rolling her eyes and looking off to the side.
“I am with you, too,” I confess.
“Yeah?” she asks, looking back at me now.
My lips twitch. “Yeah. Ask Maverick. When he tried shit with you at family dinner I nearly killed him.”
The flush on her neck, moves up to her cheeks, and all the way up to the tips of her ears.
“And I’m currently planning Chase's demise,” I add.
Her grin grows, and she bites her lower lip. “Good to know,” she says, her voice cracking a little. “I’ll actually need her full legal name, though. I have some plans.”
The laugh that bubbles out of me surprises us both, making Ivy startle in surprise, then laugh with me. I wrap my arms around her, pressing her crossed arms into my stomach.
“It’s not funny,” she mumbles into the fabric of my shirt.
“No, it’s not,” I agree, dipping my head down to speak into her ear. “It’s fuckin’ hot is what it is. I liked seeing you jealous, baby,” I whisper.
She cranes her neck to look me in the eye, giving me a mischievous fucking smile. God, I want to kiss her. I want to do a whole lot more than kissing.
