I don’t mean to say it. It just slips out.
“Careful,” I warn her.
The smirk on her face vanishes, and she swallows. Her slightly heaving chest threatens to draw my attention, but my eyes stay locked on hers. She licks that plump bottom lip, forcing me to glance down at the movement. As if responding to hers, my tongue swipes out and traces my bottom lip on its own, and I can feel my control start to slip.
I fear I’m about to break and throw caution to the wind, but Ivy does us both a favor and steps back, slowly lowering herself into the driver's seat.
“I'll let you know about, um, Texas, ” she says, her voice breathy and uneven.
I dip my chin, but just as she reaches for the door handle, I remember something.
“Oh, here.” I dig into my pocket and pull out the house key I had made for her today. I hold it out, the keychain I chose for her dangling from it.
She reaches out, and tentatively takes it from me. “What is it?”
“A key to the house. You can use it whenever you need to. You don’t need to knock.”
“Oh… Thank you,” she says earnestly.
“Of course.” I tap the roof of her car. “Text when you get home. Please”
“Um, sure.” She looks a little puzzled by that request, and blindsided by the key.
She seems caught off guard by it all, but agrees anyway. She slowly closes her door, and gives me a shy wave through her window.
I return it.
I’m rooted in place, watching as she drives off down the road, the dust from her tires floating in the air around me. I can’t do anything but focus on the red glow of the taillights fading into the dark.
I pretend not to notice the small ache blooming in my chest with every second she gets farther away. A gust of cool night air brushes against my skin as I try to shake the feeling that I know is somewhere deep down, in a place I don’t want to acknowledge.
Can’t acknowledge.
10
Ivy
Careful.
Wes’s deep voice repeats over and over in my head as I drive home. If I’m being honest, I’m obsessively replaying every single detail. What started as playful and flirty, quickly turned into something darker. Something tempting. I tighten my grip on my steering wheel and take a deep breath, trying to get my thoughts in order.
God, he was so close and he smelled so good. I don’t know if it was his cologne, deodorant, or just his natural hot guy smell. My mind wanders against my will, wondering what would’ve happened if I just reached up and ran my fingers through his hair like he does? Or traced his full lips with my finger the way I wanted to. The thought makes my stomach flip.
I shake my head, then my whole body, trying to physically rid myself of the inappropriate thoughts. He’s made it clear this arrangement is strictly professional, so I need to stop reading into and overthinking every look he gives me. One thing I will stand by though... he was totally checking out my ass when he walked me to my car.
I pull into Rose’s driveway and put my car in park. I stare at the house key attached to the light green key chain in my hand while I try to unscramble my brain. I roll my eyes at myself. Just be a professional adult and don’t fuck him. It can’t be that hard.
I hop out of my car and see Rose’s lamp is still on in the window. I’ll catch her before she goes to bed to let her know about going out of town with Wes and Delilah. I knock lightly on her front door, then use the key she made me to enter. I find her where I expect her to be, in her recliner, sipping a glass of red wine, and watching one of her shows.
Rose startles. “Jesus H. Christ Ivy, you scared the shit out of me,” she huffs, then takes another sip.
“Sorry,” I say through a laugh.
“How was dinner?” she asks.
“It was great, the Coopers are fun. Wes is great. Delilah’s great,” I tell her, then step inside, closing the door behind me.
She hums in response, and stares at me pointedly over the rim of her wine glass.
