Sean shook Joel’s hand, making sure not to crush any fingers.
“Joel. I didn’t realize you were in town.”
Joel held a steady gaze, likely picking up on the tension Sean was clearly not doing a good job of hiding.
“I was at the gym today. Saw you out of the corner of my eye, but you looked busy, so I let you be. Thought I’d catch up with you at some point anyway, since you live here now.” He gestured to Sean’s door.
Sean nodded. He wanted to know every last detail of what Joel had been doing with Ivy behind that closed door, but instead he asked, “What brings you to town?”
Joel cocked an eyebrow. “I have a sister who lives here, and now a niece and brother-in-law. I’m visiting. With a bit of business mixed in, of course.”
“Of course.” Joel was always working. It was probably why he was a closet billionaire. And single. Unless he wasn’t anymore. Single, that is.
Sean jerked his head toward Ivy’s door. “You staying with Ivy?” He forced the words out, trying not to choke on them, because if the answer was yes, he was going to—
“No,” Joel said, a new light in his eyes, as understanding dawned. “I’m staying at the Heathman.”
Sean widened his eyes at the reminder that this guy was richer than sin. The hotel was iconic and insanely expensive, considering there were numerous free options in town for him to stay. But then again, Joel wouldn’t be one for couch surfing.
“It’s close to a property I’ve got my eye on. I’m all about convenience,” Joel explained, staring at Sean’s apartment door. “As, it seems, are you.”
Sean tensed. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Only that it gives me peace of mind knowing you are so conveniently located across from Ivy. As I am sure it gives you.” Joel grinned and clapped Sean on the shoulder.
Sean didn’t budge a single inch.
“You don’t have to worry, man, she’s like a sister to me. That said…” Joel leveled him with a steely look, hard and unyielding. “If she ever gets hurt again, I’ll kill the fucking bastard who does it. No matter how much I like him.” Holding eye contact for another breath, Joel gave a curt nod, then strolled to the staircase.
Sean stayed where he was, immobilized with a new realization.He knew. Joel knew what had happened to Ivy.
Why? How? It grated, though it shouldn’t have. For years, he thought he’d known her so well. He’d learned so many of her nuances.
The little details of Ivy filled his mind. How she poured chocolate sauce into her coffee on Sunday mornings as a treat. That her favorite rap artist was Lil Baby, who pounded through her AirPods most times she worked out. He knew her favorite color was purple, and that she loved roses but was embarrassed admitting it because it was so cliché. It was why she’d randomly picked Portland to move to after college. She liked the idea of living in the City of Roses. She’d also wanted to be closer to her grandmother, who lived outside Seattle.
He knew she hated raspberries, but loved blackberries, and had what he would classify as an addiction to flavored carbonated water. He could pick her out of a crowd by her floral shampoo scent alone. And yet, he had no idea what had happened in her past.
It was a frustration that picked at him, because when he broke it down, it meant she didn’t trust him with the dark parts of herself. He could know the fun little things, the quirks, and the joys. But when it came to the hard stuff—the shadows lurking in the past—she blocked him out.
But then, wasn’t he guilty of doing the same?
He inhaled deeply and counted to ten. Then entered his apartment, stripped himself down, and stalked to his shower, turning it on full blast and standing under it, the temperature as cold as he could bear. He needed to clear his mind. There was so much pinging around in there it was starting to feel like a Bingo machine. Random thoughts and worries flying around, all of them stressing him out, and none of them landing where he needed them to.
And then there was the lust. Insatiable and ever present. Even under the freezing water, he was burning for her. Imagining her there with him, her tight little body fit snugly against his in the shower stall. The water running off her strong, lean muscles. Those gorgeous eyes rimmed with wet lashes. Her small hands rubbing soap all over him.
Fuck. He had the water cranked to maximum cold, and still he had an erection that wouldn’t quit. Just like his desire. He’d always wanted her, but now that he had her, he couldn’t stop thinking about the next time he could get inside her again. There had been nothing, nothing, like the feeling of her moving over him, enveloping him in her wet heat, her scent, her look of determination blended with passion, the way her eyes melted into a liquid ice.
His senses were in overdrive, his heart banging in his ears, echoing like the surround sound in his bathroom. Deep breaths sputtered against the water. He braced his hands against the tile walls and willed his body into submission. His desire was like an addiction. If he didn’t gain control, it’d get away from him. And with Ivy, he had to be in control. Always.
When he killed the water, he realized the banging had not been his heart, but was booming through his apartment from his front door.
Wrapping a towel around his hips, he walked toward the sound. The knocking was so incessant it was shaking the door in its frame, and he knew exactly who it was.
Stealing mind and heart, he prepared himself for the sight of her, then gripped the knob and opened the door.
* * *
Drool.
