Closing my eyes, I took another deep breath of her scent—so sweet and delicious, probably exactly how she’d taste…If I kept breathing her in, I was going to say or do something deeply inappropriate, so it was time to pivot.
“Anyways!” I clapped my hands, trying to distract us from an increasingly arousing situation. “Isaac and I have some thoughts on taking you to the movies this week. Would you like to go out with us on Wednesday?”
Ivy looked between Isaac and me, pointing at both of us. “Who’s picking the movie?”
With a mischievous grin, Isaac leaned forward in his chair. “I will be.”
“I definitely don’t trust you!” She teasingly wagged her finger at Isaac before nodding in agreement. “Sure, sounds like fun.”
“Preston and I were wondering if you’d join us for an event on Thursday,” Dem said as he shifted his hand to brush against the back of her neck. “There’s a fundraiser the two of us need to make an appearance at. Probably not as fun, but I thought it’d be good practice for you while nobody recognizes you yet.”
“That sounds fine except I don’t have anything elegant to wear,” she replied, looking up to Dem. “I guess I can go shopping this week.”
“We’ll take you, maybe on Tuesday?” He suggested as he caught a little bit of her hair and twirled it around his fingers.
“Sure,” she agreed, then gave one big, final gasp, rubbing her stomach as she pushed her plate to the side. “I’m stuffed! Thank you, Preston and everyone, that was delicious.”
“You’re very welcome,” Preston beamed at the compliment, unable to hide the smile spreading across his face. “I’ll box some up for you to take home and eat for later.”
“How about we put away all of this food, then take a tour of the packhouse?” I stretched out of my chair, standing and grabbing a bag of chips. “I want to show you everything!”
***
Ivy
After helping clean up lunch, I was given the official tour of the Arco packhouse.
The place was absolutely astounding. The main entrance led to an enormous open-concept living and entertainment area connected to the kitchen. The floor was a beautiful bluish-grey polished concrete, and huge windows allowed tons of sunlight in from the backyard patio. Comfortable-looking black couches were spread all around a large, flat screen tv, with all of the latest gaming consoles connected.
“Who’s the gamer…and are you prepared to lose to me in Street Fighter?” I pointed to their consoles. Preston and Lukas flashed me a huge grin while Isaac shook his head, and Dem laughed softly.
“There’s no way you’re beating me,” Preston loomed close to me. “You can barely talk to me still. How will you trash-talk?”
Another blush covered my face as Preston’s intense stare captured me. I turned my gaze away from him as I bashfully replied, “I’m getting better…sucker!”
With a gasp, Preston grabbed his heart and pretended to collapse on the couch, softly laughing. “I’m clearly done for.”
“For the record, I'm the best player here. Undefeated by anyone in the pack.” Lukas walked up close to me as his fingers intertwined with mine. “I can gladly show you some tips.”
“You can be my player two,” I flirtatiously joked with him as I batted my eyelashes. “Don’t drag me down.”
“I…uh…” Lukas stood stunned next to me.
“Looks like you broke him,” Isaac laughed as he grabbed my free hand and pulled me towards him. “Come look around some more.”
He led me down a hallway that had large paintings of landscapes mixed with ballet posters and pictures. We passed a bathroom and a guest room before arriving at a large gym at the end of the hallway.
“We all work out here three to four times a week. We should add some equipment you like to use,” Isaac frowned, looking around. “I’m guessing you don’t use the weight racks much.”
“What do you mean? I can bench up to 180,” I replied with a straight face. “Need a spotter though.”
Isaac blinked at me in confusion. “Are you serious?”
Bursting out laughing, I playfully swatted him in the stomach. “No! I usually need five-pound weights for toning, a few stretch bands, and an elliptical machine.”
“I see, we have a joker here,” Isaac said as he playfully pulled me closer and put me in a headlock.My heart was beating so fast as I laughed. I seemed to always be smiling around this pack.
After the gym, they showed me the other side of the packhouse off the kitchen.
