Feed my thumb into the space between her lips.
But I won’t.
I won’t do any of those things because we are complicated enough, she and I. Because we already have too much at stake.
I’m still watching when her eyes spring open.
‘Hey.’ She blinks heavily, her brain obviously on delay. ‘We’re here?’ She stretches a little, pushing her chest out in a way that makes my cock react.
‘Yeah—yes.’ I want to look away, but I can’t. Not even when she wipes the back of her hand over the corner of her mouth, seeking drool.
‘What’s funny,’ she asks through a yawn.
‘Nothing at all.’
Her rumbled response fills the interior of the car with a boatload ofget fucked.
‘Come on,’ I say, chuckling. ‘Let’s get you to bed.’
And suddenly, neither of us are laughing
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Ivy
My heart beatslike a bass drum as I reach the door, feeding the key into the lock while Dylan stands behind me, pulling my bag from the car. The lock disengages, the front door swinging open, but I resist turning, wondering where the weirdness between us has suddenly sprung from. One minute, we seem okay... tentatively okay... and the next, odd doesn’t seem to cover it.
His boots scuff against the pavement, and I realise he has both Nat’s bag and mine in his hand, which just goes to provego home so you can bring Nat some clean clothes tomorrowwas a ruse. I’m not annoyed, truth be told; the fight has drained out of me, especially as he stops dead in front.
So close yet not.
He looks gorgeous even though sans ball cap, his hair is a mess and tiredness is beginning to show in the shadows around his eyes.Dark and gorgeous and tempting. I don’t know a lot. I don’t know what’s going on between us, or what the future might hold, but I do know if he bends forward to kiss me right now, I’ll totally let him.
And maybe that’s where the weirdness stems.
‘Upstairs?’ Dylan asks; his expression so open it’s almost bland. I nod and step away from the doorway, allowing him to pass and then follow his heavy tread... while staring at his arse.
At the top of the stairs, we shuffle, swapping positions on the small landing so I can unlock the door to my flat. I step back again, my heart speeding up as Dylan steps inside, but my excitement is short lived as he places both bags in the hallway and immediately turns around.
‘Looks nice,’ he says, but how could he tell?
‘It’s okay,’ I demure. ‘Bigger than the studio.’ The studio apartment we started in.
For a minute, he looks about to speak, maybe changing his intended words at the last minute. ‘I... I’ll see you tomorrow.’
‘Yeah, sure.’ The door is still open, and he’s heading for it, so I do the only thing I can; I follow to say goodbye. Again.
‘What time shall I call in the morning?’ He’s on one side of the threshold, and I’m on the other, but a brick wall may as well be between us. Hands fisted in his pockets, he won’t look at me, but for fleeting glances, his eyes can’t seem to resist.
‘I-I’ll be at the hospital.’
‘Yeah, sure, I’ll take you there.’
‘No, I mean I have an appointment.’ As my fingertips touch my stomach, his eyes widen in recognition. Excitement? ‘Then I thought I’d go see how June’s doing... and deliver Nat’s clothes.’
Recognising the twist to my mouth, he ducks his head, but it’s his smile that acknowledges the subterfuge.
‘Can I take you? To your appointment, that is?’
