“Of course you brought the Porsche,” I say wryly. “It’s the only car you own.”
Despite his many, many dollars, Ivy isn’t usually one to spend in excess, and most of his spending has historically centered around the comfort and needs of his loved ones. He told me once that if he didn’t drive me so often, he would’ve gotten a much different vehicle. His SUV is safe, though, and about as comfortable as a car can get.
Iverson leads the way outside to where he’s illegally parked in front of the hotel, guiding me with a hand on the small of my back. I shiver and walk quicker to avoid the casually intimate touch, but his long strides give me no room for escape.
“Your steed, my princess.” He opens the passenger door with a bow and a sweep of his arm. His shirt gapes, giving me a clear view straight down his chest to his trim stomach.
I hurry into the vehicle.
Ivy rounds to the driver’s side and climbs in, shooting me a smile that blends bashful excitement and pure heat. Neither emotion is one I’m used to dealing with from him, and I’m left floating in my uncertainty at how to respond. Thankfully, before I have to figure it out, he focuses his attention on the road and gets us moving to…
Oh.
I don’t know.
“Where are we going?” I ask, shifting my gaze out the window for a clue.
“It’s a surprise,” he replies. “I can tell you, of course, if that’s what you really want, but you did give my leash lots of slack, and I’d prefer if you let me play in it for now.” His lips quirk ruefully. “I am hopeful that this goes better than my last surprise. You know about it this time, at least. That’s growth?”
I… guess? Kind of. “Is it another wedding?” I side eye him, twisting away from the window.
“No,” he says. “The next wedding we have, you’ll be planning in its entirety.” He flicks his blinker on, and it echoes the flutter of my lashes as I stare at him.
“Did you just say thenextwedding?”
“Yes. The one we’ll have after you’ve been properly wooed.”
Good gracious, he’s serious. He thinks that all he needs to do is woo me, and then we can have a do-over wedding, and then we’ll ride off into the sunset in a fairytale happily ever after montage while romantic music plays and birds chirp and flowers grow in our wake.
I need to set thisabundantlystraight. Immediately.
“Ivy, I don’t think–”
“We’re here!” he interrupts, squinting merrily out the windshield. “Let’s talk about it inside, yes?” He’s out of the car in an instant, and I sit with my mouth agape until he opens mydoor to help me out of my plush leather seat. “From your steed to your grand romantic gesture,” he says. His arm flies wide, indicating a huge square block of a building.
The ability to speak leaves me. Flees. Goes absolutely AWOL. The structure is just so…
Ugly.
Dead freaking ugly.
It’s the ugliest building I’ve ever laid eyes on. It isn’t old, or decrepit, or vandalized, or marred by any outside force to push its particular horrendousness. It’s justugly. A singular gray block sat amongst brick factories that aren’t exactly cute, but they’re notthis.Thisis an affront to architects everywhere, not to mentionartists. I have never been so repulsed by potential background scenery in my life.
“Come on.” Ivy tugs at my hand, his palm clammy against mine. “You’re going to love this.”
I pause, offended at the very idea of stepping foot into such a boring, plain,graybuilding. Then I remember that I agreed to this. I said that Ivy could woo me, and I said that he could have the freedom to plan the actual wooing. Sure, I said it in the hopes that through his attempts he’ll come to realize what theactualproblem is—that he can’t just take what he wants without asking, particularly when what he wants is awhole human woman. But… still. I agreed to this, and I have to see it through. For Ivy, for myself, and for the future of our relationship, whatever that might look like.
Nose wrinkled, I sigh.
I have to see it through, yes, but nobody said I had to have a good attitude about it.
Shoulders tensing, Ivy tugs again. “Trust me,” he pleads softly. “You’re going to love it once we get inside. I promise.”
Jade green sparkles with hesitant hope, and I sigh again. “Okay, Ivy,” I mutter, resigned. “I’ll go inside.”
Chapter Twelve
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