Randy stands in the entryway to Shipton's, looking smug, and something tight crawls up my center. A man as arrogant as him has no right to look so pleased with himself. I make my way around the counter to where Ivy is standing, both for protection and appearances. This is the same man who’s spearheading the effort to get Ivy off the island, and the only thing that’s stopped him is Nick's claim that we're mates.
Ivy glances at me, then steps closer until her back presses lightly against the front of my shirt. She reaches behind and threads the thin fingers of her right hand through my broad, calloused ones. She clearly remembers that staying here may depend on whether she has a monster mate on the island.
"Good mornin'," he says with a cheeky smile.
"Good morning," Ivy says brightly. "Can I help you find something?"
Randy's eyes flick to our joined hands. I tighten my grip and wrap my other arm around her middle, my palm splayed over her stomach. Her breath hitches, and my senses pick up the quickening beat of her heart. My jaw tightens as a primal urge surges inside me. I brush my thumb along the soft fabric of her top, bend down, and press a feather-light kiss to the smooth column of her throat. Her skin is warm and soft, touched by a faintly sweet scent. I have to clench my teeth against the urge to nip at it.
A small gasp escapes her that shoots straight to my cock. I want her to make that noise again. The image of her making it while my head is between her thighs comes fast and unbidden. I clench my teeth hard. My hound snarls, clearly having conjured it.
Randy stands rooted to the spot, eyes wide, clearly not expecting such an obvious display on his jaunty little visit.
He shifts from one foot to the other. "Yes, well, nice to see two mates enjoying their day," he comments awkwardly.
Ivy transforms an obvious guffaw into a cough, which pulls a smirk from me.
Randy asks for ground clover, and after paying, he leaves, shooting one last look at the two of us on his way out.
Once he's fully gone, Ivy breaks into a burst of giggles, light and nothing like anything I've heard from her before. I want to bottle the sound. Use it as my morning alarm. She turns in my arms, and her face has transformed into something bright and open. The smile and the crinkles at the corners of her eyes make her look like a completely different person. There's a lovely pink flush to her skin. My hand, that’s been on her stomach, slides to her lower back. The other still holds hers, and I can't convince myself to look away.
For a moment, she looks like she might say something, but she sees my expression and quiets. Her lips slip from a smile to a pretty pout.
I pull her closer, and she lets me. Her hand squeezes mine, and I squeeze back. Before anything can go further, she suddenly pulls away, releasing my hand. I let go of her waist, and she steps back, her eyes wide and alarmed, as if unsure why she's doing it.
"I'm going to check on Amy," she says, and marches down the basement stairs. I drag my claws through my hair and breathe out at the ceiling, wondering what that almost was.
Conall
The house is warm against the chill off the lake tonight. We'd closed up the store, and I kept my eyes on the forest and the sky and the water and basically every inch of space around Ivy until we were back to her place. A few things had followed, but nothing dared come close enough to harm her with me right there.
Laz was right. Other monsters can sense what I am. Being with her is the only way to guarantee that nothing else attempts to harm her. Watching from afar made her seem vulnerable. It left too many opportunities. She pulls off her light jacket and shoes the moment we’re through the door and sighs.
"I don't suppose you have delivery pizza on the island?"
I chuckle. "I'm afraid not. Sorry."
She clutches her stomach dramatically and leans against the counter. "Well, I don't know what you're expecting, but my cooking knowledge extends to ramen packets and peanut butter and jelly. No further."
I shake my head and move past her into the kitchen. Ivy smells of vanilla candles, chai, and something uniquely her. I do my best to keep from being a creep and burying my face in her neck. I open the fridge, and she gasps behind me.
I tense, eyes scanning the room for threats. "What?"
She points into the fridge. "Where did all of those groceries come from?" she asks, voice full of wonder.
I nearly slump with relief. "From the grocery store, of course." I start pulling out ingredients for dinner.
"You bought groceries?" The doubt in her tone chafes.
"I have to stay here until the spell is fixed. Did you really think I'd just scavenge your scraps?" Her cheeks flush, eyes bright. For a second, I wonder if she thinks I'm a burden or if she's just surprised I planned ahead. Either idea stings more than I want her to know.
"Hey, where does the food at the grocery store come from anyway?" she asks, changing the subject. "I haven't seen any big farms, and I saw bananas in there. I don't think you have banana trees here."
To keep from rolling my eyes, I focus on the ingredients. "Monsters still live off-island. We have contacts with many of them. We receive shipments out on the mainland and then haul them in on the ferry since other monsters haven't been able to set foot on the island. We use money the same way the rest of the world does. It's just printed here using Laz's spells." I chop onions as she absorbs this.
"So you could get shipments of anything, just like anywhere else?" she asks.
My eyes slant sideways. Her lip is caught between her teeth, and the sight makes me want to pull it free with my thumb. Heat sneaks up my neck, and I have to look away, rearranging myself so she doesn't notice what her presence does to me.
