Ivy

by Willa Nash

But even when we were at our best, nothing can compare to you and me.” He pressed his hand over her heart. “Two hearts.” “One beat,” she finished.

“You can push me. You can push as hard as you want. But I’m not going anywhere. We’re done if I say we’re done. Not a minute sooner.”

leaned closer, his lips just a breath from hers. “God, you are gorgeous when you’re jealous.”

“Don’t be sweet to me,” she said. Not because she didn’t love it. Not because she didn’t want it every single day. But because today of all days, Ivy didn’t deserve sweet. “Don’t tell me what to do.” His grip on her hand tightened and he kissed it again.

“I said you could push me as hard as you want. And I’m not going anywhere.” His voice gentled. “I’m not going anywhere, baby.” “The way you use baby to make me not be mad at you is entirely unfair.”

Maybe right then, she fell in love with Tate Ledger. Real love. Or maybe she’d fallen months ago. On the dance floor at Treason.

She nodded. Then she opened her mouth because he’d told her he loved her and she hadn’t said it back. She wanted to say it back. Except, before she could speak, he pressed his fingers to her lips. “Tell me tomorrow.” Right there in that moment, Cassia knew there’d be no other man in her life but Edwin Clarence. Because he knew what she needed when she hadn’t even been sure of it herself. Tomorrow. She would start fresh tomorrow. Start over. With Edwin.

“We’ll go over in a bit.” “I can call my driver.” “That would be a waste of his time since I’m taking you.” The corner of her mouth turned up. “Do you always get your way?” “Baby.” Meaning yes.

These naked moments, when there was nothing but mingled heartbeats and tender touches, had become Ivy’s salvation. She was losing herself in Tate.

Zain Clarence wasn’t the kind of man who walked away from what he wanted. And he wanted Elora. Nothing else mattered.

“What happened?” Lucas asked, waving to Zain’s broken leg. “Motorcycle accident.” “Whoa.” Lucas hissed. “Sorry.” “I got lucky. Your sister kept telling me to wear my helmet. It saved my life.”

“To me, you were just his sister,” Tate said. “A faceless girl we’d talk about sometimes. And then I walked into Treason, and the second I saw you, the moment you threw that attitude of yours in my face, everything changed. You weren’t Zain’s sister. You were mine.”

“From the moment I saw you in that club, you were mine. To touch. To hold. To kiss. To protect. You were mine. But that means fuck all if you can’t trust me. If I’m not yours too. Decide, Ivy. You’re either in or out.”

Those labels sounded so trivial, even in her head. She wanted to be more. She wanted to be his entire world. She wanted to be so wrapped up in his life that no one would be able to tell where he ended and she began.

“What’s with you and good today?” “Just calling it like it is.” His lips coasted against hers, his tongue dragging along the seam of her smile. “Because, baby, this is going to be so fucking good.” No, this was going to be great. This was going to be the love of her life.

“Let’s do another toast.” “Again?” Zain teased. “What are we toasting this time?” “To secrets.” Ivy smirked. “And the friends we trust to keep them.” Cassia and Edwin shared a look. Then they both laughed with the others, everyone clinking glasses once more. “To secrets.”

He took her hand off her lap, weaving their fingers together before kissing the knuckle on her ring finger. That was one of his favorite places on her body to touch his lips, the spot just below the four-carat diamond ring he’d given her a year ago and the diamond-studded wedding band he’d added six months later.