scared me. Ivy was a lot of things, but clingy wasn’t one of them. It wasn’t that the way she clung to me now was annoying.
It was quite the opposite.
I reveled in it. In being the one she found solace in.
It was the fact she needed solace at all that concerned me.
“Blondie,” I said a little firmer this time and peeled her off my chest. “What’s the matter with you?”
Her lower lip stuck out in a pout and then wobbled.
It wrecked me.
The vulnerability she was projecting fucking took me down.
She reached for me again, and I let her in, drawing her close and allowing her to burrow in as close to me as she could.
I rocked us both back and forth, a slight movement but a comforting one. Clearly, she needed comfort. Maybe that’s the reason Rim had been driving.
“Did something happen today?” I asked, hoarse.
Whose ass do I need to beat? the possessive bastard in me demanded.
“Promise me something,” she said suddenly, pulling back and blinking the snow from her face.
“Anything.”
Her eyes cleared and she shook her head. “No. No promises. Just tell me I’ll never lose you.”
Relief filled my limbs and made them heavy. I wanted to laugh.
I must have smiled because she scowled. “Why is that funny?”
“It’s not funny. It’s just the easiest promise I’ll ever make.”
“It’s not easy. It won’t be.”
What the fuck was she talking about?
“Ivy.” A hard note crept into my tone. “Listen to me and listen good.”
Her eyes bounced between mine, like she was searching for something… but I didn’t know what. I’d give it to her. Fuck, I’d give her anything if I only knew what it was she needed.
“You listening?” I demanded.
Really, I was stalling for time. I had to pull out some words right now. We all know how very little I liked words.
She nodded.
“I don’t know what’s gotten into that beautiful head of yours today, and honestly, it doesn’t really matter. Not for this. I’m not going anywhere. Never. Hell, I should be the one asking you to make that promise.”
She snorted. Clearly, she’d spent the afternoon with my sister.
“It’s ridiculous, right?” I asked.
She nodded, but then I saw the doubt creep into her eyes.
I took her face in my hands, noting how cold her skin felt. “It’s just as easy for me to make that promise as it is for you. You have to trust me, baby. You have to trust that I mean it when I say I’m yours and it’s not going to change.”
Why, why was she suddenly being so… so… chick-like?
Hell, we made it through Missy, our mutual attempt to push each other away, rape, Zach… The list went on. Why did she suddenly need to hear I wasn’t going to leave her?
“I trust you.” There was no doubt in her voice. “More than anyone.”
It didn’t really matter, the reason. If she needed to hear it, then I’d say it.
I tucked her into my side to shelter her from the cold and turned us toward the house. “Come on, Blondie. Your sexy ass is gonna freeze.”
Inside the garage, we passed the Hellcat and Ivy looked up. “I’m sorry. You totally don’t need my emotional baggage right now. Today isn’t about me. It’s about you, and I’m dying to know how the meeting went with Anthony.”
I hit the button on the wall so the door could lower. As it moved, the garage dimmed with the lost sunlight. I stopped short of opening the door leading into the house and leaned back against the wood.
She fit between my legs perfectly, and I clutched the lapels of her red coat and tugged her close. “My very existence is about you, baby. Everything else is just details.”
Her face softened. “I think that might be my favorite thing you’ve ever said. Besides, of course, I love you.”
Words for the win!
“Give me some sugar,” I ordered.
She obliged.
“Tell me you like my cock,” I added when she pulled back.
“Braeden James Walker!” She gasped. “What is it with you and trying to make me say that!”
“A
It was quite the opposite.
I reveled in it. In being the one she found solace in.
It was the fact she needed solace at all that concerned me.
“Blondie,” I said a little firmer this time and peeled her off my chest. “What’s the matter with you?”
Her lower lip stuck out in a pout and then wobbled.
It wrecked me.
The vulnerability she was projecting fucking took me down.
She reached for me again, and I let her in, drawing her close and allowing her to burrow in as close to me as she could.
I rocked us both back and forth, a slight movement but a comforting one. Clearly, she needed comfort. Maybe that’s the reason Rim had been driving.
“Did something happen today?” I asked, hoarse.
Whose ass do I need to beat? the possessive bastard in me demanded.
“Promise me something,” she said suddenly, pulling back and blinking the snow from her face.
“Anything.”
Her eyes cleared and she shook her head. “No. No promises. Just tell me I’ll never lose you.”
Relief filled my limbs and made them heavy. I wanted to laugh.
I must have smiled because she scowled. “Why is that funny?”
“It’s not funny. It’s just the easiest promise I’ll ever make.”
“It’s not easy. It won’t be.”
What the fuck was she talking about?
“Ivy.” A hard note crept into my tone. “Listen to me and listen good.”
Her eyes bounced between mine, like she was searching for something… but I didn’t know what. I’d give it to her. Fuck, I’d give her anything if I only knew what it was she needed.
“You listening?” I demanded.
Really, I was stalling for time. I had to pull out some words right now. We all know how very little I liked words.
She nodded.
“I don’t know what’s gotten into that beautiful head of yours today, and honestly, it doesn’t really matter. Not for this. I’m not going anywhere. Never. Hell, I should be the one asking you to make that promise.”
She snorted. Clearly, she’d spent the afternoon with my sister.
“It’s ridiculous, right?” I asked.
She nodded, but then I saw the doubt creep into her eyes.
I took her face in my hands, noting how cold her skin felt. “It’s just as easy for me to make that promise as it is for you. You have to trust me, baby. You have to trust that I mean it when I say I’m yours and it’s not going to change.”
Why, why was she suddenly being so… so… chick-like?
Hell, we made it through Missy, our mutual attempt to push each other away, rape, Zach… The list went on. Why did she suddenly need to hear I wasn’t going to leave her?
“I trust you.” There was no doubt in her voice. “More than anyone.”
It didn’t really matter, the reason. If she needed to hear it, then I’d say it.
I tucked her into my side to shelter her from the cold and turned us toward the house. “Come on, Blondie. Your sexy ass is gonna freeze.”
Inside the garage, we passed the Hellcat and Ivy looked up. “I’m sorry. You totally don’t need my emotional baggage right now. Today isn’t about me. It’s about you, and I’m dying to know how the meeting went with Anthony.”
I hit the button on the wall so the door could lower. As it moved, the garage dimmed with the lost sunlight. I stopped short of opening the door leading into the house and leaned back against the wood.
She fit between my legs perfectly, and I clutched the lapels of her red coat and tugged her close. “My very existence is about you, baby. Everything else is just details.”
Her face softened. “I think that might be my favorite thing you’ve ever said. Besides, of course, I love you.”
Words for the win!
“Give me some sugar,” I ordered.
She obliged.
“Tell me you like my cock,” I added when she pulled back.
“Braeden James Walker!” She gasped. “What is it with you and trying to make me say that!”
“A
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