18. Marco

18

MARCO

“I think it’s safe to say that things have changed.”

Things had certainly changed.

But where I didn’t feel an ounce of regret about it, and Ivy had claimed she felt as much, there was something lingering in her tone that had me bracing. That, and the fact she had looked up from her plate, her breakfast barely touched, when I’d gotten through half of mine.

“They have.”

“I know we talked about this briefly last night during dinner, but I don’t think we anticipated all that happened afterward.”

No.

No, I could easily admit that I hadn’t expected what had occurred when I brought Ivy home from dinner.

The best night of my life—bar none.

“No. I can confidently say I didn’t wake up yesterday morning expecting any of what happened after dinner,” I admitted. “Though I won’t lie and say I hadn’t hoped for the kiss.”

She smiled at me and looked away, her eyes focusing on the scrambled eggs she was pushing around the plate. It was rare to see Ivy being bashful—she had such a bold personality—so anytime I witnessed her being shy, it always held me captive.

As much as I wanted to sit in all the good vibes I’d been feeling ever since I danced with her at the party two nights ago, it was difficult to remain there when I could see how much Ivy seemed to be struggling. Since she was sitting right beside me, I placed my hand on her thigh and offered a reassuring squeeze. “You’re worried.”

Her eyes met mine. “A little.”

I had a feeling I already knew why, but I thought it was best to be sure. “What’s bothering you?”

“Everything is going to be different between us now.”

They would.

Now, I’d be able to hug her and kiss her. I could take her out for lunch or bring her dinner. We could go on dates and do fun things together. She could talk to me about anything that was weighing on her mind, or I could go to her after a long day of hard work. Ivy and I could be there for each other in ways we hadn’t been before, and I thought that was the best thing of all.

“And this is a bad thing?”

She shook her head. “No. No, I think what’s happening here is great.” She waved her hand between the two of us. “I’m merely concerned about what the plan is.”

“What plan?”

She picked up a piece of toast, took a bite, and chewed slowly, her eyes staring off and contemplating. “We decided we were just going to see where things went between us before we told anyone else about it. I think it became clear that we’re moving forward in a serious way. And I get that it’s the very definition of early, but what happened between us is a big deal to me.”

I moved my hand back and forth along her thigh, wondering if she thought I viewed this as some inconsequential passing fling or a one-night stand. That really wasn’t my style to begin with, but if it had been, I’d never have gone there with her. “It means just as much to me, Ivy.”

“I know. I believe that. I’m just wondering where we go from here.”

“Forward.” Her brow furrowed with confusion, so I went on. “I want to be with you, Princess. I want us to be exclusive?—”

“It’s not like I had anyone banging down my door,” she murmured.

I chuckled. “That still blows my mind. And while I hate that you had a lonely heart, I’m not mad about nobody else pursuing you. It gave me the chance to see what I was missing and take the steps to do something about it. I want to believe you’re happy about where we are, too.”

She didn’t hesitate to confirm I’d assumed correctly. “I am. I’m happier than I’ve ever been.”

“That’s all that matters to me,” I told her. “I want you to be happy. I want to be happy with you.”

“Do you think that’s possible?”

That question, and the grim tone of her voice, caught me by surprise. “Why wouldn’t it be?”

She swallowed a bite of her eggs, eggs I believed had to be bordering on cold at this point. “I don’t know exactly what was said between you and Cooper, but there’s something about that interaction you had with my brother that leads you to believe he wouldn’t be happy for us. I guess I don’t see how we can be happy together, or how we’ll have a chance to see if this can work, if we need to start this relationship off by fighting with others just to have it.”

“So, let’s not do that,” I reasoned.

Ivy set her fork down, pushed her plate back, and took a sip of her juice. “So, you think Cooper will suddenly be fine with it?”

I shook my head, feeling frustrated. Not with Ivy, but with how this was impacting her. She’d barely touched her breakfast, and I hated that her worries about us were affecting her to such an extreme.

Seeing that, I was tempted to tell her what I knew she wanted to hear. But I refused to lie to her.

“I don’t think he’ll be fine with it. But I also don’t think it’s his decision to make, either. It’s up to us, to you and me. If this is what we want, then that’s all that matters. And I don’t want you to think I’m not aware of what your family means to you. I get it, Ivy. They mean the world to me, too. But this is about us figuring out what’s going to make us happy. Can you honestly sit there and tell me you can go back?”

“Go back?”

I dipped my chin. “Now that we’ve had just a taste of each other, and I’m not just talking about the sex, can you go back? Can you just walk away from me and pretend this never happened? Do you want to ignore how good it feels when we’re together, how much fun we have?”

Tears filled her eyes. “No. No, I don’t want to do that. I’d be more miserable than I was before we ever realized there was something here worth exploring.”

I lifted my hand from her thigh to the side of her face, brushing at the tear that had escaped. “Exactly. I’m not saying this is a great solution, a wise one, or even a long-term one, but maybe, for now, you and I can work on figuring us out. We can take some time to enjoy this before we add on other things that are going to cause us more stress.”

“Are you saying we should hide our relationship from everyone?”

There was a twinge of disappointment and sadness in her voice.

I sighed. “I’m saying I’m willing to do whatever it takes to make you happy, to see you happy. If you want to tell everyone today, it wouldn’t bother me. I’d be right by your side, doing it with you. But even if you weren’t there when I had that conversation with Cooper after he took you to the police station, you did witness how your brother reacted in that hotel room a month ago. I think you know he’s going to have something to say about this, too. I can’t imagine it’s going to be any better now than it was then.”

“It’s so upsetting to think he wouldn’t be happy for us, to think I could be deliriously happy, and he wouldn’t support that.”

“Are you?”

“Am I what?”

“Deliriously happy?”

Ivy pressed her lips together and smiled at me, her eyes roaming over my face. “I am.”

Something hit me square in the chest at her admission. “That’s all I need. I want you to be deliriously happy all the time. So, like I said, I’ll do whatever you want here. If you want time to just be us for a while, I’m good with that. But if you want to tell the people who matter most to you that we’ve become something, I’m okay with that, too. I want whatever is going to make you happy.”

She bit her lip nervously. “I don’t know what to do.”

“So, take your time to think about it. I’m not going anywhere.”

“That’s good, because I’d probably tackle you to the ground if you thought you were going to walk away,” she teased.

Laughter spilled out of me, and I pulled her out of her chair and into my lap. I didn’t hesitate to kiss her gorgeous mouth, feeling beyond lucky to have her.

“Do you feel better now?”

She nodded. “A little bit.”

“Good. Now, can I make you a fresh plate of eggs?”

“What? Why?”

“Because Ivy, you didn’t eat nearly enough breakfast after all the calories you expended last night,” I pointed out. “Since I’m relatively certain you’re going to be burning more of them today, you’re going to need your energy.”

Ivy cuddled close, burying her face in my neck. “I love the way you look after me, Marco. It feels really good.”

My arms tightened around her, my throat so thick with emotion, I didn’t trust myself to speak and tell her how good it felt to be the man to give her that and get all of her in return.

So, I simply held on for a while and kissed the top of her head. And when she’d gotten enough cuddling in, I made her a fresh plate of eggs.

When I walked into the hotel Monday morning for work, the reality of my new situation finally hit me.

I’d spent the weekend being caught up in the moment, in what felt good, and simply enjoying Ivy. We had that time, took full advantage of it, and now, it was time to face reality.

Until she told me she was ready to take that step and share the news, we had to find a way to navigate our relationship in these public situations. I had to find a way to be the man I wanted to be for her without risking someone finding out the truth.

It was going to take some practice and a lot of discretion. I just didn’t know how I’d be successful. How could I walk in, see her, and pretend things were the way they’ve always been between us? It seemed an impossibility.

Of course, when I walked in this morning and glanced over at the front desk, she wasn’t there. But I knew she was already at work—I’d seen her car outside.

I could have walked right through the hotel and out to the villas, but that wasn’t an option on a day like today. So, I strode over to the front desk, saw Toby, and asked, “Hey, Toby. Is Ivy around?”

“Hi, Marco. Um, yeah, I think she’s in her office.”

I gave him a quick nod. “Thanks. I’m just going to run back to talk to her about something before I head out to work on the villas.”

“Okay.”

There was no reason for Toby to give me a strange or questioning look, but there was a part of me that had been waiting for it. I shouldn’t have been, considering I hadn’t done anything out of the ordinary. If this reaction was any indication of what it was going to be like, I didn’t think it’d take long for me to feel like I was losing my mind.

I shook the thoughts from my head as I approached Ivy’s private office. Her door was open, and she was busy concentrating on some paperwork in front of her. I gave myself a moment to just watch her, to give my heart a chance to settle at the mere sight of her.

Eventually, I lifted my hand and tapped a knuckle against the door. She gasped, her head snapping up as her hand flew to her chest. “Oh, God, you scared me.” Without even hesitating, she pushed her chair back and came out from behind her desk. “Good morning.”

My pants were immediately growing tight across the groin. This woman, whether she knew it or not, looked stunning in anything she wore. She could have been in sweatpants and an oversized T-shirt, and I’d still find her attractive. But there was something about seeing her in her professional clothes that just did it for me. Today, she was wearing a dark purple pencil skirt that hugged her curves perfectly with a satin ivory blouse. She was utter perfection.

“I didn’t mean to startle you.”

Ivy stopped just a couple of feet in front of me. “That’s alright. Are you just now getting here? This is late for you.”

I nodded. “I know. But I had something I needed to take care of this morning.”

“Oh. Is everything okay?”

I grinned. “It is.”

“What’s that look for?”

Lifting the plain brown bag I’d carried in, I said, “This is for you.”

Confusion washed over her. “Me? What is it?”

Ivy curled her fingers around the handle and took the bag from me. “Happy Valentine’s Day, Princess.”

Her eyes shot to mine, her lips parting in shock. “It’s… I didn’t… Oh my God.”

“What’s wrong?”

“I forgot. I didn’t even realize it was Valentine’s Day. Oh, I’m the worst.”

“You are not. Look inside. It’s just a little something special I wanted to do for you.”

Ivy seemed torn between wanting to be happy and feeling horrible for having forgotten the holiday. It was completely unnecessary, because I wasn’t looking for anything other than to see her happy about getting what she deserved on a day like today.

She finally pulled the handles apart and looked inside the bag. The single rose I’d gotten for her was the first thing she noticed, quickly pulling it out and lifting it to her nose. “Oh, it smells wonderful. This was so sweet of you to do.” Ivy turned and placed the rose on her desk before reaching into the bag again. When she pulled out what was inside, her eyes widened. “Did you get me chocolate-covered cheesecake bites?”

It was like I’d made all her wildest dreams come true.

Laughter spilled out of me. “I did.”

“This is… Marco, this is…” Her shoulders fell, her smile communicating what she seemed to be having trouble doing with words. “This is so special. It means everything to me.”

“I’m glad.”

She put the decorative tin holding the cheesecakes right beside the rose. Then she came in my direction, closed her door, and flipped the lock. The next thing I knew, she threw herself into my arms and kissed me. “You are so good to me.”

“I wish I would have been good to you sooner, if that kind of kiss is what I get in return.”

Ivy arched a gorgeous brow. “Oh, that kiss is just the beginning.”

“Of what?”

“Of what you’re getting in return.”

My gorgeous woman didn’t give me a chance to respond before her hands were working at the fly of my jeans as she walked me backward until my body was leaning against the wall.

She didn’t waste time, quickly freed me and, in a move that I hadn’t been anticipating, she dropped to her knees in front of me. “You’ve gotten me that dessert over there. And I know I’m going to love it, but I always like a main course before I indulge.”

I balled my hands into fists at my sides, the vision of Ivy on her knees in front of me something I hadn’t realized I needed in my life. “I’d never want to deny you, Princess. Take all you want. There’s plenty of me for you to get your fill.”

Ivy’s mouth quirked, a gleam in her eyes as she stroked. “I’m a lucky girl, aren’t I? All of this is for me. Who knew you had this hidden from me all these years?”

I wasn’t exactly thrilled Ivy hadn’t had the opportunity to discover this part of me. “My apologies.”

She licked her lips before brushing them against the tip. Then she parted them and took me in her mouth. My head dropped back against the wall, my hands reaching down to touch her. One hand covered hers that was resting near my hip, the other threaded through the strands of her hair.

For several moments, I closed my eyes and simply relished the feel of what she was doing to me. Her mouth. Her beautiful mouth, warm and wet, was filled with me. And she was making it clear just how much she appreciated that I hadn’t forgotten the holiday.

I dropped my head forward, looked down at her, and couldn’t stop my fingers from pressing in just a bit.

God, she was incredible.

So pretty.

So unbelievably sexy.

And easily fulfilling just one of the many fantasies I’d had recently of her.

Ivy sucked and licked, lifting her eyes to look at me as she did. Her pace went from slow to fast, to slow to steady. She hollowed her cheeks and took me in deep. And when I’d heard her moan far too many times, an indication she was turned on by what she was doing for me, I couldn’t hold myself back.

I eventually reached down while simultaneously pulling my hips back.

When Ivy was standing in front of me again, she asked, “Was it… Did you not enjoy it?”

“Are you kidding me?” I asked, my lips against hers. “You’re amazing. But I’m not sure I’ve told you yet how many times I’ve fantasized about fucking you in these skirts and dresses you wear to work. I want you over your desk.”

I felt the shudder move through her.

Whether she’d ever had the thought on her own, I didn’t know, but it was clear she didn’t have a problem with it.

As I kissed her mouth, I walked her over to her desk and urged her onto it. My hands went to her legs just above her knees and trailed up her thighs, slipping beneath the hem of her skirt. I pushed it up as high as it would go, slid my hands up farther, and gripped the fabric of her underwear. I slid those down her legs, tossed them onto the desk behind her, and brought my fingers between her legs.

Ivy wrapped a hand around the back of my neck and whimpered, her forehead dropping to my shoulder. “Oh, Marco,” she moaned.

I took some time to work my fingers between Ivy’s legs, playing and teasing, wanting to build her up.

I knew I’d accomplished what I’d set out to do when my fingers were soaked, and she was begging. “Marco, please.”

Refusing to deny either of us another minute longer, I helped her off the desk, spun her around, and urged her to bend over the edge of it. Ivy complied, squirming in front of me, her ass rearing back against me.

One of my hands came to her hip, the other to my cock. I rubbed the tip of my erection against her, which drove Ivy wild. She moaned and wriggled, desperate for more.

I was just as eager as her, so I positioned myself and pushed inside. Ivy’s head flew back, her back arching.

“God, you feel so good, Ivy. Do you know how good you feel?”

“Do you like it?” she panted as I powered forward into her.

Over and over, I thrust forward, driving into her warmth and wetness. It was perfection, bliss. For the rest of my life, I’d need nothing else but her, in all the ways I could have her. I’d never want for another thing.

“I love it, Princess. You take me so well. We fit perfectly.”

I wasn’t sure I’d ever get used to this feeling, to the way it felt like this woman had been made especially for me. There wasn’t a single thing I didn’t like about having this with her.

My hands gripped her hips, rubbed over her ass, and one ultimately slipped around to find her clit. I circled and rubbed, giving her the pressure that she needed as I thrust in harder.

Ivy became a bit more vocal, her whimpers coming quicker. And when I felt myself reaching that point of no return, I pushed her over the edge and sent her soaring. “Oh, Marco. Please don’t stop.”

I couldn’t if I wanted to. Not when she sounded like that, not when she was saying my name as her orgasm tore through her.

“Never, Ivy. I’ll never stop. I’ll never have enough of you.”

Somewhere in the middle of it, I found my own release, my hands biting into the soft flesh at her hips as each powerful wave crashed over me.

For several long moments afterward, I didn’t move. I merely kept my body bent over the back of hers, kissing her neck and cheek as I tried to regain control of my breathing.

When we both managed that, I stood, pulled myself from her body, and spun her around, my mouth immediately seeking out hers. Ivy instantly parted her lips and slipped her tongue into my mouth. She moaned at the taste, allowing me to devour her for just a few more moments before we separated.

“That was fun,” she said, her voice and dazed smile indicating she was beyond happy.

“Yeah, I’ll say. It was far better than the fantasy I had in my head for several weeks now,” I shared as I tucked myself back into my pants and fixed my clothes.

She licked her lips, her eyes sparkling. “Thank you for such a nice start to my Valentine’s Day. I think the day is only going to get better from here.”

“Oh yeah? What do you have planned?”

“Well, I’d love to have lunch with you, but unfortunately, I already made plans with Jules and Ava today,” she revealed. “But I’d love to have you over to cook dinner for you tonight, if you don’t have any other plans.”

“Who else would I have plans with on a night like tonight?”

Ivy beamed at me. “I didn’t want to make any assumptions.”

I touched my mouth to hers. “I’d love to come over for dinner. You take care of that, and I’ll bring the entertainment.”

She raised a curious brow. “Entertainment? What do you have in mind?”

“I’ve got lots in mind for you. You’ll have to wait and see.”

She sighed. “Okay. Fine.”

“I’d love nothing more than to spend the rest of my day in here with you, but I’ve got to get out there and get to work,” I told her.

Ivy leaned her body weight into me. I happily took it, wrapping my arm around her and kissing her.

“Thank you for a great morning.”

“I aim to please.”

“Mmm. Can you do more of that tonight?”

I chuckled. “Like you really needed to ask.”

She nodded. “Yeah, I guess that was silly.” Her eyes roamed over my face, taking me in once more. “Okay. You should get back to work. I need to get myself cleaned up so I can do the same.”

I moved to the door, Ivy following behind me. Before I unlocked it, I kissed her one last time, took in the sight of her desk, and whispered, “It’d really make my day to think about you without those panties on the rest of the day.”

“Oh yeah?”

I dipped my chin.

Ivy stepped away, moved over to the desk, and snatched them off it. Then she walked back to me and placed them in my palm. “Keep them with you so you don’t have to wonder if I listened.”

I groaned. This was going to be a long day.

I tucked her underwear into my pocket, kissed her once more, and finally unlocked the door. “I’ll see you tonight.”

“I can’t wait.”

I wanted to kiss her again, but there was too much of a risk of being caught. So, I allowed my gaze to linger for just a few beats longer before I turned and walked off to head out to the villas.

Suffice it to say, I slid my hand into my pocket several times throughout the day and thought about my girl wearing her skirt with nothing beneath it.

That was just one more fantasy fulfilled.