9. Ivy

9

IVY

It was no surprise that I’d started questioning my instincts after my attack. But when I lifted my gaze from the computer at the far end of the front desk counter for seemingly no reason and saw that Marco had just walked through the entrance to the hotel, I wondered if perhaps it had been instinct or some odd sixth sense that had led me to it.

His eyes locked on mine, a friendly smile playing at his lips. Something fluttered in my belly—a new sensation I’d never experienced with Marco before my attack. I didn’t know what it was about and could only assume it was some subconscious response to the man who’d been there for me immediately after such a traumatizing experience.

Marco made his way over toward me, and I didn’t hesitate to start the conversation. “Good morning, Marco.”

“Good morning, Ivy.”

“Late start for you today?”

“I’m pretty sure I was here before you this morning.” His lips twitched with amusement. “I was just in a meeting with your brothers.”

My eyes widened in surprise. “All of them?”

“Yep.”

“Oh, I bet Cooper loved that,” I teased.

Marco laughed. “He wasn’t exactly thrilled to be there, but I’ve seen him in worse moods about meetings before, so it wasn’t awful.”

“I think that’s all thanks to Skye. She’s helped him to mellow out just a touch.” I smiled at him, taking in the lock of hair that seemed to have escaped and was hanging, slightly curled, just above his brow. “So, are you going to be spending your day working on the villas?”

“That’s the plan. But I’ve got a bit of an issue I’ve got to deal with, too.”

My brows shot up in question. “An issue with the villas?”

He dipped his chin.

“What’s going on?”

“I was planning to start laying the tile in the bathrooms today, but it turns out we were sent the wrong ones.”

“Like, we were sent the wrong pattern? Is that what you mean?”

Shaking his head, he explained, “I wish that was the issue. No. Unfortunately, the size is completely wrong, and I am not going to attempt to cut these tiles to make them work for what we need.”

I could only imagine how much additional work that would be for him. “So, what are you going to do?”

Marco looked to be less than thrilled. “I’ve got the lovely task of selecting a new tile, because the manufacturer is currently backordered on the one that we need. They don’t have enough to cover the job here.”

“That doesn’t seem so bad.”

His eyes narrowed slightly. “Yeah, if you’re into doing that sort of thing. I’m not exactly what I’d consider an interior designer.”

Tipping my head to the side, I reasoned, “I’ve seen the work you do, Marco. You’ve got an incredible eye.”

He smiled proudly at me. “I can build stuff and put things together, Ivy, but selecting colors and patterns isn’t really my thing.”

Understanding dawned. “I see the problem.”

“What about you?”

“What about me?”

Marco’s eyes swept down my body and back again. “You’ve got a great eye for what looks good. You’re always dressed well and would likely have a better idea about which pattern or color would be best. Is there any chance I’d be able to convince you to help me select the best pattern and color for the new tiles?”

I couldn’t remember a time Marco had ever complimented me the way he just had. Sure, he’d offered praise on occasion, but it hadn’t ever been anything pertaining to the way I looked, nor had it ever been paired with the sweeping gaze.

A shiver ran along my spine, and it was everything I could do not to visibly shudder. Why did I like the way it felt to have him look at me like that so much?

“Um, yeah, sure. I can help. Do you want me to come out to the villa with you?”

Marco shook his head. “No. I know that’d probably be more convenient, but I don’t have a list of what’s available yet. Per the meeting I had with your brothers, we want to make sure we stay ahead of schedule, or at least complete the project on time. I need to contact the tile manufacturer again to find out what’s in stock in the sizes and quantities we need, but I was hoping to do that later. And since we don’t want to fall behind on this project, I was hoping you’d be free later, after I’ve finished with work. Do you have plans for tonight?”

“No. No, I don’t have anything pressing going on,” I answered. “Unless you consider rearranging furniture as having plans.”

He sent a pleading stare my way. “What are the chances you’d be okay with me swinging by your place with a list of available options, so you can choose something that won’t look hideous? I really don’t trust my own judgment on something like this.”

I could think of nothing I’d have loved more than to know I’d have some company tonight. Ever since I’d been assaulted and robbed, I’d really been spending my time at work or home. And nobody had been to my place in a few days now—not since Ava had visited. To have Marco over, even if only for a work-related task that would likely take us a mere fifteen minutes or so, would be wonderful.

I’d spent so much time thinking about how much I’d enjoy having him over that Marco presumed the worst and had resorted to bargaining. “I’ll make a deal with you. Since the thought of having to choose this tile and it turning out wrong terrifies me so much, I’m more than willing to trade services with you. If you help select the new tile, I’ll happily move any furniture you need help with tonight.”

Maybe I’d get more than just fifteen minutes with him. “In that case, there’s only one question that remains.”

“What’s that?”

“What time are you leaving work?”

Marco grinned, his shoulders sagging slightly with relief. “Thank you so much, Ivy. I don’t think you realize how big of a help this is for me.”

I cocked a brow and teased, “You don’t understand how much furniture I have that needs to be moved.”

He chuckled. “Moving some furniture sounds far more relaxing to me, so this is perfect. I’m planning to head out of here around five or so. I’ll probably be covered in dust, so I’ll run home quickly to shower and change. I can come to your place right afterward, if that’s okay with you.”

“That works perfectly for me. I’ll be leaving here about thirty minutes after you, so I think the timing will work out great.”

Marco patted his hand on top of the counter twice, the relief etched into his features. “Awesome. Thanks again, Ivy. You’re really doing me a huge favor here.”

I smiled at him and shrugged. “I owe you, so please don’t worry about it.”

The look of contentment that had been on his face was gone in an instant. “You owe me?”

Nodding, I reminded him. “For what you did for me that night here in the hotel.”

His voice dipped low as he leaned close. “I thought I already made it clear that you don’t owe me a thing for that night.”

I was suddenly very aware of the counter between us, some small part of me wishing I could move it just to see if he’d lean even closer or even reach his fingers out to touch me.

I reached for the stack of papers on the counter, busying myself for a moment, so I wouldn’t do or say anything foolish. It barely helped, that desire to have him come closer to me becoming somewhat of an ache.

“You did. I’m aware you’re not expecting anything in return. But that doesn’t mean I don’t want you to know how much it meant to me,” I reasoned, my voice strained.

He held my stare in silence for a few beats, his eyes roaming over every inch of my face. I wondered if he knew what he was doing to me, the effect he was having on me. “I know what it meant to you, Ivy. Trust me, I understand. I don’t need you to do things, to agree to do this, just to try to prove it to me.”

Judging by the sound of his voice, this bothered him tremendously. I inclined my head just a touch and murmured, “For what it’s worth, feeling like I owe you isn’t the only reason I agreed to helping you out with the tiles selection.”

His brows shot up. “You’ve got another reason?”

“Yes.”

Something darkened in his stare. “Care to enlighten me?” Marco had never looked at me like that, and the intensity sent another shiver running along my spine.

“You seem to be the only one who knows what happened to me that hasn’t completely lost his mind,” I informed him. When he sent a questioning look my way, I added, “My family keeps treating me like I’m some delicate flower. Me! Can you believe it?”

He smiled and shrugged. “They love you, and they’re worried. I don’t think they mean anything by it.”

Obviously, I understood they loved me and worried about me, but it was still frustrating. Of course, hearing Marco say that made me wonder if he was saying that it was their love that made them so concerned, and him not having any love for me made it easier for him to act like nothing had happened.

Refusing to believe the worst, I said, “I know, but it doesn’t make it easy to move on when I feel like they’re walking on eggshells.”

“I understand. And I promise you don’t have to be anybody but yourself when I come over tonight.”

“That sounds delightful.”

“Alright. I need to head back to work and get something accomplished today, but I’ll see you later.”

“See you tonight, Marco.”

With a bright smile on his face, he dipped his chin. “Later, Ivy.”

A moment later, he was gone.

And for the first time, I felt a tingling sensation in my belly at the prospect of a fun night with a handsome guy. Even if he was a guy I’d known nearly all my life.

“I can’t tell you how relieved I am.”

Marco might have been feeling relief, but I was feeling something else entirely, something I wasn’t quite sure I was prepared to put a name to.

He’d arrived at my place roughly thirty minutes ago, doing so with everything we’d need to select new tiles for the villa bathrooms as well as dinner. Marco had caught me off guard—he hadn’t mentioned anything about bringing dinner for us—and the feeling it gave me was unlike anything I’d ever felt before.

The moment I’d opened the door to him and saw him there with dinner, I almost forgot the real reason he’d come to my place to begin with. My heart rate had picked up a bit, and my legs wobbled. The sweet gesture was so much more than I had anticipated.

And I realized that Marco had been feeling uneasy about having to select the new tiles on his own, but this gesture seemed to go above and beyond for something that would take me almost no time to figure out for him.

I found myself needing to look away from him frequently as we ate, because if I didn’t, I wasn’t convinced I wouldn’t wind up staring at him with such awe.

“I think you would have done an okay job with this.” I pointed to the booklet he’d brought along containing the options for tiles. “You had my selection in your top three choices anyway.”

“Yes, but what if I’d chosen one of the other two?” he countered.

I glanced down at them. “They weren’t bad, either.”

Marco sent me an incredulous look. “You didn’t see your face when I pointed to the first of those three choices.”

I winced, pressing my lips together. Of the options available to us, Marco had indicated what were his top three choices, and while my pick was in there, the first he’d pointed out to me wasn’t something I’d ever choose. Apparently, I wasn’t so good at hiding my distaste. “Sorry.”

He chuckled. “Don’t be sorry. Be glad I was smart enough to ask you instead of believing I could do it on my own.”

“Fair enough.” I waved my hand toward the empty plate in front of me. “Thanks again for bringing dinner. You totally didn’t need to do that.”

Shrugging, he reasoned, “We needed to eat, and I didn’t think it was fair to make you cook.”

“I don’t mind cooking. Are you sure you weren’t worried I might make something unappetizing?”

Marco continued to be amused by me. “You know how to cook. I’ve been attending parties and celebrations with your family for as long as I can remember. And I know I’ve had dishes made by you.”

“Maybe those dishes were the ones you didn’t particularly like.”

He sighed, his head shifting from side to side. “That’s not the case. But if you’re up for it, I’m happy to prove you wrong.”

My brows shot up. “Oh? How so?”

Grinning, he said, “It’s Thursday. Invite me for dinner this weekend, and I’ll prove I’m not afraid to eat anything you cook.”

When Marco had been standing in front of me at the hotel earlier today, I had anticipated him coming here for twenty minutes, so I could help him select tiles. Not only had he already been here for more than thirty minutes, brought me dinner, and promised to help me move furniture, but now he was also solidifying a return trip.

It took everything I had inside me to remain calm and not show how I was truly feeling, not let him know that the flutters I’d felt in my belly earlier today had returned with a vengeance. “Okay. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

“Is that my invite? Because I didn’t hear an actual invitation.”

I rolled my eyes. “Would you like to come over and have dinner with me on Saturday evening?”

His grin grew, and I couldn’t help but notice just how handsome he was when he smiled like that. “I’d love to join you for dinner. What time would you like me to get here?”

“How does six o’clock work for you?”

“You’ve got yourself a date, Princess.”

My mouth went dry, my breath catching in my lungs. Was this real?

Maybe he was just being silly, but Marco had just called what we were going to have on Saturday night a date. It had been years since anyone had asked me out on a date. Technically, I’d been the one to invite him, but it was only because he’d insisted. Not only that, but he’d also just called me princess.

Princess.

Why did that feel so good? The flush crept over my skin as warmth flooded my body. I was merely grateful to be sitting down, because my knees were weak, and the flutter in my chest left me feeling breathless.

That single word, the entire phrase, made me want to crawl across the table and curl up in his lap.

Whether he recognized why I was reacting the way I was or not, I didn’t know. But I was relieved Marco decided to break the tense silence that had stretched between us. With a sly grin, he asked, “So, what room are you looking to rearrange?”

Swallowing hard, I squirmed in my seat to distract myself from what I’d been feeling and return my focus to the conversation. “Well, I had been planning to start with the living room.”

“As much as I’d be content to sit here with you for a few more hours, if we’re going to get any of that accomplished, we should probably get up and get to work.”

My belly flipped.

Hours.

He said he’d have been content sitting here with me for hours. I suddenly didn’t care about rearranging furniture. But since I wasn’t quite sure I was prepared to hear him say more of the things he’d been saying, I thought it might be good for us to move some furniture. It was unlikely he’d continue to say such wonderful things to me.

With that, the two of us stood from the table, cleaned up everything from our dinner, and made our way to the living room to get to work on the furniture.

Surprisingly, Marco had great ideas for how to rearrange. I got the distinct feeling he could have moved most of the furniture on his own, but he didn’t seem to mind accepting my help with it. Doing something like this wasn’t normally my thing, but I couldn’t say I didn’t enjoy being able to do it with Marco. He made it fun, and just like I’d been saying for days, he treated me like normal.

Or, perhaps, better than normal, considering all the sweet things he’d said to me.

Hours after he’d initially arrived, Marco said, “I should probably get going. We’ve both got work in the morning.”

“I sure hope all of this work you did here with me won’t leave you feeling sluggish tomorrow,” I joked.

He chuckled. “Not a chance. This required minimal effort. And considering I had someone helping me out, it was even easier than I’d anticipated.”

I smiled at him. “I’m glad.”

The two of us made our way to the front door, and as we did, the nerves built in my belly. Marco and I had such a great time with each other tonight, and while there had been moments that felt like we’d entered some uncharted territory, the rest of it had been what I’d grown accustomed to with Marco. He was fun, relaxed, and just enjoyed having a good time.

How would things end tonight? Did he feel any of the same emotions as me? Was he feeling a sudden attraction that had never been there before? Did he wonder about things he hadn’t considered before when it came to me?

Once we made it to the door, we stood there in an awkward silence as Marco’s eyes roamed over my face. My heart was pounding so hard, my belly trembling with anticipation.

This felt so much like the end of a date, and suddenly, all I could think about is what it would be like to have him haul me into his arms, so he could kiss me.

“This was a lot more fun tonight than I had anticipated,” he said, finally breaking the silence. “I had expected we’d be poring over tile choices for a while, and nothing would have been more boring to me.”

“I’m glad I could help you with a decision quickly, then. I had a lot of fun tonight, too. It was nice to have some company.”

Marco smiled at me, shifted forward slightly, and held out a single arm. I took a step toward him, allowed his arm to come around me, and relished the way it felt to have him give me that squeeze while wishing he would have added his other arm to the mix.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Ivy.”

After he released his hold on me, I took a step back to control the urge to plaster my body to his, wrap my arms around his waist, and inhale his scent. “I’ll be there.”

Marco opened the door, stepped outside, and looked back at me with a satisfied look on his face. “Have a good night.”

“You, too. Drive safe. And thanks, again, for dinner.”

His features softened, the corners of his mouth slowly curving up into a smile. “It was my pleasure.”

A moment later, Marco was gone.

But that look lingered in my mind for quite some time afterward, and I desperately wanted more.