Chapter 24

Ivy

"Oh, God. O-o-h-h Gawwwwwd!" I shout as my orgasm explodes out of every pore of my body. My arms and legs tremble, and my body is slick with sweat even though I'm fresh from a shower. With Stone. I feel too good to think at all, never mind about all the questions I can see burning in Stone's eyes. "Your mouth is officially my favorite feature."

He laughs, giving my clit one final flick before he kisses his way up my body. "This face is no longer your favorite?" Stone fake pouts before taking a nipple in his mouth. "Just wait until you ride my face." He wiggles his brows playfully, and I laugh.

"I can't wait." I love sex. Always have, but sex with Stone is like an Olympic sport. He talks dirty, and he talks a lot, keeping me on my toes and turning me on more than I ever thought possible.

"You'll have to," he says, smiling as his lips land on mine. The kiss is soft and slow and too fucking short. When he pulls back, I follow him, trying to get another taste of myself on his lips. "Because we have to talk."

I pout. I'm not one of those girls who likes to talk everything to death, and I am excellent at distraction. I reach between us, squeezing and stroking his cock. "Do we?"

His hips jerk forward, and he moans, looking more beautiful than any man has a right to when he throws his head back. "We do," he growls, gripping my wrist to stop my movements before he settles on the far side of the bed. "Is this just a night of fucking before you choose Gray, or is this for real?"

I freeze at his words, my instinct to snap back at him is strong. Yet, I know where this is coming from, so I take a beat. "This isn't just a night of fucking for me."

"Good, because I don't just want to fuck you, Ivy. Don't get me wrong, I plan to fuck you every single day for the rest of our lives, but I can't have you as a fuck buddy. I want you to be mine. Not a dirty little secret and not just a good fuck when it's convenient."

My mouth opens and closes several times because what the fuck do I say to that?

He rolls onto his side and props his head in his hand. "I've shocked you. Or terrified you." The humor in his voice puts a smile on my face.

"Shocked, kind of." I get up on my knees, fidgeting with the sheet. "I just got out of a relationship literally like a few hours ago, Stone. I still need to settle things with Gray."

His blond brows dip. "Is it too soon?"

"No. Yes. Fuck, I'm not sure. Is this gonna be weird with you and me and Gray? How will this look to everyone else? Ella Mae is gonna hate me."

"Gray and I talked about it earlier."

I gasp. "You talked about me? About you and me?"

He shrugs. "No. We talked about him and me, and our friendship. That inevitably led to you."

Part of me wants to know more about what they talked about, but I have a feeling that knowing more will only piss me off. "And what, he gave you permission? His blessing?"

"Well, he said a few things, and then he got shot."

Now I feel a little insecure. "What did he say? No, stop! I don't want to know."

"It's all good, Ivy." Stone tries to calm me down but now I'm all fucked up.

"How is this so easy for you?"

He laughs. "You think this is easy? It's not. I come home after years away and everything is different. My two best friends aren't happy to see me. I find myself wanting to know you more, to taste you. I fucking want you so bad I ache with it, but I can't do shit about it because you're with my friend. It's a clusterfuck, Ivy. It's fucked up and exciting and can turn our lives upside-fucking-down. It's a lot of things, but easy ain't one of them."

"Then how can you be sure?" I hate the way my voice wavers. It makes me feel weak and unsure, two things I'm not.

"Easy, because I know that I want you. I know the only thing keeping me from you was that I have too much respect for Gray to steal you from him. And I care about you too much to make you a cheater."

"And if we don't work out, what happens then?" That's my biggest fear. These people, Peaches and Ella Mae and Saint, they're my family. This place, Hardtail Ranch and The Barn Door is my home. Without them, I'd be lost. Especially after the news of Gray being shot.

Stone's eyes sparkle with mischief as he steps closer, invading my personal space in the way only he can. "Lose that worried look, Ivy. We're gonna work out, I promise."

Stone's words calm my worry like he always has. Something about the way he's so confident makes my heart thump faster. "You sound pretty confident there, cowboy."

"I know what I want." His fingers trail tantalizingly along my arm, raising goosebumps in their wake. "And what I want is you."

My breath catches at the intensity of his gaze. "You always did have a way with the ladies."

"Only one lady has ever held my heart." Cupping my face, he brushes his thumb across my cheek. "You, Ivy. It's always been you."

I bite my lip, torn between melting into his touch and maintaining some semblance of composure. "We've both changed a lot since you left."

"That may be true." His other hand finds my waist, pulling me flush against him. "But one thing that hasn't changed is how I feel about you."

I move in closer, intoxicated by his familiar scent and the heat of his body. "And how's that?"

"I'm not the sharing type, Ivy." His voice drops to a low, rumbling growl. "You'll always have a place here with me. No one else."

A shiver runs down my spine at his possessive declaration. "I'm not asking you to share."

"Good." Leaning in, he nuzzles my neck, his stubble scraping deliciously against my skin. "Then, you're mine."

I tangle my fingers in his hair, arching into him. "Prove it."

Stone barks out a laugh, the sound sending vibrations through my body. "With pleasure."