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"Dreamy?" he repeats. "Who even uses that word anymore, Ivy?"
I pull my eyes into a squint. "Obviously, I do."
"You just say those things to get under my skin." He raises his wineglass to his lips.
I take a small sip of the ice water in front of me. "I say it because it's true. Nathan is hot."
"You're goading me now." He pushes his body into a more upright stance. "Why?"
I motion for the waiter and order myself a martini. "This territorial, I caveman, you woman thing is wearing on me."
"Excuse me?" he tries to stifle the laugh that accompanies the question but it's useless.
"I'm being serious." I don't break a smile. I don't even really know who this man is. Our entire relationship has been nothing but a series of lies, betrayals and corporate maneuverings. Last night was a start towards the truth but I'm craving more and I'm not afraid to ask for it.
He studies my face as if he's gauging whether or not I'm sincere. "It's just who I am," he says dryly.
"Were you always that way? With the women you bedded?" I nod as the waiter places the martini on the table. I drink from it, savoring the taste, anticipating the slight buzz it will give me. My courage always seems to make an appearance when alcohol is involved.
"The women I bedded?" He looks past me pretending to do a search of the room with his eyes. "Where's the Ivy that left my apartment this morning? You're an imposter, aren't you?" The laugh that follows the questions irks me.
"None of this is funny to me." I take another swallow of the drink. "I told you this morning that I have a lot more questions."
"Ready. Set. Go." He points his hand at me as if he's shooting a revolver. "Ask away, beautiful."
"Who was the woman you said cheated on you? When did that happen?" I lob both questions effortlessly at him. He doesn't bat an eyelash.
"Maria. I can't recall her last name right now." He pauses to sip from his wineglass. "It was right after college. She was blowing our boss for cheap favors and a dollar more an hour than what I was getting."
"You're joking," I say sarcastically. "That's who broke your heart?"
"I was crazy for her," he admits. "The day after she told me about their affair, I quit and took off."
"Took off? As in left the job?"
"As in left the city. Hell, I left the continent." He shrugs. "I guess I was running from the pain. It was the first time I was rejected."
"You're over her now." It's more a statement than a question. "Do you think the possessiveness stems from that?"
He stares intently at my face. "I've never been possessive. I'm only that way with you."
I chuckle before I respond. "I clearly recall you saying something to Brooke in that video about her belonging to you."
His face rushes crimson and he scowls at the words. "I said that to her to make her feel safe enough to confess what she was doing. The words slipped out."
"It's strange." I shift my gaze past him to a couple seated behind him. I envy the simple way they are holding hands, the way he leans in to listen to her speak. "The words hold less meaning to me now. Now that I heard you say them to her."
"They meant nothing before you." He reaches casually across the table to place his hand over mine but I retreat.
"What about my shares in the company?" I slip into a new topic, not wanting to dwell on the loss of our connection's innocence.
He stares at my hand as if it's left a trail behind it on the table when it dodged his grasp. "What about them?" he asks nonchalantly.
"Is there a reason you just didn't tell me who you were and then ask to buy them?" I ask before raising the glass to my lips again to finish the drink.
"Mark cheated on you."
His statement is unexpected and I grip the stem of the glass, wishing the waiter would stop by with another. "That's common knowledge, yes."
