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Actually, yes, I could. And I didn’t really care.
“Don’t worry.” She licked my earlobe. “I’m good at getting you clean.”
“You’re going to be the death of me, Ivy Beck.”
“Possibly. Just as you might be the same for me.” She lifted her head, her wicked eyes glowing in the darkness. Must’ve been my imagination. “But for the next day, we’re going to live.”
I tucked her windblown hair behind her ear. “Taking it day by day is how I get by. You understand that, right? With my schedule, I need flexibility. I travel all over to meet with artists—”
“And you have a girl in every port. Gotcha.” While she smiled, her voice turned cool.
“No. No other women. Just you. You’re the only one in a long time.”
“But?”
“But I live in LA and you live here. And bloody good sex can make people see compatibilities that aren’t there. I’m not an easy man to be with,” I added, turning her face back to mine when she shifted it away.
“As if I’m easy? You’ve never seen me during PMS. Or when I have Aunt Flo.”
“Aunt who?”
“Never mind. You’ve definitely never seen me when I can’t get a flavor right. I’m a raging bitch then. But that’s people. We have a million different sides and half of them suck. You just hope to find someone with less suckage than the others. And if not, a really nice dick that makes up for the rest.”
“Thank you. I think.”
She didn’t laugh, just rubbed her chilly arms. “I like you. A lot. We have fun. If that’s all it is, then that’s all it is. I won’t try to rope you into anything.”
“I don’t know what to do with ropes. Or ties of most any kind. I’m used to living out of a suitcase and liking it. This…” I trailed off, gesturing to the wilderness around us, suddenly alive with chirps and rumbles and noises that I could not identify. I nearly shuddered. “Let’s just say I’m not the sort to bond with nature and pitch a tent. I live in a place of glass and it suits me.”
“And this suits me. But lots of things might. How will I ever know if I don’t experience them?”
She was right. So right. As I’d seen during my short time in Crescent Cove.
“Trust doesn’t come easy to me.”
“No kidding?”
“Look, I don’t want to bring up the past, but I’ve dealt with some things that make me wary. But I like being with you. To be honest, the idea of never seeing you again is painful.” I touched her silky soft cheek. “And not just because I nearly dropped to my knees after tasting your—”
“Shh. This is a family show.” Even in the dark, I could see her grin.
“Ice cream. Wow. Filthy mind.” After I removed the condom and wrapped it in a tissue from my pocket, I pulled her close. “I have to go tomorrow night, but we have the rest of tonight. And I’d like to come back. I just don’t know when.”
I had tons of work waiting for me, with a list of prospective clients as long as both arms. I also wasn’t sure how long it would take me to get some distance.
Some perspective on how to live my life with Ivy as only an occasional guest.
“Okay,” she said after a few moments. “But I want your number. And I want you to have mine.”
“Okay,” I echoed, stroking her hair. “You have to make me a promise though.”
She lifted her head.
“If you ever meet someone else and get tired of waiting on me, you’ll be honest. Just call me and tell me the truth. I won’t hold it against you.”
“Rory—”
It was my turn to cover her lips with my finger. “Just that one promise.”
