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She’d played out a hundred scenarios in her mind, ending with death, kidnapping, or murder. A stolen glance became a stolen person. Okay, so she knew he was amazing at his job, that there was a whole security team, that he’d not risk Miss Legend’s safety, and he’d be focused on his job. But she couldn’t risk the chance of distracting him, not even for the blink of an eye.
Nightmares were born in the blink of an eye.
Lives changed in the space of a breath.
“You know I can’t.” Her voice sounded weaker than she’d have liked, betraying her yearning to stay beside him.
“I know you worry too much.” He dipped his head, kissing her forehead lightly. “Promise me one thing?” She raised her gaze to meet those gorgeous brown eyes and knew she’d promise him the world if he asked. “Don’t let my mother win. You won’t tell me what’s going on with the two of you, but I’m no idiot. If she starts acting like… well, herself, uninvite her. It’s our wedding, not hers. All I need is you. Fancy hall, or back street alley, as long as I have you, that’s all that matters. Remember that.” He’d have no idea exactly how much she’d needed that, nor did she have a chance to respond. His lips crushed hers, bringing home the sincerity of his words before, with a sigh, he stepped back. Bending, she lifted his hand luggage from the floor, offering him the handle. “I’ll miss you, Sin.”
“Call me when you get there.” As his hands grasped the handle she stole another kiss. After all, the next time she saw him would be on their wedding day. He was flying back two days before their wedding, and would be staying with Devon.
“Stay out of trouble. Okay?” She gave him her best innocent smile, knowing full well she’d see his grin return. “Oh, and after the little stunt you pulled, you better believe I’ve padlocked your toys. No orgasms until after we’re married. I mean it, Sin.” She felt her mouth drop open, his deep chuckle filling the air as he closed the door behind him, leaving her standing there staring after him in disbelief.
He wasn’t serious, right?
Becca was watching her with a frown. She could feel the weight of her best friend’s stare, even as she looked at herself in the mirror. Ivy adored the dress. She could see only its beauty, her image blurred by the welling of tears in her eyes.
The soft kiss of lace became the whisper of silk at her fingertips as she traced the gorgeous fabric, trying to recapture the feeling of the first time she’d seen herself in it. But now, when her eyes strayed from the dress to the person wearing it, all she saw were the scars, the hideous marks that shone beneath the light. As much as she hated to admit it, Mrs Taylor had been right. This unique and beautiful dress would look better on someone else, anyone but her.
It was too much. It was perfection; it was grace, elegance, and beauty, all the things she was not.
“Take it off,” Ivy whispered, reaching around to the back, the tears burning, threatening to spill. She grasped for the lace, tugging at it trying to get it free. “Take it off. Please, I can’t… I…”
“Hey, hey.” Becca released the corset, stepping Ivy from inside. “What’s wrong, don’t you like it? I thought—”
“I love it, Becca. But… it’s not me, is it? I mean… I,” Her voice quivered, unable to finish the sentence. Her arms wrapping around her midriff as she fought back the sobs that started at the ache right in the centre of her chest.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake.” Becca threw her hands up in the air. “You showed that dried-up old battle-axe the dress, didn’t you?” She pulled Ivy’s tank top over her head, helping her slip into her cardigan, her hands staying firmly on her shoulders as she locked eyes with Ivy. “Vee, you look breath-taking, and that’s without all these trimmings. That dried-up cunt’s just jealous. Don’t let her take this from you, Vee. Just don’t.” Becca’s arms encircled her, pulling her close. Ivy leaned against her, not returning the hug, just holding herself tighter as she fought back the snobs with sniffles. “You look like a fucking goddess in that dress, and I’m not just saying that because I made it. But if you don’t want to wear it, fine, I’ll shred it. It’s for you or nobody.”
A new kind of pain surged through her at the thought of the beautiful garment being destroyed. The waste of her friend’s countless hours, her love. “Becca, don’t—”
“I mean it. It’ll be ribbons.” Ivy didn’t doubt that, not for a second. “I’ve never steered you wrong. Now fuck that old biddy and her venom right off. But if it bothers you that much, I have something I made for you. But… you should never cover up, Vee.”
“I just… I—” She swiped her sleeve over her face, smearing her light make-up.
“How about something like this?” Becca released, her pulling a lace bolero from one of the mirrored cupboards. “I’ve not quite finished it.” She added, holding it up. Ivy looked at the scalloped neckline and long sleeves that flared from the elbow.
“You knew?” she whispered the words through her swollen throat, looking at the ivory lace, which was a perfect match for the red and black patterns in her dress. Her throat ached with emotion that her friend had thought of anything and everything.
“I thought she may try something. I thought she’d wait until your wedding day. I wanted to be prepared. So, no more talk about that dress belonging to someone else. It was literally made for you, Vee.”Ivy dissolved into tears, breathing in Becca’s perfume as she grabbed onto her. “Just remember, she’s one woman. We can take her out and no one would see a thing.”
CHAPTER NINE
Ivy was feeling a lot more positive when she got home. But with the anniversary of her rescue, and the stress of the wedding being moved forward, she’d been trapped on a horrific emotional roller coaster. And Mrs Taylor was the officer in charge, keeping the ride hurtling across the tracks in a bid to shake the carriage free and send her crashing to her death. At least she had Becca to watch her back.
She knew she shouldn’t let that woman get to her, but it was so damn hard not to. She’d received nothing but venom from her fangs since the day their paths first crossed. Even now, she still wasn’t welcome in their home. Although she didn’t tell Miles that. But whenever they had wedding plans, it was always somewhere public.
To be honest, she was grateful for this small mercy. Somewhere public meant Mrs Taylor had to behave, at least a little. There was a degree that Mrs Taylor would risk embarrassing herself to humiliate Ivy. She weighed the scales carefully to ensure she always came out on top.
After greeting the doorman, she made her way to the elevator. Her finger hovering over the brushed steel button for their floor, her mind racing. Just before it closed, she grabbed the door, sending it rushing back open, stepping outside she peered around the prominent elevators at the door into the stairwell.
Before she went back to Miles’ apartment, because yes, although they both lived there she still thought of it as his, she could do with grabbing something from the car. Which meant a quick trip down to the parking area.
While she could drive, she avoided it whenever possible. The busy streets and reckless drivers set her nerves aflame. Mostly she could walk places quicker anyway, and she loved the exercise, not to mention the steps she gained on the watch that went towards her life insurance policy, which offered perks for hitting weekly targets.
Sure, a free drink a week may not seem like much for all the steps she had to put in, but it was the only benefit she cashed in on. There was something about a free drink, that made it taste better, plus she’d treat herself to a cinnamon roll as a reward for hitting her targets. Ones which helped her stay healthy and kept her mind focused on her health. Not a bad ploy for a life insurance company.
There were exceptions to her no-driving rule, but only when it came to looking at properties for the training school. Her car was more there for emergencies, but when a cab or Uber could arrive within minutes, it seemed pointless to cause herself the unneeded stress of navigating the busy roads.
