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Her lips curve up in a smile at my teasing tone.
“I want to know more about you, Ivy. The real you.” My fingers move through hers, lacing and unlacing, my thumb caressing the back of her soft hand and, to my surprise, she begins talking, opening up like she never has before.
“Relationships never worked out for me. After having my heart broken one too many times, I gave up on men. I let my job become my life and kept pretending I was satisfied keeping things light. For so long, I told myself I was happy being single. I didn’t need a man. But you and Kennedy made me see that’s not exactly true.”
“We did?”
She nods and turns in my arms. I gaze into her eyes, suddenly finding it hard to breathe. They’re a swirl of colors and my heart catches.The girl with kaleidoscope eyes.
And she now holds my heart in her hands.
Does she have any idea, though?
“She and Aidan are so happy together,” Ivy continues. “He dotes on her like nothing I’ve ever seen and I wanted that, too. When I met you, all charm and swagger, I was definitely infatuated, but I figured it couldn’t last. Still, you sucked me in and I was ready to have a one-night stand until Kennedy called. She warned me to be careful and reminded me that I wanted more. No more fly-by-nights because I really did want someone special. I had promised myself I wouldn’t get involved with any more heartbreakers and you had heartbreaker written all over your handsome face in capital letters.”
“Capital, huh?”
“And bolded.”
“And that’s why you took off,” I surmise.
“Yes,” she whispers. “You were too dangerous and I was too scared.”
“And now?” I press.
She sighs softly. “Now I just pray you aren’t like the rest.”
“What did they do to you, Ivy?”
“The same thing Autumn did to you,” she murmurs and, for the first time, I don’t automatically tense at the mention of my ex-girlfriend’s name. “Every guy I ever got serious with cheated on me. I began to wonder what was wrong with me.”
“Nothing is wrong with you,” I say fiercely. “You just dated idiots.”
“I never had a good example of a loving relationship while growing up. My parents divorced when I was little and they still hate each other with a passion. It used to make me sad, but they’ve remarried and moved on. I love them both and as long as they stay away from each other, it works.”
I think about my parents and how their marriage fell apart, too. Just for very different reasons. Seems like we’re more alike than I ever knew.
“Getting your heart broken sucks,” I say. “But closing yourself off isn’t the answer.”
“Have you had a serious girlfriend since Autumn?”
“No,” I answer truthfully. “I avoided getting emotionally attached. Same as you.”
“So where does that leave us?” she asks softly.
“I think in a good place,” I muse, lifting a strand of her golden blonde hair and rubbing it between my fingers. “We’ve seen what makes a relationship fall apart and what doesn’t work, right? So we do the opposite of that.”
Ivy’s eyes brighten with tears and it makes my insides twist. “I’d like that.”
“Don’t cry,” I whisper and wipe a tear away with my thumb.
“Sorry, I can’t help it. I’ve kept my emotions bottled up for so long and now they’re pouring out.” She sniffs, wiping at her nose. “You broke the dam, flyboy.”
“Good,” I murmur and press my lips against hers. The kiss is tender, but thorough. I want her to know how much I care about her, but I can’t let it get out of control. We need to get moving and don’t have time to get carried away again. As it is, I think we’re on borrowed time.
Pulling back, I tamp down the building desire and suggest we go before the expected guests arrive.
“Good idea,” she agrees.
