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“Yes,” I admit with a smile. I aim to tell her the truth as often as possible, and this is beautiful. The view and the victory.
A throaty grunt follows, filling me with excitement that my Little Storm might rage right here in the driveway for me. But she surprises me. I like that about her. There’s always something unexpected.
She straightens, composing herself with a slow breath. “Fine. I can admit when I’m wrong. Of course, had you not come, I would’ve simply adjusted what I deemed necessary to bring, therefore provingthe accuracy of my original statement. But since you’re here, you might as well make yourself useful.”
Without a word, I wrap up my treat, stick it into my jeans pocket, and move toward the discarded box, but at the last second, I shift, pressing her against her Ferrari. Her breath hitches as I cage her there, lips parting when I dip my chin, eyes roving over my face as I lean in to whisper in her ear, “I’d like to hear you ask me nicely.”
Her chest heaves against mine, soft, hidden, and sexy as fuck beneath her forest-green V-neck tee. “What?” she asks, sounding a bit dazed.
My lips tickle, dusting over the shell of her ear, my breath bouncing back over my cheek as my balls draw up in anticipation.Christ, she smells delectable. “Ask me nicely, Little Storm. For what youwant.”
“Oh,” she croons, breathy and light, lifting her chin to brush her mouth against my jaw. “Please,Mr. Wells, could you get off your fucking ass, wipe the cocky smirk off your face, and load my damn luggage?”
Pulling back a smidgen, I study her triumphant features, thick eyelashes batting, so proud of herself.
Jesus, she’s going to be fun.
As much as I’d like to dive deeper into this erotically charged battle right here in her driveway, I think it’s best to let her savor this win, knowing her panties are most definitely wet. I reach down, sweep the rogue strand of hair behind her ear, and trail my fingertips down her neck. She shivers under my touch, and my lips split into my own victorious grin.
“That’s a start, Ives. We can build on that.”
She bites her lip, eyes closing for a beat before her hands curl on my hips, shoving me backward. Not that she has enough force to do so, but I don’t mind playing.
“Great,” she says. “You can start by building a pyramid out of my boxes.”
Shouldering past me, she struts to my SUV, attempting to openthe back door. It’s locked, of course, so I wait a hot minute before unlocking it. Her glare on me eventually erupts into a musical, full-bodied laugh.Infectious.
“Seriously?” she whines as she stomps her foot, although it’s more for comedic effect at this point. “Open the damn door so we can get out of here.” There’s the faintest hint of something deeper that floats across her face as she flicks her gaze back toward her house.
I click the button on the key fob in my pocket, scoop up the box near my feet, and step around her to slide it in the back seat. She returns a moment later with another, and I open the rear cargo door for her to deposit it, before grabbing her arm. “You’re anxious to get out of here. Something happen?”
Swallowing, she seems to be deliberating on whether or not she should divulge whatever she’s thinking. We can’t have that.
“It doesn’t feel like I’m leaving home, I guess.” She shrugs, her loose ponytail swishing with the gesture. “It’s like I’m leaving a life that doesn’t belong to me anymore.”
I can relate to that far more than I could explain here in her driveway. “That makes sense. You said your dad was sick. Is that why?”
She nods, her eyes clouding over. “Yes. He was … my rock. And now, he’s not himself—stroke. A bad one. Plus, my best friend, Celeste, and my mom are gone now for the rest of fall. In a blink, everything … fell away. No one is truly gone, and yet, they’re no longer mine.” Tilting her face up, she purses her lips as though embarrassed to catch herself drifting. “Sorry. Promise not to be a downer.”
I cradle her chin in my palm. “Don’t do that. Don’t apologize.”
“Okay,” she breathes before adding, “Thanks,” with a contrived grin.
We finish loading her belongings in silence, but once they’re packed up, she glances back at me. “I guess that’s it. Good thing you came to help.” Her teeth notch her lower lip with a giggle, so damnalluring. “But so you know, you don’t have to take me to see my father tomorrow. That I really can handle on my own.”
“Why don’t we go now?” I suggest, swirling the keys around my index finger and itching to finish my sucker. Although, it isn’t a suggestion. We’re going. “You said it’s on the way, right?”
“Yeah.” She slides her hands into the pockets of her hazelnut shorts. “I’ve already monopolized so much of your time. You don’t want to sit in a parking lot and wait for me while I visit with him.”
“You’re right,” I agree. “I don’t. I’m coming in.”
“What?” Her eyebrows pinch tight over her dainty, freckled nose. “You won’t want to do that either. He’s often confused, sometimes irritable. He can’t speak or—”
“Ivanna, it’s your father. I’d like to be there.”
Accepting the finality in my words, she blows out a breath, her voice strained with emotion. “Fine. I’d like that too. He’s at Shady Pines Stroke Rehabilitation Center.” With that, she scurries to her car and jumps inside, not starting the ignition until I’m behind the wheel of my own vehicle.
I follow behind her on the way to Shady Pines so I can see her father and tell him his little girl is mine now.
