Chapter 23
Savoring
Ryan
Meeting a woman’s parents always felt like a grind, but with Ivy’s mom I enjoyed it. She cared deeply about her daughter, and I couldn’t fault her for grilling me about all the shit swirling around us. By the time we finished dinner, I thought I’d won her over.
Maybe.
“How often do you visit your parents in Mississippi?” Debra asked.
“Not as often as Mom would like, but Dad came to town last night and had breakfast with me, Ivy, and my brother Killian.”
No sooner were the words out of my mouth than I realized I should have kept that to myself.
Ivy’s annoyed expression almost made me laugh, but I knew that would only make things worse.
Debra turned to Ivy. “You met his father already?”
“Yeah, Mom. Not much I could do about it, and it wasn’t like you could drop work to come to Krispy Kreme.”
Debra twisted her lips. “You’re right.” She focused on me again. “I’ll tell you what I told her last night. This is moving awful fast in my opinion.”
“It really isn’t, Mom.”
Debra sipped her wine. “Let me rephrase. This is more serious than I expected so soon.”
I nodded. “You’re right, but that’s life. I won’t hurt her, and Chad warned me, too. I’d never go out of my way to do her wrong. Damn sure not like that jackass we ran into today.”
Debra glanced at Ivy.
“We ran into Austin at One Night Taco Stand.”
“Bet that went well.”
I shrugged. “He left with a bloody lip, so I’d say it did.”
Debra’s eyes widened. “Do you solve everything with violence?”
I chuckled. “When someone insults her or threatens her, yeah, violence is my go-to.”
Debra sat back in her chair and brought both hands to her mouth, looking almost like she was praying. Finally, she dropped her hands. “I disagree with violence most of the time, but…I’m glad you’re someone who isn’t going to let her take any shit.”
I nodded once. “That’s the general idea.”
She shifted her gaze to Ivy. “I see why Chad likes him so much.”
“Ivy. Shit, you’re killing me, woman,” I groaned.
Her mass of dark curls were draped over my thigh and I gathered that hair in my hand so I could better watch her suck my cock. She looked up at me, and the sultry gleam in her striking green eyes hit me hard.
“Get up here, Ivy,” I ordered.
She released my dick from her mouth, but kept pumping me with her hand while she ran her tongue around the crown. “I’m focused, Nickel,” she whispered, then took me deep.
My head tilted back and a familiar sensation built low in my spine. In a few moments my balls would tighten and I refused to come down her throat.
I let go of her hair, and slid both hands under her armpits and pulled her up.
“Ryan! You had to be close,” she said, trying to wriggle away from me.
Part of me wanted her to get back to sucking me off, while another part of me wanted to tussle with her because the idea of wrestling with her made me even harder.
I shifted my body weight and took her to her back. “Baby, I was damn close, but I’m not shooting down your throat tonight. Spread those gorgeous legs for me.”
She opened her legs and lined up my cock with her pussy. Nothing felt better than this: the first moment I entered her sweet, wet heat. It sucked pulling out of her when things were finished which was why I was always so slow and gentle about it… because it was the last thing I wanted to do.
“What are you waiting for, Nickel?” she asked.
“Not waiting, I’m savoring, baby,” I said, grabbing her thighs.
I leaned up so I could watch my cock slide inside her.
She wiggled her hips, trying to get more of me.
My eyes met hers. “No, Trouble. You take what I give you.”
“Honey…please,” she pleaded.
This woman. I couldn’t fucking deny her.
I lifted her legs a little higher and drove inside to the hilt.
She bit one half of her lower lip, then whispered, “Yes.”
“You’re mine,” I said on an outward stroke.
My body stilled. I’d never thought that let alone said it to a woman.
“You bet I am,” she said, her gorgeous green eyes locked with mine.
Damn. Why did that hit so deep?
“Ivy,” I groaned on an inward thrust.
“Yeah,” she breathed.
I lowered myself down so we were almost nose to nose. “Do you mean that?”
Her eyes searched mine. “Yes. I’m yours – I wouldn’t be doing this with someone else.”
I cupped where our bodies connected. “I know this is mine.” I dragged my hand up to her heart. “Is this mine? Are you really mine?”
“Yes, but—”
My eyes reflexively flared and she paused before a coy smile flitted across her face.
“But that’s contingent on you being mine, too. Us only children aren’t known for sharing.”
I withdrew and slammed back into her on a laugh. “Yeah, Trouble. You won’t have to share me. I don’t pull that shit.”
“Good. Now, fuck me like I’m really yours.”
I leaned down and kissed her. Rather than fucking her the way she wanted, I made love to her slow and easy.
“Ryan,” she whined.
“Go with it, Ivy.”
“I need more.”
I picked up the pace a touch and ground into her. She flexed her inner muscles, squeezing my cock and I drew in a sharp breath. Her hands gripped my ass, another sign to go harder, but I kept it at the same pace.
I palmed her breast and played with her nipple. She moaned, then she bit her lip again.
Her hips bucked to meet my thrusts and I couldn’t control myself. The slow pace gave way to a much faster rhythm. I slid my hand down to her pussy and rubbed my thumb over her clit.
“Finally!” she whispered.
Her head tipped back, and she moaned as her pussy spasmed around me. My balls drew up and I heard my blood roaring in my ears when I came.
Ivy turned the bathroom light off and walked to the bed, naked. I loved watching her nude figure move around my room.
“The way you look at me is good for my ego, mister.”
“You’re gorgeous. There’s no way you don’t know that.”
She gave me a closed-lip smile, then climbed into bed next to me. “Whether I know it or not doesn’t change the fact that some men tear a girl down at a very young age.”
I felt my shoulder get tense. “You need to elaborate, sweetheart.”
“Before Mom met Jeff, she was with Ed. He lived with us… until she found out how terrible he was to me.”
“To you?”
She nodded and put her hand on my forearm. “He’s long, long gone, Ryan.”
“How was he terrible to you?”
She leaned up on her elbow and twisted toward me. “Not like that. He yelled at me, like in my face yelling at me when I was six years old. It always made me cry, which only made him angrier… and yell more.”
“Jesus.”
Her hesitation concerned me, but I forced myself to wait her out. Finally, she said, “He’d tell me to stop crying, and that never worked. Thinking happy thoughts never worked because my tears would just flow like a faucet.”
“Fucking hell,” I muttered on a sigh.
“Are you angry?”
I leaned up on an elbow to look her in the eyes. “Baby, of course I’m angry, but not at you. That jackass never heard one of my favorite quotes, ‘The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears, or the sea.’”
Her eyes got shiny and she smiled. “Oh my God. If it weren’t for referencing sweat, that would be my new favorite quote, too.”
I chuckled silently. “You felt better after our run, no matter what you tell me.”
She shook her head. “I’ll never admit that.”
“Seriously, Ivy. You’re gorgeous. Whatever that asshole did to tear you down, I’m gonna build you back up.”
She cupped my cheek. “I’m sensing that. Seeing as we had a pretty big conversation earlier, I’m just gonna say it. I’m falling in love with you, Ryan. And that isn’t the sex talking.”
I pulled her closer. “Yeah, Ivy. I’m right there with you. I didn’t expect you to say you were mine, but when you did it shifted the axis of my world. I love you, and if there are any more assholes like Austin out there, I have to brush up on my boxing.”
She giggled. “Your boxing skills are just fine, sir.”
“Are there any other ex’s around?”
“No. The other one left town.”
“Good. Your mom will come around, you know.”
She lifted her head and looked me in the eye. “She likes you.”
I arched a brow. “She was cordial, and it’s fine—”
“No, she doesn’t understand your way of life,” she said with a head shake.
I ran my hand up and down her back. “She doesn’t have to get my world, you do.”
“You’re right, but still, she’ll come around.”
My mind drifted to memories of my mom’s mother. Even as a kid, I knew she didn’t get the MC world. Debra didn’t seem as tightly wound as Grandma Carlton, but time would tell.
Ivy grinned up at me and kissed my jaw. “Wanna go again…to make things more official? Or are you too tired?”
I flipped her to her back. “Did you say ‘too tired?’ Woman, you’re the one who’s older. You don’t ever have to ask me twice about going again.”