Chapter 36 Ivy
Ivy
It’s after midnight. I should be exhausted, but Alex has my veins coursing with adrenaline. It’s quiet out. The echo of our shoes hitting the bricks is louder than normal with my senses on high alert.
Alex holds my hand, and all feels right in the world.
Suddenly, he pulls me into a darkened doorway, and what the shop is, I couldn’t tell you. Only that it is closed. Before I know it, he has me pushed up against the door, and good gosh if this isn’t the hottest thing that has ever happened to me, or maybe anyone in the world.
“I have to kiss you again.” His hands bracket my shoulders as our breath mingles. “We got interrupted, so I think really, we need to continue our first kiss.”
“Good,” is all I say because my mind is absolutely blank. But it’s the understatement of the year.
Suddenly his lips are back home. Soft and warm against mine.
I realize my hands are dangling by my side, so I grab his suit coat and pull him even closer.
He cradles my head in his hands—leaning it to the side—then trails kisses across my jaw and down my neck, pausing halfway and whispering, “You are a dream.”
Alex once again takes my lips with his, and I groan. He grabs hold of one of my thighs, the heat of his hand like fire through the silk. I shiver when he slides his hand up to my waist. We could have been doing this for a week now? My mind refuses to remember any of the reasons we hadn’t been.
The first kiss had been filled with passion, but this one crosses over into frenzy. My breathing turns shallow as he threads his fingers into my hair and makes a sound that, I guess, would be considered a growl. I’ve never been the inspiration for such a sound, and wow, is it empowering.
I push his chest the two steps to the wall behind him, and he smiles as his back hits the wall. Gosh, that smile.
“I’m at your mercy, m’lady.”
“Yeah, you are.” I drag my hands down from his chest, into his coat, and grab hold of his sides. Alex wraps his arms around me. I go up on my toes to kiss him again.
“Mmm … you’re warm.” I pull him slightly away from the wall so I can bring my arms all the way around him inside his coat.
Alex brings a hand up to tuck some loosened hair behind my ear. “Are you cold, darling?”
Not anymore.
Clearly, my adrenaline has worn off by the time we make it back to our hotel. I open my eyes and find Alex leaning into the SUV, his hand gently stroking my cheek.
“Wake up, darling. You’ll sleep much better in your bed.”
What a way to be dragged out of a deep sleep, I’ll tell ya. I would pay good money for this man to be my alarm clock. Obnoxious beeping is a thing of the past!
I lean into his hand. “Alright. I’m awake.
” I take a deep breath, turn my body and let my feet fall to the ground without realizing the rest of my body is following.
Alex is there. Of course he is. I’m still wearing his coat he’d wrapped about me as we walked to the car, and I feel tangled in a mess of his arms and his coat. Not all tangles are bad.
“I’ve got you,” he says as he sets me back on my feet. “Are you okay to walk?”
I step away from the SUV and close the door. “Perfectly steady. Nothing like a little tumble to wake you up.”
“You’re sure you don’t need me to carry you inside?”
I pat him on the chest. “As fun as that would be, let’s save that for another time.”
“Something to look forward to,” Alex says as he threads my arm through his and leads me into the small hotel.
We walk in silence to my room. He pulls my key from his pocket. He’d offered to carry my things, and I jumped on the opportunity. Plus, I didn’t have a fancy enough purse with me and, call me crazy, but I didn’t want to give him another reason to buy me something.
Alex unlocks the door and pushes it open, holding it for me to walk in. “Do you need anything?”
I shake my head, but then say, “Maybe just a goodnight kiss.”
“Haven’t had enough?” he teases.
You know the saying, too much of a good thing? I’m not sure that applies here.
“Not quite,” I reply.
He stands against the open door and extends his hand. I take it and he pulls me to him, keeping my hand. He lifts his other to cup my face, then kisses me with such tenderness I feel like the most precious thing in the world to him.
“Goodnight, darling.”
“Goodnight, sparky.”
He lifts his eyebrows in surprise or question; I’m not sure. Either way, I’m not sure I hit the mark with my impromptu nickname.
I yawn. “I’ll try harder next time.”
ALEX
Let me know when you’re up.
IVY
I’m up.
I’ve been up for at least twenty minutes, luxuriating in the soft sheets and snuggly pillow—which I’m going to have to ask about before we leave. I need one.
I hear my door unlock and realize he’d forgotten to give me my key last night. There's a little knock at the door and his voice comes through the crack. “Can I come in?”
I try to smooth down my hair and make sure my pajamas aren't twisted weird, then I pull up the covers. He's already seen enough flamingos on this trip. “Yes. Come in.”
Alex walks into the room in his cheap clothes, looking yet again like a million bucks. “Good morning, darling.” He's carrying a bag and two warm beverages. I really hope one of them is coffee.
“I've noticed you enjoying coffee the past couple of mornings, so I took the liberty. I wasn't sure how you took it, so there's cream and sugar in the bag with our food.” He sits the drinks on the nightstand beside me and opens the bag, handing me the cream and sugar.
“And what are we eating?”
“Fish and chips, of course; what else?”
I throw my head back in laughter, and when I right myself, I find Alex staring at me. “What?”
“You’re just so beautiful.”
“Alex, I’m a mess. I didn't take off my makeup last night. I probably have mascara streaked all over my face.”
“I don't see any, but even if you did, you'd still be beautiful. Startlingly so.”
“You can't compliment me like that before I’ve brushed my teeth.”
“Trust me, I think I could power through anything at the moment.” He takes my hand and raises it to his lips. “But I'll wait to kiss you until your hygiene is at whatever level you'd like it to be. Your comfort is my top priority.”
I laugh. “Well, I must care for your comfort too, because I would certainly hate for you to have to power through anything.” I grin. “So, really, what are we eating? I woke up hungry.”
“I got us sarnies.” He sticks his hand in the bag.
“Um. What?”
“It’s a breakfast sandwich.” Alex hands me my paper-wrapped sarnie. I open it and find a bread roll filled with bacon, egg, and avocado. “I got one without avocado too. I wasn’t sure if you liked it. And, not to brag, but I asked for the bacon to be crispy, like you like it.”
I sit my breakfast on the nightstand, throw off the covers, and rise to my knees. I take a couple of awkward knee steps and throw my arms around Alex’s middle.
He made sure I’d like the bacon.