Chapter 27
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Wyatt
Agrin tugs at my lips as I leave Ivy in the sitting room, chatting with Ashlyn.
When I woke up this morning and saw the empty space beside me, my heart sank, thinking maybe she'd changed her mind after everything we talked about last night.
But then I found her curled up on the sofa, looking completely at home, like she belongs here.
I try not to eavesdrop on Ivy’s call, but in an open-plan space, it’s nearly impossible not to catch every word. And maybe I want to hear what she’s saying about us.
I turn my focus to making pancake batter, whisking the mixture with ease, but I pause when I catch the hesitation in Ivy’s voice.
“I don’t know.”
There’s a pause.
“We haven’t talked about it yet,” she says quietly. Then a soft laugh. “You’ll be the first to know, I promise.”
I glance over at her, catching the faint blush rising in her cheeks.
“Yeah, I know. He explained everything. I was an idiot for running out.”
She falls silent for a moment, and then her eyes lift and find mine. A smile tugs at her lips.
“Yeah, Ash. I’m really happy.”
Her words hit me straight in the chest, and before I even realize, I’m moving, I’m crossing the room and leaning down to press a kiss to her lips.
She pulls back just enough to speak. “Ash, I’ve gotta go. I’ll call you later,” she says, ending the call and tossing her phone onto the sofa beside her.
Her arms reach for me, and I don’t hesitate, easing her down until she’s stretched out beneath me on the cushions, my body slipping between her legs.
I find her mouth again, and when she moans, the sound shoots straight through me, tightening every nerve in my body.
I roll my hips against hers, and she tenses instantly.
I freeze, pulling back as I shift my weight off her. She avoids my gaze, so I move beside her, laying us side by side.
“Hey,” I say. “Look at me, Ivy.”
It takes a moment, but her eyes finally meet mine, hesitant and uncertain.
“Talk to me,” I whisper.
She lets out a breath. “You’re going to think I’m ridiculous.”
“I won’t,” I promise.
I already know what she’s going to say. She gave me a clue the weekend of the charity dinner, probably without even realizing it.
She hesitates again, and I reach up to stroke her cheek.
“We’ll go at your pace, Ivy,” I tell her. “I know you haven’t been with anyone… and that’s okay. There’s no pressure. I’m not going anywhere.”
Her eyes widen in surprise. “How did you know?”
I smile. “You said something in the car last weekend… and it all kind of added up.”
She lets out a groan and hides her face against my chest, her skin burning with embarrassment.
“I feel so stupid.”
I shift slightly, coaxing her to look up at me. “Why?”
She lifts her head, giving me a look that tells me she’s feeling self-conscious.
“Because I’m twenty-five, Wyatt. Who makes it to twenty-five without ever being with someone?”
“There’s nothing wrong with that. Nothing at all.”
She opens her mouth to speak, then hesitates.
“Say it,” I urge her. “Nothing you say is going to change how I feel about you.”
She exhales slowly, her eyes dropping to her hands. “You just… have all this experience. I’ve done basically nothing.” Her voice softens. “I don’t know what I’m doing.”
I keep my face neutral, not wanting her to see the surprise I feel.
I’d known she hadn’t been with anyone, but I assumed she’d at least done something.
But it doesn’t change a thing for me. I’m not drawn to Ivy because of what she has or hasn’t done.
I’m drawn to her because she’s her. Beautiful, funny, kind. The list is endless.
“We’ll figure it out together,” I say quietly. “I know you’re nervous. I am too.”
Her brows lift. “You’re nervous?”
I nod. “This isn’t casual for me, Ivy. You matter. I’ve been with people, yeah, but I’ve never felt like this before.”
Her eyes widen. “Really?”
“Really, baby.”
A smile spreads across her face. “You called me baby.”
I grin. “You like that?”
She nods, her cheeks turning pink. “I love it.”
“Good. Get used to it.” I press a kiss to her lips, soft and slow. “You know you can talk to me about anything, right?”
“I do,” she whispers. “Thank you for being so amazing.”
Right then, her stomach growls, loudly.
I laugh. “Hungry?”
She nods sheepishly. “I haven’t eaten since breakfast yesterday.”
“Well, then, I need to feed my girl,” I say, brushing my lips against hers before standing and pulling her up with me.
We walk hand-in-hand to the kitchen, but before I can grab the mixing bowl, she beats me to it.
“Hey, I was supposed to be making you breakfast,” I protest, reaching for it.
She holds it out of reach and gives me a look. “You’re still sick. I’m making you breakfast. Sit.” She points to a stool at the breakfast bar.
“I’m feeling better,” I grumble.
“Sit.”
I narrow my eyes at her, grinning. “God, you’re sexy when you’re bossy.”
She laughs, and I do as I’m told, watching her take the batter to the stove and start cooking. Her back is to me, and she looks over her shoulder.
“I forgot to mention with everything that’s happened, but I heard back about the garage extension at the Willow Street property. It’s looking like it won’t be an issue.”
A huge grin breaks across my face. “Seriously?”
She nods, and I leap off the stool, striding over to her. I take the spatula from her hand, set it on the counter, and wrap my arms around her, lifting her up until her legs circle my waist. I spin us around, both of us laughing.
“What are you doing?” she says between giggles.
“Celebrating! When can I put in an offer?”
She kisses me lightly, her smile still wide. “I’ll make the call Monday.”
“I want it, Ivy. Offer the full asking price, okay?”
“Okay.”
“You love it too, right?” I ask, needing to be sure. I know it might be soon to think this far ahead, but if there’s even a chance she’ll live there one day, it has to feel right for her too.
Her eyes meet mine without hesitation. “I love it.”
My smile deepens. “Perfect. I can’t wait to get you that enormous Christmas tree you want for the entryway.”
“Really?” she asks, her eyes wide, and I nod
“I love that you love it as much as I do.”
She smiles and kisses me again. “Now, put me down so I can make you breakfast. I need to feed my man.”
I chuckle and reluctantly lower her to the floor. As she turns back to the stove, my eyes drop to the curve of her ass peeking out from those little shorts. As gorgeous as she looks in a tank and barely-there sleepwear, I suddenly want to see her in something else.
My jersey.
“I’ll be right back,” I say, heading to my bedroom. I dig through a drawer in my closet until I find one. When I return to the kitchen, she’s plating up the pancakes.
“What’s that?” she asks, nodding to my hand.
“One of my jerseys. You said you wanted another, remember?”
Her smile spreads slowly. “I did. Want me to put it on?”
I nod, and she takes it from me. Turning away, she pulls off her tank and slips the jersey on, then reaches under the hem and shimmies out of her shorts.
Seeing my name stretched across her back is even hotter than I remember, especially now that she’s mine. She turns to face me, my number bold on her chest, and it knocks the breath from my lungs.
I cross the room and wrap my arms around her, pulling her flush against me. “Do you have any idea how sexy you look right now?” I growl in her ear.
She tilts her head instinctively, and my mouth finds the skin at her neck. I nip lightly just beneath her ear, kissing along her jaw. Her breath hitches, and I feel the sound more than hear it.
“Jesus, Wyatt,” she moans.
I pull back slightly, rubbing the back of my neck with a sheepish smile. “Sorry… I can’t seem to keep my hands off you. Now that I finally have you in my arms, it’s like you’re a drug, I can’t get enough.”
She meets my gaze and smiles. “I feel the same,” she admits, her voice a little shy.
Hearing that sends a rush of warmth through me. “I love hearing you say that.”
She rises on her toes and presses a kiss to my lips. “Let’s eat… and maybe after, we can watch a movie in bed?” Her cheeks tint pink, and God, I love how sweet she is. This is all new to her, and the fact that I get to be the one she experiences it with hits me right in the chest.
“Okay, baby,” I murmur. “That sounds perfect.”
We sit at the breakfast bar, eating the pancakes she made. As I watch her, my mind drifts back to the conversation she had with Ashlyn.
“So… what was Ash asking earlier? I couldn’t help overhearing you say we hadn’t talked about something.”
She rolls her eyes. “You know what she’s like, already getting ahead of herself. She wanted to know if we were official. I told her we hadn’t talked about it yet.”
I set my fork down and look at her. “But we are, right? I mean… I want you to be my girlfriend, Ivy.”
Her eyes widen, then light up. “You do?”
“Of course I do,” I say. I pause for a second. “Unless you don’t want that?”
“No! I do. I really do!” she says quickly. “I just… I didn’t know if we were there yet, or if we were supposed to say it, or…” She trails off, flustered. “See? I told you I have no idea what I’m doing.”
I reach across the counter and take her hand. “You’re perfect, Ivy. And you’re mine. So next time Ash asks, tell her you’ve got a boyfriend. Hell, tell everyone.”
She laughs. “I think most people already know.”
“Yeah, maybe.” I grin. “But that was all pretend, no matter how much I wanted it to be more. This?” I lift our joined hands. “This is the real thing. And I want to shout it from the rooftops.”
“You’re crazy.” She giggles.
“Crazy for you.”
Her smile deepens, and I can’t stop staring at her. “So… will you come to Nash and Paisley’s non-rehearsal dinner with me on Friday?”
They didn’t want a formal rehearsal dinner, so Dad and Cade are manning the grill in the backyard while everyone hangs out.
She smiles. “You know I’ll be there anyway. I’m one of Paisley’s bridesmaids.”
“I know, but I want us to go together. I want to introduce you to my parents.”
She arches an eyebrow. “Wyatt, I’ve known your parents since I was six.”
I grin. “Yeah, but they’ve never met my girlfriend.”
She bites her lip, her eyes shining. “I don’t think I’ll ever tire of hearing you call me that.”
“And I’ll never tire of saying it. So, we can go together?”
She nods. “Yeah, we can go together.”
There’s a pause, then her expression falters slightly. “What do you think your parents will say?”
“They love you, Ivy. They’re going to be happy for us.”
“You really think so?”
I nod. “They already know how I feel about you.”
Her eyes widen slightly. “Wait, what? How would they know that?”
“They saw the pictures online, same as everyone else. I tried to play it off and say it was all part of the act, but my mom didn’t buy it for a second.”
She lets out a soft laugh. “Yeah, there’s no fooling Mama Brookes.”
“Nope. She sees everything. Her asking you to dinner Tuesday night, and then not so subtly disappearing to Eden and leaving us alone... she was trying to get me to tell you how I felt.”
She laughs. “I did wonder what all that was about. Your dad had no idea he was going to Eden.”
I grin. “He’s used to her crazy.” I kiss her softly on the head. “We should eat. I can’t wait to lie in bed with you in my arms.”
She grins. “I can’t wait either.”