10. Duncan
DUNCAN
" D uncan." My name on her lips was barely a whisper, but it undid me completely.
Before I could think, before I could remember all the reasons this was dangerous, I closed the distance between us.
My mouth found hers with a desperation that matched my own, and I was lost. The kiss was fierce, hungry, full of almost four years of absence and regret and need.
Her hands fisted in my shirt, pulling me closer, and I responded by rolling her over under the apple tree, my palms braced on either side of her face.
When we finally broke apart, both of us were breathing hard. The rational part of my mind screamed at me to step back, to restore the careful boundaries we'd maintained. But when she tried to slip away, to put space between us again, I caught her wrist.
"Don't." The word came out more plea than command. "You're so magnetic, Ivy. I can't—" I stopped, running my free hand through my hair, struggling to find words for what she did to me. "I can't even remember being so excited to come to work. Or happy to wake up."
Her eyes widened at the admission, vulnerability flickering across her features. For a moment, I thought she might run again, disappear the way she had before. But instead, she reached up and touched my face, her fingers tracing the line of my jaw.
"I missed you," she whispered, and those three words shattered the last of my resistance.
The night was warm, private, perfect. Above us, the branches swayed gently in the evening breeze, and in the distance, the house glowed with golden light from the windows. But here, in this shadowed sanctuary, there was only us.
I leaned in again, this time more slowly, and my lips brushed against hers.
Her breath hitched, but she didn't pull away.
Instead, she deepened the kiss, her tongue seeking out mine with a hunger that matched my own.
The flames of desire that had smoldered between us for so long exploded into an inferno, and I couldn't get enough of her.
My hands traveled down her body, unbuttoning her blouse one agonizingly slow button at a time.
I wanted to savor every moment, every inch of her skin that was revealed to me.
When the barrier of fabric was finally gone, I let out a low groan at the sight of her lacy bra and the swell of her breasts.
"God, Ivy," I breathed against her neck as I kissed my way down her collar.
"Duncan," she moaned, arching her back and pressing herself against me. My lips trailed lower, closing over her erect nipple through the delicate fabric of her bra. She gasped, her nails digging into my back as I teased her with my tongue and teeth.
Emboldened by her response, I hooked my fingers into the lace of her panties and leggings and began to slide them down her legs. Her skin was even more impossibly soft than I'd remembered, and I couldn't help but trail kisses along her stomach as I went.
When I finally reached the apex of her thighs, I breathed in her musky intoxicating scent. "You're so wet," I whispered against her heated skin.
“Oh God,” she whispered. “We’re going to get caught.”
“Shh, no we’re not.” I smiled before I dived in, finding her core as sopping as I imagined.
I gently teased her entrance with the tip of my tongue, savoring her sweetness. Her hips bucked against me, and she bit her lip to stifle a moan. "Duncan, please," she whimpered, her fingers tangled in my hair. I couldn't deny her anything in that moment.
Flicking my tongue against her swollen clit, I slid two fingers inside her. She was tight, but slick and accommodating as she adjusted to my invasion. My own arousal spiked as she moaned my name again, louder this time.
"Ivy," I growled against her thigh, "you taste so good."
She arched her back higher, grinding herself against my mouth and fingers in a primal rhythm. The heady scent of her arousal filled the air and I growled against her core. I continued to lap at her folds, my tongue pressing firmly against her swollen clit while my fingers plunged deeper inside her.
"That's it, Ivy," I whispered against her wetness, my voice low and husky with desire. "Let it all out."
The sounds spilling from her lips were a delicious mix of pleasure and desperation, driving me on. I worked her into a frenzy, flicking my tongue and thrusting my fingers in time with the pulse between her thighs. Her breaths came in short pants, her entire body tensing around me.
"Duncan," she gasped, her voice hoarse with need.
"Duncan, I'm… oh god… I'm…" She couldn’t finish her sentence before she shattered around me, crying out in ecstasy.
Her body trembled and convulsed, her juices flooding onto my fingers and soaking the blanket under us.
I continued to work her pussy, finding the rough patch and teasing it while she jolted and twitched, and when she pulled my hair hard I knew she wanted me next.
Slowly, I pulled my fingers from her and sat up, admiring the sight of her flushed and breathless beneath me. Her chest heaved, her nipples hardened by the cool night air, and a sated smile graced her lips.
I worked my belt open as she reached for her clit, rubbing in a slow circle while I partially undressed.
I wasn’t sure if she could see me in the darkness, but the faint light from the windows was enough to outline her perfectly.
Never in my life had I seen such a beautiful sight as I tugged my shirt over my head and she used a hand to undo her bra clasp and bare herself to me fully.
“We can’t take long… They’ll notice I’m gone.” Her lower lip worried between her teeth as I pulled my cock from my pants and stroked a few times.
"I know." My response was barely more than a grunt, my own desire raging through me. I positioned myself at her entrance, the head of my cock nestled against her slick heat. "Come on, Ivy. Wrap your legs around me."
She didn't hesitate, hooking her ankles around my back as I entered her inch by delicious inch.
We both groaned as our bodies connected, her walls clenching around me like a hot, wet fist. She felt even better this time, and it took every ounce of self-control I had not to thrust into her with all my force.
Instead, I started off slow, pulling out and then pushing back inside, setting a rhythm that matched the rustling of the leaves above us.
Ivy's breathing quickened, her moans growing louder with each thrust. The sound of our bodies coming together in a rhythm as old as time itself filled the darkness, muffled only by the rustling leaves.
I could feel myself teetering on the edge, but I wanted to savor every last moment.
This might be the only time we had, and I didn't want it to end too soon.
"Duncan," she panted, her hips bucking against mine. "Oh god, harder."
Unable to deny her, I picked up the pace, driving into her with a need that surprised even me. With each thrust, I delved deeper inside her velvet entrance, our connection sending sparks of pleasure through my groin.
The tension within me continued to build, coiling tighter and tighter with each passing second. "Duncan," she moaned, her voice a mix of pleasure and urgency. "I'm close again."
"Me too," I managed through gritted teeth, my breathing ragged.
"Ivy, I…" That was all the warning she received before we both went over the edge together.
The force of my orgasm ripped through me, and I cried out as wave after wave of pleasure crashed over me.
She convulsed around me, clinging to me, and gritting her teeth to avoid making noise, and I kissed her hard to swallow the muffled moans.
As the last spasms of pleasure ebbed away, I collapsed onto her, my chest heaving as I tried to catch my breath.
Her arms and legs remained wrapped around me, her body still trembling from the force of her orgasm.
We lay like that for several long minutes, our hearts pounding in sync, our bodies slick with sweat and tangled together beneath the apple tree.
For several long minutes, neither of us spoke. The night air cooled our heated skin while we listened to the distant sound of her parents moving around inside the house. The reality of where we were, what we had done, began to settle over us both.
"We should talk quietly," Ivy whispered against my ear, her breath making me tense despite our recent intimacy. "Dad has been having trouble sleeping since Mom started treatment."
I shifted slightly, gathering her closer against my chest. "How is he handling everything? Really?"
Her fingers traced lazy patterns across my bare shoulder as she considered the question.
"Better than I expected, honestly. He's scared, but he's trying to be strong for her.
He sits by her bed every night after chemo, reading to her from those romance novels she loves.
" Her voice softened. "I never thought I'd see him so tender. "
"Bill's always been deeper than he lets on," I said, stroking her hair. "The man who raised you couldn't be anything but extraordinary."
She lifted her head to look at me, and I caught the glimmer of surprise in her eyes. "You really think that?"
"I know it." I touched her cheek. "Look at the woman you've become."
Ivy settled back against my chest, and I felt her smile against my skin. "I love that about families. How they surprise you when it counts."
"What do you love most about yours?" I asked, genuinely curious. She rarely talked about her childhood, and I found myself hungry for these glimpses into who she was beneath all the careful walls she'd built.
"Mom's laugh," she said without hesitation. "It's completely ridiculous and too loud for restaurants, but it's genuine. And Dad's hands. They're always moving when he talks, sketching buildings in the air. He can't help himself." She paused, her voice growing softer. "What about your family?"
"I don't have much left," I admitted. "My parents died when I was thirty. But I remember Sunday dinners at their house. My mother would cook for hours, and my father would tell the same stories every week. We'd all groan and roll our eyes, but secretly we loved the predictability of it."
"Is that what you want? Someday?"
The was weighted with possibility. "I used to think I was too old for all that. Too set in my ways." I tightened my arms around her. "But being here with you… it makes me think about different futures."
She was quiet for so long I thought she might have fallen asleep. When she finally spoke, her voice was barely audible. "Duncan, you're quite possibly the most amazing man I've ever met. But what would my parents think if they knew about this? About us?"
"They'd probably be shocked at first," I said honestly. "But your father isn't a horrible prude, Ivy. He'd understand once he saw how much I care about you."
"You sound very confident about that."
I hesitated, knowing I was about to reveal something that might change everything between us. "I made him a promise once. About you."
She stiffened in my arms. "What kind of promise?"
"After the scandal, when you were still a teenager, he asked me to stay away from you. To never cross that line." The words tasted bitter in my mouth. "I gave him my word."
To my surprise, she began to laugh. Not the bitter sound I expected, but something warm and delighted. "You're sneaking around too," she said, lifting herself up to look at me. "Here I thought you were this serious, controlled businessman, and you're being as childish as I am."
Her amusement was infectious, and I found myself grinning back at her. "I suppose we're both rule breakers now."
"Do you feel guilty about breaking the promise?"
"I should," I said, reaching up to cup her face.
"But I made that promise before I knew what an incredible woman you'd become.
Before I understood what I'd be giving up.
" My thumb traced across her lower lip. "I care about you, Ivy.
More than I've cared about anyone in years.
I don't want to miss out on the opportunity for something real between us, even if it risks my friendship with Bill. "
The vulnerability in my voice surprised even me. I'd spent so many years keeping my emotions locked away, but with her, the walls seemed to crumble without effort.
Her eyes darkened, and I saw desire flicker there again. "That's incredibly sexy," she whispered, leaning down to brush her lips against mine. "The honesty. The willingness to risk everything."
"Is it?" I asked, my hands sliding down to rest on her hips.
"Mmm." She pressed closer, and I could feel her body responding to mine again. "It makes me want to be even more naughty with you."
My pulse quickened. "What did you have in mind?"
She grinned, suddenly playful in a way that made my chest tight with affection. "Some really bad things. But only if you promise not to let me get caught."
"I promise," I said, meaning it completely.
She rose gracefully, gathering her clothes and dressing quickly. And before she walked away she paused at the edge of the blanket, looking back at me with eyes full of mischief and promise. "And Duncan?"
"Mmm?"
"I don't think you're bad for breaking that promise…."
I watched her slip through the shadows toward the house, my heart pounding with anticipation and something deeper. Something that felt dangerously close to love.
I took my time gathering our things and cleaning myself up, wanting to give her enough space to get inside safely.
The wine glasses from earlier caught the moonlight as I collected them, along with the blanket we'd shared.
Everything felt charged with significance, as if these simple objects had become sacred somehow.
But as I made my way across the driveway toward my car, disaster struck. One of the glasses slipped from my hands, shattering against the concrete with a sound that seemed to echo through the quiet night.
Above me, a window opened with a sharp squeak.
"Who's out there?" Bill's voice carried clearly through the darkness.
My heart stopped. I dropped into a crouch behind Bill's car, pressing myself against the cold metal and praying the shadows would hide me. The irony wasn't lost on me—here I was, a forty-two-year-old man hiding in his best friend's driveway like a teenager caught sneaking out.
But if Bill discovered me now, saw the evidence of what Ivy and I had been doing, it would destroy everything before we'd even had a chance to begin.