10. IVY
ten
ivy
I stretch my arms above my head, then reach to the side, where I accidentally hit Cole’s nose.
“Ow.” He scrunches his face, squeezing his eyes closed. “That’s not the proper way to wake a man.”
“I’m so sorry.” I scoot closer to him and get swept up in the warmth of him. “What about this? Is this the right way?” I kiss his lips and drag my hand down his bare chest until I reach the waistband of his boxers.
He hums against my lips and grips the back of my neck. “Now we’re talking…”
We never break our kiss as I climb onto him, straddling his hips and squeezing my legs together.
Last night was… breathtaking.
It’s been one night, and I think I’m already addicted to Cole Rivers.
He runs his hands up my thighs, then grips my waist, sending heat right to my?—
A truck’s engine coughs to life outside, and it jolts me into reality.
“Oh my God.” I jump away from him and scramble off the bed. “What time is it? Did I spend the entire night here? Oh my God !”
I continue rambling as I race through his house and scoop up my clothes from the living room floor. What the hell is wrong with me?
It was one thing to come over here for a naughty tryst, but it’s another thing entirely to spend the whole night with him.
I’m no expert on flings, but that doesn’t seem like the best idea. Not if we want to avoid complications.
We need boundaries.
Not to mention, the entire neighborhood has likely spotted my car in his driveway. What will Aunt Carol say?
I’m wobbling with one foot in my sandal when Cole appears. He holds my elbow and steadies me as he says, “You don’t have to leave so quickly. I can grab us some coffees from Cream and Sugar, and you can get back into bed while?—”
“I can’t.” I shake my head and slide my arm out of his grasp. “If we’re going to survive this fling, we need boundaries, don’t you think?”
His lips sink into a firm line, and he rams his hands through his hair. “I suppose.”
“No sleepovers. No morning coffee in bed. No public sightings of us together at all,” I say, the rules rushing out of me faster than my racing heart rate.
“Agreed,” he grumbles.
I finish getting dressed and huff out an exhale as if I just completed a bake-a-thon. I’m certainly sweating like I’ve spent the last hour in front of an oven. “If you think of anything else, please send me a text message.”
“Deal.” He crosses both arms over his bare chest, his droolworthy muscles on display.
Hot tingles of desire prick my skin, and lust curls in my core.
I need to get out of here.
“Good day,” I chirp with a shaky tone like we’ve just concluded a business meeting. As if I wasn’t naked and tangled in this man’s arms a few minutes ago.
Suppressing the urge to kiss him goodbye, I snatch my purse from the couch and hightail it out of Cole’s house without further endangering our situation.
* * *
A unt Carol’s street is fairly quiet as I roll into her driveway, which bodes well for me at the moment. I retrieve the emergency brush I keep in my console and untangle the matted mess of wavy strands, courtesy of a sexy bartender.
I don’t know how long I run the brush through my hair while my mind wanders. The only noise to pull me out from my fog is my buzzing phone.
ELAINE
Well?? Do you have dirty news for me this morning, or what?!
My smile is immediate.
We did it, and it was GLORIOUS!!!
All caps and three exclamation points are probably excessive, but they’re certainly warranted after the satisfying debauchery I indulged in last night. In fact, I should throw myself a damn party.
But this is not the time to celebrate, quietly or otherwise. I need to get inside without raising any questions.
I clutch my purse, and I’m careful to press my car door shut instead of slamming it. It’s nearly eight thirty in the morning on a Saturday. If I’m lucky, Aunt Carol is still asleep, and I can enter without a humiliating interrogation, the results of which would get back to my mother.
It would simply ruin the entire experience.
On the threshold, I remove my sandals and tiptoe inside. Sweat pools at my lower back, but this time, it’s not just because of Cole.
The Georgia heat and humidity have declared war on us innocent bystanders.
Except I’m not so innocent, am I? I should be ashamed—I’m a grown woman sneaking into her aunt’s house—but how can I care too much when my body is this satisfied?
“Good morning, dear.”
Squeaking, I jump to a stop and slowly turn toward the voice. Aunt Carol is perched at her breakfast table in the bay window, a cup of coffee sitting next to her. There’s no steam rising from it, and she’s dressed from head to toe. Even her hair is brushed and styled into a low ponytail.
Clearly, she’s been up for a while, and my efforts to slip in like a teenager after curfew are futile.
I clutch my purse to my waist as if it’s capable of covering up my outfit—the same one I wore last night. “Aunt Carol—good morning. How are you? Are you well? I’m just finishing a brisk jog, so I need to change before I join you for some delicious coffee.”
Amusement colors her brown eyes as they travel over me. “You went jogging in sandals?”
I glance at the pair of sandals in my hand, my mind jumbled as possible excuses clash against each other harder than bumper cars. “I… well, I…” I squeeze my eyes closed and release a rough exhale. “I can explain.”
“Does this have anything to do with Cole Rivers?”
My gaze snaps to hers. “I beg your pardon?”
With a wave of her hand, she smiles. It’s a good-natured, if not a little devious, smile too. “Annabelle already called me this morning to share that a strange blue Mercedes was in her usually quiet neighbor’s driveway. I bet you can guess who that neighbor is.”
“Cole,” I mutter under my breath. “I can explain,” I repeat.
“I don’t need the dirty details.”
“Are you going to tell Mama?”
“Only if you want me to call in celebration.”
I tilt my head, and the pinch between my brows deepens.
“Honey, come sit.”
I drift over to her, floating on a cloud of confusion.
“Cole is a nice young man. He’s also handsome as hell.”
“Aunt Carol!” Instinctively, I clutch the collar of my shirt.
“I’m only speaking God’s honest truth, aren’t I?”
I can’t help my smile. Cole is nice and handsome as hell. He’s also sexy and exciting. When I’m with him, I’m sexy and exciting too.
She pats my hand and says, “I’m glad you’re having fun and that you’re not letting Lawson and his stupid engagement taint this visit.”
I shoot her another confused stare. Then I realize my mother likely told her I’m in need of distance from all the talk. What else did Mama mention? How pathetic did she make me sound to Aunt Carol?
“His engagement is stupid.” A giggle escapes me.
Her own laughter joins me, but it’s boisterous and free. This is not the same odd woman I previously thought her to be. She’s also nothing like my mother.
“How did you and Mama turn out to be so different?” I ask, then instantly realize my possible mistake. “I don’t mean to offend. I don’t even mean it in a bad way. I’m simply?—”
“Offend? You’re giving me a compliment.” She winks, and I relax into my seat, my sandals still dangling from my hands. “Your mother and I have always been different. We eventually accepted it. She stopped trying to ‘fix’ me, and I stopped trying to be like her. She wanted to move off to a big city, and I wanted to stay here. From the moment we both embraced what we wanted in life and who we each wanted to be, we’ve been much better off.”
My heart thumps a little louder as she speaks to something deep inside me.
“That doesn’t mean I’m invited to brunch while I visit Atlanta, but who needs brunch?” she teases with another pat on my hand. “Live your life, dear, and don’t worry about the Annabelles of the world and their chitchat. Besides, the old woman’s mostly butt hurt that Cole hasn’t taken a liking to her niece, Lisa.”
“Does she perhaps sit at table five of The Tipsy Tap on Thursdays?” I venture a guess.
“I don’t know about the table number, but that sounds about right. Why do you ask?”
“No reason.” I slide off my seat, my body pleasantly sore and sated from a night of unadulterated fun. “I think I’ve already gotten the hang of this town’s ins and outs.”
Aunt Carol’s low laugh follows me into her guest room, where I toss my sandals to the side and rest on the edge of the bed. I cling to my phone, which vibrates with a new message.
COLE
About these boundaries… do they forbid me from seeing you again tonight?
I’ve been smiling a lot over the last two days, and I could definitely get used to it. Why wouldn’t I want to be happy?
But this thing with Cole is temporary. I’m leaving soon, and he’ll stay in Sapphire Creek. We can’t become anything more than a fling.
It doesn’t mean we can’t take full advantage of the next two weeks, though.
I type out a response, and my smile grows wider.
I just checked the rules. I can see you tonight, but only if you bring a bottle of wine.