43. Calm
CALM
Oliver
The smell of tangerine and honey filled the bedroom, and I’d never been happier about it.
The moment she’d hit that peak the final time, she’d completely entered a sub space that I didn’t believe Ivy’s chaotic mind was capable of entering. She always had so much going on, both good and bad, that getting her to successfully turn off any and all thoughts wasn’t an easy job.
I’d carefully gotten her down and carried her upstairs to our bathroom. One warm bath later, and I had her back in our bed, her favorite lotion being rubbed into every muscle I could reach while she sprawled out on her stomach.
She said it reminded her of a tropical island, so it was a necessity all year long. A slice of paradise if she was stuck in the snow, or like now when I just wanted to smell all the different scents that made Ivy Ivy.
She let out a soft grumble when I hit her left ankle.
“Oliver?” she whispered, her voice still thick with what could only be summed up as sleep.
“Yes, baby doll?” My hands moved to her right ankle as I started the journey slowly back up her calf.
It had been painful to keep my thoughts strictly on pampering her when I wanted to taste her once more. I wanted to hear her scream for me once more. I wanted to push her buttons and find out just how far she could truly go, but I had to be patient. So I was grateful to have these moments.
“You washed my hair?” Her voice sounded a little stronger now as she ran her fingers through her short, still-damp hair.
“I did.”
Pushing herself up on her forearms, she glanced back at me. I’d thrown on a pair of black boxers, if only to put a barrier between us, but she was still naked and stunning, her legs spread enough for me to kneel between.
I could tell the moment her mind started working once more, her eyes gazing from my hips, up my chest, and landing on my own.
“My wrists aren’t even bruised,” she said, breaking the silent stare-off.
I smirked with a shrug. “No they aren’t. I ordered it from that shop that Wyatt and Ember love so much. It’s specifically for bondage. They were still red, but after the bath and a bit of lotion, they seemed good as new. How do you feel, though?”
She chose that moment to roll onto her side, her head on the pillow and one arm folded underneath it.
“Calm,” she answered after a brief moment. “How are you feeling?”
I could sense the hesitation buried within her question. A shrug was all I could muster in response, and I returned my attention to massaging her thigh.
“Oliver,” she whispered, her hand coming down and sitting above my own.
“Yes?”
“Talk to me. Tell me what’s going on in that brain of yours.”
She clutched my hand in hers then and pulled me up towards her—knowing I’d go anywhere she requested. I laid down on my back next to her, my gaze up on the ceiling while I weighed and measured my words carefully.
“I want to kill him.” Well, maybe I didn’t measure enough.
Silence once more took over until it was broken by a soft laugh. One that quickly became a full-on, all-encompassing laugh. I finally turned my head to look at her. Her hand was covering her mouth as she tried to quiet down, but it did nothing to stop the muffled giggles coming from her.
“Why are you laughing?”
She shook her head then, the laughs quieting down.
“You’re just so…perfect, Oliver Carragan. You’re completely perfect, if I’m being honest. A man I could easily fall in love with.” She calmed down then, her eyes going slightly wide as if she too spat out words she didn’t mean to say just now.
But they were out now, and I couldn’t hold back my smile.
I rolled onto my side, my head resting on my hand so I could look down at her bright green eyes.
“Let me take you out.” It wasn’t a question so much as a request, a command even.
“Like, on a date?” she asked with an arched brow.
“Yes. On a date. The two of us. Doing something of my choosing that I know you’ll also find fun,” I explained.
Her top teeth bit her bottom lip for a moment before she met my gaze again. “Are you sure it’s a good idea, with Todd’s threats in the air and shit?”
I swallowed down the inner rage I felt towards the man-child right now and instead gave her a gentle kiss, my arm slinking around her lower back.
“Let me worry about that. I want to take you out and show you just how much I care for you,” I whispered.
She let out a soft groan and smiled. “Am I allowed to think about it?”
I shrugged. “Possibly. I’m going to start planning either way, so don’t take too long.”
Her arm slid under mine, matching my own as her fingers started drawing small circles along my lower back.
“Sounds like a threat, Mr. Carragan,” she said with a smile.
“Oh, it is.”
She pressed a kiss to my chest. “Good.”
The door swung open, revealing my clean-shaven little brother. He was wearing an anime T-shirt that he’d bought to match Hudson, his gray sweatpants a contrast to the normally-put-together man we saw in public. But it was the black-rimmed glasses that completed the look.
Wyatt was the only one of us who needed glasses, which was funny, since he was the nerdiest of us all. Although he’d argue that my love of Star Wars put me on the list right after him, I disagreed.
“Is Ember here?” I asked, not wasting time.
I was planning on stopping by to see Ivy at The Roadhouse, since she was supposed to be home two hours ago and I was an addict who couldn’t go this long without seeing her, it seemed.
“No? She’s at work getting pastries prepped for the week. Why?”
“Good.” I pushed my way through the door, walking through the entry and to the bottom of the steps. “Your computer and that shit is upstairs, right? Where you do all your sneaky illegal work?”
He arched a brow at me and nodded.
“Good,” I repeated. “Up we go. Time is of the essence.”
Without waiting, I turned and walked up the steps, pushing open the first door on the right. A massive orange ball of fur came trotting down the hallway. His golden eyes watched me in a way that said I was an inconvenience at best, and a nuisance at worst.
Wyatt was a few steps behind me, and he smiled at the feline. “Don’t worry, CC. Your uncle will bring treats next time.”
I rolled my eyes. “Unlikely.”
“Don’t be mean to my son because you’re having a shit day. Now, would you like to come on inside my lair of mischief and tell your beloved brother what’s got your panties in a twist?” He pushed open his office door and extravagantly swished his arm towards the opening to usher me in.
An array of books lined the shelves along with a wooden desk that sat towards the back of the room. A black swivel chair sat on one side with a few desktop screens, and two chairs sat on the opposite side. It truly was an office.
I wasn’t sure who’d sit in those chairs and stare at my brother since most of his work was done online and over the phone, but I wasn’t here to question his job; I was here for help.
I expected him to sit down on his fancy swivel chair, but he didn’t, instead leaning against the desk as I paced the remainder of his office back and forth.
“Care to share? Should I close the blinds and put our phones in a secure metal box? Check you for a wire or a brain transplant?”
“Have you always been this annoying?” I shot back as I shook my hands at my sides and glared at my little brother.
“Yes,” he stated flatly. “Comes from being the younger of a set of twins. My comedy got me attention the rest of you lacked growing up. That’s why you’re so sullen and uptight. Not enough affection.”
“Yeah, I get it. I’m cranky and boring and whatever else.”
I could feel his eyes digging into the back of my head as I continued to pace. “And normally so humble. Oliver, sit the fuck down and tell me what’s going on. Do you need a tracker for your woman, too?”
I rolled my eyes. “No. Her phone tracker worked just fine, thank you, and the bonus one went into her Kindle case. We both know if someone tried to kidnap her, she’d bargain to bring her Kindle along. So no, I’m not all that worried about keeping track of her.”
I sat down in one of his chairs, my elbows on my knees as my hands clasped together, and I stared at the rug beneath my feet.
“Okay, so what has you in such a tizzy?”
I scoffed. Who the fuck said words like tizzy? My brother, that’s who.
“I need your help. Again.”
Wyatt chuckled. “I’m totally going to start invoicing y’all for the insane shit you talk me into.”
Letting out a slow breath, I leaned back in the chair, my eyes meeting his.
“Todd confronted Ivy the other night when we all went dancing. Cornered her in the bathroom and claimed he had some videos of the two of them together. Apparently, if she doesn’t go back to him, he’s posting them online and ensuring they’re seen locally. ”
The laughter died out as I spoke, anger replacing it. The thing about Wyatt was, he wasn’t like Rowan and me. It wasn’t as if he loved Aspen and Ivy because his fiancée did. No. He loved them because he loved them. He viewed them as his family and had since the day they entered his life.
Wyatt was a go-lucky, happy guy. But he was also loyal and extreme when needed.
“Okay, so how do you want to handle this?” my brother asked.
“I want him to know she isn’t his anymore,” I replied without hesitation.