Chapter 23

RHYS

When I pulled up to the ranch, it was dark. I had purposely avoided the ranch and spent the past few days in town at my father's home. I figured it was for the best, but being in close quarters with him proved to me more challenging than being near Ivy. I climbed out of my Range Rover and tossed my cigarette onto the grass. The harsh crunch of my footsteps on the gravel matched my edgy mood, and courage shot through me with each step. I didn't know what to expect when I stepped inside, but I hoped for something like forgiveness. I strode onto the porch and put my key inside the lock.

"Rhys," Ivy said, startling me. The sound of her tortured voice almost brought me to my knees. What was she doing outside, all alone on the porch at this time of night? She turned to look at me; a small smile touched the corners of my lips. That smile slipped when I noticed her expression, which was not a smile.

She was holding a half-drunken bottle of whiskey. Was she drunk? I didn't like the idea that she's been out here drinking alone. Had she been crying, too?

"We need to talk," I said softly.

"Talk?" she laughed and took a swig from the bottle. The sadness and anxiety flashing in her eyes had me silently cursing myself. I shouldn't have left her alone. I didn't want her to feel this way. Not when I cared about her so damn much, it hurt. "Must be my lucky night. Rhys Wyatt finally wants to talk."

When she stepped under the porch light, I could see her eyes were bloodshot and puffy. She'd been crying.

"Ivy, are you okay?" I took a deep breath and stepped toward her to get a better look at her. "How much have you drank?"

"Enough," she cocked her head to the side and studied me. "Anything you need to tell me about, Rhys?"

Suddenly, her eyes narrowed, and a little voice inside me told me I should be nervous. I racked my brain, but I couldn't think of anything other than that I was sorry for disappearing on her. That wasn't what she was referring to, so what was she talking about?

"Umm, I don't think so."

Looking down, she shook her head, and a small laugh escaped before a wicked smile graced her mouth.

"Are you sure?" she asked sweetly, which made me even more anxious for some reason.

"I just had the craziest night," she frowned slightly, leaning against the brick wall and crossing her arms over her chest. "Blaine sent me a package from France. He was trying to butter me up before he delivered alarming news. When I didn't thank him, he called the delivery company to confirm his parcel arrived at the ranch. The funny thing is, I never received anything, yet the package was marked as delivered and received."

She moved one step toward me, and instinctively, I moved one step back. I knew where this was going, and I wouldn't say I liked it. "You'll never guess who signed for it."

Oh, shit.

"Turns out it was a Mr. Rhys Wyatt."

I tried to respond, but my mind was suddenly blank. I had planned this differently. My silence told her everything she needed to know.

"Why would you sign for it and then not give it to me?" she landed a hard shove on my chest. "Why would you do that?"

My back was against the front door, and I seriously regretted showing up unannounced.

"Why you, son-of-a-bitch? Why would you do that?"

I needed an answer, and I needed one fast. Running my hands through my hair and seeing how upset she was, I decided to come clean.

"I was jealous, alright?" I shouted back. "Because I'm not okay with you dating Blaine. I can't stand the thought of you being with him." Standing facing her, I realized I deserved every bit of anger she gave me, and I was being unfair. I withheld something from her from someone who made her happy. "I'm sorry. I signed for it. But I don't have it anymore. I threw it away."

I flinched. She looked pissed.

After a few beats on the receiving end of her death stare, she finally looked away and sighed in defeat. "Fuck Rhys. Whatever," she grumbled. "It doesn't matter anyway because it's over between us."

Someone taking a knife and stabbing it through my heart would have been less painful than hearing those words leave her mouth. Of course, it was over between us. She hated me. I should have never thrown that damn package away. It was stupid of me to think she would ever love me back. I was all wrong for her in so many ways. Hell, I tossed out a perfect box of pastries because I was an envious dickhead. She deserved all the happiness in the world, and it pained me to accept that I wasn't it.

"It matters to me. Blaine doesn't deserve what we've done to him." I clenched my fists and tried to gain a shred of composure. I hated myself for being so weak and selfish, letting my emotions get out of hand, and Ivy for having this inexplicable hold over me. "You mean the world to me, Ivy, but you're right. It should be over between us. Even though it kills me to accept it." I replied, watching her carefully.

Great. This was the opposite of what I expected to happen tonight.

Her eyes went wide. Why did she look so confused? Didn't she get it? I wanted her to be happy.

Ivy's eyes glistened with tears, and I could see she was fighting the urge to cry. She pushed past me, opened the front door, and entered the house. I clenched my hands into fists as her familiar, sweet scent followed her. She placed the bottle of whiskey down on the counter and turned around to face me.

"I wasn't talking about us, Rhys." Her bottom lip quivered as she waved her hand between us. "But I'm so glad you came all the way here to remind me once again you don't want me." Wait. If she wasn't talking about us, then who was she-? Oh. Shit.

"I broke up with Blaine," she shouted. "That's what's over, Rhys."

My eyes flew to her in shock.

"I'm sorry. I had no idea." When I said this, her face fell. There are so many emotions hitting me all at once. I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

"What happened?"

"The Paris School of Business offered Blaine a transfer to the University of Paris for our Junior year. He accepted it, thinking I'd move to Paris with him. He's not coming back. I feel so stupid now for not accepting an internship at Fredrickton. We're done." She looked at me so calmly, with no emotion in her features. Why did she seem so composed about it? She closed the distance between us, wrapping her hand around my bicep. "I just couldn't agree to move to Europe with him."

"Why not?" I met her gaze. There was an unspoken understanding there. Neither of us wanted to be the first one to admit that this – our dangerous pull toward one another - was beyond our control. Neither of us wanted to say what we were feeling. I didn't need an answer from her at that moment, because I knew exactly why she couldn't do it. But I wanted to hear it.

"You know why," she whispered against my lips.

"Say it," I whispered, pressing her back until she was against the wall and my chest was inches away from touching hers.

She didn't push me off, and her eyelids looked heavy as she stared at my chest. Her breathing was heavy. The cleavage her little blue silk nightie showed off was right there under my nose. Rising and falling as if it were an invitation. I put my other hand on her waist and slowly slid it up her body until my other thumb was tucked under her breast. She wasn't wearing a bra. Her nipples were hard and erect, poking against the thin material of her dress. I couldn't stop myself this time, especially knowing she wasn't with Blaine anymore.

"You," she breathed, eyelids heavy with desire. "I couldn't agree to go with him because of you."

My thumb grazed the side of her breast, and she grabbed my other bicep as she shuddered. My hands fisted deeply into her hair, forcing her head back to take everything my lips pressed into her. I was overtaken by a familiar buzz overtaking my body as she opened her mouth to mine. Pressing my body to hers, I groaned at the way each of her curves fit against me. I wanted this need for her to go away, but each time I felt her, I knew it was an impossible want. She was everything I needed and more.

I grasped her hips and pulled her closer, my lips moving across the silk fabric against her waist. I didn't care that she once belonged to my brother or that this would be something I could never take back. I wanted her like my next breath. Kissing her, feeling her, touching her felt so right. I felt my cock harden in anticipation of what was about to come.

With Ivy still bound in my arms, I led her into my bedroom as I kissed and felt every sacred part of her. I pushed open my bedroom door, tossed her onto my bed, and pulled her nightie over her head. Goosebumps broke out all over her skin as I trailed my fingers down her legs. Her hands went to my hair, and she pulled roughly. I groaned as I looked back up at her. I traced the edge of the delicate satin of her panties, stopping at the thin straps on her hips. This was happening. Ivy was about to be all mine. A sense of urgency took over me then, and I quickly tore off her panties, freed one of her legs and placed it over my shoulder, kissing along the soft skin of her thigh.

"Don't you dare stop this time," she said in an exhale, running her hands into my hair. "Oh. My. Please. Don't. Stop."

I slowly licked along her clit as she gripped my hair tightly, moving her hips against my mouth. It felt surreal having my head buried between her legs, licking every blessed inch. She was so warm and wet and tasted just as fucking sweet as I imagined. I almost admitted out loud that I couldn't stop even if I tried, and I hated the thought of her thinking I even wanted to end this.

"Yeah, just like that," she gasped.

I was lost in her skin. She was all mine to ruin, so uninhibited and raw that part of her probably was just as desperate for this moment as I had been. In so many ways, I'd never felt such a carnal need to be with someone. I wanted to memorize every moan and every plea that escaped her mouth and know I was the reason for it. I moaned against her, causing her to cry out as she twisted her body closer. Sliding two fingers inside her, I pulled on her hip with the other hand to urge her to find a rhythm with me. I could feel her tense: her legs, abdomen, and hands in my hair.

"Rhys," she panted, her movements faltering, growing jagged and wild.

We were so many wrongs in so many ways, but this was so much more than simple fucking. We had something real, and intimate, and so many years of pent-up tension that I couldn't hold back anymore. I was on my knees, adoring every sweet inch of her like I'd never done with any other woman. I wanted to please her, and I wanted to watch her as she came from my touch. Unintelligible words fell from her lips in a hoarse whisper, and seeing her come so undone in my arms made me realize she was as helpless against this as I was.

I wanted to bite and suck, and I buried my fingers inside her. Her pants turned into tightened pleas, and I pushed deeper, hearing her cry out, legs shaking as her climax overtook her. My deepest and wildest fantasy had come to life as I slowly kissed around her swollen area. My dick was rock hard, throbbing and begging me to slide inside her finally. I rubbed her hip, lowered her leg, and watched her coming off her high and breathing heavily. I ran a finger across my lip and watched her eyes open to mine.

I started to climb over the top of her when her hands moved down and tugged on the waist of my jeans until my cock was exposed. It was pulsing, and when her hand cupped it, and her mouth began sucking on the head. Oh hell.

"Oh God, Rhys," she moaned as she licked and sucked all over. "You taste so good."

My knees went weak. I grabbed the wall for support. Nothing had ever felt this amazing. A needy sound came out of my mouth, and I wasn't sure what it was. I hardly recognized myself as so vulnerable and built up as she took over, sucking and licking. I was going to come if she kept this up.

She pulled away, with a hungry gleam in her eyes. "I want you to fuck me."

She wiped her mouth, and I jerked my shirt over my head. I slid my body over hers, and my hands went right to her breasts. I was in ecstasy, feeling her and touching her like this. She was smooth and soft and tasted sweet as a peach. I wanted her like my next breath. I couldn't control myself.

Ivy's kisses were wild and as hungry as I felt. I bit down on her bottom lip and pulled her tongue into my mouth and sucked. Then she wrapped her hand around my length, slid my cock inside of her, and I lost it. The heat from her breath on my neck made me tremble, and I grabbed her hair and forced her head closer with my silent plea. The wetness between her legs drove me deeper inside her. Our raw, animalistic rhythm was enough to shoot me through the ceiling.

"Oh God!" she screamed as I drove deeper and deeper inside of her. Her reaction made me greedier. I moved my mouth to her nipple and began sucking, teasing, and pulling as I moved my hand along her hip. The idea that she was about to come again excited the fuck out of me. I was worried I was almost there, too. Her fingers gripped my shoulders, and her nails dug into my skin, and I loved it. Her mouth moved to my ear as she kissed me, and her heavy breathing ignited my skin on fire.

"I've been wanting this for so long." Her naughty words as her fingers cupped my balls sent me close to the edge. "I'll always want you, Rhys."

"Fuck, Ivy," I groaned, driving into her. "You're so damn feisty. I want you to be mine." I dropped my eyes to look down at her. She met my eyes and pulled my mouth to hers. I trailed kisses down her neck as I grind against her, our bodies completely in sync. I grabbed onto her hips and moved her up against my headboard. She wrapped her arms around my neck and held me. For a second, neither of us moved as we breathed in a heavy silence. Now that we were doing this, something felt complete. I was more than overwhelmed inside her. I started moving slowly in and out of her, and she started moaning incoherent sounds.

She grabbed onto my ass with both of her hands and let out an earth-shattering cry as her climax went off and shook around me, clenching against my cock. The climb toward my spiral I knew was going to come started up again as she rode me. Enjoying her moment of surrender and the complete abandon on her face as she brought me closer and closer to the climax we both needed.

My body went off, and I cried out her name. Ivy lifted her head and looked into my eyes as I started to pull out. She moved forward and slid my cock inside her mouth as I pumped my release all over her lips. It was the sexiest thing I'd ever seen. I was hooked. I didn't care about the consequences anymore.

Ivy needed to be mine.