Page 74 of Yours To Hold
Ivy laughs sitting next to me. We’re touching from our shoulders to our hips. Even the smallest contact sets my skin on fire.
Even more so than it already is.
“I don’t know why kids want to eat in their rooms so much.”
I eat a spoonful of the chicken broth. It’s bland, but at least I can taste it.
“Trust me, if Willow thought she could get away with it, she would, but Daisy would give it away.”
“That dog loves her.”
“They are two peas in a pod.” I blow on the broth, swallowing another bite. “You’re really good with her.”
Ivy leans back against the headboard, shifting ever so slightly so she’s looking at me. “She’s a really good kid, Mason. You’ve done well raising her.”
“Half the time I feel like I’m dropping the ball.”
Ivy shakes her head. “Not at all. That girl has the best life there is. I wish I had that kind of childhood.”
"If I remember, you were always at the ranch.”
A sad looks washes over Ivy’s face. “My parents fought my entire childhood. Even when they divorced, they were still fighting. The ranch was my safe place to go.”
Reaching across her, I set the bowl down and pull her into my arms. “I’m sorry it was like that for you.”
“I’m just glad I had Gemma.” There’s a note of sadness in her voice. “Which makes this that much harder.”
“Do you want to stop?” The words come out more panicked than I intend them to.
There’s no way in hell I want to stop. I am so wrapped up in Ivy, I don’t know what I would do if she said yes.
“Absolutely not. I just feel like a terrible person for lying to her.”
I drop a kiss into her hair. What I really want to do is take her in my arms and kiss her senseless. Remind her of why we’re so good together.
Fucking fever.
“She’s so wrapped up in Blake, I don’t even think she’s noticed.”
“Noticed what?” I ask.
“That I’m actually happy here for once.”
That makes pride swell in my chest. I love being the one that can make her happy like that.
“Then we keep doing this.”
“Until the end of summer,” Ivy confirms.
Until the end of summer.
Fuck. I don’t know what I’m going to do when that comes.
Because there’s no way in hell I’ll ever be ready to let go of Ivy Connors.
ChapterTwenty
IVY
