Happily Ever After: A Contemporary Romance Boxed Set

by Piper Rayne

  “I’m guessing you have a problem with me dating her.” I fill in the silence. Better if I say it rather than continue this silent standoff.

  “Yes. Yes Leo I do. I’m not some overprotective freak but I love my sister, and I don’t think you’re the right guy for her. Especially after Ben hurt her, she deserves better.”

  That stings, and my jaw clenches with disappointment. I’d never treat Ivy the way Ben treated her. “What makes you think I’m going to treat her the same way?”

  His shoulders slump, and he falls into the chair opposite me. “Leo, man, that’s not even a question. You may not treat her the exact same way but I know what you’re like when it comes to women. You’re a millionaire, agent to the stars. You have women who fall at your feet on a daily basis and I’ve seen you. I know what kind of guy you are when it comes to relationships.”

  He was right, I hadn’t had a long-term relationship but that was because I’d been hung up on Ivy for so long. “I won’t hurt her.”

  He blows out an exasperated breath and runs his fingers through his dark hair. “Bro, I don’t think you intend to, you’re a good guy, but in the end, you will.”

  “Then trust me. Just trust me.” I plead with him.

  He shakes his head. “I don’t think it’s as simple as that. Leo… come on man, have you even thought this through? We’re all friends and you’re close to my family. I’m sure it can’t be easy for Ivy to associate with Rachel and Patrick knowing they’re still friends with Ben. It’s a mess, and we’d be more of a mess than they are if things go wrong for you because I’m her brother. This is a line you shouldn’t cross.”

  I do my best to tamp down my frustrations. I don’t like being told what to do and I hate that he’s telling me I can’t see his sister. “This is unfair. You can’t just compare me to that situation. I wouldn’t hurt her, like that loser.”

  “Okay, I’ll spell it out.”

  I grit my teeth. “Go on.”

  “I don’t want you dating Ivy because she can do better. You’re just looking for a good time, and she needs someone who will commit. I don’t see that guy being you. You need to back off.”

  Shock tightens my throat. I can’t believe he’d go that far but he’s serious. I can see it in his eyes.

  He stands and stalks out of my office without another word.

  I mutter some expletives, and then stand, walk to my office door and slam it shut.

  He’s given me an ultimatum, and if I continue to see Ivy I know that it will put a strain on our friendship, and also with his family. He didn’t have to spell it out, I knew what he was saying.

  I can’t do it. I want Ivy in my life, and I want her as more than just a friend. But it’s not as simple as that. Ivy won’t be happy that we’re seeing each other if her brother doesn’t support us dating.

  The complexities will strain our relationship, and we’ve only just started dating. I know she won’t want to go against her brother, and her family.

  I swear, before resting my head in my hands. What to do?

  Chapter 11

  Leo

  “I just love this scene,” Ivy says and smiles. “It gets me every time I watch this film.” She’s talking about when Lazlow gets everyone singing the Marseillaise, in defiance of the Nazis. I love it too.

  It’s the day after my encounter with Cory, and I’m half expecting him to show up and tell me off for defying him.

  We gaze at the large wide screen in front of us, and watch movie magic. No words are said, but the actors’ expressions say it all.

  The movie isn’t too romantic for me, it’s brilliant and I don’t care that I’ve already seen it. I’m here with Ivy, and that’s all that matters.

  We’re snuggled next to each other, with a blanket over us, propped up with pillows, watching the black and white movie.

  I have my arm around her, and her head is resting on my shoulder. It feels good, and so right.

  I watch her and love how she feels in my arms. I love how I feel when I’m with her and I love that when I look to the future I can picture her in it.

  I know I’m crazy and I might be moving faster than a speeding train but having an ultimatum placed on you by your best friend tends to do that to a person.

  It pushes you along faster than you were moving so you can put things in perspective and think about what you want most.

  That’s what it does.

  What I want is her. I know we have more to talk about than what I wanted to tonight.

  I just wanted to enjoy tonight with her like the other night, but I’m going to have to say something about Cory at some point. It won’t feel right if I don’t.

  The evening wears on and we get ice cream after the film. Twice as we walked by the river I wanted to talk to her about Cory but she just looked so happy to be with me that I couldn’t yet.

  Now I’m at her doorstep. Once again I’m here, right at the place I was the other night. The only difference is I want her a hundred times more than I did back then.

  She rests against the door and gazes up at me. The soft amber light plays on her pretty face and her brown eyes twinkle with seduction.

  “I had a really good time tonight,” she says.

  “Me too.” I rest my hand on the wall above her head and she presses her hand to my chest.

  Heat seeps into me and I already know I won’t have the strength I displayed nights ago when I told her the night was about the date.

  “I want you to come inside tonight,” she says, running her finger over my chest.

  “Just so you know, I don’t think I’d have the strength to resist you tonight.”

  “Then come here.”

  She smoothes her hands up my chest, stands on her toes and presses a kiss to my chin. Another kiss graces my cheek and she works her way over to my mouth. That’s where I take over.

  I slip my hand behind her head and take advantage of the little gasp that escapes her lips to explore the recesses of her hot, sexy mouth. Our tongues tease and tangle in pure delight and I know I’m seconds away from losing control.

  She backs away from my lips to open the door.

  “I don’t want to give my neighbors something to talk about.” She giggles.

  “No, or a heart attack.”

  She pulls me inside the apartment and the second the door closes we return to each other’s lips. As we kiss I push Cory out of my mind.

  I don’t want anything to distract me from her. Not even for a damn second and not when she’s kissing me the way she is. Like all she wants is me.

  I catch her doll-like face, taking control so I can kiss her harder. When she tugs at my shirt I pick her up and carry her up the stairs to her bedroom.

  I set her down on the bed where I strip her down and I start my indulgence of her beautiful body from head to toe, and back again, making sure I give her all the pleasure she deserves.

  I don’t want her to think about anything besides me either and when she thinks of me I just want her to think of how I make her feel.

  Her moans and groans of ecstasy fill me with that raw satisfaction. I taste her until I know I’ve reached my limit. And that’s when I claim her all over again and make her mine.

  I’ve been awake for awhile now. I woke with the sun and couldn’t go back to sleep.

  I made my way over to the baywindow to watch the city wake up and get a better look at the beautiful woman lying on the bed before me.

  The sun spills over her perfect frame. That mass of jet-black hair is sprawled out against the pillow.

  We wore each other out last night, having sex in different positions, and in different rooms of her apartment.

  I love her on top riding me hard as I pinch her nipples, before fingering her clit as she comes. And that we both love oral sex, God, I can’t get enough of her cries as I make her come with my tongue. My cock hardens at the thought of her wrapping her lips around it, while I pleasure her with my lips and fingers.

  Enough, she
needs to rest.

  I want to stay in this bubble of fantasy but I know I can’t let today pass without me telling her I want to keep seeing her, and telling her Cory will have a problem with it.

  The woman I’m looking at is not one you keep a secret.

  She’s the kind of woman you show off to the world so they know she belongs to you.

  It’s an insult to her for me to even contemplate seeing her in secret but if we do anything other than that I know that would ruin everything as we know it and she won’t be comfortable with that. No one would.

  I think she’d feel bad to ruin the friendship I have with her brother.

  Cory and I have always balanced each other. I came from an extremely wealthy family, born with the proverbial silver spoon in my mouth. I just wasn’t given the love and attention most kids get.

  My mom tried, but she was always sick and it didn’t help that when she was at her lowest Dad would blame me. He’d start drinking heavily, get wasted and curse my existence.

  I got myself into all sorts of trouble growing up and the person that was there for me was Cory. Always Cory, and with him came the family I didn’t really have. I can’t quite blame Jackson for anything. Our father is a very difficult man to get along with and that alone made life hard.

  It was even harder when Mom died. That was when true hardship hit and no amount of money in the world can heal you when you come from a father that doesn’t want you in his world.

  Cory was there for me through all those times.

  So, going against the one thing he’s ever specifically asked me not to do is the hardest thing I’ve ever done.

  Ivy stirs and rolls on to her side. “Morning,” she beams.

  “Morning. Come here,” I say crooking my finger, beckoning her to come to me.

  She pulls the sheet over herself, wrapping her gorgeous body in it before gliding over to me.

  I pull her into my lap and we kiss. Like all the kisses we’ve shared this one entices to continue with its whispers of memories from last night.

  Just one more time and I’ll tell her. But I see an image of Cory scowling, and I know that I have to stop and talk. I mutter an expletive and I pull away.

  “What’s wrong?” She has genuine concern etched on her face.

  “Princess, I need to tell you something,” I start to say, and my heart sinks as worry makes her eyes widen.

  I kiss her forehead. “Us.” I say gently.

  The worry deepens and she blinks. I brush over her cheek so she knows she doesn’t have to worry but it does nothing.

  “What about us?”

  “I want to keep seeing you Ivy. I want to keep dating you.”

  The light comes back to her eyes. “I want to keep seeing you too. You look so worried though. Like something’s wrong.”

  “Something is wrong.”

  “What? What could be wrong?”

  “Cory. He’s got a problem with us.”

  “What?” She shakes her head and narrows her eyes. “How does he know? But he knows you, you’re like brothers and that you’ll take care of me.”

  “No. He doesn’t. He saw us at the Dumpling House. He’s told me that he’s not okay with us dating.”

  Shock suffuses her face. “He has no right to do that.”

  “Maybe not, but the fact that he’s not okay with me seeing you is a big deal. Us dating will impact your relationship with Corey and the rest of your family.” I stroke the side of her face with my fingertips. “I don’t want to come between you all, you’re too important to me. Both you,” I brush my lips against hers. “And your family.” I continue. “Cory thinks you can do better than me, and is worried I’ll hurt you, that I’m only interested in having fun with you.”

  She looks uneasy, and there is no longer a sparkle in her dark eyes. “Is he saying that because you’ve never had a long-term relationship?”

  “I guess that’s one reason.” I say slowly.

  “Why haven’t you?” The wariness in her eyes suggests the question was on her mind.

  I take a deep breath and decide that I should confess and tell her. After the night of worshipping her body and making her come in multiple ways, I want her to know that she’s more important than just sex. “They weren’t you.” The answer is simple. “None of them were you. I haven’t had a long-term relationship because I hadn’t found the right woman. Now I have. The thing about it though was I knew where she was the whole time. I didn’t have to go looking for her. You were there all this time and now I have you. I want it all.”

  “Leo…” she breathes. “I never knew you felt that way about me. If I had I would never have been with anybody else.”

  I lower to plant a kiss on her forehead. “I think it’s becoming clear that we would have chosen each other a long time ago if we knew how we felt. Now we know.”

  “No one should come between us Leo. I love my brother, and I appreciate him looking out for me but I don’t think this is up to him. I should talk to him.”

  “I don’t know if that’s a good idea. He told me to stay away from you.” I confess, worried about damaging the close relationship she has with Cory.

  “What?”

  “I know. Ivy, it’s me who should speak to him. I just don’t think he’s going to take it well right now.” And isn’t that an understatement!

  “I’m not going to stop seeing you just because my brother has a problem with us.” I can see defiance stretched across her face.

  “I want to keep seeing you too, but this is more than just us, it will impact your family, us being together.”

  A silence weighs heavily between us.

  “What if we don’t tell him just yet, then?” she says. “I mean we don’t have to tell him.”

  “I’m gonna have to talk to him at some point, though.” I brush hair from her face.

  “But not yet. Why does it have to be now? If we’ve waited so long to be together why spoil it with this problem when we don’t have a problem with each other. I just want to be with you.”

  “I want to be with you too, Ivy.”

  I’m agreeing and I’m glad to have her. I’m glad she wants to be with me but this problem with Cory feels like a wound that’s been left open.

  I’ll have to address it.

  It’s just a matter of time.

  Chapter 12

  Ivy

  I’ve just sent all the final contracts and paperwork to my accountant.

  I shut down my computer and rest back against my chair.

  I had the most amazing summer. The best so far in my adult life. Not only have I been dating the most perfect man I’ve ever met for the last two months but

  my summer camp brought in a hundred kids, and I made more money than I ever hoped to make.

  Yesterday was the last day of the camp and I have the school booking in again and the other kids’ parents requesting information for next year. Little Adventurers has been a huge success.

  Jenna comes in with a broad smile on her face.

  It’s time to close up for the day but we’ve both been smiling and talking as long as the day was.

  I have to leave for my date with Leo in fifteen minutes but she’ll be here for another hour to finish up her work.

  “Ivy, you just got a call from the Chicago Chronicle. They want to interview you,” she cries out.

  I sit up in my chair. “What?”

  “Yes. That was their business rep. She called to see if you’d be interested. Girl, I knew you would be in here jumping up and down for joy but I styled it out and told her we’d call tomorrow to make arrangements.”

  “Oh my God,” I beam and rush over to her so we can both do the jumping up and down together. “You are the best and oh my gosh. That’s amazing news.”

  “It is. They loved the work you did with the inner-city children. You’re about to get even more publicity.”

  Wow. This is amazing. I can’t wait to tell Leo. “I’m so happy. This is fantastic.”

&
nbsp; She gives my shoulder a gentle squeeze. “Sure is. This is your vision Ivy and congratulations for seeing it through.”

  “Thanks so much. I couldn’t have done this without you. It’s congratulations to both of us.”

  She laughs. “Thank you. I appreciate that. Anyway, I won’t keep you. Where is that man of yours taking you tonight?”

  “We’re going to a basketball game.” I grin.

  “You guys are so great together. I love this. This is serious, isn’t it?”

  I nod. Leo and I are moving very fast. I think it was because the feelings were always there and now we’re getting the chance to embrace them. Fifteen years of emotion rolled into one is something massive just bursting to come out. Not only is the sex fantastic, but we really like each other, and I love being with him.

  The problem is we’re seeing each other in secret. It’s not easy to hide this from my family, especially when we see each other on Sunday nights. If Leo stopped attending, my family would suspect something.

  Us pretending we’re just friends each week, is an act we do to keep up the pretenses. Although too often we end up having sex in the car, after leaving. I can’t stop the way I feel about him. I’ve never been so connected with anyone before, not even Ben.

  I told Jenna about Leo and I dating. The intimate details are just for Leo and I. She’s the only person who knows. I had to tell someone. I also told Leo that she knew so he was aware of it. He told his brother. So the total number of people who know we’ve been in the relationship is two.

  “We’re getting serious and that means there’s going to be a time when we have to tell others.” She knows about our problem with Cory too.

  “Hey, be strong. You’ve been through too much to worry about other people’s opinions.”

  I dip my head agreeing. “Yeah I know. I think so, but it’s going to be awkward. I get the feeling more was said from Cory but Leo held off telling me. I’m not stupid. I know Cory will be mad at him when he finds out.”

  My phone buzzes with a message on the table. I glance at it and see it’s Leo. He’s outside.