Wicked Delight

by Lily Harper Hart

“That doesn’t surprise me,” Ivy muttered, resting her head against Jack’s shoulder. Her earlier amusement was waning fast.

  “Do you have a point?” Jack prodded, recognizing the signs. The picnic was supposed to be a way for them to spend quiet time together, something they didn’t regularly have now that Ivy was mired in the middle of her busy season. She’d purposely taken time off so they could spend the day with nothing to do but each other — and pick a wedding date, which Jack was insistent about — and now Carson was infringing on their plans.

  “Of course I have a point.” Carson’s smile never wavered, but it was obvious he was getting agitated. “Ms. Sheridan saw you while we were walking. She is the star of the show. She would like to invite you to participate.”

  “Participate in what?” Jack asked absently, staring longingly at the potato salad before finally giving in and shoveling a huge forkful into his mouth. He didn’t care if it was rude. He was starving ... and he absolutely loved Ivy’s potato salad.

  “The show. Hearts on Fire. She wants you to be one of the contestants,” Carson explained. “She wants you to be one of the men vying for her heart. Of course, you’ll have to dump this one to do it, but that shouldn’t be an issue. We have a contract for you to sign and everything. How does that sound?”

  Jack almost choked on the potato salad he was so surprised. “What?”

  Two

  “You have got to be kidding me.”

  Jack was convinced he was in a dream and that any minute he would wake up. The scenario didn’t make sense otherwise.

  “I assure you that I’m not kidding.” Carson’s deranged smile never dipped. “You’ll be paid handsomely for your time.”

  Still not convinced, Jack flicked his eyes to the woman on the sidewalk. She continued to wave at him even though he refused to return the gesture. “You want to pay me to be on a dating show. That’s what you’re saying, right?”

  Carson bobbed his head. “That’s exactly what I’m saying.”

  “Well … great.” Jack glanced at Ivy. “Do you want to answer him, or shall I?”

  “I think it’s your job to answer him,” she replied without hesitation, her tone cool.

  “Hey. Don’t blame this on me.” He extended a finger in her direction. “I didn’t cause this. I was having a perfectly nice picnic with you when this came out of nowhere.”

  Ivy blew out a heavy sigh. “Whatever.”

  Her reaction amused him. However, he couldn’t explore that feeling until he got rid of their unwanted picnic pest. “Mr. Prickwillow … .”

  “Carson,” he repeated. “Ms. Sheridan would like to talk to you. She’s right over there.”

  “I’ve seen her.” Jack felt put on the spot. “The thing is, I’m not interested in talking to her.”

  “But … of course you are.” Carson said that with such equal measures of assurance and dubiousness about Jack’s potential mental health the police detective had to swallow a chuckle.

  “I know it’s hard for you to believe, but I’m not interested. Not in any of this. Now, if you don’t mind … .”

  “Just go over and talk to her,” Carson prodded.

  “I would rather not.”

  “She would come over here, but she doesn’t walk on grass.”

  “Really?” Jack’s gaze swung back to Ivy. “I need your help. Are you just going to abandon me to do this without you?”

  She didn’t immediately answer, instead blinking several times at even intervals. Finally, she took pity on him and forced a smile for Carson’s benefit. “While I’m sure Jack is flattered by Ms. Sheridan’s attention, he’s not on the market.”

  “Right.” Jack enthusiastically bobbed his head. “I’m not on the market. I’m getting married.” He grabbed Ivy’s left hand and lifted it so Carson could see the diamond he bought her on full display. “This is my future wife … if she’ll ever set the wedding date, that is.”

  Ivy scowled. “Not this again. I’m thinking about it. I want to pick the perfect date.”

  “I would like that date to be before I’m forty, Ivy.” Jack was stern. “I’m serious. That was the whole point of today. We were going to pick a date … and eat potato salad.”

  He looked so morose when he stared at the container of potato salad Ivy could do nothing but take pity on him. “We’re still going to do that. Just give me a second.” She turned to Carson and wrinkled her nose. “The thing is, we’re not interested in being on a reality television show. That’s simply not our thing.”

  “No offense, ma’am, but you weren’t invited.” Carson was grave. “Mr. … I don’t think I got your last name, sir.”

  “Morgan,” Jack automatically responded. “Max Morgan.” He had no problem throwing Ivy’s brother Max under the bus, was even hopeful Carson would take the name and run with it. Max was gregarious and would probably love the opportunity to be on a dating show if Carson approached him. In fact, Max seemed like a good distraction.

  “Mr. Morgan … .” Carson trailed off, wrinkling his forehead. “Didn’t she call you Jack? Why is your name suddenly Max?”

  “Oh, geez.” Jack rubbed his forehead, annoyance finally coming out to play. “Why can’t you just leave us alone? We’re not interested.”

  Bafflement flitted over Carson’s face. “How can that be? Have you seen Ms. Sheridan?”

  Ivy took offense at the remark. “We don’t care.”

  “Again, you’re not invited,” Carson stressed. “This is Ms. Sheridan’s show and she wants … your friend … to participate. I don’t understand what the problem is.”

  “Obviously not.” Jack was at the end of his rope. “I don’t want to participate, though. I’m engaged.” He inclined his chin toward Ivy. “We’re here spending the day together. I wish you well on your reality show. I will not be participating.”

  “But … she’s Éclair Sheridan.”

  “She’s named after a doughnut, Jack,” Ivy intoned, solemn. “How can you turn that down?”

  “Don’t add to this madness.” He wagged his finger in her face before turning a stern expression to Carson. “I appreciate the offer.”

  “I don’t think you do.”

  “Fine. I’m annoyed you interrupted us,” Jack conceded. “I was trying to be polite. I’m done with that. We want to be left alone. This is a special day for us and you’re ruining it.”

  “But … .” Carson looked at a complete and total loss. “What will I say to Ms. Sheridan?”

  “That she should look elsewhere. I’m sure there’s no shortage of people willing to go on television and act like an idiot for her amusement. I’m not one of them, though. So … go.”

  And just like that, Carson was dismissed.

  “Where were we?” Jack focused his full attention on Ivy and realized she’d snagged the potato salad when he wasn’t looking. “You have to share. It’s not a picnic if you don’t share.”

  “I don’t share,” Ivy shot back, her words pointed. “I can’t believe that just happened.”

  He chuckled. “I’m hot. People want me.”

  “Yeah, yeah, yeah.”

  “Luckily I only want you.”

  Even though she wanted to stay angry, Ivy couldn’t manage it. “That was a good answer.”

  Jack beamed. “I thought so.”

  BY THE TIME THEY GOT HOME, Jack was stuffed and sated … and ready for a nap. Ivy, on the other hand, was worked up.

  “I can’t believe that guy just thought you would throw me over for a woman named after a doughnut. I mean … that was totally insulting.”

  She paced the area between the kitchen and living room as Jack rolled onto the couch and eyed the black cat draped over the back of the sofa with a challenging look. For his part, Nicodemus merely kneaded his paws into the blanket underneath him and practically dared Jack to try to dislodge him. The cat was Ivy’s baby. She found him abandoned in a dumpster when he was only weeks old, near death, and nursed him back to health. Jack knew the cat was g
oing nowhere. He would never ask, even though he was convinced the animal was often plotting his death. The cat loved Ivy to distraction, though. She felt the same way. Nicodemus was family. That didn’t mean Jack couldn’t find joy in irritating him.

  “It was totally insulting,” Jack agreed, tapping the cat’s paw in a way he knew would agitate the animal. “I can’t believe anyone would think I could be convinced to be on a reality television show. Especially a dating show. Now, if it was a fishing show … .”

  Ivy’s gaze was withering. “You have never actually been fishing.”

  “Untrue. We fish all the time in our dreams.” He patted the cat’s paw again, grinning when Nicodemus opened one eye and glared. “I’ve caught some huge fish in our dreams.”

  He meant the dreamscape, the place they visited in sleep. They found they could invade each other’s dreams not long after meeting and turned it into a game of sorts. They made rules because they thought it was dangerous to spend too much time together in a world that wasn’t real, but that didn’t mean the occasional date wasn’t allowed and, in fact, coveted.

  “That’s not the same thing,” Ivy complained. “By the way, we’re talking about me right now, not you.”

  “Oh, well … .” Jack turned his attention from Nicodemus to his future wife. “I absolutely love talking about you. That’s my favorite subject. Please continue.”

  Ivy narrowed her deep blue eyes. “I’m being serious. Don’t you see how insulting it was for that guy to just assume that you would go running to the human doughnut because of the way she looks?”

  Ivy officially had Jack’s full attention now. “And how does she look?”

  “You know.”

  “I’m not sure I do.” Part of him was amused. The other part was annoyed. “You know I think you’re the prettiest woman in the world, right? I don’t just say that to get into your good graces. I mean it.”

  Ivy opened her mouth to argue and then snapped it shut. He was being sincere, and she couldn’t very well bark at him for it.

  “Oh, you’re speechless.” He winked as he reached out and snagged her around the waist, dragging her to the couch with him. “I’m going to have to mark this down in my calendar. It’s a Shadow Lake miracle.” He nuzzled his face against Ivy’s neck as she squirmed.

  “I’m being serious,” Ivy complained, although she didn’t put a lot of effort in escaping his grasp. “I think we should be insulted about that woman thinking she could just steal you away. Not that one person belongs to another person or anything, though,” she added.

  “You don’t believe one person belongs to another?” Jack arranged her body so she was resting on top of him, her chin on his chest and her eyes even with his.

  “I don’t believe people are property,” she corrected.

  He stroked his hand down her hair. “I believe people belong together. I’ve felt as if I was home from the moment you told me you loved me. Actually, I think it was more when I realized I was in love with you. I definitely think of you as mine, and of me as yours.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Yeah.”

  She kissed the top of his nose. “I guess that’s sweet and not too weird.”

  He barked out a laugh. “Just like you. Sweet … and not too weird.”

  “You’re in a romantic mood this afternoon.” She snuggled closer, pressing her head to the spot above his heart. “I’m still mad she thought you would just leave me.”

  And there, Jack realized, was the crux of the issue. Ivy didn’t want to be alone again. She was never truly alone, of course. She had her parents and brother. However, she didn’t feel completely accepted and at ease with herself until he came along. He felt the same way, so he understood the irrational burst of fear.

  “Honey, you know that I’m never going to leave you, right?” His voice was soft. “It’s not just that I’m loyal and never want to hurt you, it’s also that I can’t imagine my life without you. It’s you and me forever, honey. That’s not going to change.”

  “I know.” Ivy sounded morose, a bit sheepish. “I’m sorry to be such a pain. It’s just … annoying. I hate feeling invisible.”

  “You’re not invisible. When I’m in a room with you, you’re all I see.”

  “I feel the same way.” She lifted her face so she could meet his gaze. “I still don’t like her.”

  “Of course not. She’s named after a doughnut. You’re a pie girl.”

  Ivy pressed her lips together to keep from laughing. She didn’t want to encourage him.

  “Oh, that was funny.” Jack tickled her, causing her to squeal. “You know that was funny.”

  “It was,” she agreed, collecting herself. “You always know exactly what to do to make me feel better. I love that about you.”

  “Thank you. Right back at you.”

  Jack was feeling smug as he moved his hands to Ivy’s back. Initially when they returned home, he thought he wanted a nap. Now he had a different agenda, and he very much doubted it would take much effort to get her to agree to the trek he had in mind.

  “I still don’t like her,” Ivy announced, causing Jack to snicker. “Oh, and August twentieth.”

  “What’s August twentieth?” he murmured, his lips brushing her jawline.

  “The day we get married.”

  He stilled before slowly pulling back to stare into the fathomless depths of her eyes. “Are you sure?”

  “Of the date? Yeah.”

  “Really sure?”

  Her lips curved. “Yeah. I want to marry you, Jack Harker. I want an outdoor wedding, too, so we need to do it in the summer. I think that’s the perfect date.”

  He made a fun growling sound as he tightened his arms around her. “It is the perfect date. I can’t wait.”

  “That makes two of us.” Ivy beamed at him. “Now, I believe you were about to talk me into doing something dirty. Why don’t we make it a celebratory dirty game, huh?”

  “You had me at dirty.”

  “Somehow I knew that.”

  IVY AND JACK WOKE WITH SMILES on their faces the next day. They showered together, kissed frequently, and then met in the kitchen to make coffee, tea, and breakfast.

  “What do you have planned for your day?” Jack asked as he poured a cup of hot water for Ivy from the kettle on the stove and retrieved her box of teabags from the pantry.

  “Work at the nursery,” Ivy replied without hesitation. “This is the time of year people are busy prettying up their yards. Since I took the day off yesterday, I’m sure I will have to listen for hours to my father’s harrowing stories about how he kept my business afloat while I was loafing about.”

  Jack smirked as he moved to the coffee pot, giving the cat on the floor a wide berth as Nicodemus attacked his toes. “That sounds exciting.”

  “What about you?”

  “Unless something comes up, it’s a day of paperwork for me. It’s Shadow Lake, so something is bound to come up, but I’m betting it won’t be anything major.”

  “You just jinxed yourself.”

  “Oh, yeah? Maybe I don’t believe in jinxes.”

  As if on cue, the front doorbell rang, causing both of them to jolt and look in that direction at the same time. There was movement on the other side of the door, visible through the glass window, and Jack recognized the figure standing on the other side right away. It was his partner, Brian Nixon.

  “Don’t say a word,” Jack warned, casting her a look before shuffling toward the door. “I know what you’re going to say.”

  “Are you saying you don’t want me to point out that you jinxed yourself?”

  “Ha, ha.” Jack pulled open the front door and pinned his partner with a pointed look. “It’s great to see you so early in the morning … before breakfast. You’re just hungry, right? That’s why you’re here.”

  Brian was used to Jack and Ivy acting odd. He’d known Ivy the bulk of her life and, even though he always found her delightful, she had a few quirks. Since Jack entered
her life, those quirks had become something else entirely … and that was the main reason he was darkening their doorstep so early in the morning.

  “I don’t know if I should answer that question,” Brian replied, stepping inside and flashing a smile and small wave for Ivy as she bustled in the kitchen. “What are you making?”

  “Blueberry pancakes,” she automatically replied.

  “They’re awesome,” Jack offered. “She makes them from scratch and they truly are one of my favorite breakfasts. We’re celebrating.”

  “Oh, yeah?” Brian cocked an eyebrow. “What are you celebrating?”

  “We’re getting married.”

  “I’m well aware.” Brian made a face. “I’ve heard about nothing else for months. Heck, there are times it feels like years since you got together.”

  “Oh, you’re just being a killjoy.” Jack patted his partner on the shoulder before heading back to the kitchen. “Do you want coffee?”

  “I do,” Brian confirmed. “I wouldn’t mind some pancakes either, although I’m not sure we have time.”

  A giant ball of dread formed in the pit of Jack’s stomach. “Why? Wait!” He held up his hand to silence his partner. “I don’t want to know. We’re having a perfect morning. Why do you have to ruin our perfect morning? Ivy finally set the date.”

  “Oh, yeah?” Brian brightened. He knew the pink-haired siren’s reluctance to set a date had been driving Jack to distraction. “That’s a good thing, right? When is it?”

  “August twentieth,” Ivy answered, her expression hard to read as she ladled batter onto the skillet. “Tell us what’s wrong, Brian. I know it’s something. It’s better to hear it right away. Don’t drag it out.”

  Brian let loose a weary sigh. He hated bringing sadness to what was obviously a happy moment. He had no choice, though. “I was woken early this morning with an alert. It seems Éclair Sheridan has gone missing.”

  Ivy jolted at the news as Jack abandoned the coffeemaker.

  “What?” Jack asked, confused. “The doughnut chick?”

  “Doughnut?” Brian was confused.

  “Ignore him,” Ivy prodded. “We know who Éclair is. We met a friend of hers in the park yesterday. What do you mean she’s gone missing?”