Wicked Delight

by Lily Harper Hart

  Jack knew better than that, but he wisely kept his mouth shut. “Oh, I have every intention of making this life count.” He smiled at Ivy to reassure her. “The plans I have for this life are monumental ... and I’m going to live every single moment as if it counts, because it does.”

  “Because of her?” Moss tilted his head toward Ivy. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, she’s a beautiful woman. You seem completely enraptured by her, though. I’ve never seen anything like it outside of a movie theater.”

  “Ivy is real. What I feel for her is real. If you’ve never felt that ... well ... I feel sorry for you.”

  “I’m starting to feel sorry for myself, too. You seem legitimately happy. I wasn’t sure that was possible. I mean ... really possible and not due to some facade.”

  Jack regarded him for a long beat. “You’re cynical.”

  “I hear that.”

  “You need to get out of Hollywood, man. It’s not doing you any favors.”

  Moss chuckled. “Actually, I couldn’t agree more. I’m hoping for a change of profession soon. For now, though, I’m stuck here ... watching a seance.”

  Jack opted to be pragmatic. “It could be worse.”

  “How?”

  “You could be dead.”

  “Good point.”

  “I’m full of them.”

  Ten

  Ivy was uncomfortable with the show. She realized that five minutes in ... and desperately wished she’d listened to Jack and headed home. If they had, they would be enjoying a relaxing bath in steaming water instead of watching her mother and aunt make fools of themselves. Heck, Felicity was actually making a big show of talking to a ghost that wasn’t Éclair and pretending otherwise, which was something Ivy couldn’t understand.

  By the time they finished, Ivy was eager to get away. That wasn’t in the cards, though, because Max stopped her before she could make an escape.

  “That was kind of fun, huh?” His skin was glowing. “Now I see why you guys enjoy that witch stuff so much.”

  Ivy glanced around to make sure no one was eavesdropping and then elbowed her brother in the stomach. “Watch what you say,” she hissed.

  “Hey!” He ruefully rubbed the spot where she hit him as he regarded her. “There’s no reason to get all worked up. It was a simple statement.”

  “It was pretty freaking far from simple. Are you trying to make Jack’s head implode?”

  Confusion etched Max’s handsome face. “Why is Jack going to implode?”

  “I just ... .” Ivy broke off, frustrated. “That was not fun, Max. It wasn’t supposed to be fun. It was supposed to be serious.”

  “Not the way Aunt Felicity did it,” he countered. “She was putting on a show. You should be happy she did it the way she did. If she’d been serious about it, a real ghost might’ve shown up.”

  Ivy stilled. “Wait ... what did you see?”

  The question caught Max off guard. “What did you see?”

  “I asked you first.”

  He scowled. “We’re not kids. It doesn’t matter who asked what first.”

  Ivy folded her arms across her chest and waited, obstinate.

  “Fine.” Max threw up his hands in defeat. “I didn’t see anything.”

  “You acted like you did.”

  “Yeah, well ... I didn’t. Why do you think I was rolling my eyes the way I was? I just wanted to be part of the show. Everyone pretended to see something that wasn’t there.”

  “You didn’t see anything.” Ivy was talking to herself more than her brother. “You didn’t see anything, so they likely didn’t see anything either. It was all a show ... for everybody.”

  “Wait a second.” Max grabbed her arm before she could take off. “What did you see?”

  “Something I need to talk to Aunt Felicity about.” Ivy quickly detached herself from her brother’s grip and cut through the crowd. Felicity was standing with several people — including Jordan and Blaine — and she was being lauded for her abilities. She seemed to take pleasure in the accolades, something that set Ivy’s teeth on edge.

  “Your aunt is great,” Jordan enthused.

  “Yes, she’s a true joy,” Ivy drawled, grabbing her aunt’s wrist and giving her a tug. “If you guys will excuse us, we need to talk about a few things in private. You know ... girl stuff.”

  “Magical stuff,” Blaine said knowingly.

  “All kinds of magical stuff,” Ivy agreed stiffly.

  Felicity kept her smile in place, but it faded quickly when Ivy dragged her to a private spot beneath the ancient weeping willow that served as a focal point for the square. “Why are you so worked up? No one suspects anything about you, if that’s what you’re worried about. You were dull and boring for the entire evening.”

  Ivy scowled. “Do you think I care about that?” She made a face. “Actually, since when do you care about that? You’re not the type to seek out attention.”

  “Technically I’m still not the type to seek out attention. Your mother wanted to be part of this, though, and it could very well have been her only chance to participate in something with this much potential.”

  “What potential?” Ivy was at the end of her rope. “The only potential here was exposure.”

  Felicity frowned. “What exposure? You didn’t do anything but sit there with a sour look on your face. I did the heavy lifting. I’m the one who called Éclair.”

  “But ... you didn’t.” Ivy’s frustration was palpable. “Éclair wasn’t here tonight. Or, if she was, she didn’t show herself.”

  “She was so. I felt a presence.”

  “You might have felt a presence — I certainly did — but it wasn’t Éclair.”

  “How can you be sure?”

  “Because I caught a glimpse of a face. It was a man. Granted, it was a man I didn’t recognize, but it wasn’t Éclair. Whoever you managed to call was a dead man from a long time ago. Didn’t you feel the male energy?”

  “I ... .” Felicity broke off, confused. “I felt male energy, but I assumed it was because the bulk of the people participating were male.”

  “Yeah, that’s not how it works. Honestly, I don’t know who you called because it was definitely a shy ghost and he took off as fast as possible when he saw the crowd. That was not Éclair, though.”

  “Oh, well, that’s a bummer.” Felicity chewed on her bottom lip as she glanced around. “Do you think anyone will say anything?”

  “No. I don’t think the others care enough to say anything.”

  “Well ... that’s good.” She sighed in relief. “I just want to put on a good show.”

  “Yes, because that’s the important thing.” Ivy was disgusted as she pulled away from her aunt. “I don’t want to be a part of it if you do anything like this again. It was reckless ... and ridiculous.”

  Felicity’s expression darkened. “Listen, young lady, it was neither of those things. It was a fun diversion. Why can’t you ever let go of things and simply have a good time?”

  “Maybe I don’t find death fun.”

  “There’s fun to have in everything if you allow yourself to unclench for five freaking seconds.”

  Ivy’s scowl became more pronounced. “Since when do you say things like that?”

  “Since I got into show business.”

  “Well, if that’s the case, I can’t wait for show business to head back where it belongs. Until then, I’m out. This whole thing was embarrassing.”

  “You’re just saying that because you weren’t the center of attention for a change.”

  “No, I’m really not.”

  JACK WATCHED THE BLOW-UP BETWEEN Ivy and Felicity from afar, his stomach clenching. He’d never seen them interact that way before. In fact, when Ivy was upset because she didn’t understand what was happening in their new reality, Felicity was the one who could talk her off the ledge more often than not.

  “What’s wrong?” Jack asked, getting to his feet when Ivy approached. “Are you okay?”
r />   She didn’t immediately answer, instead going to him and wrapping her arms around his waist.

  “Oh, what’s wrong?” he asked again when he felt her shudder against him. “Do I have to challenge your aunt to a duel? I never saw that happening — Max yes, Felicity no — but I’ll totally do it. Don’t be upset.”

  Despite herself, Ivy chuckled. “I love how you’re willing to get into a girl fight for me.”

  “I’m willing to get into any fight for you,” he corrected, smoothing her hair away from her face. “Tell me what’s wrong.”

  “I don’t know what’s wrong.” That, Ivy thought, was the most frustrating part of all this. “She’s not acting like herself. It’s as if she’s been bitten by the Hollywood bug or something. And, for the record, I hate that bug.”

  “I’m sorry.” He kissed her forehead. “I don’t know what to tell you ... other than that doesn’t sound like her.”

  “It doesn’t. I just ... she’s being ridiculous.”

  “Maybe she’s having a bad day, too.” Jack rocked back and forth, his chin resting on the top of Ivy’s head. Across the way, he caught Moss’s gaze as the man watched them with keen interest. “Let’s go home, honey,” he suggested. “Let’s take that bath and shut out the world for the rest of the night.

  “We’re both tired,” he continued. “It’s been a really long day. I mean ... a really long day. You need rest. I need you. We’ll put this behind us until we can focus on it tomorrow. How does that sound?”

  Ivy sighed, the sound long and drawn out. “That sounds like the best offer I’ve had all day.”

  “Then let’s go home. It’s safe at home.”

  “Yeah. Let’s go home.”

  JACK WOKE BEFORE IVY THE next morning. That wasn’t a surprise. She was far from a morning person. She was curled against him, her head on his shoulder, and Jack was perfectly comfortable to stay there and hold her as the sun slowly made its daily ascent.

  When his phone buzzed on the nightstand, he scowled before collecting it. The incoming text was from Brian ... and he was outside the cottage. He had things to discuss, which meant Jack was officially on the clock, whether he wanted to be or not.

  Jack sighed and pressed a kiss to Ivy’s forehead before carefully sliding out of bed. He didn’t miss the fact that Nicodemus was curled up next to her legs and the cat gave him a dirty look when he grabbed a shirt from the floor and tugged it over his head.

  “Watch our girl,” Jack instructed the cat on a murmur, stopping at the end of the bed long enough to cover the feet that Ivy insisted on poking out from beneath the blanket each and every night. It could be the dead of winter and her feet would escape no matter how carefully he tucked them in. Jack once conducted an experiment where he got up and covered her feet for an entire night, finally giving up about the tenth time she poked them out.

  She was a creature of habit, and he happened to adore his heavenly creature.

  He opened the front door to allow Brian entrance and headed straight for the coffee pot. “Don’t be too loud,” he admonished, dragging a hand through his hair. “Ivy is still asleep.”

  “It’s almost eight,” Brian complained, pulling the door shut. “Why aren’t you guys up?”

  “We had a late evening.”

  “The seance?” Brian’s opinion of the event in question was written all over his face. “I heard that was a silly show, nonsense for public consumption.”

  “How did you hear that?”

  He shrugged. “Max was at the diner this morning.”

  “Yeah, well, Max was part of that show because he wanted to be on television. Did he mention that to you?”

  Brian smirked. “Max readily admits why he was there. He has no shame. He also admitted to being worried about Ivy and Felicity, though, especially since they were fighting.”

  “They were,” Jack agreed, his memory sparking with the unfamiliar scene. “I think they’ll be fine. They just have disagreeing philosophies on this one. Ivy is on my side because she doesn’t want strangers poking into our business. Felicity is more ... flexible.”

  “Well, I’m sure things will work out. A little disagreement isn’t going to come between Ivy and her aunt.”

  “No,” Jack agreed, gesturing toward the table. “I’m going to make some toast. Do you want some?”

  “I already ate at the diner. I’ll take some of that coffee when you’re done brewing it, though.”

  “That’s a given.” Jack set about making a pot of coffee before joining his partner at the table. He was curious why Brian felt the need to stop by so early, but he figured the man would tell him in his own time.

  “I have some news,” Brian announced, causing Jack to smile.

  “I figured. You don’t usually stop by so early, especially because you hate seeing Ivy and me act mushy with one another and you know we’re especially cuddly in the morning.”

  “Ugh.” Brian made a disgusted face. “I hate it when you say things like that. What grown man uses the word ‘cuddly’? I mean ... really?”

  Jack merely smiled. “What’s up?”

  “I got a call from Royalty Insurance last night. They left a message, so I didn’t hear it until first thing this morning.”

  “Is that supposed to mean something to me?”

  “Probably not. I know the man who owns it, Eric Corbin. He’s been a fixture in the community for years. He called after he heard about Éclair’s death because he had some concerns.”

  Brian obviously had something important to say, but Jack couldn’t figure out why he was taking such a circuitous route to the information. “Just spill it. You’re wasting time.”

  “Fine. I hate this beating-around-the-bush stuff anyway.” Brian’s smile was wry. “It seems Archibald Sheridan had a million-dollar life insurance policy on his daughter. He already put in a claim on it.”

  Jack was absolutely flabbergasted. “What?”

  “You heard me. Sheridan had a huge insurance policy on his daughter. About an hour after we left his house yesterday, his attorney called Royalty Insurance to get the ball rolling on a claim.”

  “But ... why?”

  “I don’t have an answer for you.”

  “Do you think he killed her?” Ivy asked, appearing in the archway that separated the kitchen from the living room.

  “What are you doing up?” Jack asked, swiveling quickly. “I thought you might sleep a bit longer. You need the rest.”

  She shot him a quelling look. “I got nine hours of sleep. I’m fine.”

  “Yeah, but ... .”

  “Shh.” Ivy pressed her finger to her lips to quiet him. “I want to hear what Brian has to say.”

  “Fine.” Jack held up his hands in capitulation. “Let’s hear what Brian has to say.”

  For his part, Brian could only shake his head and chuckle. “You two are a trip sometimes. No, seriously. One minute you’re spouting love sonnets to one another and the next you’re poking each other with hot sticks to get a rise out of each other.”

  “I’m pretty sure no one here has a stick,” Ivy countered, glaring at the burning look Jack shot her. “Don’t be gross.”

  “I wasn’t the one being gross.” Jack snagged her around the waist when she tried to skate around him and head toward the stove. He kissed the back of her neck and rubbed his stubbled cheek against her soft skin. “Let’s not fight.”

  “I’m not fighting. I simply don’t need more sleep. I’m good.”

  “Fair enough.” He gave her another kiss on the cheek before releasing her with a swat on the behind. “Will you get our coffee while you’re up?”

  Ivy’s eyes narrowed, but she didn’t complain about the request. First, she put a kettle of water on the stove to boil for her tea. Then she moved around to the cupboard and grabbed two mugs for Brian and Jack, ultimately filling them before providing delivery. “Do you think Archibald Sheridan killed his daughter for the insurance payout?” she asked when she joined them.

&nbs
p; “I honestly don’t know,” Brian replied. “I find the information interesting, but I don’t happen to believe that Sheridan is in financial trouble. Also, a million bucks isn’t a lot to a guy who owns three homes. I mean ... the one here is worth seven million. They say the one in Florida is worth twice that. A million dollars isn’t nothing but ... .”

  “In Sheridan’s world, it’s honestly not that much,” Jack finished. “I get what you’re saying. It’s sad, but I get it.”

  “Why take out a policy on her in the first place?” Ivy asked, combing her fingers through her unruly hair. She’d gotten a glimpse of her reflection in the toaster and it wasn’t a pretty sight. “I mean, if the money is a drop in the bucket to him, why do it at all?”

  “It’s possible he does it for all his children,” Brian replied. “I mean ... it seems callous. I certainly don’t have policies out on my children. I very much doubt your parents have a policy on you, Ivy. Maybe that’s a normal thing in mega-wealthy circles, though. It could be one of the ways they stay rich.”

  Ivy didn’t like the sound of that. “It’s cold is what it is. I mean ... I guess I can see taking out a life insurance policy on a spouse. I mean, if something happened to me, I would want Jack to have money to raise our children with. He would have enough on his plate without worrying about paying bills.”

  Jack shifted on his chair, uncomfortable. “I don’t like talking about this.”

  “That’s because you’re a wuss sometimes,” Brian teased, sipping his coffee. “Getting insurance on a spouse is a smart thing. Although ... it’s usually smarter if the two people in question go in together. If there’s an insurance policy on someone and they don’t know it, that’s often a motive for murder.”

  “So, the question is, did Éclair know that her father had a policy on her?” Jack mused.

  “I can’t answer that,” Brian replied. “At least not yet. I find it interesting that Sheridan didn’t bother mentioning this yesterday. The kid didn’t either.”

  “Archie might not know,” Jack pointed out. “He seems to be involved in his father’s business ... but not in every aspect of it. He also seems tired of the lifestyle, although I don’t think that plays into this.”