Wicked Delight

by Lily Harper Hart

  “I don’t want to leave.” Ivy tried one more time to put up a token fight. “I want to grab that guy’s head and twist it off his body.”

  “Later,” Max suggested. “You can do that when you calm down.”

  “It won’t be nearly as much fun when I calm down.”

  “You don’t know that.”

  Jack ran his tongue over his teeth as he waited for Max to lead Ivy away. When he was certain they were out of earshot, he unloaded on Donahue like he wanted to from the beginning. “What are you even thinking?” His arm shot out to stop Chuck from skirting around him, a camera in hand. “If you follow her, I will hurt you. I’m not kidding. Stay away from her.”

  Chuck balked. “I have a job to do. You can’t stop me from doing my job.”

  “She hasn’t signed a release!” Jack exploded. “You can’t film her if she doesn’t agree to it ... and she most certainly hasn’t agreed. Why won’t you leave her alone?”

  Donahue adopted a patient expression and lowered his voice. “Because she’s our only option. I’m sorry. I know she’s reticent. She’ll simply have to get over it.”

  “She’s not getting over it.”

  “She’s going to have to.” Donahue was matter-of-fact. “These other women aren’t acceptable. I mean ... you’ve seen them. The show will fail if one of them is in charge.”

  “I don’t care.” Jack’s fury was growing at such a rate there was every possibility he was going to start screaming. “She doesn’t want to be on camera.”

  “I think you don’t want her on camera,” he countered.

  “You’re right. I don’t. It’s her decision, though.”

  “Is it?” Donahue didn’t look convinced. “I think you’re pressuring her.”

  Before he realized what he was doing, Jack grabbed the front of the man’s shirt and lifted him to his toes as he glared into his eyes. “She’s allowed to decide whatever she wants. She has free will. I think that’s why you want her so badly. She’s an individual ... which means she stands out in a crowd. She doesn’t want this, though, and you’re not going to force it on her.”

  Donahue slapped at Jack’s hands until the police detective released him. “You should learn to keep your hands to yourself. It’s invasive, what you just did. I could have you brought up on charges.”

  He could. Jack realized that after the fact. That didn’t mean he was going to back down. “Stay away from Ivy. You’re upsetting her.”

  “Yes, well, she’s upsetting me.” Donahue smoothed his suit coat. “Don’t you understand? If your girlfriend doesn’t do this, a lot of people are going to be out of work. That essentially means she’s taking money from their pockets.”

  “Don’t put that on her.”

  “I’ll put whatever I need on her. I want this show to be a success. She’s the only way that’s going to happen.”

  “That’s not her problem.”

  “I’m making it her problem ... and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

  JACK WAS STILL THINKING about Donahue’s words when he walked into the cottage, Ivy a complaining mass of moods in front of him, an hour later. He desperately tried to talk the man out of his planned course of action, but he refused to back down.

  Jack’s frustration was profound, but it was nothing compared to what Ivy was feeling.

  “I can’t believe he thinks he can simply force me to his way of thinking,” she complained, kicking her shoes to the other side of the room as she stripped out of her hoodie. “Do I look like a person who can be bullied?”

  When Jack didn’t immediately answer, Ivy slowly swiveled. She found him sitting in his favorite chair at the edge of the room, lost in thought.

  “Are we already at the part of our relationship where you tune me out if I’m ranting and raving?” she asked, causing him to lift his chin and smile.

  “No, honey, I was just thinking.”

  “About how you’re going to help me hide his body?”

  “About how it might be a good idea for you to say yes.”

  Whatever response she was expecting, that wasn’t it. Ivy’s mouth dropped open as she regarded Jack with incredulity that bordered on betrayal. “How could you say that? You can’t possibly want me to date other people. I ... .”

  “Of course not,” Jack said hurriedly, leaning forward. He grabbed her hand to tug her toward him. “I don’t ever want you as much as looking at another guy. I’ve been doing some thinking, though, and I think it might help us.”

  Ivy was instantly suspicious. “How?”

  “The men. It has to be the men.”

  “What has to be the men?” Ivy was beyond bewildered. “I don’t understand what you’re saying.”

  “Come here, honey.” His voice was low as he tried to draw her to his lap.

  “No.” Ivy was adamant as she shook her head. “I’m mad at you.”

  “I know you are. I’m not suggesting this because I want to shake you loose or anything, though. We’ve been over this. I want you with me and only me from here on out. That doesn’t mean this opportunity can’t benefit us.”

  “It’s not an opportunity,” Ivy spat. “It’s a way for me to go on television and disrespect you ... and myself.”

  His heart rolled at her serious expression. “Ivy ... .”

  “No!” She extended a shaking finger. “I don’t want this. Why are you trying to make me do this?”

  “Just listen to me,” he pleaded, his voice cracking as he grabbed her finger. “If you truly don’t want to do this, I’m not going to make you. I don’t know how you could even think that.”

  “Because you’re trying to make me do it!”

  He sucked in a breath. She sometimes got wild when she was angry, and she was clearly bordering on some sort of screaming fit. That was the last thing he wanted, but the more he thought about things, the more he realized the show being offered to Ivy allowed them access they didn’t previously have.

  “Just listen to me, honey,” he pleaded. “I’m not trying to be a pain. I’m really not. I’m not trying to hurt you and I have no intention of sharing.”

  “What do you intend to do?” Her voice was hollow.

  “Find a killer,” Jack replied honestly. “I don’t think it’s one of the women. I don’t know if I ever thought that. It was certainly a possibility — especially since the medical examiner couldn’t rule out a woman — but I was watching the other women tonight. They didn’t melt down when it was announced you were the winner. I scanned each and every face.

  “Sure, Maisie and Ava melted down, but that’s about your relationship with them and their need to feel important,” he continued. “There’s no way they were involved in this from the start. They’re simply taking advantage of a situation that popped up.”

  “I don’t understand how me playing along is going to help you find the culprit,” Ivy admitted, frustration practically rolling off her in waves. “I don’t want to date anyone else.”

  “You’re not going to have to.” Jack’s fingers were gentle when they reached out to brush his fingertips against her cheek. It was a small tear when she refused to let him touch her and instead took a step back. “I’m serious, Ivy. You’re not going to sign the release. You’re going to show up there tomorrow morning, agree to consider the show if you can get to know all the men before, and then ... do your thing.”

  Ivy furrowed her brow, confused. “What thing?”

  “You know.” He waggled his fingers. “You’re going to do that woo-woo thing you do and find out which one of them is the killer.”

  Ivy was dumbfounded. “Are you trying to make me kill you?” Her fury erupted. “You want me to do magic in front of twenty guys — one of whom is my brother, whom I refuse to freaking date for entirely different reasons — and risk exposure? You were the one who said I had to be careful, Jack. You were the one afraid for our future.”

  “Hey!” He jumped to his feet, finally letting his own anger come out to play. “I am no
t afraid for our future. I know what it’s going to be. We’re going to be fine. That doesn’t mean I don’t want to protect you, and I honestly don’t think having our lives broadcast for public consumption is a good idea.”

  “And yet you’re telling me to do this.”

  “Not telling. There’s no telling. I’m asking you to consider this ... and it will never make it to the point where you’re on television. You’re going to ask to meet the men one at a time, in a location where I can see you to make sure nothing happens.

  “Then you’re going to do that thing where you get flashes of them,” he continued. “You’ll be able to tell if one of them is guilty. That’s what we’re going for.”

  Ivy’s frustration refused to settle. “I can’t make that happen at will, Jack. You know I can’t. Sometimes it happens and sometimes it doesn’t. I’m not always in control.”

  “I get that.” He softened his voice. “I want you to try, though. We’re not getting anywhere with normal investigative methods. If you try and solve this, we can tell them to take a hike and they’ll be out of here. If you don’t try ... they might never leave.”

  Ivy’s expression darkened. “Oh, so now this is on me. That’s ... lovely.”

  “That’s not what I meant.”

  “Oh, I know what you meant.” She turned on her heel and stalked away from him, heading toward the bedroom with the sulky black cat on her heel. Jack hadn’t even realized Nicodemus was watching until Ivy started stomping down the hallway. “You can sleep on the couch,” she called out.

  Jack’s heart sank. “Ivy, don’t make this a big thing.”

  “I didn’t make it a big thing. You did.”

  “Oh, geez. I don’t want to sleep on the couch. It’s uncomfortable.”

  “Tough. I’ve had enough of you for one night.” Ivy slammed the door with enough force it shook the paintings hanging on the walls.

  Jack looked after her for a long beat, regret coursing through him. “I just wanted to make this go away faster,” he muttered. “I wasn’t trying to hurt you.”

  She was beyond hearing, but his heart hurt all the same.

  IVY WOKE WITH A START the next morning. It took her a moment to get her bearings because it was so early the sun hadn’t yet risen. A bit of orange and red filtered from beneath the curtains but dawn had not yet arrived.

  She rolled to her back and stared into nothing, her heart lurching when she remembered Jack was not with her. He wasn’t there for her to snuggle next to and absorb his warmth. She’d locked him out, although he remained in the house. She would know if he’d left. She could still feel his presence ... and he wasn’t happy.

  Ivy tried to go back to sleep. She spent ten minutes with her eyes screwed shut. Finally, she gave up and climbed out of bed. She hated fighting with Jack. Something felt off inside when they weren’t in sync. Apparently it was time to fix that if she expected to get any rest.

  Jack was awake on the couch when she padded out. He turned his head when he heard her feet on the hardwood floors. He couldn’t make out her expression because of the darkness, but he automatically opened his arms when she crawled on the couch and rolled on top of him.

  “I’m sorry,” he whispered, wrapping his arms around her. “I didn’t mean to upset you. I’ll tell Donahue to stuff the show where the sun doesn’t shine. We’ll find a different way to solve this. I don’t know what, but we will figure it out. It was wrong of me to put this on you.”

  Ivy stifled a sob as she burrowed her face into his neck. “No. I’ll do it.”

  He stilled. “What?”

  “I’ll do it. You’re right. It’s a good plan. As long as I don’t sign the release, we’re okay. I’m never going to sign that release, though. I hope you know that. I’m not going on dates with those men. If I can get close enough to touch them, though, I might be able to help you solve this. The only way to touch them without suspicion is a one-on-one meeting. It’s worth a shot.”

  Jack heaved out a sigh and shook his head. “You couldn’t have come to this conclusion last night so we didn’t have to sleep apart, huh?”

  “I was too angry last night. I ... this whole thing weirds me out. I’ve never wanted to be the center of attention.”

  And that right there was why Donahue picked her, Jack realized. She was the only woman in the general vicinity who wasn’t afraid to be herself. “Honey, you’re not going to be alone with those men. Not really. I’m going to be close every second.

  “We’ll tell Donahue that you’re only willing to participate if you spend a few minutes with each and every one of them and are assured they’re not predators,” he continued. “We’ll use Éclair’s death as an excuse for why you’re worried. Say that you have a bad feeling and simply want to prove to yourself that these men are harmless. He can’t possibly turn you down.”

  “What happens after?”

  “After what?”

  “I mean ... what if I touch all these guys and don’t get any flashes? Donahue is going to be on me to sign the release after that. What do we do?”

  “You say you changed your mind and walk away. We’re only doing this so we can get close to those guys without them getting suspicious. After that, we’re done. You can kick at him however you want.”

  “Okay.” She fell silent as she rested her head on his chest.

  “I’m sorry I asked you to do this. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

  “It was fair to ask.” Her voice was sleepy as she allowed him to rearrange the blanket so it covered them both. “I was a baby. I’m the one who should be sorry.”

  “You’re allowed to feel what you feel.”

  “Yeah.”

  He stroked her wild hair. She’d obviously been tossing and turning all night. He had, too, so he recognized the signs. “Are you going to sleep now?”

  “Just a little.”

  “Me, too.” He kissed her forehead. “I love you, Ivy.”

  “I love you, too.”

  “Just for the record ... I don’t ever want you dating anyone else. That includes your brother.”

  She choked out a laugh. “I’ll make sure Max is aware of that. For now, I just need a little rest.”

  “Go to sleep. I’ll be right here when you wake up.”

  “That’s something to look forward to.”

  “That goes double for me.”

  Sixteen

  Ivy decided if she was going undercover she wanted to be as comfortable as possible. That meant wearing one of her favorite skirts, which she emerged from the bedroom wearing two hours later as Jack worked on breakfast.

  Brian was already at the table, having been alerted that Jack had a specific plan he wanted to put in play, and was drinking coffee when Ivy appeared.

  “Hey.” Brian looked her up and down. He could sense an air of heaviness hanging over the room that wasn’t usually present, but he was determined to get things on track. “You look nice.”

  Jack, who was flipping hash browns in the skillet, glanced over. His heart almost caught in his throat when he saw the outfit. “That’s what you were wearing the day we met.”

  Surprised by his reaction, Ivy’s eyebrows raised. “I ... are you sure?”

  He nodded. “I can’t forget that day. I remember the skirt especially. I guess it might not be the same shirt, but I think it is.”

  Ivy glanced down. “Do you want me to change?”

  “No. I like you in that skirt.” He smiled. “Just make sure you wear shoes. The barefoot look is for me only.”

  “You’ve got it.” She sidled up to him and extended a hand. “I can finish up.”

  “I’ve got it. You sit at the table with Brian, rest. You didn’t get enough sleep last night.” He touched one of the dark circles beneath her eyes. “I’ll make breakfast.”

  “You didn’t get any more sleep than I did.”

  “Yeah, well ... it’s my day to take care of you. Let me.”

  She sighed, but the light in her eyes relieved some o
f the tension gripping his heart. “Okay. I’m going to get some tomato juice.”

  “That sounds like a plan.”

  Brian watched the interaction, confused. “Do you want to tell me what’s going on between the two of you?”

  “Not particularly,” Jack replied, his attention back on breakfast preparations. “Everything is fine.”

  Brian wasn’t convinced. “Ivy?”

  “Hmm?” She was the picture of innocence when she turned to him.

  “Do you want to tell me what’s going on?”

  “What makes you think anything is going on?” she asked. “We’re fine.”

  “Uh-huh.” Brian glanced back toward the living room. “How come there’s a pillow and blanket on the couch?”

  “Because we try not to leave things on the floor,” Jack replied without hesitation.

  “Oh, funny guy.” Brian made a face. “You guys obviously had a fight. I’m guessing this is you after making up ... but still tiptoeing around each other to make sure the fight doesn’t expand.”

  Jack sighed. “We had a disagreement, which is part of the reason we called you here.”

  “I’m not a relationship counselor. Even if I was, there’s no power in this world that could convince me to step between the two of you.”

  “We’ve worked it out ourselves,” he said quickly. “It’s just ... the fight was about our plans for the day. You’re part of those plans so we figured we should share the information.”

  “Ugh. Do I even want to know?”

  “Yes, because I’m going to need your help.” Jack moved the hash browns from the heat and turned to the eggs. “Ivy is going to agree to be their new star with a stipulation.”

  “What?” Brian was utterly gobsmacked. “You can’t be serious. You’re letting her go on a dating show?”

  “I don’t let her do anything. She has a mind of her own.”

  “Oh, right.” Brian rolled his eyes, straightening when he realized Ivy was watching. “I mean ... of course she has a mind of her own.”