Luca
I wish Ivy’s friends weren’t here. I know exactly what I’d do if they left.
I’d sweep my hands around her waist and crush my lips to hers. I’d sit her on top of the kitchen counter and pull those ripped jeans off her perfect legs. I’d finally taste her cunt, licking up her juices and devouring her until she came, right here in the kitchen.
But I can’t, because we’re not alone. I take a bite of muffin and close my eyes as the taste hits my tongue. Ivy is so good. Groaning, I take another bite.
“You should open a bakery,” I say.
Ivy and her friend exchange a glance, and Ivy’s cheeks flush.
“That’s what we’ve been telling her,” the blue-haired girl says. She shakes her head, nudging Ivy with her shoulder. The girl’s eyes turn to me. “I’m Georgie, by the way.”
“Luca,” I nod.
“This is Giselle,” she says, nodding to her twin.
Georgie looks between me and Ivy, and a small grin stretches over her lips. She nods to the two of us. “We’ll see you tomorrow, Ivy. Nice to meet you, Your Highness.”
“Wait,” Ivy says, opening her eyes wide at her friends.
Georgie just winks, and the twins disappear through the door. Ivy’s shoulders fall, and I take another bite of my muffin. She turns to me slowly, dragging her eyes back up to mine.
“We’re alone,” I say, wiping a crumb off my lip.
“My sister’s upstairs.”
“I’m not here to see your sister.”
“Why are you here, then?”
I put my plate down, and take a step toward Ivy. Running my fingers over her cheek, I let a smile drift over my lips. “Why do you think I’m here?”
“You enjoy being attacked with a rolling pin?”
“Only if you’re the one doing the attacking.”
There it is—that sexy little blush that drives me wild. Ivy’s face angles away from me, and I drag it back to face me with the tips of my fingers. Leaning down, I brush my lips over hers. I kiss her gently, tentatively, feeling her melt into my body.
Her arms hook around my neck as I deepen the kiss, kicking her legs apart. I push her back against the kitchen island, dropping my hand between her legs.
She’s hot, and I can only imagine how wet she is under those faded, ripped jeans of hers. I tease her through the fabric, dragging my fingers over her and claiming her lips with mine. She moans, gripping onto my shirt and pulling me closer.
Ivy’s movements are jerky, almost unsteady. Every time I touch her, she seems so responsive it makes my cock throb. I can only imagine how she’d feel if I was touching her bare skin again.
Reaching my fingers up to the fly of her pants, I unfasten the button and slide the zipper down. Ivy pants, staring up at me with wide eyes. I stare from one eye to the other—from blue to green and back to blue again. Slipping my hand under her panties, I feel her nails dig into my shoulders.
Poison is so, so wet. I groan, my mouth watering at the thought of tasting her. My lips fuse to hers again, and I slide my hand further through her honey.
Ivy whimpers, bucking her hips toward me and kissing me frantically, her legs trembling as I drag my fingers over her bud.
When I touch it, twirling my fingers around the sensitive bundle of nerves, Ivy flinches. She puts her hand on my chest and pushes me away, panting.
“Wait, stop,” she says.
I frown, pulling away. “Did I hurt you?”
Ivy shakes her head. “It’s not that.”
“Tell me.” I tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, leaning down to kiss her red lips again. Her mouth lingers on mine, and she drags her fingers through my hair.
When I pull away, Ivy’s eyes are wide. Her bottom lip trembles until she sucks it in between her teeth.
“What’s wrong?” I ask softly.
“I can’t… I can’t do this with you.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean it’s wrong, Luca.” She fastens her pants, stepping away from me.
Fuck, I love how my name sounds coming from her mouth. I shake my head. “It could never be wrong.”
“My sister…”
“You sister has everything handed to her,” I say. “Why not do something for yourself, for once?”
Ivy’s cheeks turn bright red and she averts her eyes, shaking her head.
Catching Ivy’s hand in mine, I pull her close to me again. My fingers slide over her jaw and I tilt her face up to mine. My heart thumps, and my mouth grows dry.
I’m addicted to her. I already know it. Kissing her is better than the pills I pop multiple times a day. Sucking on her bottom lip is better than all the weed in the world. Drinking her up does more for me than any alcohol ever could.
She’s my poison, and I’m not ready to let her go.
“Maybe we can just take it slow,” she says, dragging her eyes up to mine.
Hope flames to life in my chest. I’ll go as slow as she needs me to. I nod, nudging the tip of my nose against hers.
“As slow as you want.”
“And I don’t want anyone to know. Not until I find a way to tell my sister.”
“Deal.” I whisper, pressing my lips to hers. “Not a word.”
Ivy wraps her arms around my neck and melts into me, only pulling away after a few, long moments.
I stare into her eyes as my heart thumps. “I guess I should go,” I say.
“I guess you should.”
Ivy walks me to the front door. She glances at the stairway before giving me a quick kiss, and then I walk back to my car.
I’m not sure what this accomplished besides giving me blue balls and a few extra bruises on my back, but I feel lighter than I did before.
The next morning, I look for Ivy in the kitchens. She sees me through the window in the pastry room door, and a quick smile crosses her lips. I walk away as a thrill passes through me.
For the next three weeks, that’s what happens. Every morning, I look for Ivy in the kitchens. Sometimes, she’s able to sneak away with me. A couple of days a week, she has time to spend an hour with me before she has to go home to work for her sister.
I get her a new phone, because I can’t bear the thought of not being able to talk to her whenever I want.
“I was kind of enjoying the freedom of having no phone. No social media, no tabloids—just peace,” she smiles.
“You can still have freedom, but I want to be able to take you out without stalking through the castle like a maniac.”
Ivy laughs, pressing her lips to mine. “My maniac.”
I kiss her every opportunity I get, but I don’t do much beyond that. Every time her lips touch mine, my need for her grows. She runs her hands over my body, moaning when I touch her, but we only go as far as she wants. We take things slow.
Discovering intimacy with her is something I never thought I’d experience. Every time I make her come, usually in some dark corner of Farcliff Castle, her eyes are so full of lust and wonder that it makes my whole body throb. The first time I taste her pussy, I nearly come in my pants.
Taking things slow is not something I’m accustomed to. Discovering someone’s body one inch at a time is not something I’ve ever done before. Opening up to a woman day by day, hour by hour, kiss by kiss—that’s as new for me as it is for Ivy.
I like it. Everything is heightened. I find myself wanting to take things slow, even though I want all of her at the same time.
Ivy’s skittish, though. She jumps at any sound and is always scared of getting caught. A part of me wonders if she wants to take it slow because she still feels guilty about sneaking around with me, when I’m supposed to be with Margot.
As the days pass, I look forward to seeing her. It’s the best part of my day. When she leaves, usually around eleven o’clock or noon, I’m already dreaming of the next morning.
The tension in my body dissolves, and I find myself taking fewer and fewer painkillers. I only smoke weed at night, right
before bed. It’s a habit, more than anything.
Then, one day, I take nothing at all.
Throughout those three weeks, I accompany Margot to official events. I typically ignore the media, but I see a few headlines about our budding relationship. I scoff, shaking my head.
If only they knew.
Whenever I’m planning to be out in public with Margot, I make sure to spend extra time with Ivy that morning. I make sure she knows that Margot is just a job. I never kiss Ivy’s sister—not since that first night. I put my arm around her, and smile for the paparazzi, but I make sure Ivy knows that she’s the one that matters to me.
After three weeks, Cara and Theo leave to rejoin Dante in Argyle. Beckett stays behind for an extra week, and a part of me thinks it’s because he wants to spend time with Margot.
Not that I care.
When I bid my King and Queen goodbye, Cara’s eyes are searching. Theo’s eyes are suspicious. Beckett glances at me, and he looks angry.
I have no darkness in my heart toward them. I say goodbye, and all I’m looking forward to is seeing Ivy the next morning.
The first day of the mental health tour with Damon and Dahlia, I deliver a keynote speech to a large crowd. When I’m done, Dahlia has tears in her eyes. She throws her arms around me.
“That was beautiful, Luca. You’re inspiring.”
“Not sure about that,” I respond with a smile. “I had a team of doctors and surgeons and physiotherapists around me twenty-four-seven. They’re the inspiring ones.”
After the event, my heart feels light. For the first time in a long time, I feel truly free. Free from the burden of my accident, from the torture that I went through to recover, from the demons that plagued my mind for years.
Maybe, I’m free from Cara.
I drive straight to Ivy’s house, because I know I need to see her. She opens the door for me, glancing around to make sure no one followed me there before laying a soft kiss on my lips. It’s become hard to contain my desire for her. With every touch, I need her more.
“I wasn’t expecting you here tonight,” she says, closing the door behind me. “How was the speech?”
“You’re asking that like you haven’t already YouTubed it,” I grin.
Ivy blushes, smiling. “How do you know me so well already?”
“What did you think of my speech?”
“It was gorgeous, Luca. I’m glad you decided to do this tour and share your story.”
“I had a good excuse to stay,” I respond, wrapping my arms around her. Ivy glances at the staircase, and I know she’s worried about Margot seeing us. It’s not too hard to hide at the castle—there are lots of empty rooms and secret corners. No one bothers me.
Here, though, I can tell Ivy’s on edge. She takes a deep breath. “Let me show you something.”
My girl slips her hand into mine, dragging me toward the back door again. Ivy glances at the stairs again when we walk past them, and then squares her shoulders and steps outside. We walk around the huge pool that dominates their backyard, over to a cabana on the far side.
Ivy opens the door and flicks the lights on to reveal a comfortable pool house. There’s a daybed in the corner and an entertainment area with a bar across from it.
Ivy waves to it. “Help yourself.”
She walks over to a desk in the corner, flicking on a lamp and pulling out a thick folder. I walk up behind her, inhaling the scent of her hair as I cage her against the desk.
With a soft moan, she leans into me before turning back to the folder. When she flicks it open, I see sketches, floor plans, logos. She even has a menu planned out, with special occasion recipes for holidays.
“This is my bakery,” she says simply.
I take a step so that I’m beside her and sit down on the desk chair. Flicking through the files, my eyebrows arch. “You’ve really thought this through.”
Ivy nods. “I’ve been planning it for years.”
“Spoonful of Sugar,” I read, running my fingers over a page full of hand-drawn logo designs.
“You like the name?”
I nod, smiling. Ivy points to one of the sketches. “That’s the logo I would choose, if I were starting a bakery.”
“So why haven’t you done it?”
“Because my sister needs me,” she answers simply, turning to look at me. “I owe her everything, and it’s my job to protect her.”
“It’s your job to protect you,” I answer, stroking the side of her thigh with my hand. Even through her jeans, the feeling of her body sends heat zipping up my arm. “You need to think of yourself once in a while, too, Ivy.”
Ivy sighs, flipping through the pages in her folder. A wistful look crosses her face, and she pinches her lips together. She steps away from me slightly, just as she always seems to do when we get too close to each other.
“Do you regret what’s going on between us?” I ask. My voice sounds pinched, and I’m almost afraid of her answer.
Ivy snorts. “No. I don’t think I could regret it if I tried.”
“So why are you fighting it?”
“It feels like I’m betraying Margot by spending time with you.”
I don’t know what to answer to that, so I don’t say anything. I understand being torn about family—it’s how I feel about Theo and Cara. They’re my King and Queen, and I owe them my life and my recovery, but they’ve also caused me more pain than I can imagine.
Ivy lets out a sigh and shrugs. “But on the other hand, maybe you, Georgie, Giselle, their brothers, and every single other person who knows me is right. Maybe I need to live my own life.” She lifts her gaze to mine, sucking her bottom lip between her teeth.
My eyes drift down over her body—so curvy, so womanly, so fucking perfect. How could she be untouched?
Letting my fingers drift up her sides, I brush my thumbs over the curve of her breasts. She sucks in a breath, sliding her hand up my forearm. Even a gentle touch sends my body into overdrive.
Contrasted against the nothingness that I felt when Cara touched me, I know that what’s going on between us is real.
I want to give her pleasure like she’s never felt before. I want to see her face when she feels a cock inside her for the first time.
But not like this. Not splayed out in a tiny pool house, where anyone could walk in.
I want to treat her like a princess, and make sure that she wants it as much as I do. When I finally have her, it’ll be on top of a king-sized bed, with down pillows under her ebony hair, and silk sheets for her to twist her fingers into.
I stroke her face with my fingers, and Ivy blinks as she stares at me.
“You know how I’m a virgin…” she says, reading my mind. “Is that… Is that a problem? I know we’ve been taking it slow. Is it too slow for you?”
I smile, leaning over to kiss her. “Nothing about you is a problem, least of all the fact that you’re a virgin.”
“It’s not that I don’t want to,” she stammers, gulping. “I just… I don’t know. It’s just never happened.”
“You don’t have to explain yourself to me.”
“You make my head feel all messed up, Your Highness. Luca. I…” Ivy closes her eyes for a moment, and then finally lifts her gaze up to meet mine. “I just need time.”
I nod. “You’ve got all the time in the world, Ivy. I’m not going anywhere.”
“You don’t think I’m a freak?”
“I do, but not because you’re a virgin.”
Ivy laughs, swatting my chest. She pulls me to the daybed, and we lay down together. I wrap my arms around her, trailing my fingers through her hair. Having her in my arms feels right, and I already know I’ll go as slow as she wants me to.
21
Ivy
I wake up at dawn with Prince Luca’s arms still wrapped around me. Sitting up in the day bed, I rub my eyes and groan at the stiffness in my body. There’s a chill in the pool house. I shiver.
The Prince roughs his hands throu
gh his hair, making it stick up in all directions. He yawns before smiling sleepily at me.
He’s never looked as handsome as he does now. Unkempt, sleepy, and completely mine.
Blinking at the rays of sun that are poking over the horizon, I let out a happy sigh. Standing up and stretching my arms over my head, a twinge of excitement pokes my stomach. I glance at Luca, and then pull my shirt off over my head.
His eyebrows jump up, and his hand instinctively moves between his legs.
Without saying a word, I unclasp my bra and let it fall to my feet. The Prince’s eyes sweep over my chest and he lets out a soft breath. When my hands move to my pants, the Prince’s throat bobs.
He looks at me like he’s never seen anyone as beautiful, his gaze sending sparks flying across my skin. Truthfully, I’ve never felt as beautiful as I do now. To have a man like him looking at me like that… It’s not something I ever thought I’d experience.
I unfasten my jeans, pulling them down along with my underwear and kicking both garments off. I stand up again, naked.
I’m not sure where this confidence came from, but it’s too late to turn back now. I’ve never been naked in front of Luca, and doing it now makes me feel incredible. Powerful. Sexy.
“Ivy…” The Prince sighs, his eyes sweeping up and down my body. His hand rubs between his legs, and I smile, blushing.
“I’m going for a swim.”
I can feel his eyes on me as I walk out of the pool house, sending waves of heat down to my core. When I jump into the pool, even the cold water doesn’t cool me down.
Prince Luca makes me want to be naughty. He makes me ready for everything. It’s like he’s unlocked a part of me that I didn’t even know existed.
The fact that he hasn’t complained about my boundaries makes me feel even more comfortable with him. Over the past three and a half weeks, I’ve never felt pressured or embarrassed around him. I’ve always felt like I’m in control of what happens, and that he respects my desires to take it slow. It makes me want to give myself to him… I just need to find the courage to do it.
Dragging my fingers through the water in the pool, I turn back to look at the pool house, gasping when I see the sight before me.
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