Recovering Ivy

by Riley Edwards

  Was it possible for two fucked-up, broken people to find solace in one another?

  15

  Zane

  My brain felt like there was a three-alarm blaze going off in my head with all the warning sirens blaring for me to run. What had I done? How in the fuck did I think it was a good idea to essentially make love to Ivy? Not that I’d ever made love before, but in my mind, it was something precariously close to what had happened. And for the love of Christ, why had I asked her to watch me come? There was so much wrong with that; I wasn’t sure where to begin. First, I sounded like a pansy-ass-pussy-whipped-idiot. But more than that, the part that freaked me out even more was, I didn’t share that type of intimacy with anyone. Sure I liked to watch the women I was with get off, but I’d never allowed them to see me. I’d always found creative ways or positions where they couldn’t see me at my most vulnerable. What the hell was it about Ivy that made me want to… no… demand she saw me fully exposed? I couldn’t hide behind my indifference; everything was right there for her to see.

  Maybe she hadn’t recognized what I’d shared. Maybe she was too caught up in her own pleasure to know I’d opened up to her in a way that I’d never done with another soul.

  Hopefully.

  And twice now I’d taken her without a condom. Fuck!

  “I didn’t use a condom again,” I told her unnecessarily, as if my come now dripping out of her wasn’t indication enough.

  “I’m on birth control,” she reminded me.

  “I’m clean. I would never put you in harm’s way.”

  She was quiet for a moment before her cheeks tinted a pretty shade of red.

  “You don’t have to worry about me. Before that first night when you dusted the cobwebs off, it’d been a long time.”

  I didn’t need her to tell me that, her impossibly tight pussy told it for her. I doubted between lovers she even used a vibrator. The thought brought wicked fantasies to the forefront of my mind. How much fun would it be to torture her with a vibrator, bringing her to the edge before pulling back and making her dangle on the precipice before I allowed her to come? I could spend hours eating her pussy while she begged for release. My semi-soft cock was once again hardening at the thought. She’d scream and cry and plead for my cock. It would be music to my ears.

  “Zane?”

  “Huh?”

  “I asked if we were going into your office today.” She wiggled her hips under me. “But…” she trailed off, obviously noticing my cock was ready again.

  I had decent recovery time, but I was a man, and needed a few minutes between rounds. Never had my dick hardened again before I’d even pulled out. The brutal truth was I never actually left my cock inside a woman long enough to soften. There was always a condom to contend with and the fact I’d always rejected any closeness. Unfortunately, my orgasm denial fantasy was going to have to wait. We did need to get to the office, but first I had a hard-on to deal with.

  “Roll over, baby. Up on your hands and knees.” Her eyes flared with excitement. I leaned down before she could move and whispered, “I’m gonna fuck you hard and fast. I want your sweet pussy sore and aching all day. And tonight, when we come home, I’ll lick it and kiss it until it aches some more. When you’re on the brink of insanity, then I’ll give you my cock.”

  Home? What the fuck was I saying?

  She nodded, and I watched her swallow, but no words were spoken. I rolled to the side so she could do my bidding. Once she was up on her hands and knees, I scooted behind her.

  Jesus, she was beautiful. Her knees were far enough apart I could see her pussy peeking through, but that wasn’t what had my attention. I trailed my finger along the inside of her thigh, gathering up the wetness as I went. My heart rate ticked up a notch and my chest swelled. There was something about seeing my come dripping out of her that stirred a deep need. It wasn’t about sex, lust, or even love. It was about knowing I’d left a part of myself inside of her.

  I shook the unwanted emotion away and lined my throbbing cock at her opening, smearing her excitement over the tip as I shoved inside.

  “I wanna hear you scream, Ivy.”

  I went about doing just that, and when she screamed my name in release, I didn’t give it a second thought when I unloaded my warmth inside her.

  “I’m not staying up here all day, Zane,” Ivy argued.

  “You fucking very well are, Ivy,” I returned.

  We still didn’t know where her mother was. If she went down to reception, she’d be exposed to the general public. Anyone could walk into the waiting area without having to go through security. It wasn’t until you tried to enter the inner realm of Z Corps did I have security protocols in place. It had never been an issue before. Donna sat out there alone, answered the phone, and announced when an appointment had arrived. One of us would go out front and walk them back.

  “It’s not like anyone knows I’m working here,” she went on.

  “Really. And how did she find out you were working at Techwatch?”

  “Umm.”

  “Right. So until we know where Sarah is and how she came to march her raggedy ass into Techwatch, you’re staying out of sight.”

  “It’s really not necessary. What’s the worst she can do? Come in and yell at me? Seriously, Zane, I’m used to it. It doesn’t even hurt my feelings anymore.” The hurt behind her look proved her words a lie.

  Sarah’s words cut Ivy to the quick and they would, the woman was her mother for chrissake. Of course, being cussed at by the woman who gave birth to you would burn deep.

  “Baby, I know you say that. And you may even try to believe it, but I’m not allowing it to happen. Not today, not on my watch, not ever. That woman is done spewing her venom your way.”

  “What do you mean, I try to believe it? I’m telling you I’m use to it.” Her hand went to her hip and her attitude flared. Damn, she was hot as hell when she threw sass.

  “I know you’re used to it. That’s the problem. You shouldn’t have to be used to it. And just because you are, doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt you.”

  “I’m not arguing with you about this,” she declared.

  “Because I’m right?”

  Wrong thing to ask.

  “No, you bossy jerk. Because I don’t want to talk about it. She’s my mother and I know how I feel. I don’t need you or anyone else telling me what I think. How would you like it if I told you how you felt?”

  Linc knocked on the door and pushed it open. His head swiveled back and forth between me and Ivy and the asshole smiled. I waited for one of his off-handed comments.

  Everything had been perfect until we got to the office. Soon after, shit had gone sideways. I’d woken up to a soft and warm Ivy next to me and I had the pleasure of taking her multiple times before we’d gotten ready for our day. The normal tightness in my chest when a woman was in my space was noticeably absent, replaced with contentment. I should’ve known the feeling wouldn’t last.

  “Sorry to interrupt, but we got a call from the CEO of Techwatch. Forester Grant handed in his resignation this morning,” Linc said.

  “Fuck.”

  “That’s not all. Sarah Long was seen leaving Forester’s house this morning.”

  “What?” Ivy screeched. “No way. I have to talk to her.”

  “Not a chance. Send Colin and Leo to pick her up. Has Declan checked in?”

  “Amy hasn’t left her house since yesterday afternoon,” he informed me.

  “Any visitors?” I asked.

  “Negative. I’m heading over there to sit on the house so Declan can go home and get some rest.”

  “Let me think on what to do about Forester and I’ll call you.”

  “Sounds good. Jasmin wanted me to ask if you and Ivy would like to come over for dinner tonight.” Bullshit. I didn’t believe Jasmin asked; the question was Linc’s way of making a dig.

  “Not now Linc,” I warned.

  “Stop being rude. Thank you for the offer, Lincoln.
Can we get back to you later?” Ivy answered.

  Linc smiled at Ivy and winked. “Sure thing, darlin’. Just let Jasmin know if I’m not back yet.”

  Darlin’? I’d never heard Linc call anyone Darlin’ before. What was his game?

  “See ya tonight, big brother.” He laughed.

  “Wouldn’t bet on it, asswipe,” I called out to his back.

  He clicked the door closed behind him and Ivy immediately started in.

  “Why do you always call your brother names?” she asked.

  “So he knows I love him.”

  “That makes no sense,” she protested.

  “It does to him. How else will he know I care?”

  “That really makes no sense.”

  “Well, it must be one of those unexplainable wonders of the world.”

  I sat behind my desk and fired up my laptop. I had to figure out what I was going to do with Forester Grant. The investigation into corporate espionage was complete. We had enough information the CEO could take it to the State’s Attorney and an official investigation would be opened. The government took allegations of economic spying and illegal intelligence gathering seriously. The problem remained that if Forester was behind bars we wouldn’t be able to collect the necessary information we needed to nail him on drug charges and possibly a murder rap. I wanted Ivy to see Forester pay for killing her sister, but I might not have a choice. If Forester looked like he was going to flee, leaving behind the criminal empire he was trying to establish.

  The more I thought about it, I realized he wouldn’t flee. He was building something. He no longer needed his job at Techwatch, which meant his new business venture was now profitable. We had time. Not a lot of it, but hopefully enough to nail Forester.

  “Tell me about what you saw when you were following Forester,” I asked Ivy.

  “We’ve been over this.”

  “Let’s go over it again, knowing what you know about Forester now. Does it shed light on anything you thought was strange or didn’t seem right?”

  She sat in the seat in front of my desk and wrapped both hands around her coffee cup.

  “I don’t know. I always thought it was weird he only met with the same three hookers. I don’t know why, I guess he could’ve had his favorites, but it was odd. They all kind of looked alike. I’d think if a man was paying for it, he’d want to change it up. But, then again, maybe he had a type. Nothing Forester did was normal. He’d leave work, go home, not change his clothes, leave and go to a hotel, meet a woman, then leave there. What signifies as strange?”

  “If he didn’t change did he drop something off at home or pick something up?”

  Ivy took a moment and thought about my question.

  “Yeah. He’d always leave with a backpack,” she said.

  “He took a backpack to his meetings? Did he ever leave the hotels with the backpack?”

  I pulled up the pictures both Declan and Ivy had taken. Sure enough there was the backpack. I scrolled through the pictures and Ivy answered.

  “No. That’s weird, right? I don’t ever remember him leaving the hotel with any bag.”

  “So, he gave the women the backpack to take with them.”

  I continued to look through the pictures but no one had captured the women leaving. Our target had been Forester, not the prostitutes. I picked up the landline on my desk and dialed Garrett’s extension.

  “What’s up?” he answered.

  “I need to you pull the security feeds from the hotels Forester frequented. I’ll email you the dates and times. We’re looking for footage of the women leaving. Cross-reference any bags they’re carrying out with the bag Forester carried in.”

  “Copy that.”

  I replaced the handset, disconnecting the call, and emailed Garrett the dates and times I needed him to pull.

  “What should I be doing?” Ivy asked.

  I looked up from my computer and immediately thought of a multitude of things she could be doing. However, none of them were work related and all suggestions would probably be met with outrage. I couldn’t help it. She was sexy as hell sitting across from me. The woman screamed sex. She didn’t have to do or say anything, she was a natural. I doubted she understood her appeal. It went beyond her appearance. She was frustratingly independent and argumentative. She refused to take orders and would speak her mind when she thought I was being rude or bossy. However, when she knew it was time to concede, she did so without too much fuss. I stayed away from women like her, instead picking up easy, docile women that wouldn’t question my authority or ones so desperate to make an impression they blindly obeyed, thinking that would somehow impress me. It didn’t. I found those women to be doormats and had very little respect for a woman that wouldn’t stand up for herself. Those women posed no threat, none of them could ever keep my attention. Ivy had no issue telling me to shove it up my ass if I pissed her off. It was hot as shit and made her the perfect woman. The exact type I’d avoided at all costs. Now here she was sitting across from me after spending multiple nights in my bed. I was fucked.

  The biggest problem I was facing was I wanted to keep her. I’d thrown every well-thought-out rule I lived by out the window. Not only that, her sharp tongue and soft hands had managed to get past the reinforced steel wall complete with razor sharp concertina wire I kept around me at all times.

  “How proficient are you in Excel?” I asked.

  “Don’t you think that is something you should’ve found out during the interview process?” she sassed.

  “You wanna talk about my hiring practices or you want to get to work?”

  “Yes, I’m proficient with all MS Office products.”

  “Good. Did Garrett set you up with a log in and email?”

  “Yep.”

  I opened a new email window and typed in her company email address, attached the files she’d need, and hit send.

  “It’s Friday. I need all the guys’ timesheets for the jobs they’re working on. I sent you last week’s report as well to use as a reference. All jobs are number coded, each team member also has a numerical code…”

  “If you sent me last week’s, I’m sure I can figure it out. If I have any questions I’ll ask Rena,” she cut me off.

  “Go ahead, Miss Smarty Pants. But if you have questions, you’ll come to me. I don’t want you going out front.”

  “Zane,” she protested.

  “Serious as shit, woman. Don’t test me on this. You go past the security door and I’ll tan your ass. That’s a promise. You can use Rena’s office.” Her brows drew together, and she gave me her best fuck off face before she headed for the door. Before she could exit, I called out. “We’ll leave for lunch at noon.”

  She slammed the door behind her and I sat back in my high-back executive chair and wondered if her tiny frame would fit under my desk. Her sweet mouth around my cock while I read through daily SITREPs would make the tedious work a hell of a lot more enjoyable. I couldn’t help the smile that formed when I thought about what her reaction would be if I made the suggestion. Yeah, the little hellcat would be pissed.

  16

  Ivy

  How did I wind up here?

  The question had run through my mind at least a thousand times today. It had started when I woke up in Zane’s bed this morning, again when we got to work, later when he took me to lunch, and it continued throughout the day. Every member of the team, including Rena, took my being there in stride. They’d all pulled me into the fold and I wasn’t sure what to think of it. Leo told me about his wife, Olivia. Jaxon told me his woman, Violet, would love me. Garrett told me stories about Eric and his recent death while on a mission in Brazil. That was when I’d finally realized how dangerous Zane’s job was. His team didn’t hunt corporate spies; they hunted terrorists.

  Zane had told me he was a government paid assassin, but I couldn’t at the time comprehend what that meant. I’d thought it had been bluster and exaggeration, Zane being over-dramatic to prove a point. But
he wasn’t. He really did hunt and kill bad guys for a living. Garrett had also informed me Zane took personal responsibility for Eric’s death. My heart hurt for him. From what little I knew, there was nothing Zane could’ve done to stop Eric from throwing himself on top of a grenade to save the rest of the team, Zane included.

  “You ready?” Zane asked, walking into Rena’s office where I was closing down the computer.

  “Yep. Did you get the email I sent with the finished timesheets?” I asked, not looking up.

  “I did.”

  There was something different in his tone and when I looked up, I found him leaning against the doorjamb, watching me with a thoughtful expression.

  “Everything alright?” I inquired.

  “No.” He walked in and sat in one of the office chairs Rena had positioned in front of her desk.

  “Was the report okay?”

  “It was fine.” I waited for him to elaborate, but he didn’t. He simply watched me.

  “Then what’s the problem? Have you changed your mind about me working here?”

  “No. I like having you here.” His forehead wrinkled when he answered, and his brows pinched together like he was uncomfortable with the admission.

  “I’m struggling with what to do with Forester. I have enough intel to turn him over to the DEA and let him be their problem.”

  “But?”

  “I called the detective who handled your sister’s case. They ruled it an overdose and are not willing to reopen the case. Which means if I hand Forester to the DEA it’s over. He’ll get away with killing your sister.”

  He cared.

  I couldn’t fucking believe my ears. He believed me and cared that Forester had killed my sister. She may have died of an overdose, but it wasn’t self-inflicted or accidental. Forester had administered the dose to get rid of her. I knew he did.

  “What do you want to do?”