by Mia Ford
“Well, you said that he would be amused.” She said flatly, dropping her arms to her side. She could feel the rage building up inside her. It was going to be very hard for her to keep her voice down if Archer continued to play dumb this way.
“Yes, he probably would. He’s never been concerned about who I sleep with.” He added, looking at Ivy with amusement.
“Ok, and what about the fact that I work for him?” Ivy raged, speaking to him through gritted teeth.
“You’re over reacting, dear girl.” Archer said, stepping towards her. Ivy stepped back, she didn’t want to be tempted again, not this soon. And with the sharp as saws jaws that Archer sported, and the biceps bulging on his arms; it would be very easy for Ivy to be tempted. “You only work for him. He doesn’t possess you. Who you sleep with is none of his concern either.”
When he said that, Ivy knew immediately the horror of the mistake that they had committed. She had been wrong in assuming that the brothers shared absolutely everything, that Leon had told Archer everything. He had most definitely not told his brother, that he was sleeping with his housekeeper.
“What’s wrong? You look a little pale.” Archer said, the smile finally flickering on his face. He had at last started figuring out that there might something seriously wrong here.
“He didn’t tell you. I thought he told you…” Ivy began to speak, and Archer’s brows crossed.
“Told me what?” His voice was a little raised now.
“That we are sleeping together. We’ve been together for the past six weeks.” Ivy said and her own hands flew to her mouth in anguish. Her nostrils were flared; she was close to tears and it made matters worse in seeing Archer’s reaction. He had taken a few steps back away from her, the smile had disappeared, it wasn’t all fun and games for him anymore.
“No, he didn’t tell me. Why didn’t you tell me?!” Archer said, running his hands through his hair furiously. He was trying to keep his voice low as well, and had his jaws clenched.
“I tried to, but you kept interrupting me. You said that Leon wouldn’t mind.” Ivy had a tear in her voice, she had grown desperate. She could see that Archer was afraid of what had happened too.
“I meant that he wouldn’t mind me sleeping with his housekeeper. That’s what I meant!” Archer thundered, shocking Ivy into sudden silence. She hadn’t expected this kind of rage from him, she hadn’t expected him to react this way, to direct his anger at her. She wasn’t the only one at fault here.
Ivy let out a deep breath and rushed out of his room, without looking back. Not that Archer had called out for her either. She was bounding down the stairs, and eventually locked herself up in her bedroom. The food was ready, it was all laid out on the table, she was going to stay in her room all night again. She didn’t want to see the faces of either brother. She didn’t want to face Leon. She didn’t want to know what excuse Archer might give him. All she wanted to do was be by herself.
Ivy stuffed her face into the pillow and let out a loud scream, her voice muffled by the bed. She wanted to throw a plate at the wall, she wanted to scratch her own skin. How could she have been so stupid? How could she have been so weak? When Leon was the best thing that had ever happened to her.
“Ivy?” Leon’s voice came like a warning through her bedroom door. She had remained on her bed, with her face stuffed in the pillow for several hours. She could hear the brothers in the dining room, chatting and laughing. She was angry at Archer. Angry at how he could act so normal after what she had told him. She couldn’t even bring herself to look at Leon, and he was out there breaking bread with him.
“Are you sleeping?” Leon’s voice returned, making Ivy jump up in her bed. She knew he could see the light in her room, and he hadn’t seen her the whole night. It was only fair that he might be concerned about her at this point.
She dragged herself out of the bed, aware that her hair and her face were in a mess, and she opened the door silently, avoiding looking at Leon directly.
“No, I’m not sleeping.” She said, leaving the door open for him to come in. She walked back lazily to her bed, clutching the folds of her silk robe tightly over her breasts. She had changed out of the clothes that she thought reeked of Archer’s scent and had put on a different pair of pants and a fresh blouse.
Leon was standing silently at the door, he had only taken a few steps in. The one thing she knew about Leon was that he was a gentleman. If he got the feeling that she didn’t want him here, he would leave. He would never force her to talk or be with him. It made her feel worse. It made Ivy even madder with herself for cheating on him. And cheating on him with his own brother, no less!
“What’s wrong then?” He asked sternly. His brows were crossed with concern as Ivy continued to avoid his gaze. She knew she would break down if she looked into his eyes directly.
“I just wasn’t hungry.” She said, noticing now that he was stepping towards her.
“Why do I get the feeling that you’re avoiding me?” Leon’s voice was calm and even. He wasn’t accusing her; he was only curious about her behavior. Ivy knew that and she wished she could explain, but she didn’t have the courage in her to confess.
“No, I’m not avoiding you Leon. I just wasn’t hungry.” She said, now aware that he had come even closer. She nearly winced when she felt his large hands on her shoulders, right where his brother had held her, stroking her muscles. She was instantly filled with guilt and dread, she hoped that he couldn’t see it in her eyes.
Leon was trying to catch her gaze, he was being gentle with her, trying to understand what was wrong and all Ivy could do was push him away, because of how angry she was with her own self.
“I missed you last night.” He said, in a low deep voice that sent shivers down her spine. She wished she could kiss him, that she could bury her face in his chest. As much as Archer was tempting, as much as she had enjoyed herself with him, Leon was the man who made her feel safe, who made her feel comfortable. And she had betrayed this man, and it made her angry.
She didn’t reply to him, and her limbs froze when he bent down to kiss her. His lips found hers and he was pushing his tongue into her mouth to part her lips. She felt his large masculine hand with the thick long fingers she knew so well, start tracing out the curve of her breast. He kissed her, and at the same time tenderly caressed her breast, reaching for her nipple, circling it and then pinching it gently between his thumb and forefinger. They were hard for him. As much as she was angry with herself, as much as she wished she could push him away, she couldn’t. Her body had the same animalistic reaction to Leon’s touch.
His mouth was sucking on hers, feverishly now as he pressed himself to her. She could feel his hard on, the throbbing erection in his pants, pressing against her abdomen. It instantly made her wet between her legs, she was going to slide down her own panties, she was going to put her hand down Leon’s pants just so she could feel how much his dick had grown, because of her, wanting her.
But she suddenly shoved him away.
“No.” She blurted out and when she looked up she saw the confusion on his face.
“What?” He asked, his voice reaching a quick high note. He was shocked at her reaction. She usually simply melted in his arms, he didn’t have to ask her twice.
Ivy remained silent, avoiding his gaze and biting down on her bottom lip, where Leon had been kissing her. How was she supposed to explain to him that she still yearned for him, that she still wanted him to kiss her? But she had to push him away.
“Fine. I’m not going to force you.” He said, in a menacingly angered voice, and he pivoted on the heels of his boots and was out of her room in a flash, banging the door shut behind him.
Ivy breathed in deeply, in an attempt to even her breath. She was afraid of breaking down, and afraid of crying. Because of what she had done, because of Archer, she had managed to push away the man that she cared for. The man who was the first one to make her feel good. The man who had taught her everything.
<
br /> She flung herself on her bed, burying her face into the pillow again. There was nothing else for her to do but to wait and see what the next day would bring for her. One thing she was sure of was that she was going to avoid Archer Cooper like the plague.
Ivy woke up in her bed, covered in sweat. It was the middle of the night; the house was shrouded in silence and her eyes had yet to adjust to the darkness.
She had been dreaming about Leon, about Archer, about them both.
She gulped and blinked up at the ceiling, realizing that she was wet between her legs. The dream was too realistic; it didn’t feel like a dream at all. She thought she was touching him, Leon or was it Archer?
When she shut her eyes close again, Leon’s somber face drifted up again. She could see him clearly, his brown eyes and sandy hair, with the cowboy hat on his head, riding his horse. Ivy couldn’t help but bite down on her lip. Her hips arched upwards as she writhed under the sheets. She had pushed him away when he visited her in her room, but the reality was that she was pining for him.
She knew how he tasted, how his mouth tasted on her lips. And now he was tracing down her skin, her throat, the top of her bare breasts with his wet tongue. He found her nipples and latched on to one of them, sucking on it hard with his slippery tongue. Ivy jerked her eyes open, she realized she had been pinching her nipples herself, and they were hard, ready. She shut her eyes again. Even though she knew this was wrong, it was unfair, she couldn’t stop herself. She had gone too far to turn back now.
Now it was Archer she was imagining. With his glistening, rugged muscles, covered with a film of sweat, his harsh muddy boots, his dick pulsating roughly against her thighs. Archer had laid her down on hay, and was licking her belly, down her navel, cupping her wetness with his hands. He was going to slide his fingers into her again. Ivy jerked her eyes open. She was breathing hard; her body was covered in sweat. She flung the covers off the bed, only to realize that her fingers had found her own wetness. She had been stroking herself, where Archer had stroked her that afternoon.
Ivy breathed in deeply. This was so wrong. She was dreaming about both the brothers. Archer and Leon. Leon and Archer. She shouldn’t have been. She should have remained true to Leon. But now, even with her eyes open, she could see Leon stripping down. She could see the way his dusty jeans fell to his ankles. He still had his hat on. His eyes were narrow and dark, focusing on her naked body, on her bouncing breasts, on her fully erect nipples. He had stripped down completely, naked and hung, he had started stroking himself.
She gasped in the silence of her bedroom, when she imagined Leon’s enormous dick. Or was it Archer’s?
Ivy jerked up in bed, yanking herself out of her dream. This had to stop. This was so wrong. She shouldn’t be interchanging the two brothers’ dicks! She had to choose. No. She shouldn’t have to choose. She should never have slept with Archer!
She realized that she was still wet between her legs, sticky and moist between her thighs where her nightdress had revealed it. She had pulled the nightdress up to her waist so that she was completely bare, exposed and ready for Leon, or Archer, to ravish her.
Ivy tried to steady her breathing. This had to stop. She had to tell Leon. It was going to be up to him to make a decision.
But she had seen the anger in his eyes when she had pushed him away. Leon was not an easy-going man. There was no way that he was going to simply forgive her for what she had done. He wasn’t just going to sit back and accept the fact that she had slept with his brother.
And now she was spoiled goods. Archer wasn’t going to accept her either. Now that he knew that she had been sleeping with his brother, in his mind he would think that she had tricked him.
Ivy gulped, licked her lips and tried to think straight. If she absolutely had to choose between the two of them…Leon was strong, handsome, had been the first man she slept with, he knew how to make her feel good. Archer was new, equally handsome, tall and rugged and knew how to please any woman. How was she supposed to choose?! Did she even have a choice?
Chances were that neither man would want her any more. Was it time for her to leave?
Her heart was beating fast, as she thought about the option of simply disappearing. She didn’t want to cause trouble between the brothers, and neither did she want to have to look at Leon’s face when she told him what had happened.
Her body was returning to its normal state now. Her heart had relaxed to a more even pace; her brain was now capable of thinking again. She was forcing herself to forget about the two brothers and their gorgeous bodies and focus instead on her possible options.
She would much rather leave the ranch than cause Leon to lose his calm. In fact, wasn’t that what she deserved anyway?
Ivy winced when she thought about leaving. Leaving this life where she had everything. Her work, the luxury, her studies, and most importantly a man who she trusted, who she had started to care for and who she felt safe with. This was what it had come to. She would have to give all this up, give up Leon, because of one moment of weakness.
But despite herself, Ivy couldn’t help smiling when she thought about that moment of weakness. It was one Hell of an orgasm and a little part of her, didn’t regret it so much.
Leon came into the kitchen the next morning for his breakfast, while Ivy was standing, leaning against the kitchen sink, chewing on a piece of buttered toast. Her mind was boggled. She was still day dreaming about the two men, and also trying to force herself to stop thinking about them. When she heard Leon’s, boots scraping the marble floor of the kitchen, she straightened herself with a jerk, ashamed of the thoughts that she had been having.
Leon was the one who seemed to be avoiding her gaze now, while she yearned to talk to him. She wished she could tell him everything, get it all off her chest. But he wasn’t in a mood to talk.
“Morning.” She dared to say, as she watched his tall brooding form, sit down at the kitchen table. He reached for the pot of jam in silence, lathering one of the toasts with it using a knife.
“Did you sleep well?” She asked, when he hadn’t responded to her.
“I slept alright.” He said, suddenly fixing his deep brown eyes on her. It made Ivy blush instantly. He was looking at her like he was challenging her, like he knew what she had been thinking. Like he knew she was lusting after his brother.
There was silence in the room, save for the sound Leon made while chewing his food. She could tell that he was upset about her behavior the previous night.
“Leon…” She said his name in a near whisper, but he didn’t look up at her.
“You don’t have to explain.” He said, like he didn’t mean it. He continued to chew on his food and stare at his plate in silence.
“But I want to.” She said, hearing the crack in her own voice. She was trying to build up the courage in her to say something, to tell him the truth.
“No, you don’t have to.” Leon snapped, focusing his eyes on her, which communicated exactly what he was feeling. She could see that he was hurt. That he hadn’t expected her to suddenly push him away like that, for no reason, out of the blue.
She knew Leon was still hurting. She remembered why he had moved to Montana, why he had bought this ranch, why he had chosen to live away from his family. She remembered the story about Vivienne, his redhead childhood sweetheart who had promised to marry him, but married his cousin, Michael instead.
A whimper escaped Ivy’s lips. She had turned into Vivienne, she had slept with Leon’s brother, she had essentially betrayed Leon the same way that Vivienne had.
She whipped around, to turn her face away from him, in silence, but she could feel her lips quivering.
“Ivy, you don’t have to explain. You should have just told me that you didn’t want me last night. I would have gone away without putting any pressure on you.” She heard him get up from his chair. He was walking towards her. She felt her muscles contract, her limbs grow cold, she was so ashamed of herself. She didn’t deserve his
kindness. She had betrayed him and he didn’t even know it.
“Ivy, look at me.” She heard him say and then his hand was on her shoulder and he was trying to gently coax her to turn around, to turn to him.
She did, unable to meet his gaze, unable to actually look directly into his eyes. His harsh gaze had softened, he even had the flickering of a smile forming on his face.
“Hey, it’s alright. I’m not angry with you. You should have just told me.” He said, and he pulled her close to him. Ivy broke down, she bit down on her lip to stop herself from actually crying, but she couldn’t hold it back any more. This man was like a dream come true. He was so kind to her, so understanding and yet had no idea the way in which she had betrayed him. She didn’t deserve him; she didn’t deserve his generosity.
“Ok?” He said, pushing her gently away from him and looking into her eyes.
Ivy tried to force a fake smile on her face, and she nodded her head wildly, hoping that he would believe that she was only upset about her rude behavior the previous night.
“I’m sorry for pushing you. I shouldn’t have.” He said, whispering.
“No, you didn’t. I’m sorry I pushed you away.” She said, in a tearful voice.
“Don’t be silly. You have a right to push me away.” Leon said, and gave her his best full smile. Those sharp jaws, the high cheek bones stretched in a warm genuine smile and Ivy could feel her heart melting. She had given up all this, she had given up Leon!
“Now, back to work for me. And you should be getting on with your classes!” He said, in a sudden jolly voice. She tried smiling at him again as he turned from her and left the kitchen.
There was a harsh ray of sun filling the kitchen with a bright golden hue. Ivy turned and saw Leon leaving the mansion, through the kitchen window. She saw him walking confidently, his back straight, his shirt sleeves rolled up for the day, his cowboy hat on his head.
