“I’m sorry.” Were the first words that escaped his lips.
Ivy straightened herself up. She was sitting on the edge of the table now, with her legs dangling off the side.
“You’re sorry? What for?” She asked him, brushing a few of her blonde ringlets away from her eyes. This man was always full of surprises.
“For this. I didn’t mean for this to happen.” Leon replied, and she noticed that he was avoiding her eyes. He had started to look for his clothes that were strewn all over the floor of the dining room.
“I wanted it too. You don’t have to apologize to me.” She said, and recognized a certain degree of desperation in her voice. She didn’t want him to punish himself for what had happened in the heat of the moment.
“This was your first time.” He said flatly, pulling up his pants to his waist.
Ivy remained silent, she didn’t want to reply to that statement because she wasn’t sure how he would react to that.
“You should have told me. You should have stopped me.” He said, in a louder voice, now buttoning up his shirt. Ivy was still naked on the table, and she saw how his eyes briefly went to her large swinging breasts.
“I didn’t want you to stop. I wanted this to happen.” She said, following his every movement with her eyes. Leon was tucking his shirt into his pants, and had then started to fold his sleeves up to his elbows. His dark brown eyes had lost their luster and sparkle, he looked worried.
“Leon! I wanted it!” She said, louder, to get his attention.
He jerked his head up to look at her.
“I told myself that I was hiring you only for the work. I should have known that I wouldn’t be able to control myself, you have to leave.” He said, turning away from her again. He had started to pick up her clothes off the floor.
Ivy jumped off the edge of the table, now standing naked in front of him. She wasn’t shy or ashamed of her body anymore, she knew the effect she had on him, she had watched him grow helpless when he saw her naked. She knew that even right now; he was struggling to keep his hands to himself.
“I don’t want to go just yet; I think we can find a way to work together. You need someone to look after the house anyway.” She said, pleading with him with her voice.
“I’ll find someone else.” He said and thrust a handful of her clothes towards her.
“I want to work here. We got off to a bad start, that’s all.” Ivy said, trying her best to not simply break down in tears.
“This cannot happen again. You have to leave!” He thundered, turning to her with rage in his eyes again.
“Why not? If we want each other, why can’t it happen again?” She yelled back at him, plucking the clothes out of his hands. Leon turned away from her, and walked towards the dining room door.
“I came here to get myself away from all this. Because I needed a break from women. I didn’t expect to find you in this town. I should have never hired you.” He said and stormed out, leaving Ivy alone and naked in the room.
She could feel her shoulders quivering as she stood beside the table, the food only half eaten on the plates. She held her clothes tightly to her chest as she licked her lips. She had just lost her virginity, she had never felt this good before, she had never felt this attracted to a man before, and now he had just gone and banished her from his life.
What did he mean he needed a break from women? Why was he punishing himself like this?
Ivy began to slowly put her clothes back on, and ran her fingers through her curls. She felt tired from the day, she wasn’t hungry anymore and she was more confused now than she had been when she first arrived here. In one moment, she hated Leon Cooper and wanted to get away from this house, and in the next she couldn’t stand the thought of going away.
Ivy bit down on her lip as she started clearing the dishes and cutlery away, taking them back into the kitchen.
She couldn’t hear Leon anywhere in the house. She didn’t know if he was still in the house or had left. She wished she could talk to him, make him see how he was affecting her life, how in the span of only one day, he had managed to give her a new purpose and make her body quiver with desire for him.
After clearing up, Ivy managed to muster the courage to walk to the bottom of the stairs in the foyer. She looked up at the bedrooms upstairs, but couldn’t tell if he was in one of them or not. She wanted to call out to him, but she held her tongue. Leon Cooper didn’t seem like the kind of man who would take defiance lightly. What other choice did she have but to allow him to call her father and leave his employment?
After all, he had all the right to fire her, he had no obligations to her. It was her fault for mixing up her feelings for him. It was nothing more than lust and he had already fulfilled her desires for him. Why then did she still want more? Why was she so desperate for more of this man who was only trying to push her away?
Chapter 9
Ivy woke up on the sprawling springy bed in Leon’s guest room, all by herself. Now, at seven in the morning, she could hear Leon moving around upstairs in his own room. She stretched her arms, slipped off the bed and walked into the en-suite bathroom. She decided to take a shower.
She chose a knee length floral skirt for the day, along with a basic cotton black t-shirt which she knew would accentuate her breasts. She stared at herself in the mirror, as she dried and brushed her hair. Her green eyes were large and eager, the bright red of her cheeks had returned. She couldn’t wait to see him again.
She was in the kitchen, toasting bread and buttering them before it was even eight. She heard Leon’s footsteps on the stairs at eight sharp and within moments he had joined her in the kitchen. Ivy turned to look at him, and their gazes met. For the first time, she thought she saw embarrassment in Leon’s eyes. It was as though he hadn’t expected her to be there.
“Did you call daddy yet?” She asked him quietly, placing a plate of four buttered toasts on the kitchen island behind her. In a glass, she poured in orange juice and placed it next to the plate. Leon seemed to be debating whether to eat the food or not.
“No, I figured it was too early. I’ll call him in a couple of hours. You should pack your bags and stay ready.” He said and walked over to the plate of toasts. He picked one up without sitting down. Ivy wiped her hands on a kitchen towel and turned to him, crossing her arms over her breasts.
He looked handsome in the morning light. A dark stubble had begun to form on his chin, and he had changed into his usual plaid work shirt and dusty jeans, the hat was back on his head too.
“Well, I’ll do something to pass the time anyway. I’m packed already.” She said, breaking the silence. Leon didn’t respond but continued to munch on the toasts.
“Maybe I’ll brush the horses? I like doing that.” She suggested, she knew she sounded too eager, she was giving away her feelings, but she wanted to hear his voice again.
Leon looked up at her with heavy lids, and shrugged his shoulders.
“I’m not working with the horses today, so you can do what pleases you. Thanks for the breakfast.” He said and dusted his hands and made to walk away.
“Leon.” She called out to him, using his name for the first time. He had been inside her, he had made her come, she had felt his dick slide into her. The least she could do now was call him by his first name.
He only half turned, just his head, to acknowledge her.
“Why did you say you came here to get away? Get away from what?” She asked him. Leon looked away again, but he didn’t move. She could see that he was clenching his jaws now.
“If we’re never going to see each other again, how does it matter if you tell me the truth?” She asked him, taking a few steps in his direction. She could see the muscles on his back tense up. His jaws were still clenched; he was battling his own emotions. Ivy had a sudden urge to simply throw her arms around him and give him a hug. As annoyingly arrogant as he was, she felt like this strong rugged man just needed a hug.
“I have to get to work.
I’ll call your daddy and tell him to come pick you up. I’ll tell him I changed my mind and I don’t need help around the house after all.” He said, in a flat emotionless voice and then he was out of the door.
Ivy threw the kitchen towel from her hands to the floor in anger. What was wrong with this man? He made her want to scream. Why couldn’t he just say something to her? Tell her the truth? Why was he pushing her away, when he clearly just needed some human company?
Ivy clenched and unclenched her fists and then turned around and tied her hair up in a bun. The golden ringlets framed the sides of her face, exposing her delicate pale long neck. She told herself that she didn’t care anymore. That was all she could do. If Leon Cooper didn’t want to be open to her, if he didn’t want to talk about what was going on in his life, she couldn’t make him.
All she could do now was kill time till her father arrived. Her father would tell her, he told her so. But she would lie and tell him that Leon Cooper changed his mind. She wouldn’t allow her father to find out what happened between them, and she wouldn’t let him find out that Leon Cooper was firing her because he couldn’t keep his hands off her and it made him feel guilty.
Ivy strode out of the house in a huff. She was going to find the horses, and she was going to brush them. She was going to brush them so good that Leon Cooper would regret his decision to banish her.
She walked determinedly towards the stable, till she spotted the chestnut colored beauty that Leon had been riding the previous day. She would begin with that horse, she decided. She blew some ringlets of golden hair off her nose as she placed her hands on her hips and smiled at the horses in the stable. If Leon was going to fire her for being attracted to her, she was going to show him that she was made of more than just an ability to turn him into warm butter in her hands.
Chapter 10
Ivy had worked with horses before; she had brushed several horses as well. Her uncle had a ranch, much smaller than this, but she helped him and her cousins sometimes as a teenager, when her parents allowed her to.
But none of those horses were as feisty as this one.
Ivy brushed the horse gently, trying to cooingly talk to her as she patted her down. The horse neighed loudly and wouldn’t stand still.
With crossed brows, Ivy couldn’t understand what she was doing wrong. Animals loved her usually, especially horses. She stepped away from the horse and stood with her hands on her hips.
“What’s wrong horsey?” She spoke to the horse in a childish voice. “Are you afraid of me still?” She asked. An idea struck her, and Ivy decided that the best way to get the house accustomed to her touch would be to climb on her back and pat her down from there. It sometimes calms horses down.
Excitedly, Ivy hooked her foot on the saddle loops and hauled herself up on the horse, talking to her the whole time. But it had barely been a few moments that she was up on the horse, before she knew that it had been a bad decision. This horse was more agitated now than she had been before.
Still locked behind the gates of the stable, the horse began to neigh loudly and was kicking her hind legs high up in the air. The horse was trying to fling Ivy off of her, while she tried to hold on for dear life. A jump from off a horse as tall as this would mean a cracked spine or a broken leg at the least.
She had started screaming already, holding on to the saddle, afraid of what could happen in any second.
Then she saw the stable door open and in a flash, Leon had climbed up on the saddle behind her.
“There there Mocha, I’m here now, it’s alright.” He was coming to the horse. He had reached over Ivy’s shrunken shoulder to pat the neck of the horse affectionately. Ivy was still scared stiff, holding on to the saddle with both her hands. Then she felt Leon’s hand rise up her waist and hold her, while he continued to stroke the horse with his other hand.
“I didn’t know…I couldn’t stop…” Ivy’s words were jumbled; she was still frightened and visibly shaking. In all her years of working with animals, and visiting ranches, no horse had reacted to her this way.
“It’s fine. She suffers from anxiety and is only calm when she sees me.” Leon had leaned in to whisper in Ivy’s ear. She felt his lip graze her earlobe as he spoke. The same mix of the scent of his masculinity with his aftershave rose up her nose, sending goosebumps down her arms.
“Sorry, I didn’t know.” Ivy whispered back to him.
“I only remembered right now that you said you would come to brush the horses. I didn’t get a chance to warn you not to go near her.” He said, in a gruff whisper, their bodies were still close together.
He was sitting behind her, with his legs hanging off the saddle of the horse, and Ivy could feel his growing throbbing dick pressing into her butt. She straightened her back, aware of his hand on her waist. She was struggling to contain herself, to stop herself from just simply turning around and kissing him. She wanted to do it, but she wasn’t sure how he would react. Even though she could feel that he was aroused by her.
“We must get off her now.” Leon said, back to his normal voice again, possibly aware that she could feel his growing dick. He moved away from her, his hands falling off her waist as he jumped off the saddle.
Ivy gulped as she looked down at him. Leon was still stroking the horse’s neck, whistling to her to comfort her.
“Just grab my hand and jump off, then step away from her as smoothly as you can. She’ll be alright as long as I’m here.” He said, looking up at her. Even though she was out of danger now, even though he had come to her rescue already, Ivy could see the worry on his face still. Leon Cooper had been worried for her? She nearly smiled.
Ivy grabbed his extended hand and used it as support to jump off the horse. Then in one quick step she had moved away from the anxious horse, who was still whimpering and neighing.
“She’s a beautiful, loving horse. But only to me.” Leon said, and turned to Ivy with an unexpectedly warm smile. She could see it in his eyes, he loved his horse, and that made her smile too.
“I can see that. You have a special place in your heart for Mocha.” Ivy said, holding his gaze. Leon’s smile lasted a few more seconds, before he looked away from her and kissed the horse’s neck.
“C’mon off to the house. You shouldn’t hang around here.” He said, and hurriedly led the way out of the stable. Ivy smoothened her skirt with her hands and followed him, unable to suppress the smile on her face.
In the midst of a dangerous situation, she had seen a different and new side to Leon that she couldn’t have predicted. He wasn’t angry with her, as she had expected him to be, he wasn’t angry with the horse either. He had thought quickly, come to her rescue and completed the task without losing his temper.
Ivy watched his muscular back as she followed him back towards the house. Why was he forcing her to go away? She didn’t want to go away. She wanted to stay with him, feel his hands on hers, find out as much as she could about him, because there was no greater mystery to her than Leon Cooper. But he didn’t seem to want to be solved, he wanted to be left alone.
Chapter 11
Leon left Ivy alone in the house for several hours, and she wasn’t sure if he had even called her father yet. She cleaned the rooms, dusted, washed the dishes and in a few hours, went down to her bedroom and sat on the bed looking outside.
She was still not happy to go. Especially now that Leon had revealed a new side to him that she hadn’t expected to find. This was the man who had taken her virginity, the one to whom she had given it willingly, and she didn’t simply want to forget about him that easily.
At around mid-day, she heard Leon enter the house again, and then the sound of his boots approaching her bedroom door. Ivy sat up in bed, wringing her hands together. She was afraid of hearing the words she believed he was going to say, “Your daddy is on his way to pick you up.”
Leon knocked on the door, and Ivy cleared her throat before asking him to come in.
He had his hat in his hands, and a som
ber expression on his face. He had only opened the door, but hadn’t stepped in. It seemed like he was also avoiding her eyes.
“I spoke to your daddy and he said that he won’t be able to pick you up till day after morning, he can’t leave the business open.”
When Ivy heard the words, she tried to suppress a smile. She didn’t want to give away how delighted she was to hear him say that.
“So, I’ll drive you up there today.” He added and Ivy’s face dropped immediately.
“You don’t have to do that.” She was quick to assert, getting off the bed.
“Well, there is no other way. You can’t walk back, it’s twenty miles away.” He said, finally meeting her eyes. The sparkle in his brown eyes had returned for some reason.
“I don’t want to walk back, that isn’t what I meant.” Ivy said, feeling her cheeks beginning to flush again.
“Well, you can’t stay here.” He said gruffly and shrugged his shoulders.
Ivy stepped towards him and Leon stepped hurriedly back, like he was trying to defend himself against an attack.
“Why don’t I stay here till my daddy is ready to come and pick me up?” She asked him.
Leon looked at her silently, his face grim again. He couldn’t keep his eyes off her any more, she could see him studying her figure, her face, the curves of her breasts. He was trying to decide if he would be able to keep his hands off her or not.
“You need somebody for the house any way.” She said, with a tear in her voice.
“I can do it myself. I’m better off alone.” He growled, snapping off suddenly from his fantasies of her.
Ivy shook the curls off her face and took a few more steps towards him. Leon was following her with his eyes.
“You can’t. And I know you like my cooking.” She said with a smile on her face, and she placed a hand on his chest.
Leon’s gaze fell to it immediately, and in one swift motion he shook her hand off of him. This was not the same kind, concerned man who had saved her from that anxious horse. He was back to being the same brooding Leon who she was first introduced to.
Passion: A Single Dad Small Town Romance Page 68
