Page 8 of Shit Happens in Ivydell

Josephine slides the drawing she’s been working on over a few inches for his opinion.

“Come look,” he says.

“It’s not going on my body. My opinion isn’t the one that matters.”

“It matters to me.”

Josephines eyes widen, and she bites back a smile. She shrugs at me. “Sounds like you better weigh in on this.”

I step close enough to see what she’s drawn. The sign is a board nailed to two posts, the same style as all the existing signs. There is a pair of burrowing owls at the base of one post, and a cluster of prickly pear cactus surrounding the other.

Those little owls remind me of the hissing sound that interrupted us in The Circle when everyone was away and we were the only two people left in Ivydell. The way he’d stared at me, admired my nakedness under a starry sky. What was it he said? Something about wanting to be able to recall every inch of me after I’d left this place. And then he bent me over and gave me the opportunity to memorize every inch of his dick, stretching me as he thrust deeper into my pussy in the cool, dark desert night. That scene plays out in my head like something from a movie. Like a dream.

Shit. I’m supposed to be giving feedback on Josephine’s drawing, not reliving Jensen railing me in The Circle like we were performing some sacred ceremony. I force my eyes to focus on the sketch.

“Why’d you put that little bird sitting on it instead of a hawk?”

“It’s a sparrow.” She says it like she can’t believe I didn’t get that.

“Is that ivy?” I lean in. “It doesn’t grow wild here.”

She and Jensen exchange a look. And then a smile.

“I like it.” He sets his wineglass on the table and pushes it toward me to be sure it’s out of the way before he resumes his earlier position. “Let’s do it.”

Jensen

The Bristles Mean Nothing

Why is my phonebuzzing like a bug zapper? It’s too early for this many people to be trying to reach me. The room is still mostly dark. Dim, anyway.

I roll over to check the notifications—right onto my right shoulder. The one with the new tattoo. That’s annoying as fuck. Pushing up onto my right forearm, I extend my left hand and grab my damn phone. This requires entirely too much thought.

My vision is blurry because my eyes know we should still be asleep. Ivy stirs next to me, but her eyes remain closed. I swear she could sleep through a tornado.

She sleeps soundly, but not motionless. After a night of squirming and flip-flopping from her stomach to her back, herhair is a mess. An extremely cute mess. Her mouth is slightly open and her little kitten snores make me want to ignore my phone and pull her warm body next to mine.

Another notification lights up my screen. Fine, goddammit.

Oh. The coffee shop is reopening today. I forgot about seeing Tawny and Leo drive in right after Shadow. But, of course, they’re up early and ready to greet everyone with a hot cup of strong coffee from who knows where. They pick up new varieties everywhere they go, mostly from independent roasters and shops.

You never know if you’re going to taste pecan or chicory or chocolate.

“Wake up, sleepyhead.” I trail my fingertip down the slope of Ivy’s nose and over her cheekbone.

She wiggles, swats at my hand, and slurs unintelligibly.

“Come on. We’re going to get coffee.”

“There’s coffee in my kitchen.”

“I know, but the coffee shop is open.”

“I don’t want to drive half an hour for coffee. I want to sleep.”

“We’re not driving. We’re walking.”

That wakes her up. She sits with her head lolled to the side and rubs her eyes. “What the hell did you just say?”

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