Page 286 of Love Me in the Dark
I don’t push her for more. Not yet.
Because I already have her body.
And soon, I’ll have the rest. I just need to be patient for a little bit longer.
She finally looks away, her eyes going to the bathroom door. “I need a shower.”
“Or a bath,” I offer, thinking of how soft her skin felt under my fingers.
With a nod, she slips away, but not before she presses her lips to mine. “Yours.” She whispers against my mouth.
I’m still watching the bathroom door a half hour later while Ivy’s enjoying herself in the bath.
I can hear the water lapping against porcelain, the occasional slosh as she moves. I picture her sunk beneath the surface, neck exposed, eyes half-lidded from exhaustion and trust. She let me take care of her this morning. She let metouchher without flinching.
It’s fucking with my head.
My phone buzzes.
Ezra.
Of course.
I swipe to answer, already regretting it. “What?”
“You sound pissed. You still in your happy little love nest?” Ezra’s voice is pure mockery, laced with his usual brand of venomous amusement.
“What do you want?”
“Thought you’d like to know,” he drawls, “I have a problem. A slippery little blonde one. Thought she was fun. Turns out she thinks she can’t trust me. Now she’s talking about ultimatums and demanding that I release her or she’s going to rip my balls off. Isn’t that cute?”
I roll my eyes. “You’re interrupting my morning forthis?”
“I need a cleanup.” A pause. “Not that kind, though. Emotional cleanup. I need a suggestion, a gesture, amovethat doesn’t involve disposing of her body.”
I pinch the bridge of my nose. “Jesus, Ezra?—”
Then I hear it.
A voice. Soft. Female.
Ivy’s voice.
Faint, but unmistakable, in the background.
Every muscle in my body goes still.
“What the fuck did you do?” I snarl.
“Relax,” Ezra says lazily. “I swung by your place early this morning. Thought I’d check in. Didn’t realize you were busy. Your pet answered the door.”
I stop breathing. “What did you say?”
“She was cute,” he says, infuriatingly casual. “Fiery too. Didn’t let me in. Gave me one hell of a death glare. Said you were asleep and she wasn’t waking you up for any of my bullshit after the day you two had yesterday. I told her she had good instincts.” He laughs, light and cruel. “You didn’t tell me she bites.”
“I didn’t tell you because you don’t go near her,” I growl, turning toward the security screen mounted in the hallway. I rewind the feed—there he is. Ezra on my front porch. Ivystepping into frame. Her arms crossed. That defensive tilt of her chin. Brave and small and mine.
“And what if I already did?” Ezra taunts, baiting me now because he knows damn well I have cameras everywhere. “She’s tempting, Roman. You don’t have a monopoly on obsession.”
