“Don’t you yell at me,” Ivy hissed. “You are not my father. I’m allowed to make decisions regarding my own life. If you don’t like that … well … .”
“Well, what?”
Ivy didn’t have an answer. There was no way she could even finish the sentence. They both knew what she was going to say before thinking better of it. The problem was, even if she did say the words, both halves of the couple knew it was an empty threat. “Well, nothing.”
“Come here,” Jack growled, grabbing Ivy’s waist and pulling her to a flat position on the couch.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m letting you relax me before I give you a massage,” Jack answered. “We both need to relax. Otherwise I’m going to kill you for how stupid you were today.”
“Don’t call me stupid!”
“Don’t do stupid things!
They reached for each other at the same time, passion exploding as well as pent-up need. As far as relaxation went, there was no better way to get it.
“I THINK we might be sick in the head,” Ivy said an hour later, Jack rubbing the area around her neck as she rested on the floor between his legs.
“Why do you think that?” Jack asked, taking extra care around her shoulder. The last thing he wanted to do was cause her pain. He’d done enough of that for two lifetimes.
“Because we get turned on every time we scream at each other … and we scream at each other a lot. If this keeps up, I’m not going to be able to walk.”
Jack chuckled, Ivy’s words of wisdom tickling him. “I think we’ll figure something out,” he said. “You’re in shape. You can take it.”
“Ha, ha.”
“I think we’re both a little heightened emotionally right now,” Jack said honestly. “Between the shootings … and the possibility of Marcus being alive … and you making me crazy … well, things are bound to get heated.”
“I guess.”
“I’m sorry I yelled at you,” Jack offered. “I didn’t mean to frighten you.”
“You didn’t frighten me,” Ivy scoffed. “I know you would never hurt me.”
Jack lowered his voice. “I did hurt you, though.”
“Not that way,” Ivy said. “Plus, you know what? I refuse to dwell on that any longer. Brian told me you panicked after the shooting. He told me not to write you off. I didn’t want to see it because I was so hurt that it was easier to be angry with you than entertain the idea that you might have a legitimate reason for being a butthead.”
“I adore you, Ivy Morgan,” Jack said, dropping a kiss on the top of her head.
“I still have twenty minutes of massage in front of me,” Ivy reminded him. “Don’t even think of stopping. That’s the best thing I’ve felt since … well, the last thing you massaged me with.”
“That was just filthy enough to be hot, honey,” Jack said, returning to his task. Ivy reached over and snagged the file Jack brought home and started flipping through it. It was full of things regarding Marcus’ death.
“The thing is, I know you were hurting more than I was after the shooting,” Ivy said. “I saw it on your face in the hospital. I had a tiny wound on my shoulder and you had a gaping one in your heart. It wasn’t fair of me to turn on you like I did.”
“It was fair, Ivy,” Jack countered. “I was being a coward.”
“How come you decided to stop being a coward?”
“Because the idea of going another day without touching you was almost enough to kill me,” Jack answered. “I don’t think you understand how I feel when I’m around you. I’m not sure I understood when I first felt it. I do now, though.”
“Try me.”
“Oh, now who is fishing for compliments?”
“Come on,” Ivy prodded. “I want to hear it. I want to hear all of it whenever you think about stuff like that.”
“Okay,” Jack acquiesced. “I feel like my skin is on fire every time I touch you. I feel hot … and not in a sexual way. Although, to be fair, I often feel hot that way, too, when you’re around.”
Ivy giggled, warming Jack’s heart.
“I know this is going to sound crazy, but there are times when I actually feel like my skin is humming when you’re around,” Jack continued. “My heart feels warm and complete. I can’t stop myself from touching you. If I could spend every second of every day for the rest of our lives just holding your hand, I would be a happy man.”
“That’s going to make the sex pretty boring.”
“You’re a funny girl, Ivy.”
“I do my best,” Ivy said, her voice turning serious. “I feel that way, too. Sometimes my fingers itch because they want to touch you. I tried to ignore it … and then when you kept repeating that you didn’t want a relationship, I thought you were taking the decision away from me and I was almost relieved.”
“Almost?”
“Part of my heart kept screaming at me that I shouldn’t let you walk away,” Ivy replied. “I knew I would regret it forever if I lost you.”
“Well, you didn’t lose me,” Jack said, kissing the back of her head. “I won’t let us be separated again … no matter how many boneheaded things you do.”
“Me?”
“Okay, both of us,” Jack conceded. “I don’t want anything but you, Ivy. Please never doubt that.”
“That goes double for me.”
“Oh, are we turning this into a competition?”
“Yes, and I’m going to win,” Ivy said, flipping another page in the file and then stiffening.
“What’s wrong?” Jack asked, instantly alert. He could read the change in her body language.
“W-who is this?” Ivy asked, pointing at a photograph of a woman in Marcus’ file.
Jack glanced over her shoulder. “That’s his sister Laura. She’s either dead or somehow involved in all of this.”
“She’s not dead.”
“How do you know?”
“Because she bought a bush at the nursery this afternoon,” Ivy admitted. “She tried to get me to help her carry it out to her car and was disappointed when my father stepped in to do the heavy lifting. I … crap. You were right. I was stupid to go to the nursery.”
“Son of a … !”
Twenty
“Hey, honey,” Jack murmured, tightening his arms around Ivy’s waist and exhaling heavily the next morning.
Ivy, her mind still cloudy from sleep, shifted her chin so she could study his serene features. “It should be against the law to look as good as you do first thing in the morning.”
Jack snickered. “Are you trying to start the morning out on the right foot so we don’t fight? If so, that’s a nice way to do it.”
“If we fight again I definitely won’t be able to walk.”
Jack stroked the back of Ivy’s head and brushed a kiss against her forehead. After the bombshell about Laura stopping by the nursery, he called Brian to see where he was on the hotel search. They were basically at a standstill. With nothing left to do, Jack finished Ivy’s massage and then they went to bed – and proceeded to “fight” one more time before falling asleep.
“I don’t want to fight with you,” Jack said. “Well, at least not right now. You’re not the only one who is going to have trouble walking if we keep this up. Don’t get me wrong, I actually like fighting with you, but I don’t think it’s going to get us anywhere right now. I’d rather dole out our fights so we’re only doing it once a week or so.”
“I need to fight more than once a week. It’s what keeps my skin dewy fresh.”
Jack snorted. “You really do make me laugh.”
Ivy kissed his cheek. “I’m sorry about what happened,” she said. “I probably shouldn’t have gone to work yesterday. I honestly didn’t even think about it.”
“Yes, well, we’re going to come up with a list of appropriate actions for when your life is in danger. I’m even going to buy one of those fancy chalkboards so I can change it during any given situation.”
“Do
you foresee my life being in danger a lot?”
“Unfortunately I think danger is attracted to you, honey. I need you to stay alive, so I’m going to have to think outside of the box where you’re concerned.”
“Do I get to make rules for you on the chalkboard?” Ivy asked.
“Ah, fair is fair, right? I guess so.”
“Then the first rule is you can’t boss me around,” Ivy said. “I’m going to write that one in pink – like my hair – so you don’t forget.”
“See, now I think you’re trying to pick a fight,” Jack said. “In the effort to head that off, I have a question for you.”
“Okay, shoot.”
“Let’s not make ‘shooting’ jokes right now,” Jack chided.
“Too soon?”
“Definitely.”
“Well, ask your question. I’m dying to hear what it is,” Ivy said, her finger lightly tracing one of Jack’s scars.
“How come you always push your feet out from under the covers every night?”
Ivy was surprised by the question and glanced down to find both of their feet poking out from beneath the comforter. “I don’t know. I guess I don’t realize I’m doing it.”
“I covered your feet four times last night,” Jack said. “Each time you pushed them back out. Do you do that in the winter, too?”
“Yes. Why were you up four times?”
“I like to watch you sleep,” Jack replied, not missing a beat. “You’re adorable when your mouth is shut.”
“Ha, ha,” Ivy muttered, although she snuggled a little closer. “If you think it’s weird that I push my feet out, why are your feet out, too?”
“My feet got lonely without your feet.” He rubbed his left foot against her right for emphasis.
“Okay, that was almost too cute for words,” Ivy said, laughing as Jack rolled to his side and kissed her. “Do you have time for breakfast?”
“I’ll make time,” Jack said, brushing her hair away from her face. “I don’t really want to go to work – although that could be said every day when I wake up next to you – but I have to hit the ground running today. Laura is in the area. She’s either doing this herself or with someone else. We have to know why.”
“The faster we solve the case the faster we can do all the fun things I’ve been dreaming about since I met you,” Ivy said, nipping at his chin.
Jack was intrigued. “What have you been dreaming about doing?”
“I want to go down to the lake on a picnic. I want to go for a hike to my favorite river and hang out – maybe even fight out there. I thought we could go horseback riding.”
“I like the lake and river ideas. I’m not getting on a horse.”
“Why not?”
“They freak me out,” Jack admitted. “I always fancied myself a cowboy when I was a kid. Unfortunately, I would’ve been the only cowboy in the world walking wherever he went. I don’t like the idea of being at the mercy of an animal.”
“You’re at my mercy … and I’m an animal.” Ivy mock growled as Jack tickled her ribs.
“We’ll definitely go on some picnics together,” Jack said, kissing her forehead. “To do that we have to find Laura. So, with that in mind, we need to get out of bed.”
Ivy reluctantly rolled away from him, resting her feet on the soft rug beneath her bed and stretching. The movement was enough to have Jack rethinking his decision. Instead, he sucked it up. Once they were free and clear from trouble they could spend as many lazy mornings as they wanted together. He was convinced he would never tire of it.
“What are you doing today?” Jack asked. “If you’re going to the nursery, I want to walk you over there myself and talk to your father.”
“I’m not going to the nursery today.”
Jack was relieved. “Thank you.”
“I’m going to Max’s lumberyard,” Ivy said. “We’re supposed to have lunch and I have a few things I need to talk to him about before Aunt Felicity’s birthday party. It’s in a few weeks. Hey, I’ll actually be able to take you as a date. That sounds kind of fun, huh?”
When Ivy turned in Jack’s direction she found him leaning forward with an irate look on his face.
“What?”
“You can’t go to the lumberyard. That’s twenty minutes outside of town.”
“I have to go,” Ivy said. “I promised.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“No!”
“Yes!”
Jack lifted the covers.
“What are you doing?” Ivy asked, irritated.
“Get back in here,” Jack said. “You’re going to kill us both. I hope you’re happy. You have no one to blame but yourself when you can’t walk in twenty minutes.”
Ivy couldn’t help but smile. “I’m really starting to like this whole relationship thing.”
“YOU look all … glowy,” Max said two hours later, making a face as Ivy approached him in the sales yard at his lumber business. “How much sex have you been having?”
After graduating from college, Michael and Luna helped Max start his own business – the same as they did with Ivy – and then they sat back and let him sink or swim. Max managed to turn his business into a money making machine, and Ivy was proud of him. That didn’t mean he didn’t irritate her.
“Don’t you think it’s a little weird for a brother to ask his sister questions about her sex life?” Ivy challenged.
“I’m not asking you to describe it,” Max said, wrinkling his forehead. “Don’t ever do that, by the way. What are you doing here?”
“I thought we were having lunch.”
“And I thought you were on lockdown until Jack solved the mystery of who was trying to kill you,” Max shot back, using a red chalk stick to mark something on the end of a board. “Should you be out without supervision? Heck, how did you even get here? I happen to know your car is still in the garage being fixed from that whole … shooting thing.”
Ivy rolled her eyes. “I borrowed Dad’s car.”
“Does he know?”
“I … yes.”
Max narrowed his eyes, suspicious.
“Fine! I waited until he left the front register to help a customer and then I stole his keys,” Ivy admitted. “I left him a note.”
“How does Jack feel about this?”
“Jack and I came to an … understanding.”
“Oh, I can’t wait to hear this,” Max said. “What understanding?”
“We like to make up after we fight,” Ivy answered, not missing a beat. “He likes to yell … and I like to yell … and then we like to make up.”
“You two are sick,” Max muttered. “How does he really feel? Don’t lie to me. I’m not thrilled with Jack right now, but the one thing I can say with absolute certainty is that he would never purposely put your life in danger … that includes letting you do something stupid.”
Ivy bit her lip. Max knew her too well. It was annoying. “He walked me over to the nursery, watched me steal Dad’s keys, and then threatened me with handcuffs – and not in a fun way – if I wasn’t really careful,” Ivy explained. “I’m not allowed to drive back to my house. I have to park Dad’s car at the nursery and then wait for Jack to walk me back home.”
“Oh, it’s like a really cute and co-dependent Lifetime movie,” Max teased, although his smile told Ivy he was genuinely happy to see her. “I’ve kind of missed spending time with you over the past few days. I guess now that you and Jack are officially on, I won’t be seeing as much of you, huh?”
“We’ll still be seeing each other, Max,” Ivy countered. “There’s no reason to cry. It’s just right now … with all that’s going on … Jack is kind of glued to my side.”
“Don’t kid yourself,” Max said. “Jack has always wanted to be glued to your side. He finally got his head out of his ass long enough to admit it. This is new. You guys should hopefully calm down once all this blows over. What’s going on with the investigation, by the way?”
<
br /> Ivy related the new developments to Max, sitting at one of the new picnic tables he was offering for sale and resting her chin on her hands. “The thing is, I don’t know how to help Jack through this,” Ivy admitted when she was done. “What happened to him was tragic and part of me thinks he has to go through whatever he’s about to go through alone.”
“I think it’s sweet that you’re putting his feelings ahead of your own,” Max said. “That being said, I don’t think Jack wants to handle this alone. I think he wants you with him. No matter what happens here, though, it’s going to be a blow for Jack. I do think you guys will manage to work it out on your own. You always do.”
“I feel like something is off,” Ivy admitted.
“What was your first clue? I’m thinking the dead cop, bullet in your shoulder, or being shot off the road should’ve been it.”
“I … if I tell you something, do you promise not to blab it to anyone else? I’m serious.”
Max’s handsome face sobered. “Okay.”
“Aunt Felicity made me do a séance the other day,” Ivy said, finally giving voice to something that had been bothering her for days.
“Oh, man, are you kidding me?” Max chuckled. “She tried to do that with me once. Ugh. I remember when you had that sleepover and she tried to do one and you kicked everyone out for making fun of her. Who did she want to talk to? Please tell me it was John Lennon.”
“She wanted to contact Marcus Simmons’ ghost.”
Max stilled. “Seriously? That’s … weird and interesting at the same time. Did she get him?”
Ivy furrowed her brow. “Do you believe in stuff like that?”
Max shrugged, noncommittal. “I … kind of do,” he conceded. “Don’t you?”
“I … .” Did she? She couldn’t deny she felt something at Felicity’s apartment. “If you ever tell anyone I admitted this, I’ll sneak into your house and shave your eyebrows. You’ve been warned.”
Max held up his hands, although he couldn’t hide his smile. “Lay it on me.”
“She was calling to Marcus and yet I felt something,” Ivy said, licking her lips. “I felt a presence.”
“Are you sure that it wasn’t just Aunt Felicity’s influence?” Max probed. “She might have convinced you that you were going to feel something so you thought you felt something.”
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