“Harder,” I cried out, my nails digging into the sheets, grinning as the whole bed jerked with us.
“Fucking shit!” I laughed or cried…I didn’t know…but this was heaven. I came for the second time with him.
“Ivy,” he cried out, coming in me.
Both of us gasped for air. He let go of my leg and it dropped quickly. I lay there for a few moments before rolling over to face him. And the look in his eyes, like a wild animal after it just had its first kill, told me this was just the beginning.
ETHAN
Standing under the heat of the shower trying to calm myself, it took all my strength not to just fuck her mad. Not to wreck her. I was being fucking considerate…me. One of the things I’d never been…yet the reckless woman put herself in my path again.
“You come here, you won’t be able to walk out,” I said to her when I heard her footsteps.
As if she didn’t hear me, she stepped in the shower with me, lifting her head to enjoy the water as it poured down every inch of her body. Wiping her face, she turned to me and waited…proving she did hear me—
“Ivy.” I gasped when she dropped to her knees in front of me. Her tongue licked the side of me until she reached the tip. Her hands slid up my legs, up to my thighs as she took me into her mouth.
Damn her. Hunching over the water pouring on my head as I grabbed a fistful of her hair with one hand and braced myself against the shower wall with the other, I thrust my cock into her wet, hot, beautiful mouth. I couldn’t help but give in, closing my eyes and enjoying the way she sucked me in, the sounds that poured out of her as I fucked her mouth. My cock hit so deep into her throat and yet she didn’t gag like other women, she just took it happily, gripping my legs for support.
My whole body begged for it…to cum…to see if she’d take all of it. But when I looked down to see her gazing up at me through those long eyelashes of hers. Fuck! This wasn’t enough. Pulling her hair, I forced her to release me.
“What’s wrong?” she asked innocently.
“You.” I snapped, turning her around and bending her over, spreading her thighs, as she braced herself against the wall, squeezing her sexy round ass, which had the most beautiful freckles on it. “You’re what’s wrong.”
Breathing through my nose, gripping her waist, saliva pooled in my mouth as I rammed myself into her pussy.
“Uhh…” She gasped, her hands flat against the wall.
“I tried warning you,” I said, clenching my jaw as I gave in…no, as I gave up controlling myself.
Nothing stopped me as I pulled out of her and slammed myself back in as hard as I could. My hips slapped against her skin…gasping for breath as I took her…hard. Slapping her ass till it was red and hunching over her back…I kissed her shoulder, her back pressed up against my chest as I reached under to grip her breasts, squeezing the both of them, pinching her pink nipples as I fucked her.
“Ethan…” Whatever she was trying to say was overcome by her moans. She trembled under me, crying out as she came.
My vision darkened, but I was unable to stop. Fuck, she’s tight.
“Ahh…” I couldn’t hold back any longer, going still as I filled her. “Fuck.”
“We just did.” She giggled when I pulled out of her, collapsing onto the shower floor. “You kept your promise…no way I’m walking out of here.”
Swallowing the saliva in my mouth and closing my eyes, I took a deep breath, the water now cold on my skin.
It’s only day two.
In just two days of meting Ivy O’Davoren, soon to be Callahan, she had seen the very worst of me, of my family, and had me inside her anyway. Two days, and yet it felt like years had gone by.
Finally able to see straight again, I turned off the water, leaving her as I walked over to the white cast iron tub in the corner. I filled that up with warm water before turning back to pick her up and take her with me.
“Oh…” She smiled when the water touched her skin.
Leaning back against the tub, I watched as she stared up at the skylight, the day diming to night.
“We’re getting married,” I told her.
“I know. You kinda made a big deal about it.” She snickered, lifting the ring I didn’t even remember seeing on her.
However, that wasn’t my point. “I mean, we’re getting married tonight.”
Her mouth dropped open. “Say what?”
“As tragic as today has been, it allows us to forgo a massive wedding on the grounds that our family church is no longer…” I bit the inside of my cheek. “My whole family is in the city. We’ll do it in my grandmother’s room and be done with it.”
She turned to me and pouted. “You really aren’t romantic, are you?”
“I told you that yesterday.”
She rolled her eyes. “Fine! And even though you just fucked me all over your room, I’m still wearing white.”
“I hardly fucked you all over my room. There is still the closet, the balcony—”
She put her hand over my mouth. “Are you trying to kill me?”
She was asking me? As if she wasn’t the reason I was like this to begin with. Reaching up, I took her hands off my face, drawing her closer to me, her lips just barely hovering over mine as I spoke.
“My father once told me history acknowledges four dangerous women: the woman who gave Adam the apple, the one who cast a thousand ships, the third who opened Pandora’s box, and the fourth…the wife of the Ceann na Conairte.”
She smiled from ear to ear and replied, “I’ve always wanted to be dangerous.”
Smirking, I leaned back, looking through the skylight. “That song you sang yesterday…sing it.”
She rested back against me, and I closed my eyes, hearing her voice.
She was made for me.
THIRTEEN
“We live in a dark and romantic and quite tragic world.”
~ Karl Lagerfeld
ETHAN - AGE SIXTEEN
“Let me see—”
“I got it.” He snapped, yanking his tie away from me and walking toward my aunt Cora by the fireplace. She glanced at Wyatt and then back at me.
“Don’t mind him. He’s just—”
I know. I mouthed back. He was always at his worst this time of the year. There wasn’t much anyone could do but just let Wyatt do what he wanted. Seeing Dona writing, as always, sitting by the window, her black shoes on the ground beside her. She was concentrating so hard, wiggling her toes excitedly. She didn’t even notice me as I sat opposite her by the window.
“ETHAN!” she screamed at me as I took the book away. “Give it back.”
“I hate being ignored!” I hollered back at her, smacking her hands away as I flipped the book open. “What are you writing anyway?”
“Ethan, I’m going to kill you!” She lunged at me, but I dodged, getting up with the book. I hadn’t meant to actually read it but seeing Mother’s name written there I couldn’t help it. “Ethan.”
Ignoring her and running around the room as she tried to steal it back, I read quickly.
“Wyatt, get your ass out of bed!” Melody yelled, ripping the sheets from the sleeping idiot who was still dry humping his pillow.
“Mom!” he hollered back. “Get out!”
“You get out. I own the house!” she yelled back.
“Ugh, you’re so an—” Before he could say it she took the pillow and beamed it right into his head, sending him back on his ass.
“What was that?” She crossed her arms.
“Seriously, why must we always train? I want to sleep.” He took the pillow and threw it back at her. But being the great woman she was, she caught it with one hand. However, the pillow burst, sending goose feathers all over the place.
They both froze.
Wyatt looked at his mother, his eyes widening in shock before he couldn’t help himself and broke out into a fit of laughter.
“You little….” His mother grabbed another pillow and began to beat him merciles
sly until all of sudden a pillow was beamed at the back of her head.
Upon turning she saw the teenage reflection of herself with green eyes already in battle mode with two pillows in hand. She tossed one to Wyatt, who made his escape, quickly grabbing onto the pillow, spinning around to face her.
“Et tu, Dona?” Melody asked her daughter.
“Caesar must fall, Mother,” her daughter said, charging toward her. But before she made it a pillow hit her square in the face.
In shock, Donatella looked up at her brother, who glared down at her, trying his best to be serious, as was his nature, but even he couldn’t help but smile.
“Not on my watch,” he said, standing by his mother, who handed him a pillow.
“And so the battle lines have been drawn,” Wyatt said, a fat grin on his face, pulling his sister up before bouncing on the balls of his feet.
Melody glanced at her first born, saying, “Remember…”
“Mercy is only for God and the Pope,” he replied, well versed in her battle strategies.
“FIGHT!” Dona yelled, charging once again.
All-out chaos ensued as the most epic battle of pillows began.
Feathers flying left and right in people’s faces, mouths, getting stuck in their hair. Neither would bow their heads in defeat. In the Callahan family victory was the only option. And part of victory, their mother had told them, was strategic planning. She knew her son and daughter would fight with their pillows until every last feather was out. However, she was wiser, much more cunning, with years of victories under her belt. While her first born kept them distracted and she half-heartily fought back with one hand...her right hand was gathering up all the other pillows and throwing them behind her. It was only when every feather had fallen out of Donatella’s and Wyatt’s pillows did they realize they didn’t have any other weapons.
“CHEATER!” Wyatt yelled, pointing at them.
“Ethan?” Melody called him. “What do we say about people who call others cheaters?”
“They have to be losers.” He smirked wickedly.
“Exactly.” She nodded. “And as the losers you must pick up each feather.”
“Mommmm,” Dona whined.
“Ethan?” she called again. “What do we call whiners?”
“Still losers,” he replied, the smirk on his face now a full-blown smile.
“You guys are…” When Dona saw her mother’s glare she shut up and got on her knees to gather up the feathers.
“This is going to take all day,” Wyatt grumped, getting down beside her.
“What is this?”
All four of their heads rose to see their father, still in his pajamas, his brown hair an epic mess.
“Victory,” Melody and Ethan said at the same time.
Liam glanced down at his two other children and shook his head. “You do not surrender.”
“They took all the pillows,” Wyatt said, looking up at him.
Liam sighed, walking over to his wife and kissing her cheek. “What are we going to do with these brats?”
“Hey!” Ethan snapped. “I was on the winning team.”
Liam raised his eyebrow, bent down, and took the pillow, smacking him upside the face so hard he landed on his ass next to Wyatt. Then he stepped in the same spot he once stood.
“That’s your team.” He pointed to his brother and sister. “The only team your mother is on is mine.”
Melody laughed, shaking her head. “So immature.”
“Try and deny it,” he said, waiting for her to speak, and she didn’t, rolling her eyes at him. But he ignored it and looked down at his kids. “Enjoy cleaning. Your mother and I are going to—have adult time.”
“URGH!”
“SERIOUSLY?”
“JUST GO.”
The three of them yelled, completely grossed out.
Their mother bent down to Ethan, picking a feather out of his hair. “Thanks for having my back, little man.”
“I’m taller than you,” he said back, sulking.
“Want me to cut you down to size?” She tilted her head to the side.
“I mean, no problem,” Ethan said quickly, causing both his siblings to snicker.
As Melody kissed her other children, Liam bent down in front of Ethan, smirking, the one Ethan had yet to master. “No hard feelings, kids. One day when you get married you’ll understand.”
Ethan didn’t say anything to him.
Rising back to his feet, he ruffled both Dona’s and Wyatt’s hair before he and his wife left.
That is how the Callahan family spent today.
I’d gotten to her last words, the date today’s date. When I glanced up, she had tears she wouldn’t let fall built up in her eyes. She snatched the book from me and walked back to the window.
Rubbing the back of my head, my chest burned…I’d smiled. I’d wanted to laugh. It felt so real. Like a memory I’d forgotten. I could feel the pillows. I could see her…our mother. But it wasn’t a memory. There were no pillows and I couldn’t just see her. She was gone. She’d never have that moment.
That’s what she’s doing. I realized. Every year she’d taken out that same book and she must have made a story, an alternate ending.
“He’s not coming.” My uncle Declan frowned, standing at the door.
“Then I’m not—”
“We’re going!” I hollered at Wyatt. “Mom at least deserves us.”
Annoyed, I wished I’d never read it. It made it worse. I stomped out of the room and out through the hall until I got out of the damn house. The black cars were waiting. Turning back, I looked up at the office, his office. All I saw was his hand with a glass of wine…my mom’s wine.
“Ethan?” Toby said in shock, immediately placing the roses behind his back.
“Why do you look shocked? It’s my house.” I looked him over and the roses still behind his back. “I told you last year my mom wasn’t a fan of roses.”
“It’s the only flower they had ready at the flower shop.”
That sounded like bullshit, but I didn’t want to think anymore, opening the driver’s side door.
“You comin’?” I asked him.
“Yea.” He ran to the other side of the car, hopping into the front and throwing the roses into the back.
I pulled out. I didn’t want to be near any of them right now. I was sick of it…all of it.
“Toby.”
“Yea?”
I thought about how to phrase it and just settled on the simplest. “When I take over, I’m going to have to get married…don’t let me fall in love with her.”
“And how the hell am I supposed to stop you?” he asked seriously.
He had a point. “Fine…if I do, and she dies, kill me too…don’t let me become like him.”
“Fine.”
I glared over at him, ready to kick him out of the car while I was still driving. “At least pretend to be conflicted about it, you fuck.”
“How about you fall in love first? I’ll worry it about it then,” he muttered, closing his eyes and smiling. “I’ve never had a Callahan drive me before.”
“Have you ever had a Callahan run you over?” I asked him and luckily he didn’t speak. I drove, knowing full well a guard was following behind me. He wasn’t needed. I dared anyone to start shit today…I’d kill him with my bare hands.
If my father wasn’t going to be at my dead mother’s side, I’d be there.
FOURTEEN
“You and this world will remember me.”
~ Bonnie and Clyde
IVY
I, like many girls, always dreamed of my wedding day. Being engaged once before, I’d already started planning.
My colors were going to be deep red, sunset orange, and cream.
I wanted roses. Not just any roses but deep red, just barely blooming pink, and white roses.
My dress was going to be made by Mrs. Crenshaw down on 2nd street.
The wedding was supposed to be huge. The w
hole block was invited to come.
It’s funny how life works out, huh?
There were no colors. And we hadn’t even thought of flowers until we’d gotten here and so we used the pink and purple tulips Ethan’s aunt Coraline had brought for Evelyn. My dress, it was white, thankfully, and not by Mrs. Crenshaw, but Diane von Fürstenberg. And though Ethan’s family was big, it was hardly huge. Nothing in my life came out the way I’d tried to plan it.
Nothing. And yet…
“Ethan Antonio Giovanni Callahan, do you take Ivy O’Davoren to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?”
“I do.” He didn’t hesitate, his eyes never leaving mine.
“Ivy O’Davoren, do you take Ethan Antonio Giovanni Callahan to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?”
“I do,” I answered softly, frozen under the power of his gaze.
The priest went on. “Are you prepared, as you follow the path of marriage, to love and honor each other for as long as you both shall live?”
“Yes,” he and I said at the same time.
“Are you prepared to accept children lovingly from God and to bring them up according to the law of Christ and his Church?”
Children!
“Yes,” Ethan said alone and raised his eyebrow at me when I didn’t speak. He squeezed my hand slightly.
“Yes.” I nodded.
“Rings,” he called for them.
And Wyatt, even to his surprise, was the one who gave it to him. Ethan gave him a strange look, but Wyatt ignored him, stepping back, and Ethan focused back on me.
“With this ring, I bind my life to yours, in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. It is a symbol of my eternal love, my everlasting friendship, and the promise of all my tomorrows. An outward reminder of our inner unity. I forsake all others, I choose you, until death do us part,” Ethan said, sliding the gold ring back onto my finger until it met with the engagement ring.
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