Imaginary Lover [The Doms of Sybaris Cove 7] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)
Page 14
“Thank you.”
Kate smiled. “You’re welcome. I think you’re all insane, but I totally understand.”
“How did they do what they did? They were out in open water.”
“I have no idea. Maybe the curse was never real?”
Ivy shook her head. “It was real. Of that I have no doubt. I never did.”
“Then maybe it’s been lifted?”
“They still have to make it back.”
Kate parked her patrol car and the two got out, then jogged to where they needed to climb down the rocks. “The curse only applies when they try to leave the island, right?” asked Kate.
“Yes.”
“Well, they left and didn’t die. So there you go.”
Ivy didn’t give a shit about how they’d gone to Little Cove. She only wanted them back. She needed to hold Tom and Merrick in her arms again, and this time she would never leave them. Never. As they made their way to the break wall, she glanced out over the water and her heart pounded. It looked so gray and cold and evil.
She’d never thought that about the Gulf waters before, but she did now. She willed their boat to come into sight. If they were higher up, like the view from Oceanview, she might be able to see it by now, but not from this angle. Not yet.
* * * *
Tom’s mind was reeling as they made their way back to Sybaris Cove. Nadine had done this. His sister. She’d stolen Ivy’s phone and keys, and then had tricked him and Merrick into thinking that Ivy was on Little Cove and hurt. And then she’d stolen a speedboat. How in the hell was he supposed to reconcile this?
Nadine had never been a kind person, or a particularly bright one, but this was beyond his comprehension. She had Scott. She’d taken him away from Ivy. Why had this been necessary? All because they’d made those remarks last week in The Green Parrot? Because Ivy hadn’t fallen apart when she lost her hosebag of a fiancé? Because Nadine hadn’t won anything except a loser of a boyfriend?
Tom didn’t understand it. He never would. His kneejerk reaction of calling Asa might have been a mistake, but it was one he didn’t regret now. Let Scott give Nadine a job. The two deserved each other. Maybe Asa could buy a few planes to fly passengers on and off the island as needed, and McMurphy Flight could scrounge for business elsewhere now.
But none of that really mattered. Only Ivy did. Her pretty face and big green eyes, and the way she looked at him and Merrick as if they’d hung the moon. Tom pictured that face, and let his mind go over every feature of it as they sped toward land once again. He still didn’t believe they’d done this, and had no clue what it meant in terms of the curse, but he wouldn’t feel completely at ease until they docked.
“There she is!” Merrick’s excited shout pulled Tom from his musings. He stood and followed Merrick’s gaze. There, on the break wall close to the slip where they would park this boat in a couple of minutes, stood Ivy and another woman.
“That’s Kate Morgan with Ivy,” said Irwin.
Ivy was dancing around, waving her arms like crazy. Tom and Merrick exchanged a glance, and Tom laughed at the look on Merrick’s face which surely mirrored his own. They were both head-over-heels in love like sick puppy dogs over her. And as far as Tom was concerned, that’s exactly where they needed to be. It was where he wanted to be. It always had been.
Ivy was the woman of his dreams, and now he knew it. Finally. And he would do everything in his power for the rest of his life to make sure she knew it, too.
* * * *
Ivy climbed off the break wall and ran up the rocks, and then back down again and over to the dock. Her entire body trembled with fear and excitement. She kept glancing back toward the boat, half-expecting a sea monster to rise out of the Gulf and pull the boat under. But that didn’t happen. The boat slipped into the dock as easily as a knife goes through butter, and then Tom and Merrick were running toward her.
She screamed and cried, then hugged them both until she could hardly breathe. Irwin and Kate were excited, too, but Ivy didn’t hear what they said. She was too busy kissing her Doms.
“I love you so much,” she said. “Both of you. Never do that again. Never. I’d never send you a crazy text like that.”
“We know that now,” said Merrick. “We were scared and didn’t think before we acted. But it doesn’t matter now. We’re here, and I love you, and I’m never leaving you.”
“I love you, too,” said Tom. “And we’re not letting you out of our sight ever again. Stay with us, Ivy. Forever. As our lover and our sub. Whatever you want. Do you want a collar, like the others have? We’ll buy you one.”
“And we’ll figure out which of our houses to live in,” said Merrick. “All three of us, so we’re always together. I want you as my lover and my sub, too. Please say yes.”
She could hardly think, let alone speak right now. She was sure her heart would burst with joy. “You braved the curse for me. You went out in a boat. To save me.”
“Of course we did,” said Tom. “We love you.”
“I love you, too. Both of you. And yes of course I’ll be your lover and your sub. I already am. I want nothing else for the rest of my life.”
Tom addressed Kate. “My sister needs to fry for this.”
Kate laughed. “Well, I don’t know if we can get it that far, but she’ll likely do some community service for the theft.”
“That’s not enough.” He cupped Ivy’s face. “I was so afraid when I got that text. Even while I didn’t understand it and something felt off, I was so scared for you.”
“I’m all right.” Her heart overflowed with love for him and Merrick until she had no room in there for anything else. “I’m okay. And now we’ll always be together.”
“We were ready to take the boat on our own,” said Merrick, “until Irwin showed up.”
“I still can’t believe you both did that. I love you so much.”
Both men hugged her again, and kissed her, and then they were in Kate’s car, heading back to the compound. Once they arrived, her parents were there, back from a flight, and Evan came outside as well. Everyone was talking at once, but Ivy only heard the voices of her two Doms, Tom and Merrick.
She had no idea what it meant in terms of the curse that they’d done what they did and didn’t die, but right now she didn’t care. They’d figure that out in time. All she knew at that moment was that she loved them with her entire heart and soul, and they loved her enough to risk that ancient curse. They wanted her with them forever, and that’s where she would be.
And she would make sure that they never, ever doubted how much she loved them.
THE END
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Tara Rose loves to write about small towns and the quirky people that inhabit them. You’ll find engaging characters, budding romance, intrigue, and plenty of hot steamy ménage sex within the pages of her books. You never really know what goes on behind closed doors, but her books will take you there, and leave you panting for more.
When she isn’t writing, Tara spends time with her husband—her real-life hero. She loves to cook, collect antique pottery, and she will read just about anything. Tara also plays the cello, and loves decorating her house for Christmas.
For all titles by Tara Rose, please visit
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