Will released Ivy and stepped back, gently extracting himself from her embrace. Her huge eyes had darkened to a stormy color—confusion and uncertainty shimmering in their depths.
What the fuck had he just done? He hadn’t meant to frighten her, but he knew that she’d intended that first kiss as a goodbye. He was more sure of it than he’d ever been of anything in his life. And he couldn’t just let her run away again—not without trying to convince her to give them a chance.
“And if I’m here when you get back?” she asked, slightly breathlessly. “What then?”
“Whatever you want.”
She snorted. “And if I want you to sit and do crossword puzzles with me?”
“Then, I do crossword puzzles with you. Though, fair warning—it’s likely I’d attempt to proposition you using the open spaces on the board.”
Her lips twitched as she fought a smile. “Good to know.” But her expression faded just as quickly. “What if I don’t know my answer?”
“You don’t need to decide, now. And despite what I just said, I won’t try to coerce you. You’re in control here.”
Her pink tongue darted out, moistening her slightly puffy lips. “And if I wanted you to give you control? Be submissive to you? Maybe have you use that...that...crop on me?”
He groaned and closed his eyes as his cock jerked in his pants at the thought of the firm leather against her pale, full arse. At the thought of her submission. Sliding his hand over his groin, he tried to adjust himself, conscious of her gaze following his every motion. “You’re trying to kill me, then?”
She slowly shook her head. “Just trying to make sure I know all of my options.”
When he’d broken the kiss a few moments ago, he’d had every intention of grabbing his phone and leaving. Now, he found himself driving his fingers through her hair and holding her head still while he devoured her. Swallowing the needy little noises she made as she clung to him. It was only the sound of a clearing throat behind him that broke the kiss.
She clutched his shirt and bowed her head against his chest as he glanced behind him.
“Don’t mean to rush you, mate, but we need to hurry or we’re going to miss the last train.”
The tension drained from Ivy’s body like a deflating balloon, and she slumped against Will. There was no need for her to tell him she was terrified of Charlotte or Caleb finding out about their potential arrangement.
And that worried him. If her fear was greater than her curiosity, she might well be gone by the time he got back.
“Give me a minute,” he shot back at his friend.
As soon as Will heard the door shut, he slid his fingers beneath her chin and raised her head so he could look her in the eyes. “No matter what you decide, I’m not going to tell anyone, and neither is Simon. Nobody has to know.”
She nodded solemnly then brushed a gentle kiss across his lips. “You should go.”
“I should.” He paused, trying to find the right thing to say. “But I hope I’ll see you again.”
Ivy watched him, her eyes unreadable.
“Tick. Tock,” Simon said through the screen.
Will brushed his thumb across Ivy’s lower lip before dropping one more kiss on her upturned mouth. “I’ll let you know when I’m headed back.”
“Okay,” she murmured, watching as he grabbed his phone off the counter then followed Simon out the door.
When he caught up with his friend, the other man was grinning. “I’m a little disappointed. I’d hoped to watch you squirm a lot longer than you did.”
“Trust me, I’m nowhere near done squirming. I don’t even know if she’ll still be in the country when I get back, or if she’ll have flown back to the States.”
Simon snorted. “After Eric, I’m not going to claim to be a good judge of character, but she seemed really into you. She barely took her eyes off you at dinner, and that kiss definitely didn’t seem like lack of interest.”
“Interest and interest in pursuing something are two entirely different things—especially when the thought of Charlotte or Caleb finding out seems to terrify her.” He sighed and opened the driver’s side door of his car and slid behind the wheel.
Simon tossed his bag into the backseat and got in. “She’ll be waiting for you.”
He’d love it if she were, but Will wasn’t about to get his hopes up. Not this time. How long had he tried to figure out how to contact her after the wedding? How often had he visited Charlotte and Caleb in the States in hopes of seeing Ivy? Both paths had, predictably, gotten him nowhere.
“So, you’re going to be utterly morose until after the team meeting?” Simon asked.
“I’m not morose.” Morose didn’t really describe it, but he wasn’t sure what did. All he was really sure of was that he needed to convince Ivy to give him a chance. Give them a chance.
“No. Your good mood is quite apparent. My mistake.” Simon shook his head.
Will didn’t bother answering, just pulled up to the train station with enough time to pay for parking and get a couple tickets for the London-bound train.
Once they were settled in their seats, Simon leaned over and murmured, “I promise, we’ll try to get the MRI over as quickly as possible—get you back to her before you know it.”
He knew Simon was just trying to help. Will didn’t even know what he was even so bent about. Sure, he’d spent an inordinate amount of time fantasizing about seeing Ivy again, but it didn’t mean they were destined to be together. Hell, he wasn’t convinced he was destined to be with anyone.
But he couldn’t get the memory of her out of his head. The way her breath had hitched and her eyes had dilated as soon as he’d covered her mouth. The way she’d practically pushed her face against his palm looking for more pressure. The way her nipples had tightened beneath her lightweight shirt and the way she’d squirmed, trying to relieve what he suspected was an ache between her thighs. An ache he was desperate to make more intense.
When she’d mentioned giving him control—suggested he use the crop on her arse—he’d nearly come in his pants. As tempting as the thought was, he couldn’t imagine starting her out with something so harsh. Maybe he’d bring her some crème brûlée with a side of flogger.
Lust surged through him and settled in his balls. He shifted in his seat to mask his growing hard-on then glanced at Simon. The other man stared at his phone, looking shell-shocked. Will’s arousal vanished at the sight of his friend’s expression.
“What’s wrong?”
Simon sighed. “Eric wants to talk. Now, he’s not sure he made the right decision.”
“He cheated on you for three months, and now, he thinks he made a mistake? Fuck that guy.”
A small sad smile curved Simon’s lips. “Pretty much.”
“You’re not going to talk to him, are you?”
He slowly shook his head. “He can deal with his own shitty choices.”
Will was glad to hear that. He just hoped Simon would stick to it. He didn’t want to see his friend hurt any more than he already was. Loneliness and heartbreak were a bitch, and sometimes, they dragged you back to the place you least needed to be.
He couldn’t help but think of Ivy, and he wondered what would happen if he and Ivy got involved and her knob of an ex wanted her back. Would she talk to the wanker? Would she give him another chance and crush Will’s heart in the process?
He shook his head at himself. His heart wouldn’t be crushed because his heart wouldn’t be involved. The only thing he’d offered her was a safe place to explore her kinks and to fuck her ex out of her system. Nothing more. Nothing less.