Ivy's Twisted Vine Redux by Latrivia Nelson (the beach read txt) 📗

hair. He had gotten up and slipped on a pair of pajama bottoms and made himself a sandwich while she was sleeping. He chomped away watching ESPN and gulping down a can of Dr. Pepper. In the middle of an intriguing thought he paused mid-bite and realized that she was watching him. He smiled, revealing his dimples, swallowed hard and pulled her from under the covers. He was happy that Ivy was finally up; he had longed for hours to talk to her.

“Good morning,” she said realizing that she was still in the nude. Pulling the sheet over her exposed breasts, she stretched.

“You’ve nearly missed it,” Nicola said offering her his sandwich. “Some?”

“No,” she said waving it away. “Well, maybe just a little,” she said recognizing that she was starving. Taking a big bite, she laughed as mustard fell on his chest.

“Damn, girl,” he said laughing. “Now, you have to kiss it off,” he said pulling at her head.

“You’re so freaky,” she licked the condiment off his chest with her tongue. “There, is that better?”

Nicola looked at Ivy for a moment as she sat before him gleefully disheveled. Her long flowing locks graced her bare shoulders and back. Her wide brown eyes stared through him causing a stir not only in his silk jammies but also in his heart. He touched her chin and then straddled her long, shapely body on top of him. He could watch her all day if she let him. Embarrassed, she finally spoke trying to ease the sexual tension.

“How many times did we make love last night?” she asked leaning forward on his chest.

“I lost count,” he said in a husky whisper. “Why, nymph? Do you need more?” He put his hand on her bare bottom to discover it was still as soft as a baby’s.

Ivy laughed and then kissed his heart shaped lips. She needn’t say a word. She could feel him coming to life under her. He traced her face with his fingers, quietly looking at her, making sure that he had committed every mole, scar, curve, inch to memory. Rolling over on top of her suddenly, she smiled as he lifted his hips.

“Aren’t you going to help me?” he asked kissing on her neck.

“Nope,” she whispered. “If you want it bad enough, you’ll figure a way to get it.”

As if challenging him, Ivy put her hands behind her back. Nicola raised both brows at her enjoying how much she had come out of her shell. Pulling his pants off, he threw them across the room and returned to her grinning like a chess cat. She giggled again feeling as though she could float away in happiness. He tore the covers off of her leaving her naked and pulled her long legs to him. She tried to cover herself, belting a heavy laugh as he bit her sides. She screamed, wiggled her nose at him and tried to clamp her legs tight. He held her hands down against the bed, now naked on top of her and kissed her slowly. Then for no reason at all he stopped.

“What’s wrong?” she asked only inches from his face.

“Nothing is wrong. I just that that I’m…I think I’m…” he thought about what he was about to say. “…going to need a condom.” To afraid to dare speak his feelings aloud, he settled for reaching for the drawer of the nightstand.

Chapter Four: Someone’s Blues

Chapter 4

SOMEONE’S BLUES

“I think that I’ve been a fool,” Grey said staring at himself blankly in his bathroom mirror still sweating from his late night sex session. Running water into his black marble sink, he grabbed a large terrycloth towel and covered his naked body.

It had been over a month since he had spoken to Ivy and nearly a month and a half since he had held her in his arms. At first, he thought it was the right thing to do…break up and move on. His bachelor friends who were now at home with their girlfriends making love on this unusually cold autumn night had frequently shared this advice with him. Now, he was alone. The very thought infuriated him.

Where is Ivy right now? He began to feel jealously overtaking him. What if there was someone else in the picture? It had been a while and their last words to each other would have made anyone seek love in other places. What was he thinking when he said that shit to her? His father had always told him to never let his sexual indiscretions get in the way of true progression and that was exactly what had happened. He had been a damned fool.

“Grey, I’m about to head out of here,” a woman said zipping up her skirt. “Are you alright?” She noticed the troubled look on his face through his reflection in the mirror.

“I’m fine.” He turned around and smiled at her reassuringly. “Thanks for your company tonight. I enjoyed you.”

“Are you sure you’re okay? You seem different all of a sudden.” She could instantly sense the change.

“Honestly, I’m not okay, but don’t worry. It’s not because of anything that you did. I’m just feeling a little guilty right now.” In his heart, he knew that there was no better word than guilt. The guilt that he deserved. He was sure that those were not the words that she needed to hear, but it was all that he could say.

“Guilty? Oh. Well, don’t you think that it’s a little late for that?” Her eyebrow raised in contempt.

“Better late than never,” Grey said leaning against his sink feeling a little light headed.

“Grey, I have known you since you were in diapers, and the one thing that has remained ever constant about you is that you are indecisive. One minute you do and the next minute…you just don’t.” The older woman smiled at him and turned around. “Now come snap me up in the back.”

“Sure,” he said coming to her side. “I thought that I was doing the right thing by pushing