Ivy’s POVHe takes a slow step closer, and I feel it immediately, the shift in the air, the way his presence sucks all the oxygen from the room. My breath catches, but I don’t move. I hold his stare, refusing to back down.“Don’t push me,” he growls, his voice so low it’s practically a vibration against my skin. His eyes are locked on mine, hard, burning, unreadable. Dangerous.He closes the gap between us until I’m caged in, his big hands gripping the back of my chair, his body towering over mine. My legs are pressed together, tight. My heart’s pounding, but it’s not from fear. It’s never fear with him. It’s that insane, maddening thrill.And I can’t lie to myself, I love this part. The part where he gets territorial and starts acting like the possessive bastard I know he is. It gets me wet faster than anything else.“I’m not doing anything wrong,” I murmur, but there’s a spark in my voice I know he catches. A flick of mischief. Defiance.He narrows his eyes. “You think I don’t see w
Ivy's POV I don’t even hesitate.My fingers move across the screen like they’ve got a mind of their own, and before I can second-guess it, the message is gone, delivered.“Hey, it’s been a while. How have you been?”Simple. Innocent. Totally casual on the surface.But I know exactly what the hell I’m doing.My lips curl into a wicked little smirk as I toss my phone onto the bed, the buzz of adrenaline already starting to simmer low in my belly. It’s stupid, reckless, borderline insane. But the thought of Alexander’s reaction? The slow burn in his eyes when he realizes I reached out to someone else, another man? Yeah. That’s the drug I’m after.God, I need him to snap. I need to feel that raw, violent possessiveness he tries so hard to leash around me. I want to poke the beast until he fucking roars.And Luke? He’s just a tool. A match I’m striking to light this fire.The ping of a new message comes almost too fast, Luke always was a little eager.Luke: “Wow, didn’t expect to hear fro
Alexander’s POVShe’s trembling.Not just from the orgasm, I know the way her body moves when I’ve wrecked her. This is different. Her legs are weak, her back’s damp with sweat, and her hands are gripping the counter like she’s afraid she’ll float away if she lets go.I stay inside her for a moment. My cock still twitching. Still buried where it fucking belongs.I hate that she left tonight.I hate that I came home to an empty goddamn bed, heart thumping like a bastard, imagining her walking around with those big eyes and that perfect mouth, dressed like a sin, with nothing under that short fucking dress.But more than anything, I hate how much I panicked.Fuck.I pull out of her slowly, and she gasps like her body doesn’t want to let me go either. I catch her before her knees hit the floor, one arm around her waist, the other cupping her cheek.“You alright?” I murmur, eyes locking with hers in the mirror. “Answer me, baby girl.”She nods, lips parted, chest heaving. “Y-Yeah… just… f
Ivy’s POVAlexander doesn’t waste another second.He shoves me back against the counter, one hand on my throat, not choking, just holding, reminding me exactly who’s in control. His breath is hot against my face, his chest rising and falling like he’s barely holding himself together.“I should make you crawl, Ivy. Right here, in this goddamn bathroom,” he snarls, voice low and rough. “On your knees, like the desperate little slut you pretend not to be.”My throat tightens. Not from fear, never fear. From anticipation. From the way his filthy words scrape down my spine and land straight between my legs.“I didn’t do anything wrong,” I breathe out.“You snuck out. In this,” His hand fists the hem of my dress, jerking it up. “Wearing this tight little thing like you forgot who fucking owns you. Who fucks you. Who makes you come so hard you cry for me.”His hand slides up my thigh and stops when he feels it.“No panties?” he growls. His eyes snap up to mine, furious and dark. “You left th
Ivy’s POVLater that night, I stand in front of the mirror, heart racing, nerves tangled in my stomach like a coiled spring. The soft fabric of the dress clings to my curves, hugging me in all the right places. It’s not over-the-top. Just simple. Classy. Elegant. But more than anything, it’s me, something that feels like a piece of the old Ivy, the version of me that existed before Alexander turned my world into a beautiful, chaotic storm.I smooth my hands over the dress, eyeing the reflection one last time. There’s a flicker of guilt, but also a flicker of something else. Excitement. Rebellion. A need to breathe. Just for a night.My heels barely click against the marble floor as I sneak down the hallway. The house is too quiet, the shadows long and stretched. Alexander had gone to his office hours ago. Or so I thought. My pulse quickens with every step closer to the door.Please don’t be watching. Please don’t follow me.The guards don’t stop me. Probably because I’ve been sweet-ta
Ivy’s POVThe morning sun filters in through the tall windows, warming the silk sheets tangled around my body. My limbs ache in that satisfying, delicious way, a reminder of everything Alexander did to me last night. My thighs are sore, my lips still swollen from his kisses, and my neck… marked.I drag myself out of bed, my skin still humming, my mind spinning between rebellion and desire. He’s nowhere in the room, which gives me a rare moment to breathe, to think.When I reach the grand entrance hallway, a crisp white envelope sits on the side table by the door, standing out like a dare. It’s thick, expensive paper with gold calligraphy. No name on the front, just my address, handwritten in familiar, loopy script.I already know who it’s from before I even rip the seal.Claire.Claire fucking Maynard.We were inseparable back in high school , sneaking out of classes, dancing barefoot at 2 a.m., crying into wine bottles over douchebags who didn’t deserve our mascara. Then life happen