Take Me Now (7 page)
Things have gotten so bad that it feels like I don’t have anyone left to turn to. I mean, I guess I could talk to Sophie about it but she’d probably think I was overreacting. She wouldn’t understand why I’m upset about what Ryan told me. She’d most likely tell me I’m blowing things out of proportion and that boys will be boys. She’s not exactly a prude herself, and her advice would be something about how I should be flattered that Ryan thinks of me that way. I can’t deal with hearing anything along those lines.
There is someone I can call, not to talk about this, but just to hear a comforting voice. I’ve been stubborn in avoiding thinking about him all day. I’m sure he’s been leaving me messages but Lauren reset the password on my extension’s voice mail so that she would be able to screen all of my calls. She doesn’t want me talking to him on the job but she can’t prevent what I do in my personal life. At least, that’s what I’m trying to tell myself.
I already preprogrammed the number of the garden center into my phone. It’s after nine o’clock and he’s probably not even there but it’s worth a shot. This can very well blow up in my face. But as for the day I’m having, there’s no way in hell I can go back to my dorm room and cry in my pillow. I require more than that. I want a living, breathing connection to a human being. Everything with him has always felt so natural, so right. It’s the other people getting in the way that’s the problem.
Before I can second guess myself, I turn on my phone, illuminating the darkness that surrounds me. Tapping through my contacts, I find his name and hit the call button. It rings and rings and rings. And just when I’m about to hang up, I hear his breathless greeting. “Hello?”
I’m by the tub-sized sink in the back trying to scrape the caked mud off my boots when I hear the phone ring. I’m not in the mood to run barefoot to the register in order to pick it up but my deep-seated work ethic overrules my inner slacker. I race for the receiver, nearly knocking it off the wall in my haste. If it’s a telemarketer, they’re about to get an earful concerning the Riverside Gardens’ number being on the official ‘do not call’ list.
“Hello?” Her voice sounds shaky but I’d know it anywhere.
“Ivy? What’s wrong?” I cut to the chase. In just her one-word greeting, I can tell she’s in some kind of trouble.
“Eric, hey.” She swallows on the other end in attempt to compose herself. “I thought I’d call and see how you’re doing.”
The caller ID is displaying the digits to her cell and I write them on the back of my hand in case we get disconnected or something. I’m not losing contact with her, not again. Her reaching out to me is the opportunity I’ve been waiting for. I’m not going to mess this up. It’s too important.
“I’m fine, but you don’t sound so good. Where are you? Not still at the office I hope.” Lauren works some crazy hours and I wouldn’t be surprised if she was burning the midnight oil while simultaneously running Ivy into the ground.
“No.” There’s an unmistakable pause like she’s debating whether or not to tell me where she is. “I’m actually behind the pizzeria in the Midland Shopping Center. Don’t ask why. I needed to get away from someone, that’s all.”
“What? Do you need me to come and get you?” Adrenaline courses through me. What if she’s hurt? What if someone attempted to hurt her? What the hell is she doing there?
“It’s cool, Eric, really. I had a killer of a day and then an old friend told me something that upset me and I just couldn’t deal with it. I’m probably blowing things way out of proportion and getting eaten alive by the mosquitoes, but I needed some space. I felt like life was suffocating me.” She lets out a sigh and an ache surrounds my heart. “But I already feel better talking to you. That’s why I called. I know things have been weird between us and I don’t want to get in the way of anything you have going on with Lauren, but I needed to…”
“You don’t have to explain. I get it.” I quickly transfer the call to my cell phone, pulling it out of my pocket. She continues talking as I rush back to the washroom, shoving my feet in my dirty boots. Turning off the light, I lock the door of the garden center and jump in my truck.
“What’s that?” The roar of the engine in the background startles her. “Eric, please tell me you’re not doing what I think you’re doing.”
“Of course I am. I’m coming to get you.” The cab rattles as I drive a little too fast over the bumpy road.
“Turn around, or I swear I’ll be gone by the time you get here.” She’s threatening me, but I think she’s bluffing. I just have to keep her talking in order to distract her. I need her to be there when I arrive. I have to see her again.
“Oh no, you don’t. You called me out of the blue needing help. Do you really think I’m going to turn you down?” My tone is adamant. She has to realize how much I care about her. I’m not the type of guy who plays games with women. If she wants me, I’m all hers.
“Are you bringing your wonder dog, too?” There’s a hint of a chuckle in her voice, and I can’t help but think back to how we first met and how I cradled her in my arms.
“Nope, Shep’s most likely snoring away on my feather bed, muddy paws and all.” I roll my eyes even though she can’t see me. I’ve got no game whatsoever. There’s nothing sexier than telling the girl you can’t stop thinking about that your sheets are stained with paw prints.
“Awww…” And her reaction unthaws a piece of my heart I never thought would melt. She’s a good person through and through and that’s the reason I’m falling so hard for her. Sure, she has a killer body, and the kiss we shared made me want to take her right there against the porch railing, but it’s more than just the physical with her. She makes me want to live again.
“So tell me about the dress you’re wearing to the gala. Don’t girls like to talk about clothes and stuff?” She laughs and I hope I’ve bought myself a few more minutes. I’m barreling down these dark country lanes with my high beams on. If a deer happens to run out in front of my truck, I’m toast.
“It’s nothing fancy. It’s vintage, even. I found it on eBay.” I have no clue how to keep this conversation moving forward, but I’ll give it my best shot.
“Vintage? That means it’s old, right?” I swing around a bend as my brakes screech in protest.
“Yeah, it’s from the 1960s. I modeled it for my friend in the dorm and she said I looked very Jackie O. So I’m taking that as a compliment.” And that’s what I like about Ivy. She doesn’t try too hard to be overtly sexy. She’s comfortable being herself, and that’s what I find so alluring about her.
“I can’t wait to see it in person.” The gala is a sore subject between us. I took a risk bringing it up. Now let’s see if it pays off.
“Are you still going with Lauren?” There is a bitter quality to her voice that I can’t deny. I glance at the clock on the dashboard. I’m almost there. I feel like she’s going to disappear like Cinderella at midnight. I put more weight on the accelerator.
“Just because I’m committed to escort her there—for business reasons that are out of my control—it doesn’t mean that I’m leaving with her.” I don’t know how to make my intentions any plainer. But the lag in the conversation sends me into panic mode. “Ivy, are you still there? Did you hear what I said?”
“I heard you.” That’s it, nothing more. It’s like she doesn’t believe me. What more do I have to say to convince her? Maybe words aren’t enough in this case. I’ll have to show her instead. I can see the lights of the shopping center and I make a rough turn into the parking lot, cutting off an oncoming car. Hurtling to the back area where the workers stash their vehicles, I leap out of the truck, leaving my headlights on to illuminate the path in front of me. I’m almost there. Where is she?
Stepping onto the embankment, I peer down into the darkness. At first I don’t see anything as my eyes try to adjust to the shadows stretching below me. It’s only when a rock tumbles down the cliff on the right do I notice Ivy climbing up. Running over to her, I extend my hand and pull her up. Even in the dim light, I can tell she’s beat. She looks more exhausted than she did this morning, and there are dark circles beneath her eyes. What is working with that witch doing to her? That’s it. I refuse to stand by any longer. Lauren’s power over us is ending tonight.
“Eric!” She stumbles into my arms and I hold her against my chest. Stroking her hair, I let my hand wander down her back, hardly cognizant of what I’m doing. She’s back in my embrace; that’s all I’m able to comprehend. She feels so good. It’s like taking a long drink of cool water on a sweltering day. That’s what being in her presence does for me.
“It’s okay. I’ve got you now.” She collapses against me and I can’t help but pick her up. I’m taking matters into my own hands. She wraps her arms around my neck, and I open the passenger door. Depositing her gently inside my truck, I hurry to the opposite side and get in. Afraid that she is going to stop me, I rapidly shift into reverse and head out of the lot. She doesn’t say anything as we pass the
Gazette
’s office and I finally exhale. This girl needs a little T.L.C. and I’m determined to give it to her.
Reaching across the console, I take her hand in mine, rubbing my thumb over her knuckles before making circles against her palm. Feeling her hand in mine is electric as she squeezes my hand in return. All I want is for her to feel good, and if I can help make that happen, even better. I know what it’s like to be stretched to the limit, and that’s the last thing I want to see happen to her. I’ll be her rock, if she’ll let me.
“Thank you for doing this. I realize it’s asking a lot.” She glances nervously in my direction as the breeze from the open window plays with her hair. She looks so beautiful silhouetted against the moonlight. I contemplate stopping the truck right here and succumbing to whatever happens. But she’s tired and I don’t want to push it. They’ll be time for make-out sessions on deserted country roads. I’m in this for the long haul with her, no matter where tonight leads.
“Are you kidding? I’d like nothing better than to show you around my house. It’s what I planned to do before we were so rudely interrupted.” Ivy looks away when I mention Lauren. Damn it. I have to bring her back to me. “I don’t grant many people access. You’ll only be like the fourth person who’s ever stepped foot in the place. I like to keep it as my refuge from the world.”
I feel her eyes on me again, but I’m too scared to meet them. I don’t have any plans for sleeping with her tonight or anything. Even for me, it’s too soon for that. It’s been years since I’ve had sex and I’m beyond horny, but I intend to take things slow with her. She deserves to realize she means so much more to me than a one-night stand. I’d rather wake up with her every morning for the rest of my life. But I’m afraid confessing my thoughts will only frighten her away. I can’t come across too strong. I don’t even know if she feels the same way about me.
“Four? Name them.” She’s testing me and I’m happy to play along.
“My mom and dad, Cassidy and…”
“Me.”
“Exactly.” However, hearing Ivy linking herself with Cassidy in such a way has to be a little off-putting for her. It’s jarring, even to my ears.
“So you haven’t been with anyone since…?” She’s cutting to the chase and I’m glad to confirm her suspicions.
“No.” I haven’t slept with a woman since the Valentine’s Day where Cassidy conceived. After that, she was too sick to make love. We attempted it a couple of times but her libido just wasn’t there anymore. I’d never seen Cassidy cry so hard as she did in those moments when her body failed to respond to my touch. To her, it probably felt like she’d lost me already. When I watched her coffin being placed beneath the earth, it’s like she died a second time that day, her body having left long before her soul.
I made love to Cassidy in that house before it was a home, when it was just a shell of possibilities. I can’t even begin to gauge my reaction of what will happen when I share my passion for Ivy under that roof. Will I be able to let go and be with her or will the memory of what I had with Cassidy linger? Talk about performance anxiety. The last thing I want to do is let Ivy down or think I’m rejecting her in some way if my emotions turn into a jumbled quagmire in the bedroom. We’ll just have to take it one step at a time. Hopefully, my mind will be consumed with nothing but thoughts of Ivy when we’re tangled beneath the sheets.
For a time the two of us remain silent as we approach the tree-lined lane leading up to the house. It’s a clear night and the sky is filled with a multitude of stars. I make a wish on the brightest one I see. Let me have a fresh start with this vibrant girl beside me. Let nothing stand in our way.
There’s an old-fashioned lamp glowing in the front window while the upper ones are adorned with battery-operated candles. It feels so much more welcoming, driving up to the door with Ivy at my side. It’s like, for the first time since I’ve built the place, I’ve finally come home. She’s what makes it real. What I’m feeling for her can be the cornerstone holding it all together. If only she could feel the same way about me. Her face is awash in contentment as she stares up at the house. She doesn’t give voice to what’s going on beneath the surface, but I can tell she’s pleased and that means everything to me.
Pulling up, I glide the truck to a stop before the porch steps. It’s as if I’m moving in slow motion as I get out and open the door for her. Not waiting for her to jump down, I once again encircle her in my arms, lifting her from the cab. She giggles into my shirt at my continued chivalry but I want to carry her over the threshold. We’re not a married couple by any means, but it feels like we’re starting a new life together, and I want to do things right.
It’s such an important moment for me that my hand starts to shake and I can’t fit the key in the lock. Reaching out, she steadies my hand, guiding it where it needs to go. The door falls open and she turns in my arms to stroke my face. I lean into her touch and she draws my lips closer to hers. And then I literally see stars. She explodes around me as her tongue dances with mine. She tastes like oregano and spices. I can’t get enough of her as I close the door behind me with my foot.
Pinning her against the wall, she repositions herself so that her legs are now around my waist. Her foot slides down a bit, barely grazing the space between my legs. I let out a moan as I pry my mouth away from hers and devour her neck. Her hands grasp handfuls of my shirt and I know she wants it off. Moving away the slightest bit, I give her room to work as her hands slide up my ribcage and over my biceps as she tears the shirt from my body. She sighs, exploring the muscles formed from years of manual labor. With her thighs, she grips my waist tighter as she begins to move against me.
I’m about to lose control. It’s been so long since I’ve gotten anywhere close to this point with a woman. My tolerance for foreplay is embarrassingly low. I’m afraid I’m about to come. It’s like having a wet dream but standing up with Ivy wrapped around me. I feel like a teenage boy who lacks self-control and knows next to nothing about pleasing a woman. When she feels the moisture pressed against her core, she’s going to be mortified. I have to stop this now before it’s too late and I ruin everything.
Breaking our kiss, I carefully lower her to the floor. Out of breath, I prop my hands on either side of her face, willing my pulse to slow down. I can’t open my eyes and look at her yet. I’m afraid of what I’ll see. Will she think that I’m rejecting her? I’m going to have to explain that I just want to take it slow. I don’t know if she realizes it, but she had me right then and there. One more thrust of her hips and I was a goner. Everything is throbbing. I’m full of pent-up frustration, dying to be released. If we ever do make it to the bedroom, the first time we’re truly intimate, I’m going to have to work fast. I’ll probably be inside of her before she’s even ready for me.
