“I’m fine, Gage. Really,” I say as I open the door, stunned silent when I see who’s standing before me.
“Really?” Archer raises a brow, one hand in his pants’ pocket, the other clutching an article of clothing. “Why wouldn’t you be anything but fine?”
Oh. Shit. He should so not be standing in front of me right now. “What are you doing here?” I whisper, glancing over his shoulder to thankfully see Gage’s door is closed.
“Making sure you’re comfortable.” He thrusts his hand out toward me. “I brought you something.”
I’m ultra-aware of the fact that beneath the terry cloth, I’m wearing absolutely nothing. The impulse to untie the sash and let the robe drop to my feet just to see Archer’s reaction is near overwhelming.
But I keep it under control. For now.
“What is this?” I take the wadded-up fabric from his hand, our fingers accidentally brushing, and heat rushes through me at first contact.
“One of my T-shirts.” He shrugs those broad shoulders, which are still encased in fine white cotton. “I know you didn’t have anything to wear to . . . bed. Thought I could offer you this.”
His eyes darkened at the word bed and my knees wobble. Good lord, what this man is doing to me is so completely foreign, I’m not quite sure how to react.
“Um, thanks. I appreciate it.” The T-shirt is soft, the fabric thin, as if it’s been worn plenty of times, and I have the sudden urge to hold it to my nose and inhale. See if I can somehow smell his scent lingering in the fabric.
The man is clearly turning me into a freak of epic proportions.
“You’re welcome.” He leans his tall body against the doorframe, looking sleepy and rumpled and way too sexy for words. I want to grab his hand and yank him into my room.
Wait, no I don’t. That’s a bad—terrible—idea.
Liar.
“Is that all then?” I ask because we don’t need to be standing here having this conversation. First, my brother could find us and start in again on what a mistake we are. Second, I’m growing increasingly uncomfortable with the fact that I’m completely nak*d beneath the robe. Third, I’m still contemplating shedding the robe and showing Archer just how nak*d I am.
“Yeah. Guess so.” His voice is rough and he pushes away from the doorframe. “Well. Good night.”
“Good night,” I whisper, but I don’t shut the door. I don’t move.
Neither does he.
“Ivy . . .” His voice trails off and he clears his throat, looking uncomfortable. Which is hot. Oh my God, everything he does is hot and I decide to give in to my impulses because screw it.
I want him.
Archer
LIKE AN IDIOT, I can’t come up with anything to say. It’s like my throat is clogged, and I can hardly force a sound out, what with Ivy standing before me, her long, wavy, dark hair tumbling past her shoulders, her slender body engulfed in the thick white robe I keep for guests. The very same type of robe we provide at Hush.
But then she does something so surprising—so amazingly awesome—I’m momentarily dumbfounded by the sight.
Her slender hands go for the belt of the robe and she undoes it quickly, the fabric parting, revealing bare skin. Completely bare skin.
Holy shit. She’s nak*d. And she just dumped the robe onto the ground so she’s standing in front of me. Again, I must stress, nak*d.
My mouth drops open, a rough sound coming from low in my throat. Damn, she’s gorgeous. All long legs and curvy waist and h*ps and full br**sts topped with pretty pink n**ples. I’m completely entranced for a long, agonizing moment. All I can do is gape at her.
“Well, are you just going to stand there and wait for my brother to come back out and find us like this or are you going to come inside my room?”
More like I’m going to come inside her, if I’m lucky. Which I’m thinking I’m gonna be.
Moving fast, I crowd her, my hands going to her waist as I push her inside. I kick the door shut, snaking out a hand behind me to turn the lock before I settle it back on her waist.
The mention of Gage finding us like this got me moving. He’d tear my balls off with his bare hands if he knew I was touching his sister at this very moment. And then there’s that whole stupid bet I just made with him and Matt. Here I went on and on about not letting any chick tie me down and the one woman I secretly consider worth having a relationship with is finally showing a glimmer of interest.
Well, more than a freaking glimmer considering she’s nak*d and nestling that bangin’ body all snug up against me. I stare into her eyes, see them clouded with lust, and I lean in ready to kiss her. To take her deep and hard and make her moan with the pleasure of it all. Just like I did earlier, when I touched her out on the terrace. How easily responsive she’d been. Before I ruined it all and blew off what happened between us. Last thing I wanted was to make her angry, but I still managed, all because I didn’t want to piss off Gage.
I’m in a total no-win situation with Ivy and I know it. Yet here I am, her nak*d body in my arms, her lips leaning in close to mine, her br**sts coming into contact with my chest . . .
“Hey.” I squeeze her hips, my fingers pressing into her flesh, and she glances up at me, her eyes wide, her lips damp. As if she’d just licked them. Fuck, everything she does unravels me. But I need to know where we stand—where she stands. I can’t risk making this a bigger mess than it already is. “What are we doing here?”
A perfectly arched brow lifts. “Do I need to explain it to you?”
“You know what I mean.” I’m not taking this any further until I’m assured we’re both on the same page. “What do you want out of this?”
Ivy reaches out and starts unbuttoning my shirt, her fingertips brushing against my chest with every button she slides out of its hole. “One night of mind-blowing sex?”
I ignore the one-night comment for a moment, absorbing her words. I shouldn’t want more. I never want more.
With Ivy, I think I could.
Well, isn’t that f**king terrifying?
“And that’s it.” My voice is flat, though I suck in a harsh breath when her fingers brush my stomach with that final button she undoes before tugging my tucked-in shirt from the waistband of my pants. “That’s all you want from me.”
“Isn’t that all you want from anyone?” Her gaze locks on my chest and she exhales loudly. “I knew you were bigger than the last time I saw you, Archer, but oh my God.”
I smile, loving the way she’s looking at me. Like she wants to eat me up. “And when was the last time you saw me without a shirt on?”
“I don’t know.” She shrugs, her gaze lifting to meet mine. Her eyes are full of hunger, full of want, and I reach out, settle my hand on her cheek, and caress her soft skin. It’s like I can’t resist touching her. “When we were teenagers?”
“Well, I’ve changed a lot since then.” Leaning down, my mouth is at her ear when I murmur, “So have you.”
She slides her hands up my chest, her touch causing sparks to ignite along my skin as she pushes my shirt from my shoulders. I shrug out of it, settling my hands back at her waist, pulling away a bit so I can drink her in.
Jesus, she’s gorgeous. I’m hard as a rock just looking at her and I start to back her toward the bed, pushing gently at her shoulders so she falls onto the mattress with a little huff of annoyance. Her long hair falls around her shoulders in tousled waves, the ends barely covering her br**sts, tempting me to rake my fingers through the silky strands. Without warning she hooks her finger through the belt loop of my pants, pulling me forward and tipping me off balance so I fall onto the bed.
Fall onto her.
“Now I have you where I want you,” she murmurs just before she lifts her head and kisses me deep, her tongue immediately sliding against mine. She skims her hands down my back so lightly I shiver.
Damn, her touch feels good. She feels good beneath me, her hands on me, her legs winding around my hips. I still have my pants on but I can feel her. My erection nudges against her heated sex and she tilts her hips, grinding against me as she devours my mouth.
She’s turned into a wildcat, rubbing against me, her mouth on mine like she wants to consume me and I willingly fall under her spell. Let her take completely over, as I’m lost to her delicious taste, the way her tiny hands are all over me, at the front of my pants. Undoing the snap, sliding the zipper down until she’s reaching inside and stroking my cotton-covered cock.
“Wow, Archer, you’re packing,” she murmurs after breaking our kiss, her fingers curling around my erection and giving me an agonizing squeeze.
I burst out laughing at her comment. “Is that supposed to be a compliment?”
“Oh yeah.” She slides her hands around my hips, pushing my pants down until they bunch up about mid-thigh. “Take these off. Take everything off.”
“Bossy little thing, aren’t you?” I whisper against her mouth just before I swipe at her plump lower lip with my tongue.
“I never act like this,” she says when I climb off her to shed the rest of my clothes. Her greedy gaze never leaves me. “I think it’s all your fault.”
“My fault?” Her admission shocks me. How can she blame me for her crazy behavior? “How so?”
“It’s you or the champagne I drank earlier.” Her gaze drops to crotch level and she’s checking me out, her eyes widening the slightest bit once I shed my boxer briefs. “Um, wow.”
“Scared?” I rejoin her on the bed, grabbing her by the waist and hauling her over until she’s lying beneath me. “You should be,” I whisper before I kiss her. Devour her. It grows wild in an instant, my hands roaming her skin, mapping her curves, her hands just as busy as mine, diving straight for my cock. I’ll blow if she keeps touching me like that, and I’m not about to go that route, so I grasp hold of her wrists and pull her arms up above her head. Holding her captive and she wiggles against me, making little noises full of frustration.
Driving me f**king insane.
She breaks the kiss first, glaring at me as she jerks her hands against my grip. “I want to touch you.”
“You keep on touching me and I’m going to explode all over your fingers,” I growl.
Ivy laughs, arching against me so her br**sts brush my chest. I can literally feel the hard points of her n**ples press into my skin.
This woman is going to kill me. I just know it.
Chapter Five
Ivy
ARCHER BANCROFT HAS a body like no other man I’ve been with before, let alone seen live and in person, up close and in my face. All solid mass and smooth skin, defined muscles and broad chest and shoulders. He’s all I can see and hear and smell and taste while he lies on top of me, his long fingers curled around my wrists, holding my arms captive above my head.
What we’re doing is so completely unexpected, so unbelievably exciting, my entire body is shaking in anticipation. He’s kissing me like he’s a starving man and I’m the only thing he craves. I can feel his erection nudging between my legs, and I’m so wet for him it’s almost embarrassing.