Heaven Sent (10 page)

I make this kiss gentle and easy. She

needs to know that I have a gentle side to

me as well. I’m just finding out about it,

but it’s there. I wrap her in my arms and

we stand there for a long time.

I start to sing to her and our bodies

automatically begin to sway. She lets

her fingers entwine with my left hand

and then she pulls our hands up close to

her chest. She tucks our hands close to

her body, and I let my other arm pull her

in as tight as I can. I close my eyes and

realize how much I like having her this

close to me.

Ivy

I could push him away like my

mind is telling me to do, but I’ve

decided that going on tour is the best

idea for me. I don’t want to be here in

case Dylan tries to contact me. If I’m on

tour we will be constantly moving from

city to city. There will always be

security around, and I want to feel safe

again. I want this helpless feeling to

fucking vanish.

I’m not helpless. I’m a fighter. I

don’t let anyone get the best of me. I

could never go back to my apartment, so

now I’m homeless, and totally dependent

on Taron. This isn’t going to fly with me

either, but for a short time I’ll pick the

best of two evils and go with it. I have

always said that I would never depend

on a man like my mother always has. I

want to make my own way.

I don’t have any other options at

the moment, so I will give in and become

totally dependent on this man that can

both infuriate me and have me wet

within seconds of each other.

The real fact is, I need him right

now. I need him to feel again. Without

him, I let myself slide into the numbness

that is so easy to turn to. I don’t like that

I need him, but I do. I can’t let him know

this. He doesn’t need to know how

important he is to my emotional well

being.

Moments like this give me hope

that we can be together. His voice calms

me as he sings softly in my ear. The soft

side of Taron is beautiful and I cherish

every second he spends holding me as

we move to the music in his head.

I let my mind begin to wander and

decide that I need to put some distance

between us. I need him to be able to feel

and escape all of this, but I refuse to give

i nto him completely. That is just too

dangerous for me right now.

“We should probably hit the sack.

Our flight is early.” I pull away

knowing my feelings are all over the

place. I need to regroup and figure out

what I want out of him. I want to be

friends. I want forever. What the hell

do I want? I want forever with no

chance of heartbreak. We aren’t

promised that in any relationship. It’s

j us t that this one seems that odds are

especially stacked against us, so I lean to

being friends again.

“I’ll take the couch.” I grab the

pillow and move to the door. I hear him

moving around behind me so I look back

to see him also grab a pillow.

“Me too.” He is going to be

impossible.

“No. I told you we can’t be more

than friends.”

“And I told you that ship has

sailed. I’m not sleeping anywhere but

with you tonight.” This is that part that

infuriates me.

“Taron, I’m not sleeping with you.

I’m serious.”

“Ivy, I’m sleeping next to you. I’m

serious.”

We begin the stare down of the

century as we both refuse to budge. I’m

not

ready for anything more than

sleeping. I can’t let him in bed with me

again.

“Fine. I’ll sleep on Eaven &

Talon’s floor.”

“Fucking great! I’d love to piss

off my brother tonight. Let’s do it. Let’s

sleep on the fucking floor to prove that

you want to be friends. I’m good with

wherever you decide. Just know that if

you are in this house, I’m with you. If

you are anywhere near me, I’m sleeping

next to you. So quit fighting me.”

I think about his comment. He is a

pain in the ass. He will never quit. For

the purpose of getting to sleep tonight, I

give in. I do the one thing that Ivy

doesn’t do, and I let a guy win again and

THAT pisses me off.

“Why do you have to be such a

pain in the ass?”

“That’s what I do best!” The

smirk on his panty sniffing face makes

me smile. He is going to get his way and

we are going to sleep together.

“We are going to SLEEP.”

“Do you think that I’m a cold

hearted dick? I know we are sleeping.”

I climb into bed and wrap up in the

sheets that smell like him. I lay my head

on the pillow that carries the scent of his

gorgeous body. I close my eyes and pray

for a full night’s sleep. I feel him slide

into bed and know that he is

compromising with me by not wrapping

me in his arms. This is a small win for

me. I’m glad he is respecting that I want

to be friends. A win. Now I just have to

figure out why it doesn’t feel like a win.

I wake feeling refreshed and a

little more alive. This is progress. I

open my eyes and all I see is tan

sculpted abs. I’m sprawled out across

his stomach and his breathing is forcing

my head to move slightly with each

breath. I move my arm and find that it’s

wrapped a little lower than his waist. I

feel his morning glory bump into my arm

every time he inhales. It’s getting closer

and pressing a little harder each time he

takes a breath. I wonder if he is awake.

I want to take a peek so bad, but it would

lead him on.

The old Ivy would have done it.

The old Ivy would have done more than

take a peek. I move my arm slowly and

purposely edge the sheet out of the way.

I remain perfectly still and watch as he

continues to grow. I fight the urge to

wrap my hand around it and squeeze him

through his black boxer briefs.

I finally decide to lift his

waistband and take a peek. This quickly

backfires because now he is escaping. If

I were a bitch, I would just let it snap

back. I’m pretty sure I want to be here

again, so I slowly lower the band until it

smashes him. I sit up quickly and throw

the sheets over him hoping that if I act

like I’m getting out of bed he won’t try

anything. I look over and see the biggest

fucking grin on his face and I know that

I’m busted.

~Nine~

Taron

I wake up to the best sight a guy

could ask for. I want to yell out my

usual entrance into a party…WHO’S

READY TO SEE SOME DICK, but I

hold back. She would get so pissed if I

scared her right now.

Besides I want to see how far she

will go. I will her to lean in and begin

the day the best way I can imagine, but

she doesn’t. She jumps out of bed

quickly and abruptly. I can’t help but

grin anyway because I know she will

cave again. She is worth the wait. This

is something I know for sure. I won’t

push her too hard, but I will have fun.

“Good morning gorgeous!” I

watch as she gathers some clothes and

begins to rush to the bathroom.

“Uh. Mornin.”

“Do you want me to help you with

your shower?”

“Don’t even think about it.”

“Oh baby, I will definitely be

thinking about you in the shower.” She

glares back at me and I see a little fire in

her eyes. She looks like she wants to

say something, but instead she presses

her lips together and stomps into the

bathroom. I wait until I hear the shower

before I move for coffee.

I’m going to break through that

thick barrier she put around herself

again. I wish like hell that I could have

been there for her like she needed me to

be. The memory of her in his arms

haunts me throughout the day and night.

The shit going through my head right now

is killing me. I can’t believe I left her

alone and she was nearly raped. Every

time I look at her swollen cheek, I’m

reminded that I failed her. Not to

mention I pulled a jealous fit in the

middle of her crisis. If I would have

only said something to her when I saw

them at the apartment. It’s probably just

as well, because the words that would

have come out of my mouth wouldn’t

have been comforting at first.

Ivy has busted straight into my life

and I can’t risk losing her on all levels.

I want her to be happy and hopefully that

is with me. I will wait for her to come

around, but I have a feeling that I won’t

have to wait too long.

I pour us both a cup of coffee and

begin to walk back into my room. I see

Eavan begin to come out of my brother’s

room and I brace myself because I’m

standing in my underwear in a straight

view from where she’s standing.

“What the hell, Taron. Put on

some damn clothes. You think you can

just walk around here naked?”

“This is NOT naked, but I can

arrange that if you’d like.”

“Uh… no. DO NOT get naked or

I’ll get your brother and he’ll kick your

ass.”

“This is how I roll, Ev. Get used

to it. On tour, you might just see my

dick.” I love teasing her. She gets so

frustrated and I enjoy watching her

struggle to be bold and brave.

Her face blushes and turns bright

red. She lowers a brow and begins to

glare at me. I flash her my smile that

usually works when I get in trouble with

the ladies, but she isn’t backing away. I

start to laugh at her.

“Laugh all you want. If you flash

your dick at me then I’ll take a picture of

it. Then don’t be surprised if you see it

blasted on the internet. I can use my

outstanding Photoshop skills to edit the

photo first and you can be assured that I

won’t be adding to your size if you get

what I’m saying.”

“Damn. You’re harsh. I’ll keep it

in my pants. Just know that if you pulled

a stunt like that, I’d just have to prove it

to everyone that the photo was edited

and I’d just have to do it with you around

in public, so we might just want to come

to an understanding.”

“Yes! You understand that I don’t

want to see your shit and we will be

great. Besides, your brother has you

beat big time from what little I can see.”

Oh the challenge in that comment. I just

smile at the girl that loves my brother

more than anyone else in the world.

This is the point that I let her win. She

has come so far with her confidence in

the past few months. It seems that those

two just complete each other.

I edge into the bedroom and

quickly see something I really like. I

watch her brushing her hair. She’s

wearing one of my shirts and I let my

eyes travel down her long legs. I set the

coffee down and begin to make my way

over to say a proper good morning if

she’ll let me.

Ivy

He is a constant tease. He’ll never

quit trying, and honestly that’s probably

w hat I need to feel better again. He

reminds me that I’m sexy just long

enough for me to consider jumping on

him. Then I remember how my face still

looks. How the bruises are sore and

ugly as hell. That is not sexy. I love that

he still tries, but I’m not an idiot.

I really need to escape. This tour

will be a great way to live again.

I let the hot water rinse over my

body. Memories of Taron wash over me

as I let the soap run down my chest. I

internally struggle with my emotions and

it pisses me off that I can’t get my head

on straight. I need to feel life again. I’m

Ivy Adams. I don’t mope around. I grab

life by the dick and swing from the

rafters. It’s time to have a little fun. I

can do this.