Ivy's Twisted Vine Redux (6 page)

“Yeah, you could say that,” Ivy said taking another sip of her water. She was beginning to really tense up. Maybe she needed something stronger to drink than water? If she didn’t calm down soon, she would begin to sweat under her arms. It was a horrible nervous reaction that she could neither control nor conceal.

Realizing Ivy was uncomfortable, Nicola turned to her. “Relax,” he said putting his hand on her balled up fist.

“I don’t know why I’m so nervous,” Ivy said looking down at her fists. It was a yet another nervous habit of hers when she became uncomfortable. “I guess, I just wasn’t expecting there to such an intimate setting tonight.” She looked at Trina.

“This isn’t intimate.” Nicola chuckled at her remark and looked at Brooks.
Where had they found this girl?

“For someone that’s been in a relationship for eight years with the same guy and not gone on absolutely one outside date this is very intimate.” Ivy smiled nearly breathless from her pour out.

Nicola laughed silently shaking his head in amazement at Ivy. She was a real piece of work. Green as money and probably as tight as grandma’s grip.

“Five years?” Nicola said as he looked down in his empty bottle. “Damn, Brooks do we know anyone down at the precinct that’s not married that’s been in a relationship five years?” He tried to slip out a sly burp.

“Hell no,” Brooks said getting up out of his chair and grabbing Trina by the hand. “My own parents weren’t married for five years.” It was clear exaggeration, but he would go along with his partner for face sake.

“Where are we going?” Trina asked grabbing Brooks’ hand and giving him a mischievous look.

“I need to show you something.” Brooks kissed Trina’ neck. “We’ll be back. You two can keep each other company.” He pointed at Ivy and Nicola.

Ivy looked up alarmed. She did not want to be left alone with this…Neanderthal, but alas her cares where in vain. Trina did not even look Ivy’s way. Too involved in what Brooks was whispering in her ear, she walked out of the room with his arms wrapped around her waist. “Ivy, grab a beer,” Brooks said pointing at Nicola.

“So, it looks like they left us in each other’s care,” Nicola said trying to break the ice with Ivy at Brooks’ queue. Finally able to direct his full attention to her, he stared at her for a long moment before setting down his now finished beer.

“How many of those have you had?” Ivy asked trying to ignore the strong vibe of sexual attraction coming from him.

“A twenty-four pack maybe. Don’t worry. I’m alright.” Nicola grabbed her hand softly and caressed it. She didn’t even know that he was looking at her nails. He hated to see women with chopped up, brittle nails. Most men usually had a physical pet peeve that they harbored for women. Nails were his. A woman that couldn’t even keep her hands up didn’t usually hold his attention for too long, but Ivy passed the test.

“Don’t try to put the moves on me just because your partner is in there about to get
some
, and you feel left out.” Ivy pulled her hand away and hoped that her response would break Nicola’s concentration on whatever he was thinking about.

“Did I ask you for
some
? No, I did not. Someone is a little too presumptuous.” He smiled impishly. Maybe she wasn’t as green as she appeared.

“In the last five minutes, you have put your hand on my leg once, caressed my hands and looked at my breast at least ten times. I hardly think that
presumptuous
is the word I would use. No, I think the best word would be
precautious
.”

“Tell me about it.” Nicola took a long breath and looked around the room. She definitely was no bimbo, which was bad for the mood he was trying to set. How in the hell was he going to get laid debating adverbs? He looked at her and smiled, and casually she smiled back. He was almost unsure of how to come at her now that she had just given her sexual harassment speech.

“So, you’re on the new Narc-TACT squad,” Ivy said changing the subject. She had evidently scared him. He was beginning to turn red.

“Yeah. I’m a Special Ops lieutenant. Why? Are you interesting in going out for the MPD? If so, let me know so that I can fill all vacancies to my department right now.” He yawned and looked at his watch. The night was getting away from him. He needed to make a move on this girl or get into some of the other action in the den.

Ivy laughed aloud for the first time since she had met him. Maybe she was being a little too uptight. “I’m sorry,” she said trying to relax. “I wasn’t trying to be mean before. Can we start over?” Taking his hand, she put it back on her knee.

Nicola smiled. “That’s more like it,” he said playfully. Moving his hand away, he tried to regain his composure and at the same time mellow out on trying to push up on her. Besides, slow and steady could win the race.

“Back in the day, I graduated from Memphis State before it was University of Memphis. I majored in marketing.” He would play on her turf a little and impress her with something that she didn’t know. “Then, I went back and got my MBA a few years later.

“Really.” Ivy’s face lit up. “Why didn’t you pursue it?”

“Well, I was torn at first. I had debated going back into the family business. But I loved law enforcement more. So, I pursued it.” He could see that she was impressed. That was all that he needed.
She is an intellectual type, attracted to brain of a man. Okay. Cool
, he thought to himself. Now, he knew her angle. It was smooth sailing the rest of the way.

“It’s best to go for your passion when trying to identify a career. You can do that kind of work for free.” She was unknowingly eating out of the palm of his hand.

Nicola looked down at his watch. “Yeah, I agree…small talk is always hard for me. So you’ll have to excuse me if I’m not the best at it.”

“No, I understand. I’m not really used to it either.”

“Obviously. You’re nearly married.”

“No,” Ivy said shaking her head. “I’m not.” Nicola had hit a nerve, and it hurt.

“But Trina said that you were engaged.” Nicola knew perfectly well that she and her fiancé had broken up, but he just wanted to hear her confess it with her own lips before he moved any further.

“I
was
engaged. Things just didn’t turn out the way I planned. I don’t even have a boyfriend anymore.” Ivy looked down at her fingers. Word traveled fast in Memphis.

Bingo
, Nicola thought to himself as he tried to repress a small grin. “You two must have had a big fight to just break up after eight years.” He would encourage her as much as possible to talk about it. Open up. Feel the need to be consoled. The usual drill.

“You could say that.” She slumped down in the seat for a moment. Her mood instantly changed.

Seeing her sudden melancholy, Nicola decided that he needed to make a move before it got too out of control. “Look, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring you down. We can change the subject, okay.” He sat at the end of his seat. “What’s your favorite subject in school?”

“God, I’m not a child,” Ivy said exasperated and appalled. “Don’t patronize me.”

“I’m not trying to patronize you.” He was. “I just want to get your mind off of this guy we’ve been talking about…none stop for the last few minutes.” The situation was becoming somewhat awkward again. He had to pull in the reigns on her.
Whoa horsey!

“Well, find another way to do it then,” Ivy said quickly snapping.

“If you insist...” Nicola said equally as quick.

Grabbing her by the small waist, Nicola pulled Ivy’s body to him and looked her in her eyes. “Why are you so feisty?” he asked as they sat face-to-face. Speechless, Ivy shrugged her shoulders. Staring at her full lips, he caressed her body with his fingertips and felt her instantly relax. It was then that he advanced before she had time to protest. He would taste her if it was the last thing that he did.

Involuntarily, Ivy closed her eyes and parted her lips. As she felt him move closer to her, his lips pressed against hers lightly, and she could feel their warm wet flesh mingling together. His cologne was like an intoxicating elixir that made her drunk with desire, and his touch was so soft and sensual that she began to respond back with movements of her own. Her breathing became heavy as his huge masculine hands moved up her back into her soft flowing locks of hair while he pulled her down demandingly onto his lap. With each passing minute, their kiss became more and more passionate.

Finally realizing that she had straddled the stranger on Brooks’ couch amidst Gerald Levert singing
Made to Love You
and the dancing candlelight, Ivy let out a small moan and tried to separate herself from him.

“Don’t stop,” Nicola whispered in between their long heated kisses and passionate embrace. He could feel her awakening more and more by the minute. He wanted her right then.
Damn, she smells good.
And her lips are soft as rose petals. No. Softer.

“Wait,” Ivy said tasting his lips again. “Please,” she said as she pulled away trying desperately to ignore the all too familiar milk that moistened her hidden flower. This was crazy! But it was hard to control herself.
Oh God. It feels so good to be wanted again
, she thought inwardly.

Climbing off of Nicola’s large, excited body, Ivy cleared her voice and straightened her clothes.
Who in the hell was this guy?
She stared at him for a moment in total dismay. That had never happened before. Disoriented and teased by her first erotic experience outside of her once coveted relationship, Ivy sat back on the couch and tried to regain her senses. But she could smell his cologne all over her, and she could taste his lips on her mouth.

Nicola licked his lips and stretched trying to make his erection go down now that the mood had changed. Amazed by the weakness his body experienced from what felt like all of her emotions pouring into him through her full warm mouth, he stared off across the room in amazement. Ivy caught a glimpse of his confusion and was reassured of her own feelings. Whatever had caused them to connect almost instantly, he had also felt.

Spellbound, Nicola pulled her close to him again. “Come here,” he said in a whisper.

Now sure that most barriers had been broken, Ivy felt relaxed enough to put her head on his chest. It was strange, but in only a few moments she had made a connection with another individual so strong that she wished she could have laid there forever. Too afraid to speak and ruin the moment, she waited for him to say something.

“Are you okay?” Nicola asked rubbing through her soft, cotton hair. There was no need to say anything else that he didn’t want to. She was his.

“No. I’m far from okay.” Ivy was lost for words, but she smiled carefree.

“Good.” He kissed her forehead.

“You know, I actually I enjoyed that.” She looked up at him and pulled at his dimpled chin like she had known him for years.

“So did I,” Nicola looked in her eyes again trying to read the young black siren that had enchanted him so quickly.

“Honestly though, I am definitely not the type to just go kissing on every guy that I’m attracted to. This was just one of those…
peculiar situations
.” Ivy hoped that he believed her.

“You don’t have to explain yourself to me.” He nudged her side. “I am sorry to hear that you’re having such a hard time though. Sounds to me like the guy is a dumb ass, but at least you found out before he put the brass shackle around your finger.”

“Brass shackle?” she repeated. Normally she would take offense to a white man even mentioning shackles in a joke around her, but with him she felt comfortable and free of intimidation.

“I’m not into commitment. Can’t you tell? Weddings and marriage have always sounded too much like a life sentence without the possibility of parole.” His analogy made it clear why he was not married and probably not in a serious relationship.

“Well, whenever you get married give my condolences to your wife. Sounds like she’s in for a treat.” She looked down at his ring finger just to make sure that there were not traces of a wedding ring. He passed the test.

“Yeah well maybe by then I will have found a woman capable of handling me. Mrs. Agosto will have to be some lady.” His words drifted off for a moment, and he went into deep thought.

“Thinking about the one you let slip away,” Ivy said bringing him back to reality.

“No, thinking of all the Ms. Wrongs I’ve been with.” His honesty intrigued her almost as the
all the Ms. Wrongs
. It was weird meeting a real playboy.

“Anyway, let’s get off our sad stories. Tell me something that will make me smile. You see the way I behave when I get depressed and lonely.”

Nicola recalled their kiss with her reminder. “ I suggest that you stay in the house until you get over him then. Otherwise, you might find yourself in some pretty compromising situations being so
depressed and lonely
,” he said mockingly.

“Believe me, this is as comprised as I’ll be.” She laid her head back down on his chest and rubbed his side.

“Were we gone that long? Damn, ya’ll under each other like you’re in love,” Trina said walking back into the living room with Brooks. She had told Ivy to watch herself.

“Evidently so. Look at them all cuddled up together like some old married couple.” Brooks winked at Nicola. Damn that boy was good.

The sudden attention made the two uncomfortable, and Ivy sat back up in her original position, only this time a lot more relaxed. Nicola didn’t budge, but he did give Trina a dirty look.

Confused and in total disapproval of her friend’s actions Trina raised her eyebrows at Ivy. “Are you hot? Need something to drink,” Trina said pulling another Smirnoff Ice out of the cooler.

“No, I’m fine,” Ivy said ignoring her friend’s body language. “Considering I have to drive back to the dorm, I need to be sober.”

“You live in the dormitory?” Nicola said sitting up a little uncomfortable himself.

“Yes, Trina and I are roommates.” Ivy could sense something was wrong.