The Girl Next Door - Emma Hart Page 0,58
say that again.” I patted his arm. “People will get the wrong idea.”
It took him a moment before he got it. “In my TV shows.”
“Maybe add that on to the real sentence?”
“Good idea,” he agreed, waiting for the road to clear before we crossed it. “It’s still early. Do you want ice cream?”
I shook my head.
“Don’t tell me Mabel got to you.”
“No, but I bought two more cartons this morning, and it seems frivolous to buy some from The Waffle Cone when I can go home, take off these pants, and eat it half-naked on my sofa.”
“Can I eat ice cream half naked on your sofa?”
“No. You have to be totally naked.”
“Can I eat you after?”
“Depends. Is there chocolate sauce for that, too?”
Kai burst out laughing and wrapped his arm around me. He tucked me right into his side, and he was still shaking from his chuckles. “Do you want me to trickle chocolate sauce all over you? Don’t you think that’s a little kinky for this early on?”
“Yes, and the night I got pregnant was oh-so-vanilla.” My tone was as dry as dry could be as I referred to the night when he’d first spread my legs on the counter to lick my pussy, then bent me over said counter to fuck me before taking me into the bedroom to finish the night there.
See?
So, so vanilla.
“Point well made,” Kai mused. “I guess it’s not so kinky after all then.”
“Do we have to discuss this in public?”
“You mentioned the chocolate sauce.”
“Eh.” I guess I did. “No, sorry, I’m out of it.”
“How? There was like half a bottle last night.”
“Well, see, that’s a long story.”
Kai glanced at his watch. “We’ve got a long time.”
I guess I wasn’t getting out of this one. Shit. “After I was done throwing up this morning—”
“You stopped this morning? I’m impressed. You were really going for it at one point.”
I elbowed him. “You brought coffee over from your apartment! What did you expect? Me to start singing and dancing in delight? Gross!”
“I’m going to remember you said that when there’s a crying newborn and you want a coffee to keep you awake.”
“Whatever. Anyway, when I stopped, I took a nap, and when I woke up, I was hungry. Since I need to go grocery shopping—”
“I did notice.”
“—Shut up,” I added. “I went to the bakery and got some pre-made pancakes.”
“How many?”
“I don’t really want to answer that question.” I sniffed.
“Ivy.”
“Fine. Four. I got four large ones and I ate them all!”
Kai chuckled. “Go on.”
“I had strawberries and bananas so I ate four large pancakes with fruit and chocolate sauce and whipped cream and I don’t regret a thing.”
“In what world is that a remedy for nausea?”
I shrugged. “I really don’t know, but they tasted good. I was going to save you one, but then I remembered you woke me up at six-fifteen this morning so you didn’t deserve a giant pancake.”
“What if I promise not to wake you up tomorrow morning? Can I have pancakes then?”
“Yes. It’s your day off so you can get them.”
“That wasn’t what I meant.”
“I don’t really care what you meant,” I said honestly. “Next time don’t offer to get pancakes on your day off if you don’t want to get them.”
“I didn’t offer.”
“You absolutely did offer.”
“She’s right,” Tori said from behind us. “I heard it. You offered.”
“Where the hell did you come from?” Kai asked, grabbing the door to Bronco’s and opening it.
Tori flicked her dark hair over her shoulder. “Oh, I often follow Ivy around town for fun. Make sure no strange men are trying to attack her, you know?”
“And what would you do? Beat them with a book?”
“Yes.” Tori slipped inside before I could.
I shrugged and looked at Kai. “I told you. Books are underrated weapons.”
He shook his head and followed me inside. It was quiet for a Saturday night, but that wasn’t too surprising considering there was a local band playing in one of the bed and breakfasts on the other side of town.
Yes, my parents had the monopoly on bars in White Peak, but not hotels.
“How did she know we’d be here?” he asked me as we approached the bar.
“She didn’t,” I said brightly. “But she’s always here at this time on a Saturday night because I’m usually working and she likes my margaritas.”
“Why aren’t you working?” Tori asked when we joined her.
“Bingo.”
“Ah, shit. Did they fight again?”
Kai nodded. “Do you mean Rosie and Agatha?”
Tori grinned. “Did she call her Hagatha again?”
I snorted. “Agatha went crazy. It