One Night On The Virgin's Terms - Melanie Milburne Page 0,8

your mum been leaning on you for money again?’

‘No. It’s about me. About my...problem.’

Millie’s eyes widened to the size of light bulbs. Football-stadium light bulbs. ‘The V problem? Seriously—you’re asking him to do what, exactly?’

‘I’m going to have a one-night stand with him. Then my problem will be solved.’

‘And he’s agreed to that?’

‘Not in so many words, hence dinner tonight. But I’m not going to let him talk me out of it. He’s the only person who can help me. The only person I want to help me. I’d be too embarrassed or shy with anyone else.’

Millie’s expression was etched in concern. ‘But what if you develop feelings for him? I mean, different from what you have for him now?’

Ivy laughed, picked up her hairbrush and began stroking it through her hair. ‘You mean like fall in love with him? Not a chance. He’s not the settling down type. It would be stupid to fall in love with him, knowing he doesn’t want the same things in life that I do. Louis only has one-nighters. I want someone who’s there for the long haul. Someone who’ll stick around no matter what—unlike my father. Not that Louis is anything like my father, but you know what I mean. Once a playboy, always a playboy.’

Millie’s expression was so sceptical she could have been keynote speaker at a sceptics’ conference. ‘What your father’s done really sucks, but have you actually looked at Louis lately? I mean, really looked at him? The man is traffic-stopping gorgeous.’

‘I know, but I don’t think of him that way,’ Ivy said, spraying perfume on her pulse points. She wasn’t sure why she didn’t see Louis the way other women did...although there had been a strange little flicker of something when their hands had touched that afternoon. A tingle travelled up her arm like a current of electricity. And when he’d used a French term of endearment, well, what girl wouldn’t have got a shiver down her spine? But her preference had always been for blond men and Louis, with his Anglo-French ancestry, had pitch-black hair. Not her type at all.

‘You might think of him that way once you get naked with him.’

Get naked with him. The words made her skin lift in a delicate shiver. Ivy put the perfume bottle down with a definitive clunk. ‘Not going to happen. This is just about sex, nothing else.’

‘So how long are you going to be sleeping with him?’

‘Just for one night.’

Ivy picked up her evening bag and smoothed her hand over her fluttering stomach. If I can convince him and then have the guts to go through with it.

‘Wish me luck?’

Millie gave her a long, searching look. ‘You’re going to need more than luck. You’re the last person on earth—apart from me, of course—who’s a one-night stand sort of person. People are always telling me to move on from losing Julian but it’s too hard these days to find someone who doesn’t expect you to put out before you even get to know them.’

Millie had tragically lost her fiancé, Julian, to brain cancer only weeks before their wedding three years ago. His battle to fight it had been long and gruelling and it was heartbreakingly sad Millie hadn’t got to marry her childhood sweetheart before he died. Apart from a disastrous blind date set up by another friend a couple of months ago, Millie had point-blank refused to think of finding room in her heart for anyone else.

Ivy took Millie’s hand and gave it a squeeze. ‘What you had with Jules was really special, and I don’t blame you for finding it hard to think of moving on. But don’t you see? I want that sort of love one day too, but I won’t find it spending yet another weekend at home alone watching box sets.’

Millie touched Ivy on the arm, her expression serious. ‘Are you sure you’re doing the right thing? This might change your relationship with Louis for ever. Are you prepared to risk that?’

Ivy straightened her shoulders. ‘I have to do this, Millie. I want to be able to date a guy without my inexperience hanging over me and this is the best way to do it.’ She leaned forward and kissed her friend on the cheek. ‘But thanks for being concerned about me.’

The doorbell sounded at that moment and Ivy’s stomach pitched. ‘That’ll be Louis.’ She waved a hand on her way out of the bedroom. ‘Don’t wait up!’

Louis had lost count of the number of