on her bottom lip is better than all the weed in the world. Drinking her up does more for me than any alcohol ever could.
She’s my poison, and I’m not ready to let her go.
“Maybe we can just take it slow,” she says, dragging her eyes up to mine.
Hope flames to life in my chest. I’ll go as slow as she needs me to. I nod, nudging the tip of my nose against hers.
“As slow as you want.”
“And I don’t want anyone to know. Not until I find a way to tell my sister.”
“Deal.” I whisper, pressing my lips to hers. “Not a word.”
Ivy wraps her arms around my neck and melts into me, only pulling away after a few, long moments.
I stare into her eyes as my heart thumps. “I guess I should go,” I say.
“I guess you should.”
Ivy walks me to the front door. She glances at the stairway before giving me a quick kiss, and then I walk back to my car.
I’m not sure what this accomplished besides giving me blue balls and a few extra bruises on my back, but I feel lighter than I did before.
The next morning, I look for Ivy in the kitchens. She sees me through the window in the pastry room door, and a quick smile crosses her lips. I walk away as a thrill passes through me.
For the next three weeks, that’s what happens. Every morning, I look for Ivy in the kitchens. Sometimes, she’s able to sneak away with me. A couple of days a week, she has time to spend an hour with me before she has to go home to work for her sister.
I get her a new phone, because I can’t bear the thought of not being able to talk to her whenever I want.
“I was kind of enjoying the freedom of having no phone. No social media, no tabloids—just peace,” she smiles.
“You can still have freedom, but I want to be able to take you out without stalking through the castle like a maniac.”
Ivy laughs, pressing her lips to mine. “My maniac.”
I kiss her every opportunity I get, but I don’t do much beyond that. Every time her lips touch mine, my need for her grows. She runs her hands over my body, moaning when I touch her, but we only go as far as she wants. We take things slow.
Discovering intimacy with her is something I never thought I’d experience. Every time I make her come, usually in some dark corner of Farcliff Castle, her eyes are so full of lust and wonder that it makes my whole body throb. The first time I taste her pussy, I nearly come in my pants.
Taking things slow is not something I’m accustomed to. Discovering someone’s body one inch at a time is not something I’ve ever done before. Opening up to a woman day by day, hour by hour, kiss by kiss—that’s as new for me as it is for Ivy.
I like it. Everything is heightened. I find myself wanting to take things slow, even though I want all of her at the same time.
Ivy’s skittish, though. She jumps at any sound and is always scared of getting caught. A part of me wonders if she wants to take it slow because she still feels guilty about sneaking around with me, when I’m supposed to be with Margot.
As the days pass, I look forward to seeing her. It’s the best part of my day. When she leaves, usually around eleven o’clock or noon, I’m already dreaming of the next morning.
The tension in my body dissolves, and I find myself taking fewer and fewer painkillers. I only smoke weed at night, right before bed. It’s a habit, more than anything.
Then, one day, I take nothing at all.
Throughout those three weeks, I accompany Margot to official events. I typically ignore the media, but I see a few headlines about our budding relationship. I scoff, shaking my head.
If only they knew.
Whenever I’m planning to be out in public with Margot, I make sure to spend extra time with Ivy that morning. I make sure she knows that Margot is just a job. I never kiss Ivy’s sister—not since that first night. I put my arm around her, and smile for the paparazzi, but I make sure Ivy knows that she’s the one that matters to me.
After three weeks, Cara and Theo leave to rejoin Dante in Argyle. Beckett stays behind for an extra week, and a part of me