thinks it’s because he wants to spend time with Margot.
Not that I care.
When I bid my King and Queen goodbye, Cara’s eyes are searching. Theo’s eyes are suspicious. Beckett glances at me, and he looks angry.
I have no darkness in my heart toward them. I say goodbye, and all I’m looking forward to is seeing Ivy the next morning.
The first day of the mental health tour with Damon and Dahlia, I deliver a keynote speech to a large crowd. When I’m done, Dahlia has tears in her eyes. She throws her arms around me.
“That was beautiful, Luca. You’re inspiring.”
“Not sure about that,” I respond with a smile. “I had a team of doctors and surgeons and physiotherapists around me twenty-four-seven. They’re the inspiring ones.”
After the event, my heart feels light. For the first time in a long time, I feel truly free. Free from the burden of my accident, from the torture that I went through to recover, from the demons that plagued my mind for years.
Maybe, I’m free from Cara.
I drive straight to Ivy’s house, because I know I need to see her. She opens the door for me, glancing around to make sure no one followed me there before laying a soft kiss on my lips. It’s become hard to contain my desire for her. With every touch, I need her more.
“I wasn’t expecting you here tonight,” she says, closing the door behind me. “How was the speech?”
“You’re asking that like you haven’t already YouTubed it,” I grin.
Ivy blushes, smiling. “How do you know me so well already?”
“What did you think of my speech?”
“It was gorgeous, Luca. I’m glad you decided to do this tour and share your story.”
“I had a good excuse to stay,” I respond, wrapping my arms around her. Ivy glances at the staircase, and I know she’s worried about Margot seeing us. It’s not too hard to hide at the castle—there are lots of empty rooms and secret corners. No one bothers me.
Here, though, I can tell Ivy’s on edge. She takes a deep breath. “Let me show you something.”
My girl slips her hand into mine, dragging me toward the back door again. Ivy glances at the stairs again when we walk past them, and then squares her shoulders and steps outside. We walk around the huge pool that dominates their backyard, over to a cabana on the far side.
Ivy opens the door and flicks the lights on to reveal a comfortable pool house. There’s a daybed in the corner and an entertainment area with a bar across from it.
Ivy waves to it. “Help yourself.”
She walks over to a desk in the corner, flicking on a lamp and pulling out a thick folder. I walk up behind her, inhaling the scent of her hair as I cage her against the desk.
With a soft moan, she leans into me before turning back to the folder. When she flicks it open, I see sketches, floor plans, logos. She even has a menu planned out, with special occasion recipes for holidays.
“This is my bakery,” she says simply.
I take a step so that I’m beside her and sit down on the desk chair. Flicking through the files, my eyebrows arch. “You’ve really thought this through.”
Ivy nods. “I’ve been planning it for years.”
“Spoonful of Sugar,” I read, running my fingers over a page full of hand-drawn logo designs.
“You like the name?”
I nod, smiling. Ivy points to one of the sketches. “That’s the logo I would choose, if I were starting a bakery.”
“So why haven’t you done it?”
“Because my sister needs me,” she answers simply, turning to look at me. “I owe her everything, and it’s my job to protect her.”
“It’s your job to protect you,” I answer, stroking the side of her thigh with my hand. Even through her jeans, the feeling of her body sends heat zipping up my arm. “You need to think of yourself once in a while, too, Ivy.”
Ivy sighs, flipping through the pages in her folder. A wistful look crosses her face, and she pinches her lips together. She steps away from me slightly, just as she always seems to do when we get too close to each other.
“Do you regret what’s going on between us?” I ask. My voice sounds pinched, and I’m almost afraid of her answer.
Ivy snorts. “No. I don’t think I could regret it if I tried.”
“So why are you fighting it?”
“It feels like I’m betraying Margot by spending time with you.”