Page 78 of Tender Temptation

The situation is a fucking nightmare. We can’t go on like this.

“Maybe we should tell him now,” I suggest cautiously.

She shakes her head. “Not until I talk to Mom. I don’t want to add more stress to his plate.”

“I get it.” I keep my voice gentle. “But this is crazy.Look at us. We’re doing exactly what we said we wouldn’t do.”

A firm knock sounds at the door, making both of us freeze. Stan’s voice follows. “Cillian? Why is the door locked?”

Ivy’s eyes dart to mine and we share a moment of silent panic.

I take a deep breath and move to the door, unlocking it and pulling it open with what I hope is a casual smile. “Sorry, Stan. We were discussing some sensitive documents and didn’t want any interruptions.”

Ivy’s dad raises an eyebrow, glancing between Ivy and me. “In the middle of the day?” he questions, clearly suspicious.

Ivy and I exchange a quick, nervous look, trying to play it off as best as we can.

Stan steps inside, his gaze sharp as it sweeps over the room. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything too important.”

Ivy looks flustered and sick to her stomach. She clutches a stack of papers, which look like payroll sheets. “Yes, we were, um, discussing some sensitive budget adjustments. We didn’t want the subcontractors to, uh…” she stammers, her cheeks flushing.

My God, she’s terrible at this. Then again, I hate she’s in this position in the first place.

“Yeah.” I force a chuckle, trying to divert his attention. “We picked out interior finishes today and want to make sure everything is on track.”

Stan’s eyes narrow slightly as he continues to glance around the room, clearly trying to piece together what he’s walked in on. “If you say so.”

“You look well, how are you feeling?” I try to change the subject.

“I’m fine.” He waves me off. “I wanted to discuss a few changes to the plans. Can we go over them now?”

“Of course.” I motion to the table. “Let’s get started.”

After an intense hour of going over his ideas, Stan finally stands up, stretching his back slightly. “Alright, I think we’ve covered everything for now.”

I get up too, extending my hand. “Thanks for coming by, Stan. We’ll implement these changes right away.”

“I’ll keep you updated on the progress.” Ivy’s still trying to maintain her composure. I’ve never seen her rattled quite like this.

Stan shakes my hand firmly before turning to Ivy. “I appreciate it, sweetheart.” His gaze lingers a moment longer, as if searching for something.

“Of course.” She’s unable to keep eye contact and glances away.

“One more thing—maybe keep the door unlocked during the workday.” He says as he heads toward the door. “People could talk. I don’t want anyone to question Ivy’s professionalism.”

Shit. Shit. Shit.

Ivy’s cheeks slightly flush and I do my best to appear calm and collected.

“Thanks for thinking of me, Dad,” Ivy mutters as we follow him to the door, exchanging glances behind his back conveying we’re lucky to have narrowly gotten away with it.

Then, Stan’s eyes catch something and he squints in the direction of the couch.

In a slow motion, horror-show way, Ivy and I both follow her dad’s line of vision. There, on the floor under the couch, is a scrap of pink fabric—unmistakable.

Ivy’s panties.

Stan pauses for a fraction of a second, his gaze lingering before he turns back to look at Ivy, then at me, then at her again.

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