Page 100 of Corrupting Ivy

Maria’s echoing footsteps walked away from the door before I gripped Ivy and kissed her thoroughly.

She slipped her hand beneath my shirt and then dipped into my pants to grasp the enraged beast caged inside. “You’re going to need more than a minute.”

I thrust against her hand as she squeezed. She drove me mad until I lost all thoughts of reason and logic. Gripping her wrist, I stopped her from taking it any further. Although I’d been waiting to sink deep into her body and bury myself there until I couldn’t remember my name, there was a time-sensitive delivery waiting at my doorstep.

“Next time, I’m gonna lay you out on my desk and feast on you as I see fit.” Ivy’s lids fluttered open as I pulled her hand from my pants. “Come on, I have something for you.”

My throbbing cock jerked as I led her out of my office and past the kitchen where Sam had greens laid out on the counter. “That better not be going into my food, Sam.” I didn’t stop for a response but continued to pull her outside, where Michael stood. “You’re late.”

“Sorry, traffic.”

I lived in the middle of nowhere. There wasn’t traffic, and I knew how long it took to get from the dealership to me. He was out for an expensive joyride. “Keys,” I said, holding out my hand. He placed the key fob in my palm and stepped away. “For something that’s costing me over two-hundred-thousand dollars, I expected better service than this.”

Michael’s mouth bobbed with a readied excuse when I held up my hand.

“What’s going on?” Ivy asked as she looked up at me, her hand wrapped tightly in mine.

“Well, it was supposed to be a surprise, but they don’t understand the meaning of punctuality.”

Michael flung his hands in the air, then began marching down my long driveway before pulling out his phone.

I brought her closer to the black Mercedes Maybach, then opened the driver’s side door.

“What’s this?”

“I told you when we came home that I’d get you a vehicle, and you could go anywhere you wanted.” I sat her down on the hand-tailored Nappa leather.

“I… I can’t accept this, Randall.” She put her hand to her chest as she gawked at the steering wheel. “Two-hundred… I’ve never seen that kind of money in my life, much less put into one vehicle. It’s too much.”

Resting my forearm on the SUV, I leaned in and smirked. “Ivy, this is a safe vehicle and worth the money.”

“No, a home is worth two-hundred-thousand. This…” She raised her hand to the steering wheel and touched the buttons embedded there. “I don’t even know what all of this does. My last car was an early nineties Camry which only cost me a thousand bucks.”

I picked up her hand and placed the keys in it, then rolled her fingers to encompass the fob. “It’s yours. If you don’t like it, I’ll return it and buy something equally expensive.”

“Why not a truck like yours? That’s safe enough for you.”

“Let’s go out to eat lunch,” I said, ignoring her comment.

“Don’t change the subject.” She frowned. “And we can’t do that. Sam is making lunch.”

“I’m not eating that crap. Besides, I’ve been wanting to take you to Alek’s and my favorite place.” I kissed her, full and deep, wanting her to feel my touch sink deep into her bones. “I’ll be right back. Push the button to start it,” I said, my lips hovering above hers.

Walking back inside to get my gun, I paused at the kitchen counter where Sam had his back towards me, cutting something. “Pack it up, Sam. We’re going out.” He put the butcher's knife down and uttered nonsensical words under his breath as I walked away to my office. I retrieved my gun from the leather holster under my desk and placed it behind my back, then went back out through the kitchen, past a bitter chef, to her vehicle.

Ivy sat in the passenger seat, her hands in her lap, her lip pulled between her teeth. She looked as though she’d taken the time I’d walked inside to contemplate something.

“What’s wrong?”

She drew in a deep breath and pulled her lip from her teeth. “I’m kind of nervous about leaving the house for the first time. Being in public with all of… this,” she said, running the backs of her fingers along her scarred arms and legs.

I gripped her chin with my thumb and forefinger. “You are beautiful, Ivy.” She glanced away, but I raised her chin higher, forcing her gaze back on me. “Why would you give someone the power to control your happiness?”

She shook her head and closed her shimmering eyes.

Her visible scars weren’t as bad as she thought. Or maybe I overlooked them because I’d been so used to seeing imperfections in the mirror every day and they no longer stood out to me. All I knew was they were battle wounds, and she was the only one of twenty-seven to survive.

She was a warrior.Mywarrior.

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