Page 40 of Seeds of Malice

Excitement fills me. I ask, "Why are you single? A girl like you should have been taken by now."

She laughs. "I don't know. Why are you single? You should be taken by now too."

"Ah. Ivy, Ivy, Ivy. I don't go for just anyone. I need somebody interesting. Someone beautiful, but not like the girls around here because they're not. They're only fake. I need somebody real. Someone just like you." I stroke her thigh, resisting the urge to slide my fingers under her shorts.

She looks like she's swooning.

Dammit, this girl is making me hard.

Play the game.

While she's in that state, I inquire, "So, are you telling me you're a virgin then?"

Her eyes widen, and her face turns fire-engine red. "Why do you assume that?"

I stare at her, watching her turn maroon, then answer, "Ah, so you like to have sex?"

She stares at me as if she's scared.

"I'm just teasing," I claim, but I'm not.

A relieved breath leaves her lips. She doesn't know she did it, but it's obvious.

I scoot closer and stroke her thigh. "I'm not going to lie, Ivy, I'm into you. I've never been attracted to anyone the way I'm attracted to you. Does that make you uncomfortable?" I say, knowing damn well it does.

She stares at me and admits by putting her two fingers close together. "Maybe just a little?"

I push, "So you are or aren't a virgin?"

She takes a deep breath.

"You won't tell me?"

She releases her anxiety-laden lungs and finally nods. "Okay. I am." The maroon in her cheeks turns purple.

Fuck, yes.

She doesn't have any bad habits for me to break.

I kiss her on the neck and add, "Then I'm going to be clear. I'm not a male whore, but I'm a man. And I'm into you. Every part of you. And I want all of you, Ivy Ford."

A few tense moments pass and then she giggles.

"What's so funny?"

She beams at me. "You. Are you always this serious?"

"Only about things I'm interested in. And you are the only person I've felt this way about," I reply.

She stares at me, then giggles some more.

And I realize it's time to refill her flute of champagne.

7

Ivy

Butterflies flutter in a rage in my gut. There's never anyone I've wanted to be my first. The boys in West Virginia weren't anything like Dax.

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