Page 21 of Tempest

CHAPTER SEVEN

Sunday

Ivy lay in her childhood bed and watched Orange Is the New Black. There was nothing better than being in the care of her mama. Bea Bellows was a force to be reckoned with, and she was happy as always that the force was looking out for her. Whoever had the guts to take a shot had better start praying for mercy, because when she discovered who it was, she was going to let holy hell rain down on the shooter’s head.

Lifting her glass of sweet tea, Ivy smiled. Maybe the five episodes that she’d just watched were affecting her. She was starting to think like a woman who had very little to lose. Shrugging, she emptied her glass and decided to worry about it…never. Maybe vigilante was something she needed to add to her resume.

There was a light knock on the frame of her door, and she rolled over to see who it was. Shock ran over her system, and she wondered if she was hallucinating. “Ryan Cordell…what the hell are you doing at my mama’s house?” Sitting up, she straightened her T-shirt as he crossed the room. Lord, he was beautiful, with his tall, powerfully muscled body and square jaw. Six feet of sexy was walking her way, and she wished she’d bothered to do her hair earlier. “Did you take a wrong turn on the way to the office?”

“I came to protect your very fine ass. I heard someone took a shot at my girl, and I decided to come down and shoot the son of a bitch.” He sat down on her bed and took her hand. “We never finished our date, so I figured we could have one here. Right after I take care of the person who hurt you.”

“You serious?”

“Honey, I’m real serious.”

“I’m not your girl.”

“Yes, you are. Remember that kiss we had in the kitchen at the McDades’?”

“Sure, I guess.”

“That’s when it happened. Honey, you’ve got to pay attention when we kiss.”

“Apparently.” A tear formed in the corner of her eye, and she quickly lifted the sheet and wiped it away. She hadn’t shed one since she got here. Not through Daddy’s funeral, or the reception, or even being shot. But Ryan showing up had the waterworks starting. “You came here…to be with me?”

“Ivy, after that kiss in the kitchen, I decided that I wanted to be by your side. Or under you. Or on top.” He shrugged and gave her a small smile. “You get the picture.”

Laughing, she grabbed his hand and noticed it was twice the size of hers. Sometimes one kiss was all it took for a heart to lose its balance. Maybe that’s what she’d been waiting for. A chance to fall. “That’s quite a picture.”

“You have no idea. The pictures in my head would light your hair on fire.”

He laced their fingers together, and she felt the heat from his skin seep into hers. “Seriously, what are you doing here?”

“I found out what happened to you, so I came down here to take care of you. I can’t have someone threatening you. We’re supposed to have a date and some kissing. That can’t happen if you’re in danger.”

“My goodness, one kiss and you turn into Prince Charming.”

“Just be happy that you’re done with the frog-kissing business. You finally kissed the right man.”

“I see that you have it all worked out.” She sniffed. “Don’t mind me or anything that I may want.”

“By the time I’m done with you, I’m all you’re ever going to desire. I’ll guaran-damn-ty it.”

Pushing his chest, she laughed. “How did you get past my mama? She’s never let a boy upstairs before.”

“Bea and I had a talk, and I explained why I was here and what my intentions are. She sent me right up.”

“Traitor,” Ivy mumbled. She watched Ryan look around her childhood room with a smile on his face. “I picked out this green chinois wallpaper when I was twelve, because I was obsessed with the Auntie Mame movie. I had a vague notion that I wanted to live just like her, and figured this wallpaper was going to help me get there.”

“What’s this style called?”

“Over-the-top New Glamour as imagined by a preteen.” She followed his eyes up to the top of her four-poster bed and then over to the long silk drapes that covered the windows. “I wish I could say that my taste has improved, but I’d be lying. I like to mix over-the-top glam with Texas charm.”

“It fits you,” Ryan said as he turned back to her and grinned. “I like that pink poofy chair you’ve got in the corner. I imagine you spent a lot of time in it, dreaming up your perfect life. What did it look like back then?”

“Some girls dreamed of a prince coming in on a horse. I dreamed of running a big corporation.”

“Getting there,” he responded. “How are you feeling? A bullet graze hurts like hell. Almost worse that a flesh wound.” He gently rubbed the bandage that covered her arm. “How’s the burning sensation?”

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