Page 36 of Volatile

Her face looked horrified. “No.” She drummed her fingers on the chair arms as if she were snuffing out a mini fire. “And don’t you dare tell her... please. With Wes’s help, I’ve successfully kept that private for years, and I don’t need it to come out now.”

Her tone softened, and he stood up, resting his hands over hers to still them. She quickly darted her eyes down to his touch, and he wondered if she’d yell at him for that too.

“I’m not going to tell Lily anything.” But he did want to kick Wes’s ass for not protecting her. She had no business going into that seedy part of town where she wasn’t even safe in the fucking parking lot.

He calmed his breath. He had to get over this; she wasn’t his to worry about. So why were there jagged barbs in his gut?

“Thank you. Can we please drop this now and move on to the reason I came?”

Jon nodded and removed his hands. This matter was not over, but he’d let it rest for the time being. “Dinner’s just about ready. Can I get you a glass of wine?” She nibbled on her lips, probably mulling over whether that was a wise decision or not. “I have Leflaive Chardonnay.”

She smiled and some of the tension dissipated. He remembered how much she’d liked it at Stolly’s.

“Okay. Just a small glass, please.”

“Coming right up.”

He went into the kitchen, opening the bottle and pouring her glass, then grabbing a beer for himself. He elbowed open the fridge and took out a green salad he’d prepared earlier, carrying everything back outside.

She looked slightly more relaxed, and he was relieved. He didn’t want the night over before it started. Not until they worked on their Lily solution. That was the only reason. Right?

He handed her the glass, and she took a long sip, closing her eyes. To see her enjoying it pleased him a lot. He wanted to buy her a case of the stuff. Plates in hand, he went to pull their dinner off the grill.

“Do you cook often?”

“When I can. But I much prefer cooking for others.”

“Like me?”

He smiled and brought the steaks to the table. “Yes, like you.”

Ivy leaned forward to scoop some salad out of the bowl, but he placed his hand over her wrist. “Please, allow me. Just sit back and enjoy your wine.”

She frowned but didn’t say anything. Jon prepared her a plate and did not skimp. She’d mentioned that she was an ‘eat an entire steak’ kind of girl, and he didn’t want to shortchange her appetite.

“Tell me what’s going through your mind,” he said.

He sat down with his plate after serving her, bringing the bottle to his lips, watching.

She sighed. “It felt weird not to get my own food. Like you thought I was incapable.”

“That couldn’t be further from the truth, Ivy. It makes me happy to do these little things for you, that’s all.”

“Oh.” Her eyebrows knitted together and she was quiet for a minute. Then she took a bite of meat. “Mmm....”

“I take it you approve?”

“Oh yes.”

His lips curved slightly. How many times could he get her to say that in one night? He shifted in his chair. This was the last thing he needed to be thinking about. But just for the sake of completion, he bet it’d be a whole fucking lot.

“You pay for Lily’s schooling, correct?”

Her fork paused at her lips. Maybe she was worried he’d bring up Rig’s again. He had no intention of bringing it up again that night. But after that, he wouldn’t make such promises.

“Not all of it. Our mom left us a little, and Lily does tutoring jobs when she can. But I’d rather she focus on her studies instead of working.”

“What about you?”

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