Page 40 of When Ivy Met Mr. Holiday
Every single one of them.
Even Sienna, who was clutching her fists, trying but failing to hold it together, to protect her image. But I could see it—the crack in her composure. The fury boiling beneath. She had lost control of the story she wanted everyone to believe. And she knew it.
I let out a sigh of relief.
Jack’s career was safe.
Our secret was safe. For now.
But . . . what about my heart? Was it safe?
Chapter Twelve
“There is nothing better than a friend unless it is a friend with chocolate.”
Linda Grayson
Jack
“Bravo,Jack.Thosepicturesof you and Ivy kissing are gold. The buzz online is good. The studio execs are happy. For now. Just please, for the love, don’t give anyone the impression your relationship is some sort of publicity stunt,” Tori warned over the phone. “It’s not, is it?”
I exhaled, a small sigh of relief escaping as I paced Ivy’s bedroom floor. The last thing I needed was thestudio breathing down my neck, especially because I knew Sienna wasn’t finished with me yet.
“Believe me, this is no stunt. I love Ivy.”
It felt good to say that out loud to someone. If only I could tell Ivy. For now, I would take pleasure in remembering every second of our kiss on the ice. The way Ivy had melted into me and not only kissed me back but seemed to enjoy it as much as I did. Even though she was far from admitting it. Ever since this afternoon, she kept saying things like:
“It was just for show, Jack.”
“I’m sorry, but I had to kiss you.”
“I only wanted to protect you.”
I let her say it. Let her convince herself. I even thanked her for it. But, if you asked me, the lady doth protest too much.
Her constant excuses only gave me hope. She wanted me as much as I wanted her. That kiss proved it.
And . . . she had mentioned that we needed to be more affectionate in front of her family. She feared Sienna had caused them to doubt us, too. I saw right through that. It was her excuse for wanting to be closer to me. She could just admit it. But I would play her game for now and show her as much affection as she wanted. And enjoy every second of it.
“Wow. You’ve never admitted you love someone,” Tori said, astonished. “Does Ivy know?”
Maybe I’d been too hasty in admitting that out loud, but I was tired of pretending I wasn’t in love.
“Not yet. We’re taking it slow.”
Ivy was, at least.I was ready to go Mach 5.
“I’m happy for you, Jack. I’ve always been a fan of Ivy’s. She’s too good for you.” She couldn’t resist the jab.
“Agreed. Thanks for the overtime you’re putting in during the holidays.”
“Oh, don’t thank me. You’ll be getting a nice hefty bill for all this. You’re making all my Christmas dreams come true this year.”
I hoped both of our Christmas dreams would come true. “I’ll happily pay it if you can keep Ivy out of the spotlight as much as possible.”
This wasn’t easy on her, and for that, I felt awful.
Tori paused. “She realizes what comes from being in a relationship with you, right? Even if she decides to become a hermit, people will always talk about you and her. She’ll always be in your orbit. There’s no going back now.”
