Page 120 of Playing for Keeps
The thought of not seeing Ivy every day is already eating me up inside. We’ve spent every free moment together this past week, and I don’t know how I’m supposed to say goodbye tomorrow. She’s planning to come to Phoenix whenever she can, but pre-season is always chaos, and I have no idea how much time I’ll actually have. Still, even an hour with her is better than not seeing her at all. I’ve got tickets for everyone for the first game, but that’s still weeks away.
“Does this look okay for a day at the lake?” Ivy asks, pulling me from my thoughts as she steps out of the bathroom in a red bikini.
My breath catches, and my eyes track over her, every thought in my head short-circuiting.
“Damn, Ivy,”I say, rising from the bed and crossing the room to her.“You look unreal.”
She blushes, a soft pink spreading across her cheeks, and I can’t help but grin as I wrap my arms around her, my hands gliding over her warm skin.
“We don’thaveto go to the lake, do we?”I mutter against her neck, trailing kisses along her skin.“We could stay here... I could take my time unwrapping you from that bikini.”
She giggles and swats my hands away.“It’s your send-off, Wyatt. People might notice if the guest of honor doesn’t show up.”
I groan, burying my face in her neck.“It’s for Nash and Paisley too. Everyone will be wrapped up in them.”I press a kiss to her skin.“What if we just show up a little late?
My fingers find the ties at her back and neck, tugging at them with practiced ease. The fabric slips free, and she lets out a squeal.
“Wyatt!” she laughs, mock-scolding.
“What?”I grin innocently.“You make it impossible to keep my hands to myself.”
“Well, you’re going to have to try,” she says with a smile. “We’re already late.”
“Spoilsport,” I tease, pressing a quick kiss to her lips before stepping back and picking up her bikini top from the floor.
She slips it on, then grabs a pair of denim shorts and a tank from her dresser, pulling them on quickly.
“Ready?” she asks.
I nod and follow her downstairs.
In the entryway, I grab the bag with the towels and sunscreen, plus the cooler packed with food for the shared picnic, and load everything into the car.
The drive to Lynx Lake is quiet. Ivy stares out the window, lost in thought. I reach across the console and place my hand on her bare thigh.
“You okay?”I ask, giving her thigh a soft squeeze.
She glances over and offers a smile, but it doesn’t quite reach her eyes.
“Talk to me, Ivy.”
She exhales and focuses her gaze back to the road.“I’m okay,”she says quietly.
But she’s not. I know she’s not.
She doesn’t think I’ve noticed the way she watches me when she thinks I’m not looking, or the way she’s held me a little tighter than normal the past few days, but I do.
“Ivy,” I prompt.
“I’m just… trying not to think about tomorrow,” she says.
And there it is. The thing neither of us has wanted to say out loud.
“I know,” I say quietly. “I’m trying not to think about it either.”
I pull into the parking lot at Lynx Lake and shift the car into park.
She forces another smile, but it’s not convincing.
