Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 101758 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 509(@200wpm)___ 407(@250wpm)___ 339(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 101758 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 509(@200wpm)___ 407(@250wpm)___ 339(@300wpm)
Cooper laughs and Britney narrows her eyes. “Don’t sleep deeply tonight, X.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
The truth is, I love seeing Ivy here with my friends. She’s loosened up since this afternoon, and she’s laughing and talking more. She fits in here. But I can see that she’s still skittish and unsure, and I want to make sure she feels safe.
I also want to lay her out on my bed and see if she has freckles all over that delectable little body and trace them with my tongue before I eat my fill of her.
But, one thing at a time.
I’m saved from saying more as Ivy returns to the table, and then I settle the tab, after ripping it out of Coop’s hand, and we leave the restaurant.
“Let’s get ice cream,” Britney suggests. “I saw a little place down the street.”
“Sundae’s,” Ivy agrees with a nod. “Best in the world.”
“Now it’s a done deal. We have to see if that’s true,” Cooper says, and we head that way. It’s only a few doors down.
Silver Springs is tiny, so everything is just a few doors down in any direction.
Sundae’s has been a mainstay in this town for more than fifty years. Indigo, the granddaughter of the original owners, owns and runs it, and I agree that it’s the best ice cream there is. When we walk inside, I’m hit with the familiar scent of sugar, and Indie glances up at us, then swallows hard and seems to go . . . pale.
“Hi, guys,” she says with a fake smile. Indie’s young. I don’t remember exactly how old she is, but she’s in her early twenties. She’s pretty, with dark hair and green eyes, but she looks nervous. “Welcome in.”
“Hey,” Ivy says with a little wave. “We were just singing your praises.”
“No pressure,” Indie replies with a wink. “I assume you want your usual?”
“Always.” Ivy grins and steps aside so everyone else can decide on what they want, but I keep her close to me.
I like having her nearby. It’s like something inside me settles down whenever she’s around, and it’s becoming addicting.
Which is weird as fuck for me.
Indie fills all our orders. It seems Ivy’s usual is the huckleberry ice cream in a waffle cone with chocolate drizzle.
“I need a bite of that,” I inform her, and she narrows her eyes and glances at my own cone. Double chocolate.
“Trade?” she asks.
I nod, and she holds her cone out for me to take, but I wrap my hand around hers, and with our eyes pinned, I lean in and take a bite.
“Mm. Good choice.”
Her pupils have dilated, and she swallows hard, and when I offer her a bite of my own cone, this brave girl doesn’t break the connection as she dips her head and licks the ice cream.
“Get a fucking room,” Easton says, making Ivy immediately blush that way that makes my cock wake up and want to join the party.
“Don’t be an asshole,” I reply, shaking my head.
By the time we’re all finished with our dessert, I turn to say goodbye to Indie but find she’s already watching me and nibbling on her lip, so I walk her way before we leave.
“Hey, are you okay?”
“Yeah, it’s just.” She sighs and glances over my shoulder at Easton. “Do you think that I could—”
She pauses and swallows hard, and what the fuck is going on?
“It’s okay, Indie.”
She nods. “Could I maybe have a meeting with you and your siblings one day soon? I don’t open the shop until eleven, so maybe we could have coffee before that?”
I frown, watching her. She’s nervous, her face is pale, and she won’t look me in the eyes.
“You bet,” Easton says. I didn’t realize he’d joined us. “What day works for you?”
“Any day.” Her voice is a whisper now.
“Are you in trouble, Indigo?” Easton asks, voicing what I’m thinking.
“No, it’s nothing like that, but I’d really rather chat with all of you. Harper too.”
Easton and I share a look and then nod at the young woman.
“Let us check with the others, and we’ll call you to set a time, okay?”
“Thanks.” She tries to smile, but it doesn’t quite land, and I don’t want to push her.
We don’t really know her that well. She’s always been a fixture here at the ice cream store, since she was just a little kid. But it’s not like any of us are close friends with her.
Easton and I both give her a reassuring nod before we return to the others.
“I’ll peel off from here,” Ivy says when we step onto the sidewalk, and I frown. I don’t want her to go. “My car is at the bar, and I should check in—”
“Don’t,” I interrupt, shaking my head. “Just let her figure it out, wildcat.”
She sighs and nods. “You’re right. Oh!”
She starts to wiggle out of my hoodie, but I reach out and stop her.