“Ethan…” Her hand lands on my shoulder, holding tight.

I’m so hot, my skin burns. I kiss her breast like I would her mouth, licking and sucking, nipping the stiff bud, brushing my lips over it. And do it all over again. I get lost in the act, fucking worshiping her breast the way it ought to be.

Small, needy whimpers leave her mouth as she clutches my shoulders with both hands now, her sweater sliding a little and falling onto the bridge of my nose. I don’t care. I drag the flat of my tongue slowly over her nipple, savoring it, and she groans. Long and loud. The sound is a hard tug on my cock.

My free hand finds her hip, pulls her forward.

And Leo wakes with a squeak and a little cry of protest.

Instant bone kill. I yank my head out from under her sweater and take a step back, careful to keep my hands on her hips so she doesn’t fall.

Closing my eyes, I take a breath, then another. Jesus, I’ve never done anything like that, never let myself not think and just take what I want. And I want to do it again, and again, lose my fucking mind on pleasuring Fiona Mackenzie.

I’m almost breathing normally as I turn to sit on the bench so I can see what Little Man wants.

Next to me, Fiona rights her clothes and jumps down. Keeping her back to me, she runs a hand through her hair. When she finally turns, she doesn’t look embarrassed or regretful. She simply helps me change the baby’s diaper as if nothing happened.

I don’t know if I should be grateful or disappointed. Right now, I’m going with disappointment.

Chapter Six

Fiona

“Is it wrong that I’m thinking of hiring a mother’s helper?” Ivy picks up a perfume bottle, sniffs it, then wrinkles her nose and sets the bottle down.

“I’m inclined to say it’s wrong you haven’t already,” I say.

She sighs and runs a hand through her dark hair. It’s longer than I’ve seen it in years, spilling over her shoulders, her ubiquitous bangs grown out to frame her face. “Mother guilt blows. I feel like I should be ashamed for wanting some time to myself. And with Gray.”

“Ivy Weed, I’ve been at your house for all of two days, and I want to cry for you. Babies are tough work. You have the means to hire help, so do it. Happy mommy and daddy, happy baby.”

I don’t mention our childhood. I don’t need to. Our mom stayed at home and refused to seek any form of help, even though she had the means. She was a walking stress basket. There’s kid guilt too. And it sucks.

I glance in the small mirror set up on the glass countertop and smear a bit of poppy red sample lipstick on my lips. The shade is too strong for my light coloring. “Here, this would look better on you.”

After Dex and I had returned home, Ivy had all but attacked him with hugs of gratitude. Fairly well-rested after a few hours off baby duty, she’d been itching to go out, and called a sitter. So here we are, having sister time and idly shopping. And I’m fighting the good fight to not think about what happened in the Tea Garden.

Ivy shakes her head. “Gray doesn’t like lipstick. Says it tastes bad.”

I snicker and move on.

“Speaking of jobs,” she says as we leave the store. “How’s yours going? Bob Sugar still giving you grief?”

I laugh at the nickname Ivy and Gray gave Elena Ford, my little shithead co-worker. At least Bob Sugar was upfront about stealing Jerry Maguire’s clients. Elena is far more insidious. About two months ago she started at the design firm where I work in NYC.

At first, I thought I’d made a friend. Elena was sweet, slightly clueless, and immediately came to me for guidance.

“You’ve been here six months,” she’d said in her sweet, pleading voice. “And you’re so talented. Me? I’m terrified I’ll get everything wrong and be out on my ass.”

I know all about fear of failure. I am the family fuckup, always flitting from this thing to that. So I helped Elena, showing her my designs, talking about what inspired me, what I thought the client was looking for.

How was I to know she’d waltz into our Monday mockup meeting with designs for the Greenberg condo that looked almost exactly like mine?

Sure, there were differences. Just enough that it didn’t look like a complete copy. But the overall style and themes were exactly the same. I’d felt sick. But, hey, it could have been a coincidence. And Elena was still so nice, thanking me for all my help. Cracking jokes in the staff lounge.

Except our boss, Felix, chose Elena to assist him with the condo. She’d won. And I’d been okay with that. Only it happened again.

Ivy’s arm links through mine, pulling me back to the present. “You’ve gone quiet.”

I sigh and lean into her shoulder as we head for the Embarcadero. “I don’t want to dislike anyone, but I’m beginning to actively hate this woman.”

“What did she do now?” Ivy asks darkly.

“It’s my fault,” I mutter, my stomach twisting. “I told her what I had planned for 44 Park—”

“Fi,” Ivy cries. “You didn’t!”

“Give me a break. It was before I realized that she was, you know, thieving scum—”

“A creative leech,” Ivy puts in helpfully. We have another name for her too; it rhymes with hunt. “Argh, that bitch is totally gaslighting you.”

“Yeah.” I sigh. “I feel so stupid.” And sick. Heartsick. “She did it again. This time it was worse. Same use of Art Deco touches mixed with raw woods and industrial framework. Same fucking color scheme.”

“How in the hell does Felix not notice?” Ivy’s dark brows are nearly touching now, she’s scowling so hard.

“He made a comment once on the similarity. Elena just grinned and said some bullshit about great minds thinking alike.”

Ivy snorts. “Brilliant.”

“Yes, wasn’t it? Her mother is a creative editor for Elle Decor. She has numerous and powerful contacts. Why should Felix care when it’s good business?”

As usual, I vacillate between rage and sorrow. Working with Felix is my dream job come to life. He’s a major player in the NYC design community. And I’d been his star apprentice. Until Elena came.

Now I’m second fiddle, watching as she climbs the ladder on the rungs of my work. It blows. Especially since she makes it her business to stop by my desk and fill me in on all the cool shit she gets to do with Felix. Evil hag.

“Well,” Ivy says. “Now you know. Don’t give her any more fodder, and she’ll have to come up with something on her own.”

“I guess. I just keep thinking, I’m here and she’s there, working her witchy voodoo.” Part of me hadn’t wanted to go on vacation. But I’d already been granted the days; the flight was booked.

“Do you want to go back?” Ivy asks, sympathy making her eyes wide.

“Naw.” I give her arm a squeeze. “I need the break. And I’ve missed you, Gray-Gray, and little Leo so much.”

“We’ve missed you too.” She kisses my cheek.

“And I guess it could be worse.” I smile. “I could be working with dad.” Ivy is his partner-apprentice.

“Har!” She rolls her eyes. “Though he really isn’t that bad.”

“I bet living on opposite coasts helps.”

“You know it. Let’s go eat. I’m starving.”

We end up at a Spanish tapas restaurant on the Embarcadero and basically order our weight in food. I pop a cube of Manchego cheese in my mouth and sigh.

“Maybe I should move to San Francisco,” I tell Ivy. “I love it here.”

Her nose wrinkles. “Don’t tease. It isn’t nice.”

“I’m serious. I’ve been living in Dad’s apartment like a mooch. NYC is exhausting. Maybe I should move out here.”

Even as I say the words, I know what I’m doing. Dreaming of running away. Shit gets hard, I bail. I’m not proud of it. But I can’t seem to stop.

Ivy gives me a sad little smile, as if she too is aware. But she doesn’t say that; her attention is diverted by someone behind me, and she waves whoever it is over.