“You are like a fucking goddess,” he groans, running a hand down the length of my body. I squirm beneath his touch, but he doesn’t stop. He’s driving me insane, so it’s about time I return the favor.

Shoving his hand away from me, I spread my legs before him. He gulps, swallowing hard as I bring my hand down, sliding it between my breasts before skimming my navel. Continuing my journey of self-discovery, I cup my mound and jerk against the blanket, delighting in the fact that he’s watching me touch myself.

“Ivy…” He moans, a dangerous tremor in his voice.

Instead, I pick up the pace. I feel my orgasm begin to build under his reproachful stare. I really have turned into quite a naughty girl.

“You are not going to deny me this,” he whispers fervently. In a flash, he is on his feet, clinking the metal of his belt buckle when he can’t get it open fast enough. A second later, I hear the whoosh of his zipper being lowered. He doesn’t even kick his jeans all the way off before springing his erection free from his boxers. In an instant, he’s back on his knees before me, gently tugging my elbow, urging me to stop what I’m doing and grant him access.

But I’m having too much fun toying with him. I’m going to make him earn it. Keeping a steady, self-satisfying rhythm going with my hand, I guide my foot onto his chest, pushing him back. Tracing his abdominal muscles with my toe, I feel him shudder beneath me. His hand is on my ankle, trying to pull it away, but I hold firm, pressing my foot even harder against his chest, my butt practically in the air.

Taking advantage of my vulnerable position, he grabs me under the knee, pulling my leg around his taut waist. Going in for the kill, he reaches for my other leg, cinching my ankles behind him. I’m helpless now as I feel his tip press against the back of my hand, blocking his entrance into me. Taunting him, I continue to pleasure myself.

Utterly frustrated, he buries his face against my neck, nipping and biting me with his teeth. I’ve never seen this feral side of him before as excitement courses through my veins. His erection is now straining against my hand as he rolls his hips, cursing under his breath. His hand is once again at my wrist, begging me to surrender to him.

Giving in, I let him pull my hand away, and he wastes no time in sliding into me. He lifts my arm in the air, interlocking his fingers with mine. His grip is strong as he dives deeper within me, never letting go. I cry out as I collapse against him, but he continues to hold my hand aloft as he pumps toward his climax, grunting with every beat.

I’m lost in a wave of complete bliss, but feeling his release inside me brings me back to earth for a moment. I love how we’re able to be with each other, skin to skin, no need for a condom—how a man and a woman are meant to enjoy each other.

I circle my heels against the small of his back, savoring how deep he is inside me, giving him a minute to catch his breath. We’re both drenched in sweat. His hair is plastered to his forehead, his nose buried in the crook of my neck. He’s so close; I can feel the flutter of his eyelashes against my skin.

My lips are swollen from his, and I smile when he turns his attention to my stomach, covering it in a fresh round of kisses. Our baby is inside me. A new chance at a future he never thought he’d have. My heart swells. I’m so lucky to have this man in my life.

I’m just about to tell him that when my phone chimes.

Eric picks up his head, startled, and looks at me. “Oh God, not again. Doesn’t he ever leave you alone?”

“I’m just glad he didn’t interrupt us sooner.” I feel a chill when Eric sits up, removing his body from mine. But I can’t pout for long when he bends to retrieve my phone from the pocket of my dress, his naked backside filling my vision.

We’ve gotten to the point where there are no secrets between us. We share pretty much everything, so I’m not surprised when he swipes his finger across the screen to read the text that disrupted our time together. I can tell he’s angry when his eyes darken as he scans the message. He tosses the phone onto the discarded heap of clothing without letting me read it.

“What did it say?” I prop myself up my elbows, meeting his troubled gaze. My hair falls forward onto my breasts, but I don’t even notice. The look on his face is killing me inside. He’s standing there, naked, in all his glory, but all I see is the fear in his eyes.

“Will says he needs you in L.A.” Eric crosses his arms, ready to lay down the law. “But don’t even think about it—because you’re not going.”

Eric

I was afraid this was going to happen, and now it has. I knew Will Carter wouldn’t disappear from our lives so easily. There had to be a catch.

“Eric, he must’ve run into some complication he doesn’t know how to fix. We’ve been working together for months on this screenplay. I can’t turn my back on him now. We’re so close to finishing it.” Ivy looks at me with those puppy-dog eyes of hers, and I’m already starting to melt. But I can’t bear the thought of her traveling alone, especially in her condition. There’s no way she’s stepping foot on a plane without me.

But that’s the problem. I can’t leave the garden center. Not now. The Halloween season is a major moneymaker for Riverside Gardens. With a baby on the way, I can’t turn down the extra income that comes rolling in from the pumpkin patch I set up in the adjacent field. During the week, various school groups make their annual visit, and on weekends we’re jam-packed from morning till night, pressing apple cider and giving tractor-driven hayrides. It’s impossible for me to take time off.

“But why can’t you hash it out over the phone or by email like you’ve been doing?” I question Ivy, and she seems embarrassed as I bear down on her, hastily covering herself with her sundress. “Why do you suddenly have to fly across the country just because he snaps his fingers? He doesn’t own you.”

“Of course he doesn’t. But you know what this could mean for us if he’s able to sell this script. You wouldn’t have to kill yourself working so hard. You never gave yourself enough time to fully recover from your injuries after that stupid fight. I know you’re in pain a lot of the time, but you just push through it. It’s not right. Eric, I only want to help you as much as I can.” She gets up, tugging down her skirt. She’s nervous about pursuing this, but she’s determined and she’s not going to quit. I’m setting myself up to fight a losing battle.

“I know not going back to school hasn’t been easy for you.” I reach out and tuck a loose tendril of hair behind her ear, attempting to soothe her battered confidence with a loving gesture. “But it doesn’t mean that you’re never going to get your degree. Once the baby comes—”

“Once the baby comes, I’ll be busier than ever.” Her hands come to rest on my hipbones, and I can’t help reacting to her touch. “I’m not going to have the chance to do much of anything for a while. Don’t pretend things aren’t going to change, Eric.”

“I’m not…” But I’m at a loss for words when she begins to massage my stomach muscles with her thumbs. I gasp, widening my stance as my eyes start to close on their own accord.

“I want to contribute any way I can, and the one thing I know how to do is write. I’m barely into the second trimester of my pregnancy. Let me go and sort this out while I’m still able to travel.” She doesn’t like the idea of having to ask my permission for anything, that much is certain. And I can’t blame her for wanting to reassert her independence. But why does it have to be with Will?

“Ivy, if this is on account of what people around town are saying, you don’t have to prove yourself to anybody.” I grit my teeth as she takes a step back, making me acutely aware of my nakedness.