Get a Grip (Hollywood Nights) (23 page)

             
“I think I would like it here.” She reached up to hug him and her hand covered a familiar place on his shoulder. “Every time I hug you, I can remember that right under my palm is my tag, property of Ivy Bliss.”

             
“That’s more than three letters.” He laughed on the outside, but on the inside a thrill ran through his body so deep it rattled his bones.

             
“It’s also more than two, but that’s what it should say.” She nodded.

             
He took a moment to process her statement. “You’re going to have that on you?”

             
She let a slow knowing smile cross her lips. “Yes. I’m yours aren’t I?”

             
He nodded because he could barely speak. He found his voice and said, “Then I don’t want fancy letters. I want your signature. I want you to write it down and they can put it on my body in your handwriting and I will do the same for yours.”

             
Her eyes lit up with excitement. “That sounds perfect!”

Monday…

Ivy looked at Bo. He was practically glowing. She crossed her arms and said, “Do you even have three more positions to try out?”

             
“That’s the first thing you have to say to me when we are alone?” He got up from his spot in the extra chair and moved to sit next to her on the examination bed. “Ivy, we’re pregnant.”

             
“No,” she corrected. “I’m pregnant. Nothing changes for you. He’s not going to grab you a bottle of vitamins and a book.”

             
She dropped her arms and began fidgeting with her shirt hem. He put an arm around her and pulled her into his side. She was so nervous right now. So scared, but she didn’t want to admit it. He kissed her forehead and said, “I know it’s scary, but it’s exciting, too.”

              “What will I look like in December?” She didn’t want to be so vain, but the whole point of having the big formal wedding was to have the beautiful pictures. The dress Mathis found her would not fit next month, she was sure of that.

             
“Beautiful,” he whispered and leaned in to kiss the spot below her ear.

             
“Be serious.” She closed her eyes as he opened his mouth over the flesh and kissed again. She really enjoyed that spot and he knew it.

             
He sat back and looked at her. “I am being serious. Do you want to push the date up? We can do it next week if you want. We can cancel it and do it next year. Or, maybe we should do all of the pictures this weekend or next and then you can relax about it.”

             
“We’d have to fake all of it, what about cake and dancing, and…”

             
“I think I know a few people who know how to put together a fake wedding.” Bo looked at her and winked.

She had been fake married in three of her movies. She understood how quickly they could pull off the pictures if she really wanted them that badly. She did.

              “I just want the pictures of us. Is that selfish?” She looked down. Of course it was selfish. Just like the feeling that she had a limited amount of time with him before she was going to have to share. She felt guilty for even thinking that.

             
“No, sweetheart. That isn’t selfish. It’s normal. Everyone wants wedding pictures. We can arrange for the photographer to come out this weekend if you want.” His hands moved to hold both of her hands. She looked up at him and he said, “I want you to be happy about this.”

             
“I am.” She was surprised at the truth in that statement. A part of her really was a little exited to have a baby.

Saturday…

              He burst through the door and practically ran towards her. He was a ball of energy like she had not seen before. He said excitedly, “There’s a storm off the coast!”

             
She couldn’t quite read the excitement. It sure didn’t sound like concern. He was still hyper as he asked, “Do you know what that means?”

             
“We need to check our batteries?” She wasn’t sure what it meant, but having batteries for a flashlight seemed a reasonable thing to worry about in a storm.

             
“No!” He laughed. “Surfs up!”

              He smooched her on the lips and started down the hall towards the room with his surfboards in it. Ivy wasn’t sure what came over her, but she said suddenly, “We were supposed to watch that movie today. Remember? You wanted to come home and crawl in bed and snuggle up with me.”

             
He stopped short and turned. “Yeah, but that was before…”

             
“I see.” She cut him off. “You don’t take your commitments seriously.”

             
She bit her lips to keep a straight face. He looked at the door leading to his surfboards and then back down the hall at her. “I guess I should get used to it now, huh? When the baby comes along, I won’t be able to just go. This is a rare opportunity to catch some big waves here, but I…”

             
“Could always ask me nicely to change my plans.” She hated the way his entire body had deflated with defeat. She was just teasing him, but he didn’t realize that. She watched as his head lifted up and realization dawned.

***

              He did want to go surfing. There was not a doubt about it. He was sure she thought he was going to put up a fight to asking nicely. She had resisted letting him have control. He wanted her to play like this with him so he had to encourage it at every opportunity.

He walked back up the hall towards her. When he was a few steps away he moved slowly to his knees and enjoyed her surprise. He put his hands on the floor and crawled the last few feet. He kissed the top of her bare foot and said, “Please, may I go surfing today?”

              She didn’t know what to do with him. She said, “Yes.”

             
He looked up and quirked his brow, “Yes?”

             
She reached down and placed her hand at the side of his face. “Yes. I was going to tell you that I was planning to meet Frankie for lunch today. I just wanted to…see if you...now I know. I will…make sure I know what to do next time.”

             
He nodded. He leaned down again and kissed her ankle, trailed his hands up her legs, kissed her knee, ducked under the pretty dress she was wearing. Her legs shifted to allow him access. Her mouth protested weakly with, “I’m supposed to leave here in forty-five minutes.”

             
“I’ll be done in less than ten,” he said as he hooked his fingers into the band of her panties and tugged them down enough to access his goal. “You said I could surf, I have to earn that. Understand?”

             
He couldn’t see her because he was tented under the loose fabric. Her arousal from his touch permeated his senses and he inhaled deeply. He loved the way she smelled when she was turned on. He craved the way she tasted.

***

              “Where’s the baby?” Ivy asked as Frankie took her seat across from her at the restaurant.

             
“Grandma day!” Frankie practically shouted. They both laughed. She continued, “I am so glad you asked me out to lunch. It’s been a while since I could use grandma day as an opportunity to do something for me. I’m still working for Jonas even though he just added me to the accounts and said he was not paying me anymore. I think I work more now than I did when I could account for my hours.”

             
Ivy nodded, “Yeah they have a lot of needs not necessarily outlined in some basic vows.”

             
They shared small talk and caught up with each other. Frankie was always easy to talk to. She had a face that radiated the feelings that she could be trusted. Ivy knew this was pushing the boundaries of a newly formed friendship. It could be awkward since technically Ivy had dated Jonas. On screen she had done much more than that in two different films with Jonas.

             
She looked at the warm smile on Frankie’s face and decided she had no choice. She needed someone to talk to. She blurted out quickly, “I don’t know a whole lot about being in charge in the bedroom and I need to learn. Do you have any suggestions?”

             
Frankie’s eyes went wide and then relaxed. She tilted her head and said, “There is a lot of literature about sex. Historically, there are tons of erotic pieces. Even Shakespeare’s sonnets and the poem Venus and Adonis.”

             
“I need something contemporary. Something that will help me today.” Ivy could feel her face blushing.

             
Frankie asked, “Do you have your phone with you?”

             
“Of course.” Ivy quirked a brow at her.

             
“Let me see it.” Frankie held her hand out. Ivy fished through her purse and handed the retrieved phone to Frankie. Frankie began touching the screen and then said, “Ah ha! Here you go.”

             
She handed the phone back and Ivy looked at the list of books on the screen. Electronic books. She could read these and no one would ever know! “Oh my goodness!”

             
Frankie nodded. “Yeah. It makes things in that department a bit easier to research.”

             
“Do.” Ivy cleared her throat. She said do at least two more times and then said, “I can’t talk to anyone about this. Okay. My sister just makes me more confused, I don’t have any friends I can trust. I’ve been with one man my whole life, Frankie. I’m pregnant and running out of time to enjoy him without…”

             
“You’re pregnant?” she whispered.

             
“Yes.” Ivy nodded. “According to the doctor and the ultrasound we pretty much tossed that cake in the oven immediately.”

             
Frankie laughed. “My birth control failed. I had a miscarriage before we had Justine. It can be tough to give up that one on one time so quickly.”

             
Frankie raised her hand and the waitress approached. “Can we get one of those volcanoes?”

             
The girl walked away and Frankie admitted. “Chocolate is the only way to celebrate!”

             
Ivy laughed. “So any advice for me?”

             
“Yes.” Frankie nodded. “Read a lot and quickly. Don’t waste any time. Even if you don’t feel up to it, you better find the time and energy because if you have one like Justine...whew…she is her father’s child.”

             
Ivy nodded. It made sense. “He’s surfing today. There’s a storm off the coast. I don’t really know what that means other than big waves.”

             
“My students were the worst about that!” Frankie laughed. “I guess they can surf all year long, but during winter and when there is a storm off the coast the waves get bigger at even the beaches that have low waves. I don’t know. I don’t get it. I just know that Jonas was itching to go. It is the first time he has wanted to go since we’ve been together, so I am sure whatever is going on, it is going to be packed at the beaches today.”

             
“I just don’t get it.” Ivy shrugged. “Oooh, but I so get this.”

             
Frankie laughed as the chocolate cake with ice cream was placed in front of them.

***

              Ivy read from the time she got home until the time he walked in the door with only the hour it took Mathis to help he set a few things up. She had arranged a few things in hopes that this is really what he wanted from her. He looked good. His hair was still a bit damp and he smelled like the beach.

             
She knew he couldn’t see her from where he was standing. She moved quickly to the kitchen as he approached the door. When she heard it open she said, “I hope you’re hungry.”

             
“Starving,” he said as he propped the board against the hall wall and headed towards her. He got two steps into the kitchen before he stopped. She looked him over as he looked her over. “Am I…was I…Did I miss something?”

             
She let the smile slip over her lips as she slowly shook her head no. “You like?”

             
He nodded.

             
She was dressed in an evening gown, the table was set with candles, and his favorite foods were waiting. She held up her hand and curled her finger indicating for him to come closer. He moved quickly until he was standing in front of her.

             
“I’m not dressed for this. I should probably shower.” He reached out to touch her.