Shattered by Love (15 page)

“
T
hat went well
.” Picking up my beer, I take a swig. My worry about seeing her father isn’t as bad as I thought it would be. The fear I had when I was younger is gone. He’s aged and I look at him with pity. The fact that his daughter could walk out and not look back says a lot about him.

“Thank you.” Ivy’s voice is so low, but the quiver of fear in her tone is clear. Settling my eyes on her, I see the stress she’s experienced during that encounter.

“I was expecting more of a fight.” I turn my attention to Bryce and nod. So did I. Although, I have a feeling we’ve only stoked the fire. He will not give up that easily. Since he now knows he has a grandson, it will make him more adamant to break us up.

“So did I, but I know that wasn’t the end. I do not trust him at all.” As my gaze falls on the man opposite me, I can tell that he knows what I am talking about. Something tells me he’s had the Devereaux experience too. Ivy’s father is evil. I haven’t ever hated anyone, but after what he did to me and I lost everything, that emotion comes easily. The most important thing I lost was Ivy, because I believed him then.

He influenced my thoughts, and I figured he would know best since he’s her father, but now, seeing her after she walked out, I realize I fucked up. I should have fought for her. Now though, I will go to war for her and my son.

“I need another drink.” I glance at her. Sky-blue eyes peer up at me and she looks as if she’s about to pass out. Her body is tense and I wonder how I could relax her.

“Dad,” I turn to Ben and smile.

“What’s up, monster?”

“Can I have the nuggets?” I chuckle at the innocence in his eyes. He’s oblivious to the scene that just played out, that his granddad was here moments ago.

“Sure, squirt. Did you want fries?” His head bobbles as he nods enthusiastically. Our waiter appears at that moment, and we order our dinner and more drinks.

“I can’t believe my sister is getting married.”

“Me too. She was always such a cold-hearted… uhm…” Clearing my throat, I grin. Having a kid around will be interesting for my foul mouth. “Woman.”

“I am with you on that man, definitely not the friendliest.” I decide I like Bryce and since he considers my girl a sister, I can trust him.

“You’re both terrible you know that? Lacey is not that bad.” I turn and notice Kenna walking into the restaurant. I wave her over and by her expression, I realize she would rather not join us, but she doesn’t have a choice.

“Ken, I would like you to meet Ivy, and that is Bryce.” My girl offers a warm smile which momentarily shocks me. I remember her jealousy about my friendship with Ken, but it seems to have mellowed. When Bryce’s gaze lands on Kenna, it looks like a spark is lit behind his brown eyes.

“It’s a pleasure, sit next to me.” His charm is in full force and I hide my chuckle behind a cough.

“And this over here is Ben. Say hi to my friend Kenna.” He waves at her with a big grin on his face.

“Thank you for inviting me over.”

“I’m glad you joined us, Jayce never was one for friends. Besides Luke of course.” Ivy casts a quick glance at me and when she settles her gaze back on the brown-eyed woman, she smiles. “So we’re doing my dress in the morning?”

“Yes, I finished Lacey’s today, all I need is to make sure there aren’t any alterations needed for yours. I have your measurements, but sometimes they can change.”

They nod and smile. The girls seem at ease with each other and after confronting Ivy’s dad, I find I am relaxing as I swig my second beer.

The rest of dinner is relaxed, and Bryce appears quite taken with Kenna, but deep down I know that she’s still in love with Cole. Her eyes don’t light up when she smiles. I can’t imagine what it feels like being at the wedding of your soul mate and you’re not the one walking down the aisle.

As we head upstairs after dinner, I walk my girl and son to their room. When he gives me a goodnight hug, I feel my heart ache to be with them. While I wait outside for Ivy to put him to bed, thoughts are running rampant in my mind. I have to be with them permanently, and there is no way I am waiting for her to decide. She’s mine, and I am hers.

“It seems I can’t get rid of the trash can I?” I spin around to face the man who fucked my life up once before. He’s still a big man, but he does not scare me anymore. There was a time I would have been quaking in my boots, but this time as I glare at him, I realize that I will never fear him again. I will never walk away from the woman I love because of this asshole.

“Trash?” I laugh, it’s a dark chuckle. When my eyes land on him again, I don’t hide the sneer that contorts my face. He disgusts me, forcing his daughter to marry someone she doesn’t love. Making me break his daughter’s heart by threatening me and my mother’s life. He’s pure evil. “Seems you’re the one who lost. Your daughter couldn’t even tell you about your grandson. Now you’re here threatening me again?” I step up to him, I am bigger than him, my shoulders broader. “Let me tell you something, you will never, ever again take me away from her or my son. If you thought that your threats will work, then you’ve got another thing coming.”

“Listen here you piece of shit; my daughter doesn’t need you fucking up her life. She’s already lumped with a kid that should never have been born, once she realizes the mistake she has made, you will be history.” I am about to throw a punch when I feel her.

“Father.” Ivy’s voice is like ice between our heated exchange. We both turn to her and my breath hitches. I am unsure of what she will do because I have only seen that look on her face once before. When I told her to leave.

She steps up to him, with a dark glare pinned on her father, and continues her onslaught. “How dare you? Ben is my son, he is flesh and blood and even if you don’t accept him, he is the best thing that happened to me after you fucked up my life. I will never regret having him. I don’t care what you think anymore, because I am living my life, for me and for my son. Do not, ever, come between me and Jayce again. You will never have that power over me, or him again and you know why?” She doesn’t wait for him to carry on. “We have a son and if you come near him, I will make sure you regret it. You taught me one thing I appreciate, and that’s how to be a ruthless bitch so don’t be mistaken, I do not care if you’re my father or not, I will take you down.”

“Ivy, you can’t be serious? This…” He glances at me, then back at her. “… boy is not good for you. I miss my baby girl. You should never have left, especially since you were pregnant.”

“Why? So you could have controlled what I did? Or did you not want me to have the baby? If you found out it was Jayce’s you would have pushed and pushed for me to get rid of it, and there would be no way in hell I would have done that. I don’t want you in my life. You forced the only man I ever loved to walk away. Never again will you control me like a puppet.”

“I was looking out for you. You were young, you didn’t know what love was.”

“I think it’s time for you to leave.” Her tone is hard, without another word, she walks toward me, lacing her fingers in mine and pulls me into the room. As soon as the door shuts, I slam my mouth down on hers. Her body soft and pliable under my touch. With small moans, she presses her chest against mine. My hands move down her arms, and find her pert ass, squeezing it, I lift her against me and walk into the bathroom.

She’s got me rock fucking solid after that display and I need to be inside her. Placing her on the counter, I move to shut the door with a soft click. We have to be quiet, Ben is asleep, but I can’t not show her how much I love her. All I can think about is feeling her body wrapped around mine.

“Can you be quiet?” She nods, chewing on her swollen bottom lip. She’s so fucking sexy. My body is aching and my cock is throbbing behind the zipper of my pants.

“Just fuck me, Flash, please?” I tug on her sweats, pulling them down along with her panties. Her standing up to her father for me, for Ben, has my body humming with need to fill her deep and hard. My pants find the floor in no time and I fist my dick. It could give a steel rod a run for its money.

“Scoot forward, baby.” She moves her body to the edge of the counter, the height perfect as I slide into her. Our mouths mold as I lick into her, fucking her with my cock and my tongue.

Wet, warm, sweet, and so fucking tight. Her pussy clenches, tightening around my shaft as her body accepts my rapid thrusts. Her legs wrap around my waist and I lift her, not breaking our connection, pinning her against the door.

“You’re fucking incredible.” My hips thrust up, as I pull back, then slam back in. Her whimpers are music to my ears, and I wish I can hear her scream. I reach up and tug her hair back as my lips claim her neck, kissing, licking, sucking. I bite down as her pussy cinches my cock again, she’s close. “That’s my, Firefly. Come for me, wet my cock with your sweet honey.”

My words send her flying over the edge. Her release splinters through her body, wracking her with spasms. Her thighs tighten around me. I feel her dripping down my shaft and balls.

“You always feel so perfect inside me.” Her whisper sends me over as I growl my release into her neck. There are no words, just an animalistic sound. My mouth is locked on the soft skin of her neck revelling in the way she tastes—cinnamon, vanilla, and coconut. When I pull away, our eyes lock.

“I love you, Ivy. There has never been anyone else for me. You’re in my soul. Your essence flows through my veins. You’re the reason I have the breath I need to keep living. You are the oxygen that keeps my heart pumping. All those years without you, I was dead.”

“Jayce—”

“Let me finish.” I carry her back to the counter and set her down and slip out of her heat and immediately miss her warmth.

We’re both naked, but as I stand here, I am not only baring my body to her. I am baring my heart and soul. “Ivy, I know this is the strangest place to do this, but since we are here, and I am shitting myself and wanting to chicken out, I have to ask you before I do. Be my forever, Firefly? Only you have given me the family I never had growing up.”

Tears brim in her bright blue eyes. My heart is racing and for some reason I doubt myself because I don’t know if she will say yes. If she says no, I will not survive the agony.

I can’t lose her again. She can’t leave me. The lump in my throat makes it difficult to swallow.
How can I make her say yes?
I can’t. It’s up to her. Rampant, panic filled thoughts scurry through my head. “Ivy? Firefly?”

I
stare
at him and realize he’s panicking. He gets this look, and it’s sexy as hell. Ice-blue eyes blaze with a fire beneath them tells me he’s unsure of my answer and I don’t blame him. We’ve only just found each other again. What he doesn’t know is that I never want to be without him. “Baby?”

“Flash, so much has happened over the past few years and since I walked out of your apartment that day, I changed. I have grown, became a mother, and as much as that’s made me a different person, as much as my heart and mind have matured, there is one thing that has and will never change.” Cupping his face between my hands, I press my lips to his in a loving kiss. “And that’s the way I love you. With a fire deep in my soul, passion that steers my heart, and unending certainty in my mind. I know that we have an epic love. We have something that people spend their lives searching for and nothing can change that.”

“Is that a yes?” His mouth tugs at the corner into a smirk.

“Yes, that’s a yes. What did you think I would say?” His chuckle is low, he’s trying to be quiet and not wake Ben. “Will you stay tonight?” His gaze snaps to mine.

“Are you sure?” I nod. Scooting off the counter, I grab my sweats and tug them on.

“I am, but no sex.” Pouting, I lean up on my tiptoes, giving him another kiss.

“Fine, no sex, but we should go ring shopping tomorrow.”

“I have my fitting in the morning.” I watch him pull his briefs on and then his shirt.

“You’re so sexy, I doubt it will take that long.” I giggle. The sound is foreign to me because I haven’t laughed in such a long time. I didn’t have a reason to. We slip quietly into the enormous king size bed and I glance over at the cot where Ben is asleep with his cape on.

“Your son takes after you.” I murmur. Jayce turns his head and I can feel the vibration of his chest as he chuckles.

“And he’s just as gorgeous as you.” He leans in and kisses me. It’s a soft, tender kiss, nothing like the hungry ones we shared earlier. He rolls over, pulling me against his body. I close my eyes and drift off into a restful sleep.

A
mumble of
voices rouse me from an incredible dream—a tropical island with Jayce, Ben, and I is all I remember as I open my eyes.

The sight before me fills my heart as it stutters in my chest and a smile cracks on my face. My two boys are sitting and watching cartoons, both in shorts, and they’re eating from large bowls.

“Dad, did you see that?” Ben points to one of the characters jumping over a cliff and they both chuckle. “I bet he needs a cape.”

“Not all superheroes wear capes, squirt.” He ruffles our son’s hair and they continue eating their cereal. Swinging my feet over the bed, I pad over to them.

“Hey boys.” Both their heads whip over to me and I get two identical smiles. Two pairs of blue eyes peer up at me since they’re both sitting on the carpet.

“Mom, look, we got chocolate cereal.” The milk in the bowl is a light brown color, sloshing around.

“Was it good, monster?” He nods with a milky smile plastered on his face. I lean down and give him a kiss on the forehead.

“Good morning, gorgeous,” Jayce rises from the floor and pulls me in for a hug. His arms circle my waist and he leans in for a soft kiss.

“Did you sleep okay? I didn’t really wake up during the night.”

He moves his lips next to my ear and whispers. “I slept like a baby. Having your body against mine is heaven. I just wanted to slide inside you this morning, but I behaved.” I giggle and swat him on the shoulder as I pull away.

“I need to get ready, Kenna is probably waiting for me.” He nods and joins Ben on the floor again. Turning to the bathroom, I close the door, and turn on the hot spray. Glancing in the mirror, I take in my flushed cheeks, and sparkling eyes. I’m happy.

His touch still warms me, his smile still calms me, and his body still loves me. My Flash.

It’s been a long road, but here I am engaged to the man I was always meant to marry. My other half.

Stepping under the warm spray, I grab my vanilla shower gel and lather up. The soft scent envelops me, and I grin at the memory of when I first met him. He drove me insane, even then.

“
H
i
, you’re Jayce Alexander right?”

“Yeah, and you’re Ivy Devereaux. What are you doing this side of the park?” I take in the tall well-built boy in front of me. Those intense ice-blue eyes, the chiseled jaw with just enough amount of scruff to send tingles between my thighs, and that unruly dirty blonde hair. He’s just turned twenty-two, I know this because I have been asking around about him. His birthday was April 23
^rd
and I recall his friend Lucien threw a huge party.

I didn’t go, my father had an important business function and his two baby girl’s had to be there. He’s such a hypocrite.

Since I have had a crush on Jayce for a few years, I have watched him at school, getting to know his quirks. It was torture, but also the highlight of my days. He didn’t notice me and if he did, he didn’t mention it or even come near me.

I wonder if I scare him.

“So what’s a princess doing here?” He questions me again, but his words grate me. I am no princess.

“What makes you think I am a princess? Maybe I am the black sheep of the family. Maybe I am the bad girl.” I glare at him. The challenge in my gaze must be evident because he fixes me with a dark stare. The corner of his mouth lifts in a devilish smirk.

He reaches out and tugs a stray curl of my long blonde hair, twirling it between his thumb and forefinger. Then he tucks it behind my ear. His fingertips brush against my skin and an involuntary shiver runs through me. I know he noticed it, because those icy-blue pools darken, and he narrows his eyes.

“Do you like bad boys, Ivy? Because I am bad.”

Lifting my chin in challenge, I smile. “How bad? Because from where I am standing, you don’t look all that scary.” His eyes darken further and now they’re stormy grey. Hungry eyes burn into me, my clit throbs, and my panties are soaked. Fuck, he’s hot.

“Really? I am not scary?” Suddenly he’s stalking towards me, I step back, until I hit the wall behind me. His body is so close to me and I am tempted to arch into him. To feel his heat against me. When he leans in, my breathing picks up and the rise and fall of my chest doesn’t go unnoticed. “I would say you’re plenty scared. Your pupils have dilated, your breathing is erratic, and I bet your pulse is racing.” His lips come down and they feather the skin on my neck. My pussy clenches, the ache and throb of my clit making me moan. “And I bet…” He lowers his voice as he talks against my skin. “That you’re soaked right now. Because you like that don’t you? You like that I am a bad boy that wants to taint the sweet innocent princess.”

Holy fuck, if I wasn’t wet before, I am definitely soaked now.

“Jayce…” My voice comes out as a ragged whisper. The feel of his lips on my earlobe, suckling on it sends a jolt of electricity straight to my aching core. His teeth graze the sensitive skin and my body bows against him.

“I will taint you, little princess. Do you want that?” The question is low and heats my skin. Something within me surges as if a volcano is ready to erupt.

“Yes.” It’s barely audible, and I can tell by his smirk, he’s accepting my challenge.

He lifts his head and steps back. My body missing the warmth of him. There’s a smile on his full lips and it’s wicked. “You taste like vanilla, my favorite.”

My stare is unwavering, and he smirks. I can’t tell what he’s thinking, but I want to. I want to reach into his mind and know him. Everything about him. “Do I get a taste of you?” Biting down on the inside of my cheek to keep from smiling at my cheeky response and the look I give him is coy, that’s when his expression turns playful.

“You sure you can handle me, sweet thing?” I nod. Only an inch separates us with his hands on either side of my head, caging me in.

As I peer up, his hooded gaze holds me hostage and I find a dark promise in his elicit stare that ignites a fire so deep in my gut. There’s an animal waiting to be let loose and I ache to feel him lose control.

His lips brush against mine, and my tongue flicks out. Licking the seam of his mouth, eliciting a growl. “I can handle anything you give me.” A chuckle vibrates through his chest.

“That’s all I need to know.” His mouth swallows my whimper and my skin ignites with heat and yearning. His big strong hands grip my hips, pulling me against him. Every hard ridge of his body presses against mine. The spark between us is evident, and I can’t stop myself from moaning into the kiss.

His tongue dips into my mouth, licking, devouring, claiming, stroking mine in a sensual erotic dance. We’re a tangle of mouths, arms, and hands. I suck his tongue, nipping it playfully. I have never been kissed like this. It’s rough, sexy, sweet, and electric.

And all I could think was how good he tasted and how I wanted to taste him for the rest of my life.

M
y eyes
open to cold water sluicing down my body. Turning the taps off, I step out of the shower and wrap the towel around me. There’s a soft knock at the door and when I open it, I find Jayce staring at me. “Are you okay? You’ve been in there for ages.”

“I am, got a little lost in a memory.” Smiling up at him.

“I was worried.” He presses a kiss on my mouth and I recognize the taste of him from my memory and smile. He pulls away and narrows blue eyes at me. “What?”

“Just thinking about the first time you kissed me.”

“Oh?”

“You still taste the same.” I mumble.

He responds in a whisper. “You still taste like vanilla and strawberries, and that sweet little pussy still tastes like my favorite dessert.” My breathing hitches and goose bumps rise on my skin. The tingle causing my pussy to pulse and clench with need.

“Jayce, not now.” He laughs and steps back, with a wink he turns and walks back into the bedroom.

Once I am dressed, I leave my boys and make my way downstairs. Kenna said I should meet her in the room that’s been set up as a dressing room for the ceremony. We have two days left before the wedding, once the fitting is done, I can spend time with my boys.

“Hi Kenna.” She looks up and offers a small smile.

“Hi, this won’t take too long and you can head off and enjoy the day.” She pulls out a dress bag and unzips it.

“I hope my sister had good taste in a dress.” She laughs, pulling out the garment. It’s not just pink, its magenta. It’s definitely beautiful, and somehow my sister and Kenna chose a color I would never wear, and made it almost bearable.

“Wow, it’s bright.” I glance at her as she helps me change.

“It is, but she wanted something different.” I slip the dress on and Kenna zips it up at the back. It’s a sleeveless knee-length figure hugging dress, and I immediately envision Jayce’s expression when he sees me in it. The material is soft, silky, and I feel like a princess.

“That fits perfectly. Your figure is exquisite.” She looks over the dress, tugging and pulling at the hem.

“Thank you. You’re incredible at this. I would love if you design my wedding dress.” The words tumble from my mouth before I have time to think about it.
Shit.

“Yours?” No time like the present to come clean.

“Yes, Jayce proposed last night.”

“Wow, congratulations. I am happy for you both, it must be amazing to be with someone you truly love.” Her voice is barely audible. I turn to her and the pain etched on her face is tangible, it’s the same look I see on my sister’s face.

“I know. I wish my sister was marrying someone she loves.” She snaps her gaze at me and frowns.

“What do you mean?” I let out a long sigh and sit on the chair at her desk.

“She’s only marrying Cole because my father forced her to. They don’t love each other and for four years they’ve been living separate lives. Only, my father doesn’t know.”