I almost worry I spoke too soon, but then she bursts out laughing. "I'm sorry, but I've never had a boyfriend before. Hearing it makes me feel like a giddy thirteen-year-old."
I smirk, kissing her. "Will you stay the night?"
"You'd have to get HR in here to remove me at this point."
Chuckling, I continue with her hair, and once we’re both clean, we rinse off. After we're done, I give her privacy to get dressed.
"So there's something we should talk about," I tell her as we get comfortable in bed and snuggle underneath the sheets. It's only late morning, but we're both sleepy.
"You have another weird school subject fetish? Is it math?"
I shake my head at her snarky remark. "I'm starting to remember why Hadleigh always called you an annoying little brat."
Her eyes widen. "You're lying!" She throws a pillow at me but misses, and it falls to the floor. "She adored me."
I snicker, capturing her wrists and towering over her until she's flat against the mattress.
"I think you may have selective memory because I recall a lot of complainin' when it came to you."
She wiggles beneath me, but I nudge my knee between her thighs and push my weight on top of her.
"Dammit, you're too strong."
Chuckling, I lower my mouth to her ear. "Are you gonna play nice, or do I need to punish you?"
"Is that supposed to be a threat?"
"I'm startin' to think you antagonize me on purpose."
"Perhaps you would've caught on a lot sooner if you'd paid attention in school and hadn't been getting boners for your teachers."
"Don't be jealous, sweetheart." I push my hips into her, letting her feel how hard I am right now. "I'm not into cougars anymore."
She tries not to smile but can't stop herself. Then she bursts out laughing. "Fine. What do you want to talk about?"
I settle in next to her. "Your sister. I'm a little concerned about what her reaction will be so we should probably discuss how we want to handle it."
"Well, it's only been a couple of weeks, so even if she were to find out, we could just tell her the truth. We weren't rushing things and wanted to see where they went before we announced it."
"Right. I don't want her to assume I'm using you or treating you like a rebound because of Raelyn. That's not the case," I explain honestly. Raelyn and I dated for a couple of months, but there's no comparison to how I feel about Ivy.
"I don't think Hadleigh would think that. She's pretty reasonable."
"I'd like to assume she'd think the best about me and my intentions, but she's fiercely protective when it comes to you. Doesn't matter that I've been her best friend our entire lives, she won't think twice about taking a bat to my balls if she thinks I'll hurt you."
She snorts. "So maybe we should wait..."
"I kinda like being able to focus on us without the pressure of everyone's opinions and interrogations," I admit. "Mainly from my grandmother and family. I already know they're going to lose their fucking minds."
"Not to mention, sneaking around is kinda hot. I like spending time with you."
"Same here. At least for now. We can't hide forever. Eventually, it'll catch up with us."
"I know, but in the meantime, it's nice being able to figure this out together and not have to answer everyone’s questions. Like with Winston. My current lover." She snorts. "Maybe I should have an imaginary breakup so I'm not adding more lies."
I brush damp strands of hair off her cheek and tuck them behind her ear. I smile at how hard and fast I'm falling for her. "Out of respect for Hadleigh's and my friendship, I'll have to come clean eventually. But for now, I like sneaking you into my bed."
"Like a dirty little secret, huh?" She waggles her brows.
"Don't get any ideas. You promised to read to me."
"I will. But maybe after a nap." She yawns, snuggling in closer.
"Sounds like heaven."
A moment passes, and then she meets my eyes. "Hadleigh loves you. When we're ready, we'll tell her. She'll approve or she’ll freak the fuck out, but either way, we'll be together."
"And that's all that really matters." I kiss her softly. "But just in case, I'm gonna wear a cup that day."
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
IVY
It's been two days since Kane called me his girlfriend and finger-fucked me in the shower. Everything we talked about still has me on cloud nine. We're official now, even if we're hiding it, but that still has my inner teenage self all giddy.
I'd typically feel guilty for calling into work yesterday, but honestly, I'm too happy to care. We were completely caught up with orders, so Harper would survive without me for one day. If she desperately needed help, she’d call Hadleigh since she's still on maternity leave. Either way, I enjoyed a lazy Sunday off with Kane.