Skater (Seattle Sharks 6)

Four hours later, while Faith was still watching Hannah, I sat in a coffee shop downtown, a hot cup of caffeine in one hand, and a small, thick envelope in the other.

I didn’t have to wait long. Mom walked in five minutes before the time we’d agreed to.

She sat across from me and tapped her long, red nails on the table. “I don’t even warrant a trip to see your new house? Or Hannah?”

“Like you give a flying fuck about Hannah or anyone else.”

Her eyes narrowed, and I cursed my temper. I had to play nice for the next ten minutes.

“Do you have it?” I asked.

“Do you?” She countered.

I stared her down.

She finally sighed, taking the paper out of her purse and smoothing it’s folded edges on the table. “Here you go. It says I will never claim Hannah, or pursue custody, and that I terminate any grandparent rights. But it makes me sound old...grandparent rights.”

She hadn’t even done well with the parental ones.

“And it’s signed?”

“Not yet.” She motioned toward the envelope.

I lifted the flap, showing her the edge of the stack of bills inside.

She licked her damn lips.

“I’ll need a pen.”

“I can help you with that,” Lewis Martin said, turning from the table next to us to provide a pen for her. The notary had come highly recommended by my lawyer for his...discretion.

She took the pen and scrawled her name across the bottom of the paper. Had it been that easy for her to sign us away? I’d recovered, but Jess…

“ID?” Lewis asked.

Mom showed him her driver’s license, and he copied down some information. Then he stamped the paper, signed and handed it to me.

My mom would never touch Hannah. Ever.

I folded the paper and put it in my jacket pocket, zipping it in to keep it secure.

“Thank you, Lewis,” I said, and the man took his leave.

“Give it to me.”

I pushed the envelope over ,and she quickly put it under the table, thumbing through the bills.

“It’s all here?”

“All hundred grand? Yes. I guess that’s the going rate for five-year old girls, huh?” I spat back, unable to be nice any longer. “Or just the ones with the Bridgerton name?”

She shot me a look. “You always were an asshole. Your sister was so much easier.”

“And look where that got her...and Hannah.”

She rolled her eyes and stood up. “Nice doing business with you.”

“This a one-time deal, Mom. Never again.”

“Uh huh.”

“If you see Jess, tell her she’ll get the same deal. I just want what’s best for Hannah.”

Without another word or even a goodbye, she turned and walked out.

I sagged in my seat, closing my eyes for a second and absorbing the win, even if it was a moral loss.

I’d do what I had to in order to protect Hannah.

“Hey, what are you doing here, gorgeous?”

My eyes snapped open to see Ivy looking down at me, a hot cup of coffee in her hand.

“Whoa. Hey, babe.”

She stroked her hand down my cheek. “You look like you’ve been battling ghosts or aliens or something. Everything okay?”

She had no clue just how close she was to the mark.

“Just taking care of some business. I’ll tell you about it at my place tonight. If you’ll join us for dinner, that is.”

Her smile was radiant, warming me from the inside out.

“I’d love to.”

“I’d love you to keep that on, so I can take it off.” I took in the pencil skirt and tucked-in white collared shirt she wore with her polka dot heels. It was retro hot, and I could think of nothing else besides getting my hands up her skirt.

She bent down and kissed me, too deep for public and too chaste for what I wanted—craved when it came to her.

“I have some work to do with Zach, but I’ll be over as soon as I’m done for the day.”

I stood and kissed her again. “Deal.”

“Don’t look at my ass as I walk away,” she threw over her shoulder as she made her way across the coffee shop.

“No deal!” I answered with a laugh until I saw where she sat.

Zach was here, sitting at a table against the wall.

I waved, and he returned the gesture. God, I hated that guy.

But I sure as hell wasn’t going to let him ruin my day.

I had my mom in my past and Ivy in my future.

That was more than enough

I checked my watch as I walked in the door. There was still an hour before I had to get Hannah, and Ivy’s car was in the driveway.

Man, I loved it when her car was in the driveway.

I set down the bag from the obnoxiously overpriced craft store I’d been directed to for Hannah’s art class supplies, and listened carefully.

Yep. There was music coming from somewhere.

I followed the sound, making my way down the stairs into the walk-out basement. It was coming from the exercise room.

Opening the door softly, I saw Ivy in yoga pants and a sports bra with her ass in the air.

Ariana Grande played through the speakers, and given the view, I had to agree with the singer—God was definitely a woman.

“That might be the best view I’ve had all day,” I said loud enough to make her aware I was there, but not too loud to startle her.

She looked back through her arms at me. “Well, hi there. Just doing a little yoga, if you don’t mind?”

“I definitely don’t mind. My workout room is your yoga studio anytime you want.” I made my way to the weight bench and sat down to enjoy the show.

Fuck, she was hot. Her ass was toned and round—and when she shifted her pose—right in my face.

“Damn, Ivy. This might be the hottest workout I’ve ever seen.”

“Awh, am I getting you worked up over there?” she teased, sliding into something that looked like she shouldn’t bend that way.

“Yes,” I answered honestly. There was no reason lying about it. The woman was sex incarnite.

“Well...that’s a shame...because I’m pretty focused here,” she said with a wink, challenging me.

Challenge accepted.

She changed her pose again, her ass sliding up...and right into my hands.

Without preamble, I slipped her yoga pants and panties right over the plump curve of her ass, and set my mouth on her pussy.

Her gasp quickly turned to moans as I worked her over, using my tongue, my lips, and my teeth to bring her quickly, sharply to the edge. I gripped her hips in my hands so she wouldn’t fall, and used her position to my full advantage, taking away any ounce of control she had and simply lavishing pleasure on her.

“Fuck. Connor. I. How do you do. God!” She cried out when I swirled my tongue inside her and then went right back to sucking her clit.

“Turn your head,” I said against her slick folds. “Watch what I’m doing to you.”

I waited until she met my eyes in the mirror, and then I turned back to my prize, and went at her like a starving man.

“Oh. My. God. That’s...holy shit,” she moaned.

Her body tensed in my hands, and I bit lightly on her clit as she came, bucking and screaming my name. All while watching me in the mirror.

As she came back down, she turned incredulous eyes on me. “You get me there so fucking fast. It’s like it’s out of my hands.”

“Right, because you’re in my mouth,” I answered, sitting back on the weight bench.

She stripped me and straddled me. “Let’s see how I take it out of your hands.”

She slid down slowly, taking me inside her tight heat inch by inch. Pleasure exploded behind my eyes. How the hell did this just get better? Every time was closer to heaven.

“Now you watch me,” she whispered once I was in her to the hilt, biting my ear