Or it was just Ivy.
Some combination of those factors had caused my current situation. Along with my own thickheadedness. It was one thing to think I could keep the fame business at bay when Ivy was just a hot hookup.
The problem was she’d never been that to me, not from the first moment. Even after I’d left, some part of me had been counting the minutes until I could come right back to her.
As if time would sit suspended until I picked up the hourglass again. And I’d probably believed I could do the same thing after this trip. Just leave this gorgeous, smart, funny woman on a shelf like a doll I could take down when it was time to play. Otherwise, my life didn’t have to change.
But taking her to meet my friends was different. Inviting her into my world was different.
“Look, I don’t know what I’m doing. Or what we’re doing. For God’s sake, I didn’t even use a rubber just then. I didn’t even think of it. I don’t do these things.”
Her finger jabbed me in the chest. Right then, I welcomed the pain. “Do you think I do?”
“No, I don’t.” I held her hand to my heart. It was beating far too fast. “I think we’re both acting out of character, and it’s probably not only because we enjoy seeing each other naked.”
“Jeez, don’t flatter me so.” She tried to tug her hand back, but I couldn’t let her go.
That was becoming a recurring problem for me.
“I’m messing all of this up. I’m sorry. All I know is I didn’t want to leave you on the shelf.”
Just then, the door opened again. I had only an instant to see the puzzlement and hurt warring on Ivy’s lovely features. Because of me.
Because I’d kept things from her and forgotten a rubber and fought with the police like a common…rockstar.
The next few minutes went by in a blur.
Surprisingly, Sheriff Brooks let us go with a warning. A stern one, but we’d definitely gotten off easy. He also tacked on that he’d have his eye on me, which was more than a little disconcerting. At least he left before I could talk myself into a summons—or worse.
Ivy said nothing.
“I’m sorry.” I brushed my knuckles over her cheek. “My ma would skin me alive if she knew I’d allowed you to be caught in a compromising position. No matter what, she didn’t raise me that way.”
Ivy’s chin came up. “You didn’t allow shit. I brought you here, remember?”
Somehow I still thought puffing out my chest and pulling the man card was a good idea. “Yes, but I’m the male and—”
“Rory Ferguson, if you tell me that you’re responsible for my actions, you might as well call the sheriff to come back here because there is about to be a homicide in the woods.”
From the glint in her eyes, she wasn’t kidding.
I held up my hands. “Let’s go back to the bed and breakfast, yeah? Everything will become clearer tomorrow, I promise.” There was an edge to my voice I couldn’t hide.
It mattered to me. All of this did.
Especially Ivy. Hurting her didn’t sit well with me, and not because my mum would be horrified at my behavior. Not only that anyway. I wasn’t particularly close to my parents, but their opinion of me counted for a lot.
Hell, maybe that was why we weren’t that close. I’d always felt I was lacking by not picking a more usual job and sticking
close to home like my siblings. Rather than risking seeing disapproval in their eyes, I stayed away.
Far simpler to focus on what I could control and not worry about expectations I couldn’t meet.
Ivy looked out the still steamy window before blowing out a breath. “I’ll drive.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m the woman and I said so. Now let’s go.”