“Hey, how did it go? Oh, hello, Heath.” Kathy opened the door when she heard the elevator open on the floor. There were three other apartments on this floor, but the other occupants were people who had very set routines like Ivy. “Hey Kathy. It was a day. I’ll talk to you about it tomorrow. I just need some time to get a handle on what happened.” Ivy looked exhausted and was ready to have a quiet evening. “Ew, that bad. I’m sorry. Okay, a quick update on how the daily pickup of Geoff went. It went fairly well until a few mothers cornered me about a certain someone saying that his father was back in his life. When they heard the man's name, they weren’t exactly willing to believe Geoff’s claims. Which means you no longer need to buy Billy a birthday present as Geoff is no longer invited to his birthday party. I’m sorry it’s because I wouldn’t confirm or deny their inquiries. I didn’t think it would be appropriate to say anything because I di
“Okay, now that your mother is gone, let’s set up the gaming console I brought while we talk about what happened between your mom and me.” Heath didn’t know what else to do. He didn’t know what his son would say to him, but Heath knew Geoff wasn’t happy with what his mother said. “Okay, but how hard is it to change my mom’s mind?” “It’s hard. Your mom’s decided she’s going to be stubborn, so I must come up with a different way to get her to change her mind. Don’t worry, I won’t quit trying to change her mind.” Heath didn’t know if he was talking too far over his son’s head. But he didn’t want to lie to him, but he didn’t want to say the wrong thing to him. That could cause him to be confused or misunderstand the situation. Then Geoff might say or do something inappropriate. “Why can’t you tell her she’s going to marry you? Like she tells me I’m going to eat brussels sprouts?” Heath had to laugh at that question. If it were only that simp
Ivy set dinner on the table and looked at Heath. It was so surreal to look over the table and see Heath sitting there talking to their son as if this was just another day in their lives together. It was just so easy to see it becoming commonplace in their lives. What was she going to do with this revelation? Ivy knew. She’d question her resolve and if her decisions were wrong in so many ways. Was she resisting him because she felt hurt? Or because she feared it would hurt Geoff? “Mom? Mom, are you okay?” “Sorry, what was that? I was lost in my thoughts.” “Dad wants to take us to the zoo tomorrow.” “Oh, that’s nice. You always love going there. It’ll be a pleasant time to get to know each other.” “Mom, Dad wants to take you too. Not just me. Can you see if Kathy can come too?” Ivy stopped spooning out vegetables for Geoff. “Kathy? Why?” “I think Geoff didn’t explain it correctly,
Heath entered the small kitchen. He’d talk with Ivy now about everything they’d left unsaid. He knew they needed a larger place, and better security. Heath heard the police stop a fight on the street below between two neighbours. This time it’d was a domestic dispute. He feared the next occurrence would be more sinister and closer to home. “Okay, he’s asleep. Now we can talk.”Geoff insisted on being put to bed by Heath tonight, and Ivy appeared unsure about her emotions regarding this change. She could make better use of her extra time. Even if she appears to do nothing, she never squanders her time. Ivy still felt hurt by Geoff’s choice. She’d acted as mother and father to Geoff for so long. She must be questioning if Geoff wanted her anymore. “So, talk Heath.” Ivy pretended to have nothing to say about what was happening. Heath knew better. It meant one thing; Ivy held her words and Heath had to dig for them. He remembered Ivy did this when she felt he ignored h
Heath’s lips demanded a response from Ivy. She didn’t question what happened because she’d become the strength of her instant response to his proximity to her was so much more than she’d expected. Ivy was thankful for the counter behind her, or she might have stumbled when her knees weakened. His arms held her in place, and he surrounded her with his body. Ivy softly moaned when his hands grasped her hips to lift her up to sit on the counter. He never stopped kissing her as he did this. Once she settled on the counter, he settled his hips between her thighs as Ivy whimpered. Her skirt inched up her thighs until Heath revealed her panties. Ivy felt his hand caress her inner thigh as the other opened her blouse and found the lace of her bra. His lips may their way to her throat at the base of her jaw in search of the sensitive spot behind her ear. “Heath.” “Shh… I’ve been dying for this for days. Just let me have
Ivy wasn’t sure what to think with his words and actions, not matching anything she expected from Heath. The man screwed to her without taking her underwear off, told her he welcomed getting her pregnant, and proposed marriage to avoid any hint of scandal. All just a few hours after finding out he’d divorced another woman. “No. I can’t see it happening. You need to put some breaks on Heath. Your divorce is new, and I think your freedom has gone to your head. Everything you’ve done appears out of place. Anyone looking at this would see your attempts are almost desperate. Also, you’re attempting to recapture a relationship with ‘the one that got away.’ It always dooms those second relations to fail because you’re not in love with a real person, but the idea of the person. Everyone knows that.” “I can’t accept no Ivy and you know that. You are the one I’ve always wanted. Can’t you see past the one incident in our past? An incident instigated b
Heath lay down beside Ivy and smiled at her. She looked upset at him. He knew he must convince her he wanted her permanently, and he wasn’t desperate to be married to anyone. Now, Heath tried to think of ways to not just tease her but gain her trust. “Heath, I didn’t invite you in here. Why are you on my bed?” Heath found it amusing to hear Ivy’s voice betrayed her feelings. Heath propped his cheek up on his hand and rested his elbow on the bed as he watched her. “Well, if you don’t know, I’ll have to show you,” Heath said. He couldn’t resist smiling at her reaction to the joke he made. “Ivy, you were having trouble standing, so I brought you in here so we could be more comfortable as we talk. If we fall asleep, then we’ll be more comfortable here.” He was confident that it all sounded so logical. “Heath, you’re wearing a suit. How will you sleep comfortably? I know I can’t sleep in this. I’m getting ready for sleep, and you should go to
Ivy could feel the care he took with her. This wasn’t the man who’d totally dominated her life before. It wasn’t fair. She could feel her emotions and resolve caving. Ivy couldn’t think everything through when he was touching her and playing her pleasure points like an instrument. Her body thrilled at the feel of his pleasuring her. She arched back, angling her entrance for him and her toes curled as he worked her body. Sparks of excitement travelled her body from her head to her toes. It’d been so long since she’d been with a man. With Heath, he remembered what made her lose her mind. He didn’t stop there. He exploited that knowledge, and Ivy couldn’t remember why she was holding out before this. “This isn’t fair, Heath. I’m risking everything for this. You’re risking nothing. Ah.” He’d caressed her clit with his finger, swirling it and then pinching it. All the while slowly pressing into her core, filling her unbelievably full again. Her body shoo
In the school cafeteria, Jimmie Marks cornered Geoff to taunt him with the information he got over the last few weeks about him. Jimmie was told that Geoff was poor and his mother married his dad for his money. “So, you got a stepdad. It still doesn’t count. Your dad didn’t want your mom or you.” Jimmie tried to mess with Geoff and embarrass him in front of everyone who heard him. He’d heard from his housekeeper’s son all about Geoff because he’d gone to school with him. Maybe he was a little jealous because his family hadn’t been invited to the Allerfords summer house for their yearly party. “He’s my real dad not my stepdad. It wasn’t that he didn’t want me or my mom. Don’t you read or listen to the news? You’re so stupid. My ex-stepmom lied to my dad and made him think my mom didn’t want him. She then made it, so my mom had to leave. My mom had enough of the nonsense and left. When she did that, she didn’t tell my dad where she went. His mom and dad made him marry my ex
“Wait, is Alice dating him?” Heath missed a lot because he wasn’t in the trenches like Ivy. It didn’t surprise her he was unaware of Ed’s search for a wife among the female staff. Ivy kept brushing him off, knowing if he chased her, then he wouldn’t chase any other woman. He was a nice guy if the woman wasn’t his wife. Or at least that’s how Ivy saw it. “He’s trying to make his moves on her, that’s obvious. I don’t think he’ll fool her. Maybe she can fix his mistaken beliefs. I lacked the time or interest to try. So, all the power to her if she tries. Though I think she’d be wasting her time.” Ivy leaned back in her seat and explained. She tried to act like she didn’t feel the tension coming from Heath. Ivy couldn’t believe he felt so threatened by what she’d just said. His concern for Alice was decent, she guessed, because Alice was her friend and co-worker. “I’m glad to hear you say that. You had me worried there that you thought I didn’t apprecia
Ivy settled in the limo’s backseat, heading home. What a change to taking the train. It didn’t matter that she didn’t go home at once. It was nice to have someone drive her in comfort. The dark interior and gentle lighting somehow made everything easier. Heath liked them to pick him up as well. The three of them would go home. Kathy didn’t use her beat up old car anymore, because Heath insisted, she use the car he’d bought as a family car to transport Geoff safely. With Parker’s help, Heath had Kathy using a member of their security team to mail her packages and pick up her packages from her post office box. Ivy had to admit Parker played dirty by sending her a glitter bomb she’d opened after she got back to her studio. She called Ivy furious claiming Parker admitted to sending it to prove to her that anyone could send her a bomb. Kathy still felt outraged, even though she understood the point. Ivy could understand her outrage, even though the point
Geoff enter his new school. He realized his insignificance among the other kids in school, but this time, he wasn’t alone. Three kids he met at the cottage a few weeks back were with him. They were his friends; they said to him. He’d accept it because his dad said he needed to make friends to learn to be like him. “Thanks for bringing me, Kathy. We know where we’re going.” Kathy blinked at Geoff in surprise. Geoff desired to appear as a helpless child, needing help to navigate the school corridors. “Okay, quick check then. Have you got your bag, water bottle, lunch, phone, and hat?” “Yup.” Geoff said. He insisted on wearing a fedora he found as his dad unpacked a box of old clothes. “Okay, then go seize the day and try to avoid getting in trouble. Don’t forget your security is in the parking lot. No leaving the school grounds without them and they’ll bring you home. Parker is with your dad today and I’m getting my workroom se
Heath watched Ivy lose her confrontational nature, and that sexy hidden kitten came out to play. He loved it, because when this happened, she had no limits. He panted as she opened her blouse to reveal she wasn’t wearing a bra. Her hands moved to his waistband and Ivy had the air kissing his cock in moments before she was kneeling between his thighs, sucking on him like he remembered she used to do. His eyes devoured the sight of Ivy’s glistening lips bobbing on his hardening shaft. “Babe, slow down or the enjoyment will end too soon. You know I’ll want a good long taste of you too. God, you remember how good that is,” Heath said. He felt himself gasped as her small teeth nipped at his foreskin. His thighs shook a little. She’d barely gone down on him, and he wanted to lose himself. “Enough. I hope you have got no panties on either, or I’ll rip them apart to get to your cream.” Ivy resisted when he tried to pull from her mouth. She teased him by hol
Ivy and the other wives could head off for several potential disasters. Finally, she witnessed Heath’s efforts to make the day of a dream come true. Thankfully, the wedding planner realized how dated and difficult achieving this was to arrange. In the end, Heath got what he wanted, and Ivy understood him better. He’d kept a storage space of things he couldn’t part with that she’d left behind when she’d left. One of which was a dream book all about her dream wedding. She’d made the book about a decade before she met Heath in her teens, like many girls. So, it was out of date by the time she’d met him. The only reason he’d known about the book was she’d found it one day and told him about it. But she’d forgotten about it. With help from her new friends and the planner, they could achieve their goals. Ivy got stronger and walking became easier. She returned to work and life continued. Geoff now seemed content with his two reliable parents.
The weekend had been going well. The men didn’t disappear, as Ivy believed. They’d stayed close to the house and the kids. Ivy learned that this was normal. The men in Alec’s circle tended toward wanting to foster family bonds and friendships with people who had similar interests. The men all found they disliked how their parents raised them, and this was their answer to their problem. “You don’t know how glad we are. It’s you here and not her. Is it okay if we mention her? I don’t want to make you feel awkward.” Ivy sat outside on the patio after a rather enjoyable dinner. Heath had stayed true to his word, and the men were watching the kids play beside the lake. “It’s fine, I guess. Some argue I don’t consider her as much as she considers me. So, please understand, I probably won’t have much to say about her.” “You’re not angry at her for messing up your life?” “I’m sorry? Messing up my life. How? Everyone has r
Ivy couldn’t believe how present Heath became. Present for Geoffrey and herself, that is. He’d planned everything and stunned her when he revealed how he’d remembered her dream wedding one evening. He’s changed from the man who only cared about marriage paperwork. But what had Ivy scratching her head was he’d written it all down and he wanted her to review it to ensure her wishes hadn’t changed. Or she preferred a newer style. Her preferences and opinions now took a precedence they never had before. Heath ensured that she and Geoff enjoyed the best at the Allerfords’ beachfront event. Heath went with Geoffrey shopping for clothes, as well as for school supplies. Geoff looked like an entirely different child, right down to his expensive new haircut and running shoes. Ivy initially dismissed it, as Geoff naturally outgrows clothes and requires haircuts. That happened to boys his age. She’d finish but clothing in one size to buy
“Really?” Geoff was sure his dad would have limits. Geoff just needed to figure out what they were. His dad would surely appreciate his lack of tantrums and materialistic desires. At least not yet, anyway. Perhaps when he discovered what other children possessed. But right now, he enjoyed having his own gaming space and a lot of rooms to himself. Stop using the dining table for art and having to clean up before and after meals. “In the past, I used to dictate and control you and your mother’s actions and choices. Now is different and your mom and I decide together. But I have the connections and influence, so I’m the one that makes things happen. The young man will prioritize school, grades, and friendships. Learn from me to network and build connections for your family’s future. Remember the job I’m taking over from your grandfather?” They both wrinkled their noses when a member of the hospital staff pushed a cart by them with something smelly in it.