~ ~ Ivy ~ ~

As I walked up the path to Alex's house, I found it odd that taking him to bed wasn't the only thing on my mind. I wouldn't deny the salacious thoughts about him and Josh... and especially the two of them together because... well, I thought about them naked plenty of times throughout my day. Every day.

More than that, though, I was just as giddy to be eating and hanging out. I enjoyed the conversation, the banter, and the teasing between us. Both Josh and Alex were extremely easy to talk to and not to mention incredibly smart and articulate, which in-itself was sexy as hell.

So far, they met the expectations I hadn't even realised were there, hiding inside the cobwebs of my head.

My phone buzzed. Reaching around to my back jeans pocket to yank it free. It was a message from Josh. No funny one-liner this time, just an emoji of an exploding head.

I laughed out loud and clamped a hand over my mouth, looking around. Alex's neighbours liked to look down on anyone they didn't think fit in. The Cuthberts, Alex had rattled off their surname in a well-spoken English accent, all la-de-da. I'd only see the wife through the slats in their blinds. And she looked like she'd sucked on one too many lemons.

Not hanging around, I hurried up the path.

But back to Josh. He was having dinner with his family tonight. We'd been messaging throughout the day and in one he'd dropped a teasing message that his and Alex's relationship had undoubtedly moved forward, but it might be better to hear it from Alex.

That had my mind discharging in all directions, not to mention my kitty purring.

Firing off an emoji of a crazy face and yeah, you guessed it... two kisses, I put my phone away and rang the doorbell on Alex's blue front door.

Barely two blinks, the door opened wide and as well as being greeted by Alex, the smell of delicious home cooking was right behind him wafting out the door.

Add that to the list of sexy things—a man who cooked.

I hummed a sigh. "I don't suppose that's cock I can smell?" Alex had teased me about cooking up cock-au-vin for us tonight.

He laughed, shaking his head, and I soaked up what he was wearing. Eye-candy at its finest. His hair was still damp from the shower. He needed a trim as his untamed cowlick dipped in front of his right eye. But it was his thigh-hugging pair of distressed jeans that snagged my attention, pairing them with a forest-green tee-shirt that did little to hide those impressive arms that could easily throw me up against a wall.

My mouth watered, and it had nothing to do with the food.

But the show-stealing part—bare feet. What was it with men and bare feet? Me and Trix had devoured an entire jar of cookies one time on that very subject. Crazy, right?

But back to Alex. Hmmm. Casual. Sexy. Edible.

And as I checked him out, His blue eyes travelled over me briefly as he stepped up, fetching his body flush to mine.. "Ivy, you look hot, amazing," he greeted and the way he said my name, his tone low and authoritative had something triggering that I couldn't recall happening before. 

Butterflies.

And not just a few. There was a fuck-load of them, dive-bombing, causing havoc, thrusting me back into the land of uncharted territory.  But so far mapping it out had been fun, unexpected and, dare I say it, left me wanting more of what they offered.

Alex cupped my face with both hands and brushed his lips against mine lightly.

This was new...

I felt the warmth of his breath against my mouth as he angled my head, pressing his lips more firmly now, sliding his tongue along the seam of mine as my hands came up and fisted his tee-shirt. And when his tongue slipped inside, stroking mine, I forgot we were still standing on the doorstep as I moaned into his mouth.

That's what they did—both of them. They took me out of myself.

"Alexander..." I purred when we came up for air.

"I've got something for you," he smirked, wiggling his thick, blond eyebrows.

I rolled my hips against the straining erection in his jeans. "Hmm, I think I might have found it."

He chuckled. "Ah-hun, that is for y-you, but later. Right now, I have something else." One hand moved and slipped inside his front jeans pocket.

"You got me something?" A girly-giggle almost escaped and the inner sarky me eye rolled. Yeah, she hardly recognised me either these days.

Alex pulled out a key and my perfectly shaped eyebrows curved inward as I looked at it, confused. Like I almost didn't recognise what it was. "A key?"

He nodded, taking my hand. "O-o-open," My palm unfurled, and he placed the small piece of shaped nickel metal slap bang in the middle. Staring at it. "Alex, this is a key." I repeated, looking up, not sure what was gonna greet me.

A defiant grin was not what I expected.

"I had to get the locks changed today, to stop future unwanted visitors, and I'd like y-y-you to have one." He shrugged as if it was no big deal.

It was a big deal. Huge.

"You're giving me a key," I had to emphasise. "To your house?"

What? —and I couldn't stress this enough— The fuck!

"Y-y-yeah, why not?"

"Why not!?" My throat went dry and my brain seized up as I tried to reach out for a funny quip to lighten this monumental moment. A moment that didn't seem like a huge deal to him. But where I came from, handing over your key to your place, screamed out—

Serious.  

Commitment.

What the hell was he thinking?

"Seriously, Alex. I could come in the middle of the night and clear out your house. Rob you blind." Butterflies gone, chunky, unforgiving stones or maybe rocks had replaced them. "You know It's not sensible to be giving out keys, right?"

He was still smiling. "Are you?" he asked

I blinked. It was almost funny. "Am I what?"

He clasped my other hand and led me inside, closing the door behind us. "Going to rob me blind in the dead of night?"

"What!?" I gave my head a little wobble. "No." Blowing out a breath. "But still...its a key! To your house!"

It seemed absurd—crazy!

"Its just a key, Ivy. N-n-not a marriage proposal. Y-y-you can let yourself in. It's not like your letting yourself into Buckingham Palace, or Downing Street... or hang on, where does that guy who runs y-your country—Prime Minister live?"

I had to think for a second. "Umm..." I yanked my head back. "You mean Sussex Drive?"

"Yeah." He sighed. "Look, it's no big deal. I just want y-y-you to have one."

Okay. That made me feel a little better. But still...

"C'mon," he said, and he walked us into the kitchen. Letting go of my hand, he already had a glass of wine poured out for me. Perfect. Wine on the rocks, anyone? I needed something to mix with the stones in my tummy.

I took a huge gulp as Alex walked over to his stove and grabbed an oven glove and opening the door, lifted out a huge casserole dish.

"Crikey, Alex. Are you feeding an army there?"

He chuckled as he popped it on the counter and kicked the oven-door closed with his foot. "Me and Josh can eat the left-over tomorrow. And y-y-you can take some home if y-you like it?"

Dayum. My mom would love this man.

"Well, if it's as good as it smells, then yeah. Load me up."

"How was your day?" he then asked.

Shit, this all felt very domestic. Relationship kind of domestic. "Umm, good. I guess." I needed to reciprocate—that's how it worked, right?

Fuck. This was all foreign to me.

"Yours?" I asked and with my glass in hand I went to join him at the stove, flipping around to lean up against the kitchen counter whilst he tasted and then added a bit more salt to his dish.

"Perfect," he muttered, lifting his eyes to mine. "My day." Grinning. "Y-y-you could say interesting."

Oh. That was vague. "Sharing is caring y'know?"

"I will serve up and then we can chat." He paused with his spoon in mid-air. "That's if y-y-you're hungry?"

I let out a sigh. "Ah-huh. Starved." And right on cue, my stomach grumbled. "Question is. Are you delivering on your food promise?" I tilted my glass toward the food. Honestly, I didn't have a clue what the French dish tasted like, let alone what the ingredients were? But if I had to guess, it looked like chicken?

"As promised. Cock-au-vin for my girl." He winked at me. "I would make a dick joke... but it might be hard." He laughed at his own dick pun.

I smiled too, but not at his attempt at his lame pun. It was his statement. "Your girl, huh?" I waited for the drop in my stomach. But it never happened.

"I like to think so, although technically I'm sharing."

"And it still doesn't bother you?"

His smile was all natural. "I guess in a three-way deal we all share, right? That's how it w-w-works?"

"Long term." Lifting my wine. "It's the only way it can work." I took another welcome sip as Alex watched me thoughtfully. "I'm happy sharing you guys."

Was that what Josh was hinting at earlier? Alex had had some kind of epiphany, an evolution in their relationship that went beyond friends, beyond sexual?

And I felt it again. That flutter in my chest and the air surrounding us thickened, heavier with unspoken words of feelings. It was as if I had reached a pivotal moment again, but my usual MO kicked in. Avoidance. And dropped his gaze to flick around the kitchen.

"C'mon." He flicked his chin up. "I'm ready to fill that mouth of yours."

Oooh, that tone he used on me.  Dangerous.  And the smile he wore now was pure and unfettered sin.

"With an offer like that..." I left it hanging, then remembered. "What about those other promises?"

"Yeah. I'm delivering on all my promises. It's not just your mouth I'm gonna be filling..." Sexy smirk in play. His eyes flicked above me and I looked around to see what had caught his attention. There was a wall clock I'd never noticed before. Turning back to meet his bright blues. "I'm hoping Josh won't be too late getting back—because I have plans for you both!"

I made a soft "hmm," noise and my thighs clenched. Me and my kitty were gonna be stuffed full tonight.

Oh, ooh. Maybe even spit-roasted!

"Now." His voice deepened. "Shift that sexy arse and do as you're told and sit! Let me feed you."

It was easy to tell apart cocky and sweet Alex now. And no, it wasn't to do with his stutter. Cocky Alex stood taller, looked bigger; it was like his entire presence filled out the space.

Both sides were damn sexy.

Pushing off the counter, I walked to the table and sat down. It was nice to be waited on, and his cooking skills beat takeaway any day.

Alex served up our food and, as expected, the conversation flowed easily. That was, until he chatted about his ex step-dad. Now, hurting another human being wasn't in my DNA, but that man, I could easily string him up by his balls—what right did he have to stop Alex from seeing his sister? Alex said he was trying to coerce him into selling the house because he thought it was worth a million.

I said nothing to Alex, but his evaluation was way out.

Yeah, I googled it. I wasn't snooping. Well, kinda I was, but it wasn't with any nefarious intent—not like his step-dad. Alex's house was roughly worth around nine million English pounds. And another reason I was uncomfortable having a key. This might as well have been Buckingham Palace, as far as I was concerned.

Forking in the last mouthful of food, which had been utterly divine, and for sure, leftovers were coming home with me. I relaxed back in my chair, patting my tummy. "Hope you love food tummy, because of you I'm packing a serious bump down here." Grinning. "Look. It jiggles"

He was laughing when he almost said, "Ivy, I lo—" he stopped and so did my breathing.

Alex cleared his throat. "Like all of you, extra jiggle or not." His cheeks flushed adorably, but I had to admit I was happy he didn't say that L word.

I'd been there before and it hadn't worked out too great. And since then, I'd not taken more than I could offer. My heart, namely.

Steering the conversation to safer waters, we chatted about Josh. "So you're not freaking about Josh's declaration? You're wanting to explore it too? The relationship, I mean."

It was obvious Josh had been acting casual about his feelings for Alex, so this recent development would be fantastic news as far as he was concerned. Maybe even worth the risk of putting his heart on the line?

Alex put his fork down, pushing his plate away and then reached over for the bottle of red-wine and went to refill my glass. My hand shot out to cover it. "Nah-ah. No more for me, I'm done." Three was my limit. "Need a clear head tomorrow, busy day."

He nodded, setting the bottle down and reached for his bottled beer, raising it to his mouth, readying. "No. Not freaking out and he said I could think about it—no rush." He took a swig, and I watched his throat muscle work effortlessly.

"Shifting from friends into lovers can be scary," I admitted.

Alex nodded. "Yeah. I'm feeling a little—concerned." he paused. "But."

"But—"

"Its weird because I've known him my whole life and yeah, I think I've loved him my whole life too."

Love... but not in love. Big difference, but I would not point that out. He had to figure it out for himself, without me pushing.

"I get it. I love Trix... and there was a time I thought I was in love with her."

His eyebrows rose in surprise. "Y-y-yeah?"

"Ah-huh."

"Can I ask what happened?"

"The sex and the chemistry were there, but just not the connection." I nodded thoughtfully. "That something more, you know?"

Alex shuffled in his seat, his smile widening as he asked. "Is that what y-y-you think we have—a connection? That there is something more between us, the three of us?" then added. "Like what Trix, Cam and Finn have?"

If I didn't know better, I would think he was fishing, and I'd swam right into his net. And it could have been that moment—the pivotal one, where I was completely honest.

Could I?

Should I?

"...Maybe" I said, letting the moment slip away, not to mention Alex's smile faltered, and he looked a little less happy now?

Alex lifted his beer and took another drink and, not wanting the mood to drop any further, I asked. "So, no dessert until Josh gets back?"

Sitting his empty bottle down, his chair scraped on the floor. "C'mere." His smile was back, and he grabbed my hand and tugged me out of my chair and spread his thighs and planted me between them, looking up. "Don't be afraid of wanting more, Ivy. Me or Josh won't disappoint y-y-you if you give us a chance."

I could see he meant every single word, just as Josh had been serious the other night. And Josh was right when he'd said I was closing myself off to having more... having it all.

His hands fixed themselves to my ass, and I leaned down, skimming my lips over his to mumble, "I could easily get lost in you if I let myself."

"Then let yourself," he said. "If I'm considering the possibilities with Josh. Let yourself see them with us."

I pulled back, and his eyes were honest, pleading, and about to give in. The ringtone of my phone interrupted me.

Shit. That was Zack's ringtone. He never called after hours.

My spine snapped straight. "Shit. Sorry. I need to get this." I reached around back and pulled out my phone.

"Hey, Boss, what's up?" Was it because I'd not sent him over the end of quarter marketing figures? Nah... surely not.

Zack grumbled down the phone. Yep, something was wrong, and I tried to bite down on the antsy feeling bubbling away.

A low rumbling voice, like falling stone, gritted out. "I need you back here! Pronto," he said.

"Seriously? Now!?"

I could feel Alex's eyes on me as I shifted from between his thighs and turned away from him slightly.

"What's so important that it can't wait till—" I stopped talking when in the background I heard muffled voices and the hair on my arms and the back of my neck rose up.

Was that?

No, it couldn't be.

Zack lowered his voice. "Figured it out yet?" His voice got even lower, almost a hissed whisper. "Your mother... and her mother, grams, are here?"

I giggled—yeah, giggled, and not because it was funny.

My mom and grams were at Risk.

Oh. My. Fucking. God.

"I'm on my way." I ended the call with my heart beating faster than a man on death row.

"Everything alright?" asked Alex

"I—Shit. Alex. Sorry. I hate to do this." My words came out in a rush. "I have to go. Can we rain-check? I have to head back to Risk."

"What? Right now?"

I nodded. "Yeah." No way was I telling him my family had just landed.

"Do y-y-you want me to come with y-you?"

"No!" snapping at him.

His head jerked back, and I could see his confusion mixed in with hurt. "You sure I can't help?" he asked again.

I pushed out a breath. "No," softening my tone. "But thanks. I appreciate the offer."

I couldn't believe none of my brothers hadn't given me the heads up. Un-fucking-believable. Next time, they wanted something from me. They better be asking, no begging on the hands and knees!

"Tomorrow night, come round?" He pushed up from his chair. "Or can Josh and I come to y-y-you?" Moving toward me.

I held out my hand to stop him. "Look, I'm not sure. Let me call you tomorrow. Okay?" Unlocking my phone, I dialled for an Uber.

Fuck. I was so screwed.