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I wrap my arm around her and pull her closer to me. “I don’t want this to end,” I say honestly.
She rests her head against my chest. “Me either.”
And for a while, we just lie there—no pressure, no expectations. Only skin on skin, the steady rhythm of shared breath, and the soft hum of rain against glass.
I don’t know what happens after this.
But for once, I don’t feel the need to figure it all out.
CHAPTER 13
Ivy
The morning light spills through the cracks of the blinds. The storm has finally passed, leaving a quiet stillness in its wake. Carter is already up, the sounds of him moving around the kitchen filtering into the bedroom. I can hear the clink of dishes, the hum of the coffee machine—subtle noises, but they carry weight in the silence.
I pull myself out of bed, stretching my sore limbs from last night’s restless sleep. I don’t want to think about the nightmares that woke me up, the ones that carried me back to my childhood. The storm I lived through with my family—stranded in that car, desperate for warmth, the endless rain pounding on the roof. I swallow the memories, pushing them to the back of my mind. The mold that partially disabled my brother’s leg, the storm that finished it.
I walk into the kitchen, finding Carter at the counter, making breakfast like it’s the most normal thing in the world. He’s wearing a plain T-shirt, his hair a bit disheveled from sleep. A small smile tugs at the corner of my lips. How can a man be so effortlessly handsome, even when he’s just… being?
“Morning,” I say, my voice hoarse from sleep.
“Morning,” he replies, glancing over his shoulder. “Coffee’s brewing. Thought you could use a cup.”
“I see you did the dishes,” I say, eyeing the spotless sink. “But I thought the deal was—you cook, I wash?”
Carter arches a brow, that infuriating smirk tugging at his mouth. “That was before I realized you go into full hibernation mode every morning.”
I chuckle, walking over to the counter where he’s set up a plate of scrambled eggs and toast. “Thanks,” I murmur, taking a seat at the table.
I can’t help but watch him—how easily he moves around the kitchen, like he belongs there. It’s strange, considering he’s the kind of man who owns the world, and yet he doesn’t act like it.
“You told me that you hadn’t done… this in a while, but it seems like you’re a natural in the kitchen,” I say suspiciously.
He chuckles under his breath. “That’s because I have a daughter with allergies and very strong opinions about food. After her mom left, I didn’t want her to feel… like I did growing up. So weekends are ours. Always.”
Oh my god, that just melts my heart. I could cry right now from all of the emotions running through me.
I blink fast, swallowing the sudden lump in my throat. Instead of breaking down, I manage a smile.
We fall into a comfortable silence as we eat. My mind, however, is anything but still. The case. The email.
The truth is burning a hole in my chest.
I shouldn’t have opened it last night—but pretending ignorance wouldn’t change reality.
Volcor Holdings.
The company responsible for stealing my home, my childhood is his company.
I pick at my toast, my stomach twisting.
I know Carter’s not the villain. He was just a kid when it happened.
But the man he is now—the one who holds my heart without even knowing it—is tied to the ruins of my past.
“Ivy? Hey… Ivy?” Carter’s voice breaks through the haze in my mind, bringing me back to the present. I blink rapidly, refocusing on him standing in front of me, concern etched on his face. The Daddy in him.
“Sorry,” I mumble, setting down my fork. “Just lost in thought.”