Page 3 of Moonlight & Matrimony (Oak Ridge #2)

True to her word, she pulls up five minutes later and the little curly-haired pixie runs into her arms, nearly knocking my very pregnant sister to the ground. “Auntie Paige!”

“Hey, Ry!”

“You good to stay with her?” I ask, unable to wait another minute when Ivy might be in danger. This sudden protective instinct is foreign, but I don’t stop to consider the implications. The last thing I want is for Paige to go over there and get herself mixed up in some kind of domestic dispute.

“Yeah, we’re good,” she says, giving me a subtle nod toward Ivy’s house.

I walk up the front steps of the sage green Victorian, the wood bowing slightly underfoot as I reach the last step. The sound of raised voices filters through an open window as I knock on the door. When they don’t answer right away, my gut twists, and I turn the knob, finding it unlocked.

“Fuck you, Ivy. You’re fucking worthless.”

Ivy’s once perfect face is red, tears streaming down her cheeks. Letting my instincts guide me, I step into the room. The floorboards creak and Ivy’s eyes snap to meet mine, the man’s head spinning at the intrusion.

“You okay?” I ask, my eyes not leaving Ivy’s. My muscles tense as the urge to step between them overwhelms me, but I hold back, hoping instead to de-escalate the situation. She doesn't respond, so I turn to face the asshole. “Listen, man, you need to calm down. This isn’t the way to handle things.”

“Who the fuck are you?” he seethes, before turning his hatred back towards its intended target.

“Already fucking some new guy? Always knew you were a whore!” Austin barks out a laugh, shouting in her face, his finger jutting out less than an inch from her cheek.

Spittle flies with every angry word and it takes every bit of my resolve not to drag him bodily from the room.

Steeling myself, I try to think of a distraction that’ll turn his ire back to me. The words leave my lips before I can even consider the ramifications. “I’m her fiancé, and you need to get the fuck out of her house.”

Ivy’s eyes widen in surprise, and I pin her with a look, silently urging her to play along.

We can clear up this mess later. Right now, I just want to make sure she’s safe, and this man is entirely too comfortable using their size difference against her.

She looks to be roughly 5’2” on a good day, and although I don’t doubt that she can hold her own in a verbal sparring match, she doesn’t stand a chance against him if he decides to use force.

“The fuck I am,” he sneers. “It’s my day with Rylin.”

“Austin, I already told you, you aren’t taking Rylin today. I could smell the alcohol on your breath when you walked in, and I’ll be damned if I’m going to let you walk out of here and put her in danger. Over my dead fucking body.” There’s the spitfire I met this morning.

Austin’s tone is menacing as he takes another step into her space. “That can be arranged.”

The threat hangs heavy in the air as Ivy recoils like he slapped her. Without a second thought, I grab my phone, hands shaking, as I quickly text my sister.

Luca: Call the cops.

“Was that a threat?” Ivy asks, straightening her spine.

I approach her side, willing my proximity to soothe her nerves. “If you won't leave on your own, I’m sure the police would be more than happy to escort you out.”

“Go ahead, call the police,” he says.

I can feel the fear pouring off Ivy in waves, and my body gravitates towards her like a moth to a flame.

Keeping my tone impassive, I turn and place a hand on her lower back.

“Sweetheart,” I say, playing up the term of endearment for Austin’s benefit.

“Paige is outside with Ry. Why don’t you head out and check on them? I’ll handle this.”

Ivy nods and walks out the back door towards her daughter, taking the path of least resistance.

As soon as she’s out of earshot, Austin approaches me and the scent of alcohol seeping out of his pours assaults my senses. “I don’t know who the fuck you think you are,” he slurs. “But you need to stay the fuck away from my wife. This is none of your business.”

I cross my arms over my chest, projecting an air of arrogance and danger. “You know… Austin, was it? I don’t think I’m going to do that.”

His nostrils flare as he mirrors my movements, but I’ve got a good four inches on him and instead of looking intimidating, he just looks pathetic as he stumbles forward.

“She always was a hot piece of ass,” he snickers.

“How does it feel to know I had her first? You know, she was even hotter before she had the brat.”

The mention of Rylin snaps the last threads of my self-control as I shove his back into a wall.

“Watch your fucking mouth,” I seethe. I can’t explain why I’m feeling so protective over this woman and her daughter, and I don’t pause long enough to unravel all the reasons this is a bad idea.

But she seems like she needs someone in her corner, and fuck if I’m not going to be that for her.

No man should ever speak to a woman this way, and I get the impression he’s the type of guy who doesn’t stop at insults.

“You have no idea who you’re dealing with,” he growls.

I laugh directly in his fucking face, hoping he takes a swing at me so I can press charges.

The piece of shit balls his hands into fists at his side, preparing to lunge at me when two officers in full uniform walk in through the front door with Ivy and Rylin in tow.

Without preamble, Austin is escorted off the premises and I’m left with my sister’s best friend — the woman I just claimed as my fiancée. I’m so fucked.

Ivy

After the police escort Austin out, his unhinged rants echoing all the way to the cruiser, I’m left standing in my foyer with Luca and Rylin, and she’s looking at him like he hung the moon. It fills me with a rush of sadness that I’m not ready to face.

Now that I’m not on a rampage in a state of exhaustion, I can clearly see Luca’s resemblance to his sister.

It’s subtle, but it’s in his eyes. He looks like a grumpy lumberjack in his navy plaid button-down, his muscles tugging at the seams. The kindness in his eyes betrays the scowl on his face as he looks down at my daughter with a tenderness not even her father has been able to muster.

“I think we might have gotten off on the wrong foot earlier,” he says, his eyes coming up to meet mine.

“Can we start over?” I nod, taking several steps closer to where he’s standing near the kitchen.

His scent envelops me, something woodsy with a hint of spice, and I have to stop myself from wanting to drown in it.

I extend my hand, hoping he’ll take this as a gesture of friendship so we can move on from the awkwardness.

“Hi. I’m Ivy and this is my daughter, Rylin.

” Sparks shoot through my fingertips as his calloused palm engulfs mine.

We linger like that for a bit too long before Luca’s deep, soothing voice fills the silence.

“I’m Luca.” He looks down at where our hands are joined, brow furrowed, then gently tugs me closer.

“What the fuck happened? Who did this to you?” He lifts my sleeve, exposing more of the angry fingertip-shaped bruises that Austin left there just twenty minutes ago.

I don’t have to answer. He already knows. “I’m going to fucking kill him.”

I flinch, tugging my hand free from his grasp, as I walk back towards Rylin. She reaches for my legs, wrapping me up in a tight hug. “It’s okay, love,” I soothe. “Luca isn’t angry with us.”

“Mr. Luca said bad words, Mommy.”

The scowl retreats from his features as Rylin calls him on his bullshit.

He crouches down beside her, reaching out a hand to tuck a curl behind her ear.

“I’m sorry, little one. I didn’t mean to upset you.

I’ll be more careful with my big people words.

I promise I’m not mad at you or your mommy.

” Just like that, my heart melts into a puddle on the floor.

“Okay,” she says with a smile. “Mommy, I'm thirsty.” Me too, Ry.

“What do you say we get some chocolate milk?” She nods vigorously, then flaps her little hands for me to pick her up.

I lift her onto my hip before walking towards the kitchen.

Looking back into the foyer, I gesture for Luca to follow, though I’m not sure why.

I should let him get back to… whatever it is he’d been doing before he stumbled upon the dumpster fire that is my life.

“Can I get you something to drink?” I ask.

“I have other options unless you want chocolate milk, too?” He smiles at me for the first time, and a swarm of butterflies takes flight in my stomach.

He opens his mouth to answer, just as my golden retriever barrels into the kitchen, nearly knocking Luca flat on his ass.

“Sage. Calm,” I say. “Sorry about her. She’s still a baby, and she gets overly excited by new people.”

“Well hey there, pretty girl.” He crouches down to give her head a scratch and I can’t help but wonder what it would be like for him to call me ‘pretty girl’ in a very un-neighborly setting.

Sage basks in his affection and rolls onto her back, silently urging him to rub her belly.

She’s already smitten and I can’t say I blame her.

This man could do unspeakable things to me and I’d thank him after.

Jesus, Ivy. He’s your best friend’s brother — calm your tits.

In my defense, it’s been a long, long, long, long, looooooong time since I’ve had my guts rearranged.

I’ve resorted to one-handed reading with a few battery-operated boyfriends to get the job done, but now I’m feeling like they might be woefully inadequate compared to the hunk of a man currently petting my dog. He could pet something else.

“I’ll take a water if you have it,” his voice jolts me out of my dirty thoughts and I resume the task at hand, placing a glass of chocolate milk in front of Rylin at the kitchen island before returning to the fridge to fill a glass with iced water.

“Thank you,” he says before downing the cold liquid in one go.

I watch as his throat bobs, and I have to rub my thighs together to ease the ache.

My body is betraying me with its reaction to this stranger, and I’m not sure how I feel about it.

“So I guess we should address the elephant in the room?” he asks.

“You’re silly,” Rylin cuts in with a giggle. “No elephants, Mr. Luca.”

He laughs and there’s a twinkle in his deep brown eyes when he looks at my daughter.

“You’re right, little one. That was silly.

” He turns to me next, his expression shifting to something I can’t quite decipher.

“If it’s alright with you, can we have a minute alone?

I don’t want to make you uncomfortable or anything. ”

“Sure. Ry Ry, can you go play in your room for a little while?”

“Okay, Mommy.” Rylin hops down from her seat, and I watch as her little legs carry her down the hallway to her room.

I lean my hip against the counter and cross my arms over my chest. “So… fiancé, huh? Funny, I don’t remember a proposal.”

He chuckles — it’s deep and throaty and so fucking sexy. “I just wanted to apologize for how I reacted earlier today. I was a dick when you came to my door.”

“So you’re saying Paige gave you a piece of her mind?”

“Well… yes. But I would’ve apologized, regardless. It’s been a rough few weeks, and I took it out on you. I’m sorry.” A man who knows how to apologize? Be still my fluttering pussy.

“Apology accepted. And thanks for… everything.”

“Anytime. If you need a surprise fake fiancé again, I’m right next door.”

A laugh bursts free. “I’ll keep that in mind. Do you do this often? Volunteer to fake marry every girl who’s ever had a piece of shit ex-husband?”

“Can’t say that I have.”

“You should charge for your services. I could write a yelp review for you. Ten out of ten, would fake marry this man again. Highly effective, nice ass.”

“I’d love to circle back to the last part, but I have to get going. It was nice meeting you, Ivy.”

“It was weird as fuck meeting you, Luca. See you around.”