Page 7 of Summer Nights (The Kingston Brothers #3)

Chapter Six

Cooper

After getting ice cream with Ivy, I hadn't heard from her about any new inspections for a few weeks. When I met Duncan for basketball, she'd stayed with Rae, and he hadn't invited me for ice cream.

I figured she needed some space. I'd gotten to Ivy on a level that probably sent her into a bit of a panic. It would be good for her to see that life was different from what she feared.

Not everyone would disappoint her, and I'd never want to hurt her or her siblings. I wanted to be there for them.

I thought this thing with Ivy would be purely physical, but I couldn't help but feel connected to her more each time we were together, whether it was getting ice cream, playing basketball with her brother, or fucking her in an empty house.

Ivy had so many layers and walls I'd yet to discover. The more I thought about why she acted the way she did—so distrustful and fearful—the more I felt for her. Her mother, and I'm assuming her rotating boyfriends, had done a number on her.

She might appear to be strong on the outside, but it was because she had to be. Underneath, she was vulnerable. I wanted to protect her, but at the same time, I wanted to show her life could be different.

It was a combination I'd never experienced before. I'd never felt this tenderness for anyone I'd dated. I wondered if Hudson or Brady felt like this when they decided Elena and Hazel were the women for them.

Now I was getting ahead of myself. There was no way Ivy would ever let me into boyfriend territory. I'd never known her to be close to anyone.

I wondered if I was the only one who saw the Ivy underneath.

I couldn't imagine living that way or having to adapt my life to those false beliefs. How many people had let her down?

That's when it hit me; her father had never been in the picture. Had she hoped he would come back and be part of her life, and he never did? That would be devastating for a little girl.

I wasn't put-off by her distrust. It only made me want to reach her more.

I didn't want to hurt her or let her down. I was a little worried I was going to do it anyway. It was just human nature. Ivy would take it that much harder. She was literally waiting for me to mess up. But I wanted to prove her wrong.

She avoided me at Hazel and Brady's engagement party, and I'd been preoccupied with Dalton's baby-momma drama. He'd gotten his girlfriend pregnant, and she was jerking him around a bit. I didn't like it, but Brady had somehow convinced him to get his own place.

It sounded like the best solution for everyone. This morning, we were going with Ivy to see some possible places for him to rent or buy.

I waited on the porch of the place Dalton had texted me about earlier. When Brady arrived with Dalton, I said, "I did some research on this place. The owners were only here for six years. Doesn't look like they did many upgrades."

"I'm not afraid of a little work," Dalton said "It will help me fill the time when I can't see the baby."

I exchanged a look with Brady. I wasn't sure what I would do in Dalton's situation. I hadn't even thought about having kids yet. But I was impressed that he was trying to find the best way to handle it.

Ivy pulled up in her SUV, and we waited for her to get out. I was becoming addicted to her prim outfits. I distinctly remembered how it felt to feel the bite of her heels in my ass when I was fucking her against the door.

Ivy met my gaze as she headed in our direction, and I wondered if she was thinking the same thing I was. We couldn't keep our hands off each other when we were alone in a house.

I took the paperwork she offered me, not bothering to look at it. I'd already seen everything there was on record about this place.

"Are you ready to see this place?" Ivy asked Dalton, and when he nodded, she unlocked the lockbox. "I think you're going to like this one. It has everything you asked for."

"Looks like it needs some work," I said, ripping my gaze from her ass in that skirt. She probably thought the outfit was professional, but I found it sexy.

Ivy flashed me a smile as she pushed open the door. "I would think you boys wouldn't be afraid of a little hard work."

"Of course not," I said, feeling my heart rate kick up now that I was finally in her proximity.

"It has a study." Ivy gestured to our right.

We walked through the formal living room, which was sparsely furnished with a couch and a piano, then into the family room with a stone fireplace and large windows showcasing the view of the backyard.

We stood by the slider, and Ivy said," There's a small pool and hot tub on the ground floor with an outdoor shower."

She walked through the house at a pace I appreciated. I'd go through the house on my own once she was done.

I braced my hands on the stained white Formica countertops, noting the dated linoleum and cabinets.

"You'll need to do some work in here," Ivy said.

"It needs to be gutted." My niece or nephew wouldn't be crawling around on peeling linoleum.

"I'm confident you can tackle this project. Maybe it would be a nice housewarming present," Ivy said to Dalton with a wink, and I felt a twinge of jealousy.

Why was I jealous of my baby brother? "I don't think he deserves a kitchen renovation for his first house."

"What about for my first baby?" Dalton shot back.

I exchanged a look with Brady, knowing we would do anything for him and his baby.

Brady nodded. "We'll talk about it."

Dalton shook his head. "I was just messing with you. You guys don't have to do that for me."

"We'll want it to be completed before the baby comes," I said.

"Let me show you the second floor," Ivy said, and I tuned her words out. I was more interested in the sway of her hips as she made her way up the stairs ahead of us.

She opened each door, showing us the three small bedrooms, the laundry room, guest bath, and the master at the end of the hall. "You might want some new carpet, and the bathrooms are meh."

I squatted down to inspect the tile. "I don't think these would meet code. It's the same as the tile on the wall. They'll be slippery. You won't want a toddler on this when it's wet. They'll fall and hit their head."

"We'll need to gut the bathrooms then too. I don't want anything that is unsafe," Dalton said.

"You have a bit of time though because the baby won't be walking for a bit," Ivy said.

I straightened. "What if you're walking around with the baby, and you slip?"

Dalton nodded. "That's a good point."

"I like how you boys are taking Dalton and his baby's safety so seriously," Ivy said with a smile, and I was momentarily distracted by the thought of us having a baby. Would she appreciate my concern for safety when it came to our child?

I mentally shook my head as we followed her downstairs. I shouldn't be thinking about babies. Not with Ivy. She didn't want a relationship, much less a family.

Ivy mentioned the proximity of the neighbors' home, explaining that it was a vacation home for them.

"That's ideal," I said.

"You get the advantage of a lower price tag, and a neighbor that isn't present. What do you think of the pool?"

Dalton walked the deck. "I've always wanted a pool, but I'll need to get a fence to put around it."

"You're already thinking like a dad. I'm going to wait out front for you while you take a closer look. Let me know if you have any questions."

"I'm going to take another look," I said, following her inside.

Ivy moved toward the front door. "Of course."

"I thought you liked to watch me work?" I said, hoping to challenge her to stay inside with me.

She gave me a look over her shoulder. "I have calls to make."

"Are you sure you're not avoiding me?"

She rolled her shoulders back. "Why would I do that?"

"You tell me," I murmured as I moved past her toward the primary bedroom. "Are you coming?"

She sighed. "Fine."

When I was fairly sure Dalton and Brady wouldn't come inside, I said, "I was hoping to get a dance with you at the party." Then I turned my attention to studying the ceiling and walls for signs of leaks.

"That's not a good idea, and you know it."

"Why is that?" I was breaking all my rules in even asking her about it, but her ignoring me in social situations didn't sit right with me.

"We hooked up twice. That's all it was. It can't be anything more."

"Is that all it was for you? A hookup?"

She laughed. "What else would you call it? Good sex?"

"So you admit it was good?" I asked, pausing to look at her.

She glanced away from me, clearly uncomfortable talking about it. "You know it was."

"You don't have chemistry like that with everyone.

" I'd never experienced that kind of passion with anyone else.

I bet she hadn't either. It might have something to do with knowing each other, being friends, but we weren't that close.

I suspected we had one-of-a-kind chemistry, and I wasn't ready to walk away from it.

She pursed her lips. "That's true."

"What we have is good. I want to do it again. Maybe on a softer surface this time. I want to take my time with you. I want to taste you."

She flushed. "Cooper, you can't talk to me like that. Not when I'm working."

"You didn't mind when I fucked you against the wall while we were working."

Her eyes widened, and I knew I was pushing her hard. But I didn't want to risk missing out on whatever this was. "I want that too."

Fuck. Yes. I hadn't expected her to capitulate so easily.

"But it doesn't mean anything. This isn't the start of a relationship."

I shook my head, letting out a chuckle. "I knew that without you telling me."

She rolled her eyes. "I'm glad you think I'm so easy to figure out."

"Oh, I didn't say that." I moved closer to her, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

Her breath hitched, her gaze lifting to meet mine.

"I'm enjoying getting to know you, to learn what makes your breath hitch, what makes your heart race?—"

"That's not necessary?—"

"If I want to please you, it is."

Her cheeks flushed. "You can't?—"

"I can, and I will. You can't control this, Ivy." I gestured between us. It was more like I wouldn't let her take over.

Her mouth opened as if she wanted to say something, but I turned away. "Dalton and Brady are waiting for us."

"Of course," she said, but I heard the irritation in her voice.

If I'd asked for a date or quality time together, she would have said no. But because I mentioned our physical chemistry, she was open to hearing me out.

I took my time, looking through the house and then went outside to tell the guys that there weren't any issues we couldn't handle. This was the perfect house for Dalton. He could grow into it, and we'd ensure it was safe for his baby.

I wanted him settled before the baby came. Oakley was creating drama, and I was hoping if Dalton took a stand on his living situation, she'd have to back off.

I went inside with Brady while Dalton talked money with Ivy. I fiddled with the kitchen faucet, unable to stop checking out Ivy through the window. "Everything okay between you and Hazel?" I asked Brady.

"I need to talk to her and clear the air after what happened at our parents'.'"

I looked over my shoulder at him. I'd heard Dad confronted him about the buzz that he'd contributed money to the library to support Hazel's after-school project. "You haven't done that yet?"

"I never said I was an expert at relationships."

"Ivy said there's an article online about the library and how a local construction company is funding money there because of a certain fiancée."

"That's a mischaracterization of the situation. One of the reporters who came to the library didn't want to talk about how good the program was, they wanted to find some dirt."

"Dad's going to be even more mad. But what I don't understand is why anyone would care."

"I think it has something to do with the article that was in Elena's magazine and the poll that went viral about us being the most eligible bachelors on the island. Our names were in the news before."

Brady groaned. "Dad hates negative publicity."

I turned off the water, satisfied the faucet was working properly.

I took the opportunity to sneak one more look at Ivy, who was seated at a small table with Dalton looking over something on her phone, probably comps.

I turned to face Brady. I needed to focus on something besides Ivy. "Do you know if Hazel's seen it?"

Brady ran a hand through his hair. "I haven't really seen or talked to her since the dinner at Mom and Dad's."

I frowned. "Didn't she walk out? Mom said something about that."

"Yeah, and then Dalton showed up, and we were preoccupied with him."

"You should probably talk to her about the article and see if it's going to be a problem for the library. I'd hate to see her program cancelled over something like this." The entire situation seemed petty. Who cared who donated the money as long as the program was helpful to the community?

"Is it wrong to support causes you believe in when your fiancée or best friend is the leader of the program?" Brady's voice was laced with irritation.

I leaned against the counter, crossing my arms over my chest. "I don't know. But it seems like the news likes to tear people down, not lift them up."

Brady's face screwed up. "I hate this."

"You can go if you need to. Ivy's got this part."

"You don't think Dalton needs me here?"

"He's going to have to start standing on his own two feet here soon. We can't be with him every step of the way, and I think he's getting that. He'll rise to the occasion."

"If you're sure—" Brady began.

I waved a hand at him. "I've got this. Go."

Brady didn't need any more encouragement. Once he was gone, I looked out the window again where Ivy and Dalton had their heads close together, probably figuring out the perfect offer for this house.

I felt a pang of something. It felt a little like jealousy. Dalton was having a baby and buying a house. He was making steps to settle down.

I owned a house, but I wasn't settled. I was engaged in a fling of sorts with Ivy. It felt amazing, but if there was no endgame, then what was the point? Should I be looking for someone who could be a long-term girlfriend, and maybe even a wife one day? Is that what I wanted?

Dalton hadn't been looking for anything when Oakley got pregnant. In fact, he was going to break up with her when she relayed the news. It had changed everything.

How would I react in the same situation? Would I step up and do the right thing? I'd like to think I would. I was older than Dalton after all. I even enjoyed hanging out with Duncan. But that didn't mean I was ready to be a father.

I wasn't sure what I wanted. But with my siblings starting to settle down one by one, I was starting to question my bachelor ways.