Page 33 of The Dating Ban (Mind the Corbin Brothers #1)

Someone’s Packing

Ivy

T he second I step into the ensuite and lock the door behind me, I let out a long breath.

The cottage is quiet, except for the rain still tapping against the window.

No wind shaking a tent, no thunder rumbling overhead, no spiders launching themselves at me like tiny assassins. Just warmth, calm, and a real bathroom.

I turn on the shower, and the moment the hot water bursts from the nozzle, I could weep.

Stripping off my clothes, I step under the spray, and a deep groan escapes me as the heat sinks into my skin. The muscles in my shoulders slowly loosen, the chill in my bones finally fading.

This. This is what I needed.

I close my eyes, letting the water stream over me, my mind drifting whether I want it to or not.

Theo.

Theo and his stupid wet hair. How can he even look cover-page-worthy when other people would look like drowned rats .

I exhale sharply, but it doesn’t stop the images flashing through my brain—the way his damp hair clung to his forehead, the way he’d run a hand through it, ruffling it absentmindedly, making it look even better.

The way his T-shirt stretched across his shoulders, slightly damp from carrying my rain-soaked tent inside.

The smirk he gave me when I devoured that stew like a half-starved goblin.

And then—that moment.

The air between us in the kitchen had changed. It had thickened, stretched tight, charged.

I’d seen the way his gaze flicked to my mouth. I know he’d noticed the way I leaned in slightly before I came to my senses.

I groan again, pressing my hands to my face.

This is exactly why I needed the dating ban.

I know that. I know that.

Three months. No dating, no relationships, no rebounds. Time to find myself—or whatever Pee-Pee had said when she convinced me to do this.

And I’ve stuck to it. For nearly quarter of a year, I’ve resisted bad decisions, ignored temptation, and reminded myself that I don’t need to be with someone to be happy.

I have three weeks left. Just three weeks. I know Pee-Pee said to find out what this is and that I can date him, but not before the ban is over. For once I’d like to finish something and I am so close.

I will not break my ban for Theo.

Even if he smells stupidly good. Even if his voice went all low and rough when he said goodnight. Even if, for half a second, I really thought he was going to kiss me—and I wanted him to.

No .

No, no, no.

I stand there for another long moment, letting the water run over me, breathing through the ridiculous tangle of thoughts in my head.

Tomorrow, I’ll thank him properly, figure out my next steps, and get out of his way.

That’s the smart choice. The right choice.

So why does part of me really not want to make it?

I wake to the sound of giggling.

Soft, mischievous, the kind of giggle that usually means someone is up to no good.

I frown, still half-asleep, shifting slightly under the covers. Before I can fully register what’s happening, I turn my head—and nearly jump when I come face-to-face with Lucy, who is grinning at me from the side of the bed, her little chin propped up on her hands.

I blink, my brain struggling to catch up. “Lucy?”

She lets out another giggle, practically vibrating with excitement.

Before I can ask what she’s doing, a whisper-shouted “Lucy!” comes from just outside the door.

My stomach tightens slightly.

Theo.

I barely have a second to process that before the door creaks open, and Theo sneaks into the room, clearly trying to retrieve his daughter before she causes any early-morning chaos .

His focus is completely on her at first, his face set somewhere between amused and exasperated. But then—he looks up.

And his eyes meet mine.

We both freeze.

Because oh God.

Theo is in his pyjamas.

And not like the sensible, respectable kind. No, of course not. The universe wouldn’t be that kind to me.

He’s in a loose, slightly crumpled T-shirt and a pair of boxer briefs that leave very little to the imagination.

Boy, oh boy, someone’s packing.

My entire body goes hot.

Theo’s ears go bright red.

I suddenly become painfully aware of my own state—dressed in an oversized T-shirt, but without a bra.

My breasts are not meant for public appearances without some very serious structural support.

Yet here they are, the outline very clearly visible under the thin fabric, drooping unapologetically toward my belly button.

I cross my arms immediately, locking them in place like a human barricade.

Theo is still standing there, like his brain has momentarily short-circuited, and I know I should be playing it cool, should be saying something, but my mouth is refusing to cooperate because I am so wildly aware of the fact that he’s standing in my borrowed bedroom in his boxer briefs.

Lucy, entirely oblivious to the silent meltdown happening between the adults, claps her hands together and announces, “We should all have breakfast in Ivy’s bed!”

Both Theo and I snap our heads toward her at the same time .

“No,” we say in unison.

Lucy frowns, clearly unimpressed with our lack of enthusiasm. “Why not?”

I shift under the blankets, now clutching the duvet defensively over my chest, because there are already too many things happening that I did not emotionally prepare for this morning. “Because,” I say, grasping at any reason, “breakfast in bed is messy.”

Lucy gasps like I’ve just insulted the very foundation of her beliefs. “No, it’s cosy.”

Theo, finally regaining his ability to function, folds his arms over his chest. “Lucy, we eat at the table.”

“But Ivy is the guest! We have to do special things!” she argues, already burrowing herself further into the duvet like she’s settling in for the long haul.

Theo lets out a long breath, clearly trying to pick his battles. “Tell you what,” he says, crouching beside the bed, his voice lowering to that calm, reasonable dad tone that clearly has years of practice behind it. “Remember how you saved Ivy a cake?”

Lucy’s eyes widen. “The strawberry one?”

Theo nods. “Yep. And if you get up right now, you can be the one to give it to her first thing after breakfast. But only if you come to the kitchen like a civilised person.”

Lucy gasps dramatically, throwing off the covers like this is a great and noble mission.

“I forgot about the cake!” She scrambles off the bed with newfound purpose, already halfway to the door. “I have to check if it’s still okay!”

Theo, still crouched beside the bed, exhales in pure relief as Lucy disappears down the hall.

I snort. “You bribed her. ”

“Parenting,” he says, “is 75% bribery and 25% bluffing.”

I raise an eyebrow. “And what happens when they call your bluff?”

He rubs a hand over his jaw, smirk widening. “Pray they don’t.”

Theo stands, stretching his arms over his head—and I make the colossal mistake of looking.

Because the movement makes his T-shirt ride up, just enough to reveal a sliver of toned stomach, the defined cut of his hip, and—oh hell—that dark trail of hair disappearing into the waistband of his boxer briefs.

Oh no.

Oh no no no.

A very inappropriate thought pops into my head, followed by about six more, and I must make some kind of involuntary noise because Theo glances at me, eyebrows raised.

I snap my gaze violently toward the ceiling, praying that I don’t look as flustered as I feel.

“Right.” He clears his throat, taking a half-step back. “I, uh—should probably get dressed.”

“Great idea,” I say far too quickly, already trying to extract myself from the blankets. “Same. Also. Clothes. Big fan of them.”

Theo blinks at me, and I want to die.

He huffs a laugh, rubs one of the tips of his red ears, shakes his head, and backs out of the room without another word.

I let out a breath and immediately fling myself out of bed, marching toward the bathroom.

I so have to move to a B&B.