Page 44 of The Dating Ban (Mind the Corbin Brothers #1)

Bracing for Impact

Ivy

W e’re still tangled up in each other, the ice cream tub nestled between us, trading bites in lazy contentment. Theo’s arms are loose around me, his fingers idly tracing patterns along my bare back, his warmth keeping me cocooned in this perfect little bubble.

But then…

"And yet, you seem to love it."

His words hang between us, light, teasing—just part of the banter.

But it’s the way he suddenly freezes that makes my stomach dip.

His fingers stop moving. His body tenses.

And when I glance up at him, I see it—the flicker of uncertainty in his eyes.

A beat of silence.

Then, quietly, he says, “Was the letter too much?”

I try to breath calmly. “What? ”

He exhales, rubbing the back of his neck. “The letter I sent you. My very outdated declaration. Was it… too much?”

I frown slightly, caught off guard by the sudden change in mood. “Of course not,” I say, shaking my head. “If it had been, I wouldn’t have agreed to meet you again, would I?”

Theo searches my face, like he’s still not entirely convinced.

I soften, setting the ice cream aside before shifting fully to face him. My fingers find his, lacing them together as I choose my next words carefully.

“But,” I continue, voice steady, “you did say in the letter that you loved me.”

His throat bobs as he swallows, his grip on my hand tightening slightly.

“Yeah,” he admits, low and rough.

I nod, keeping my expression open, my tone light despite the way my heart is suddenly pounding. “Did you mean… as a friend? Or…?”

I hesitate, then add with a small, wry smile, “I’m not fishing, I just figured I should ask. You know, so there are no confusions or miscommunications.”

Theo’s jaw tightens, his fingers flexing in mine.

I hold my breath, waiting.

Then, finally, he exhales, his thumb brushing absentmindedly over my knuckles.

“I meant,” he says slowly, carefully, “that I love you.”

My stomach flips.

His eyes are locked on mine, steady and serious, as if he’s making sure I hear him properly, making sure there’s no room for doubt .

“Not as a friend,” he continues, his voice quieter now. “Not as anything casual or complicated.” A dry laugh escapes him. “I mean, it has been all so different, complicated, I know that. But that doesn’t change the fact that I love you, Ivy.”

He means it.

It’s real.

And I have no idea how to breathe.

My heart stumbles over itself.

He loves me.

Not as a friend. Not as something casual. Not as a maybe or a possibility.

He just does.

Theo watches me, his breath uneven—like he’s bracing for impact, like he’s terrified of whatever I’m about to say next.

I don’t make him wait.

I reach up, cupping his face between my hands, my thumbs brushing lightly over the stubble on his jaw. His skin is warm beneath my fingertips, his pulse steady but fast.

He swallows hard. “Ivy—”

“I love you too,” I whisper.

For a moment, he just looks at me, his expression unreadable, like he’s trying to process the words, make sure he’s heard them right.

Then, all at once, something in him breaks.

His lips crash into mine. It’s not slow. Not careful. It’s deep, urgent—like he needs to kiss me, like he’s making up for every moment he’s ever wanted to and couldn’t .

I gasp against his mouth, and he groans, pulling me closer, his hands sliding over my waist, gripping me tightly like he’s afraid I’ll slip away.

I tilt my head, deepening the kiss, my fingers tangling in his hair. He makes a low, needy sound in the back of his throat, and heat spreads through me like wildfire.

His hands roam, familiar but hungry, learning my body all over again.

I press myself against him, sighing into his mouth as he rolls us over, pinning me beneath him.

I can feel his heartbeat, his love, in every touch, every kiss, every whisper of breath between us.

And this time, when we lose ourselves in each other, it’s not just about need.

It’s about us.

About everything we are.

“I love you,” I whisper, my voice steady. “Not too. Just—I love you. Not because you said it first. Not because I feel like I should. I’m not giving you what I think you want from me.”

I take a breath, feeling his skin warm beneath my palms, his breath uneven against my lips.

“I. Love. You,” I repeat, letting the words sink between us. “Regardless of whether you love me back or not. Although, the fact that you do is—well, great.”

A slow, disbelieving smile spreads across his face.

For a second, he just stares at me, like he’s committing this—me—to memory.

Then he groans, his grip tightening on my waist. “You ruin me,” he mutters, before crashing his lips to mine.

I laugh into the kiss, but it quickly dissolves into something deeper. Something more.

Theo presses me back into the pillows, his body covering mine, his warmth seeping into my skin, his hands roaming like he needs to feel every inch of me.

I sigh into his mouth, fingers twisting into his hair, pulling him closer, wanting all of him.

And then—

Thud.

We both freeze.

Theo pulls back, eyes hazy, lips kiss-swollen. “What was that?”

I blink, momentarily lost, before I glance sideways.

The tub of ice cream.

It’s rolled onto its side on the floor, melting into a sad puddle of caramel disaster.

I gasp. “The ice cream!”

Theo groans, dropping his head to my shoulder. “Unbelievable.”

I bite my lip, trying not to laugh as I gently push him off me. “We have to save it.”

He flops onto his back dramatically. “I can’t believe this. I just told you I love you and now you’re abandoning me for ice cream.”

I grab the tub, inspecting the damage. “You knew who I was when you got into this relationship.”

Theo turns his head, watching me with amusement as I pluck the spoon from the sheets and scoop up a bite before shoving it into my mouth.

He shakes his head, sitting up, completely naked, but somehow looking like he belongs exactly here. Like we belong exactly here.

“Give me a bite, then,” he says, reaching for me.

I smirk, pulling the spoon back. “Didn’t you just call me unbelievable ?” I mock his tone.

Theo narrows his eyes. “I take it back. Now give me the ice cream.”

I consider this. “Hmm. I could. Or… I could make you work for it.”

His eyes darken instantly. “Oh?”

I grin. “Kiss me first.”

He lets out a low chuckle. “Easiest deal I’ve ever made.”

And then his mouth is on mine again. He kisses me like he’s making a promise.

Like he’s claiming this moment—not just for now, but for always.

His lips are warm, tasting of caramel and something undeniable. His hands slide into my hair, angling my head just right, deepening the kiss until I’m completely lost in it.

I forget about the ice cream.

I forget about everything except the way he’s touching me, the way he’s pressing me back onto the mattress, shifting to cover my body with his. His hands roam, slow and deliberate, exploring every inch of me. There’s no rush this time. No frantic need to close the distance between us.

We know what this is now.

This isn’t just heat.

This is love.

I sigh against his lips, my fingers gliding over his bare skin, feeling the steady rise and fall of his breath, the warmth of him beneath my touch.

He exhales a quiet groan as I skim my hands lower, over the taut muscles of his back, pulling him impossibly closer .

“Fuck, Ivy,” he mutters against my skin, his breath warm against my neck.

I smile, threading my fingers through his hair, tilting my head to give him more access as he trails soft, lingering kisses along my throat.

Theo lifts his head, his dark gaze locking onto mine. His thumb brushes against my cheek, tracing the curve of my face with a tenderness that makes my chest ache.

“I love you,” he murmurs again, like he needs to say it, needs to hear it.

I swallow hard, my fingers tightening on his shoulders. “I love you.”

And then there’s no more talking.

He moves with quiet reverence, savouring every touch, every gasp, every sigh. His body fits against mine perfectly, like we were meant for this.

Meant for each other.

I wrap my legs around him, my breath hitching as he presses his cock deeper, his forehead resting against mine.

Neither of us rushes.

We linger, lost in the warmth, in the way we move together so easily. Like this is home.

Like we’ve been waiting for this exact moment all along.

And when we finally fall together, when he buries his face against my neck with a quiet groan, and my name spills from his lips… I know.

This isn’t just something fleeting.

This is everything.