Her Heart's Desire (11 page)

In the bathroom, she stared in the mirror at her reflection. Aside from having tousled hair, a sheet mark across her right cheek and a huge grin, she looked no different.
I sure feel different
. Her body hummed with newfound energy.

Ivan had set out towels and a basket of bath products. Excited, she glanced over the mesh sponge, shower gel, body lotion and deodorant. No guy she had ever known was that thoughtful. Clearly Ivan was used to planning for every contingency.

She finished her morning routine, got dressed and went downstairs.

When he saw her, he strode over and kissed her soundly. “Good morning,” he whispered into her ear. “How’d you sleep?”

“When I did get some sleep,” she said, “it was great.”

With a devilish grin, Ivan picked her up in his arms. “I’m absolutely not apologizing for keeping you...busy last night.”

She wrapped her legs around his waist. “You’d better not,” she warned. “Last night was...” She blushed just thinking about it.

Ivan kissed her tenderly. “That about sums it up for me, too.” He set her down. “It’s incredible how you make my T-shirt and shorts look erotic.”

“I’ll bet,” she told him. “I had to double knot the shorts, and I’m swimming in this shirt.”

“Yeah, but you still look hot.”

The way he said it, combined with the heated look he gave her, made her quiver. “Why did you let me sleep so late? I could’ve helped with breakfast.”

“I’m used to getting up early, and I wanted you to get some rest. After all, you had a long night.”

“We had a long night,” she corrected. “Then she took a container of orange juice and two glasses into the dining room. Ivan followed with a platter of banana pancakes, sausage, bacon, scrambled eggs and a bowl of fresh fruit. He set them in front of her before he sat down.

She looked at him. “And who’s supposed to eat all this? It looks like you cooked for a small village.”

“I forgot Cole wasn’t here this morning. Between the two of us, there’s usually nothing left.”

“It’s like a buffet.” Tiffany fixed her plate, and then one with more generous portions for Ivan.

“I hope you don’t mind, but I opened the basket of fancy toiletries in the bathroom.”

“You were supposed to. I left them for you.”

Suddenly, a thought popped into Tiffany’s head. She glanced up. “Do you always keep that in your bathroom? You know, just in case?”

“Just in case what?”

“You know...if you ever need it.”

Ivan choked on the pancakes he was eating. “Are you trying to ask me if I keep all that girlie stuff around for women spending the night?”

She bristled when he burst out laughing.

Tiffany pushed her chair back and got up. She went to stride past him, but he caught her and plopped her into his lap.

“Let go.”

She sat there stiffly in his arms, not moving an inch. “I mean it, Ivan. Let go.”

“Not until you tell me why you think I have women parading in and out of my parents’ home so frequently that I’d need to keep a supply of women’s toiletries.”

“How about you answer my question first?”

Ivan searched her face. “Are you really angry?” he asked, suddenly serious.

He released her immediately. Tiffany got up and took her plate to the kitchen without answering him. She threw the remainder of her breakfast away and rinsed her plate and glass. She was about to put them in the dishwasher when Ivan’s hand reached out to stop her.

“Tiffany, we need to talk about this.”

“I don’t want to talk.”

“I can see that, but do you really want to spend my last day in town angry?”

With a loud sigh, Tiffany set down the plate and shut off the water. She spun around to face him. “No.”

Instead of attempting to hold her, Ivan moved back and leaned against the counter across from her.

“When have I ever given you the impression that I have a revolving bedroom door? I meant what I said about working all the time, and living a monklike existence. Did you think that was just a ploy to get you into bed?”

“No,” she admitted.

“Then why would you automatically think I was trying to play you?”

Tiffany was at a loss for words. It was obvious that her accusations irritated him, but once she went down the road of self-doubt, it was impossible to veer off the path. How could she tell him what had been going on in her mind when she didn’t even understand it? One minute she was fine, and the next she was imaging all sorts of things involving Ivan and other women.

“I wasn’t... Okay, maybe I was...just a little,” she admitted.

Ivan tilted his head to the side.

“Fine, I was a lot jealous. I don’t know what came over me. It popped into my head just now, and I started wondering what guy is thoughtful enough to keep those kinds of things around for a woman? I didn’t come up with any.”

He took a deep breath. “My mother is big on making sure that any overnight guests feel at home. She’s the one who brought the basket of toiletries. It was unopened, remember? She also keeps toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo and a boatload of other stuff she thinks people might forget. She’s got a whole section in the linen closet of stuff like this.”

“Ivan, I’m sorry I acted like that. It was completely uncalled for. I just... Last night was perfect, and just thinking about you with someone else...really didn’t sit well with me.”

Ivan pushed off the counter and took her hands in his. He kissed them one at a time. “It’s just you, Tiff. Got it?”

Unable to help the megawatt smile that illuminated her face, she nodded. A tear slid down her cheek. He brushed it away with his thumb and wrapped his arms around her.

“And I thought last night was perfect, too. I didn’t have time to arrange fireworks, but we did have thunder and lightning,” he joked.

“Thank you,” she murmured. “I needed to hear that.”

“You’re welcome.”

He gazed down at her. “We survived our first disagreement.”

Tiffany buried her head against his chest. “If it wasn’t for me, we wouldn’t have had it to begin with.”

“Tiffany, we’re going to argue sometimes. It’s not uncommon.”

“I know that better than most,” she said drily.

Ivan tilted her head up to look into her eyes. “Yes, I guess that’s true. You’ve definitely heard your fair share of arguments from what you’ve told me about your home life, but you can’t let it consume you and dictate your actions now.”

She grimaced. “How do you mean?”

“We can’t always get along, sweetheart, and I don’t think you want us walking on pins and needles for fear of making the other one angry, do you?”

She shook her head. “No, that’s not realistic.”

“No, it’s not. But I will promise you something.”

“What?”

“I’ll always, always want to have makeup sex.”

“I’m glad because I will, too.”

He picked her up and headed out of the kitchen.

“What are you doing?” she shrieked.

“Well, we’ve had our first fight. Now it’s time to get to the lovin’.”

Chapter 14

N
ow, that was definitely something to remember him by!
Tiffany was curled up on the family-room couch thinking about the “makeup sex” they’d just shared. They hadn’t even made it to the bed. It was quick, explosive and her body still hummed from the aftermath like a well-tuned engine.

Ivan sat down on the couch next to her. “I don’t have to ask what’s got you smiling like that.”

“Nope.” Tiffany sat up and kissed him.

“I forgot to mention that I don’t normally have the ringer on my personal phone when I’m on duty, so if you need to reach me and I don’t answer, text me and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can. I wrote down my assistant Curtis’s direct number on the itinerary. He can get a message to me if it’s an emergency.”

She sat up. “Okay.”

Suddenly, she felt overwhelmed with emotion. It dawned on Tiffany how much she would miss him, especially now. There was a higher level of intimacy between them, and with it a new sense of awareness that Tiffany didn’t have before. Her need for him was heightened, which made her wonder if it would have been better to wait until he came home from Italy before they made love. Well, it was a moot point now. They had—a lot—it was incredible, and for Tiffany it was going to be a long week.

By the time Cole returned home, they had just finished lunch. He said hello and went straight to the fridge for a bottle that had a green concoction in it. Ivan sauntered over to the cabinet, pulled out a large bottle of Advil and handed it to his brother.

He grunted his thanks and then surveyed the couple. “How was your evening, or do I need to ask?”

The high-wattage smile from Tiffany may have been proof enough, but she added, “I think it was pretty spectacular, don’t you, Ivan? I mean, we barely got the last of the furniture reglued before you got here. Good thing Ivan will be away for a week so that it can dry. Unfortunately, one of the goose-down pillows didn’t make it.”

Ivan roared with laughter. He observed his brother. “I think you’d better think twice before trying to put Tiffany on the spot.”

Cole laughed, too, and took another sip of his drink. “Evidently, our Tiffany is no shrinking violet. That’s cool. I like a challenge.”

“You’d better go to bed, little brother. You look like warmed-over crap. If you get hungry later, there’re leftovers in the fridge. I’ve got an assignment, but I’ll call and check in with you later.”

Cole nodded and gingerly lowered his head to the table.

Ivan glanced at Tiffany. “And that’s why I don’t drink anything stronger than beer.”

“Hope you feel better, Cole,” she whispered, before following Ivan back upstairs.

“How about we take you home so that you can change your clothes? I’ll stay as long as I can and leave for the airport from your house. That way we can spend more time together.”

“I like the way you think, Colonel Mangum.”

Ivan gave her a small bag to carry her dress in. She placed the basket of toiletries he gave her into his linen closet to save for next time.

“I’ll call you tonight and you can tell me how the party went,” he said as he packed.

“Ha. Don’t worry, if things get really interesting, I’ll send a video,” she promised.

* * *

Later, they were in the middle of shopping when Tiffany’s cell phone rang. She retrieved it from her purse and answered it.

“Hello?” She glanced at the screen. It was another blocked call. Tiffany hung up and shoved the phone back into her bag.

“Wrong number?”

“I have no idea. It was a blocked call. I’ve had several lately.”

Ivan stopped walking. “Does the person say anything?”

“No. I’ve had a few voice-mail messages, but nobody says anything, and after a while they just hang up.”

He frowned. “When did this start?”

“I don’t know. Last week, I guess.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

She shrugged. “It didn’t cross my mind.”

His jaw clenched. He set the produce that he had picked up back in the basket and guided her to a more secluded area.

“What’s the matter?” she asked once they were alone.

“Someone is playing on your phone, and it didn’t cross your mind to mention it?” he said.

“Honestly, no.”

Ivan shook his head. “The next time it happens, I want to know.”

“Why? It’s not like you can do anything about it.” She stared at him. “Why are you getting upset about this? It’s just a phone call.”

“How would you know? It never crossed your mind for a second that it could be more than that? Not everyone around you is harmless, Tiffany. You’re a single woman living alone in a busy city. You need to be concerned about a person who doesn’t want you knowing their identity calling you repeatedly and hanging up.”

“Well, you’re the security expert,” she snapped. “What would you have done?”

Ivan retrieved his cell phone from his pocket and dialed a number. “Mike, I need a favor.”

He relayed Tiffany’s cell number to his friend, and instructed him to call him later with a report. He ended the call and shoved his phone back into his pocket.

“When I find out who’s been calling your phone and harassing you, I’ll let you know.”

He stalked off, leaving her alone. Tiffany stood there and waited. Finally, Ivan turned around, let out a harsh breath and walked back over to where she was standing. “I’m sorry for losing my temper,” he said in a quieter voice. “It’s just that I’ve seen a great deal of bad in the world, Tiffany. I’ve also seen what happens to women and girls who are misfortunate enough to be on the receiving end of a man’s anger, lust or both, and be powerless to defend themselves. I...I don’t want that to be you.” He struggled to maintain his composure. “And when you’re dismissive about the possibility that you could find yourself in a situation that you can’t get out of—”

“I get it,” she said quietly. “I’m sorry, Ivan. I forget sometimes that you’ve seen a world that I know exists, but that I’ve never seen, and probably never will. I shouldn’t have gotten snarky with you about it. If anything, I should’ve been more receptive to your concern. I just got angry at you thinking that I couldn’t take care of myself. I realize now that in certain situations, that may be true.”

“When have I ever said that you can’t take care of yourself?”

“Maybe not verbally, but your actions say it loud and clear.”

A confused expression crossed his face.

“You check my apartment every time you bring me home.”

“And you think that translates to me thinking you can’t take care of yourself?”

“Sometimes, yes. I’ve had to fend for myself a lot. Well, it was more by choice. I saw how much my mother relied on my father to do things for her. He made all the decisions in our household. Though my mother worked, she deferred to him in all things. I didn’t pay it any attention because we were fine. But when they began having problems and it grew worse, and he left, that’s when I saw it.”

“Saw what?”

“How...incapacitated she was. My mother wasn’t able to regain her sense of self after they broke up. She was so wrapped up in him that she couldn’t seem to function on her own. And the more time passed, the more bitter she became. In public she was fine—she went to work, came home and went places with the rest of the family. But at home it was...different. It was like a part of her was missing, and she didn’t care what happened to her. It broke my heart, Ivan,” Tiffany said. “I was her daughter, and yet nothing I did made her feel better. That’s when I knew I would be different.”

“Different how?”

“I refused to make the same mistakes my mother made. I would always provide for myself. Even when I fell in love, I swore I’d make sure that if anything happened, I would be okay.”

He ran a hand over his face. It was a few moments before he answered. “Tiffany, I know you can take care of yourself. Your independence is one of the things I admire about you. I like that fact that you have your own business, and if situations arise, you can handle yourself. If I made you feel like I was trying to take that away from you, I apologize. It was never my intention. It’s just what I’m used to doing. My father instilled into us from a young age that we should always take care of a woman. Though Cole may seem like he forgets at times, we’re used to being gentlemen. Holding doors, paying for meals, ensuring that a woman is provided for... It’s second nature, Tiffany.”

“I know, and though I may not show it, it’s one of the things I like about you.”

“You mean a great deal to me, Tiffany, so wanting to take care of you comes naturally to me.” He touched her cheek. “I know I come across as paranoid sometimes, but the truth is I couldn’t bear it if something happened to you. Not when I could’ve prevented it.”

She wrapped her arms around his middle. “Thank you.”

His bent down and kissed her. “You’re welcome.”

Ivan searched her face. “I never want you to feel like I’m smothering you. If I do, just tell me to back off.”

“I will,” she promised. “I know I’ve got a few relationship issues that I need to work through.”

“Looks like we both have homework in that respect.”

“I know I came across as unappreciative, but you make me happy, Ivan, and I love being with you. Never doubt that. “Speaking of covert maneuvers, what other kick-ass stuff can you do?”

Ivan stopped walking and faced her. His fingers slid down the buttons holding her blouse closed as he gazed into her eyes. “I could show you, but we don’t have that kind of time.”

“I don’t know about that. From what I hear there’s always time for makeup sex.”

Ivan’s gaze got heated. “Is that so? Then I guess we’d better get home and find out. If you’re wrong, Norma Jean’s going to have to settle for a store-bought cake instead.”

* * *

When they returned to Tiffany’s loft, they made it as far as the living room. Grocery bags and clothes were ditched and left wherever they landed as Ivan and Tiffany collapsed onto the couch in a tangle of legs and arms. Their lovemaking was hot and fast. Tiffany held on tight as Ivan drove into her with short, deliberate thrusts. She felt like he was branding her as his, and a primal response bubbled up inside of her. She wanted to feel like she was his in every way.

Seconds later, they both found their release. Spent, they lay there unmoving while their bodies slowly returned to normal.

“Come on, sweetheart,” he finally said. “We’ve got food to fix for Norma Jean’s party.”

“Do we have to?” Tiffany said. “Can’t we just buy her that cake you were talking about earlier and be done with it?”

Ivan stood up and held out his hands to help her up. “I’m not the one going into the line of fire with a store-bought dessert, you are. You know how much Ms. Jeannie loves food from scratch.”

“Okay.” Tiffany surrendered. “Let’s get the eggs and potatoes on first. While they’re working up to a boil, we’ll take a shower.”

“Sounds like a plan, Miss Gentry.”

* * *

Tiffany put on a pair of shorts and a halter top. By the time she reentered the kitchen, Ivan was chopping up the potatoes for the potato salad, and the cabbage and carrots were already shredded for the coleslaw.

“You start on the dressing for the slaw, and then we’ll get everything put together,” he suggested.

While Tiffany put the finishing touches on her dishes, Ivan did some work on his laptop. She was in the bathroom doing her hair when he came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her.

“I have to go,” he said, kissing her shoulder. “I’ll be back from Vegas late tomorrow evening.”

Tiffany stared at their reflection in the mirror. “Okay.” She rotated and went into his arms. “Have a safe trip,” she murmured. “Call me when you land.”

“Roger that.” He walked into the living room to retrieve his overnight bag. Tiffany followed behind. They hugged and kissed a final time before Ivan walked out of her door and closed it tightly behind him.

A knot formed in her stomach. How in the world was she going to put on a happy face for tonight’s party?