Total pages in book: 54
Estimated words: 50402 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 252(@200wpm)___ 202(@250wpm)___ 168(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 50402 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 252(@200wpm)___ 202(@250wpm)___ 168(@300wpm)
Thrusting that out of her thoughts, Ivy asked, “What were you all doing?”
Steele shrugged and ate the bite of the ice cream mixture. She sat there impatiently, waiting for him to finish. “I’m not going to forget what I asked you if you keep your mouth full,” she warned.
“Don’t take that tone with me, Little girl,” Steele said with raised eyebrows.
“Can you just tell me why everyone was gone? And who peed their pants?”
“No one peed—at least in their pants,” Steele assured her and held a bite to her lips.
Annoyed, Ivy ate it. The bowl would have to be empty soon. Ooh! The cinnamon is good with chocolate syrup!
Now peeved at herself, Ivy swallowed hard and choked.
“Careful, Little girl,” Steele warned, patting her gently on her back.
“Will you just tell me?” she asked as soon as she could breathe.
“There are some things that I’ll never tell you, Little girl. Things that are only Shadowridge Guardians’ business. You’ll have to accept that, Ivy.” His unyielding gaze held hers.
“But I think it was about me,” she countered.
“That doesn’t make any difference. This was Shadowridge Guardians’ business.”
Ivy reached out to grab hold of the edge of Steele’s cut as she studied his face. She’d done that so many times since he’d rescued her. The worn leather felt so familiar to her touch. It reassured her more than anything. It was definitely more encouraging than his stern look.
“Steele, I’m a grown woman.” She waved a hand around the room. “I mean, I love being Little here—being your Little. But out here, I have to be a professional and in charge. Did you all do anything because Mr. Harris demoted me?”
“We didn’t do anything, Little girl. We just provided transportation for someone with their head screwed on right. I’m glad to know others see exactly what Mr. Harris is.”
“What he is?” Ivy echoed in concern. “Come on, Steele. You’ve got to tell me what’s going on.”
“Report to your bank on Monday,” he told her before taking another bite of her ice cream.
“My regular bank branch? Not Summerset?”
“Your bank, like normal. Here, help me eat this. You don’t want me to get a pot belly,” he suggested, holding another bite to her lips.
Accepting the treat, Ivy climbed onto his lap and leaned against Steele’s broad chest. “You saved me again, didn’t you?”
“You save me every day, Little girl. You have more power than you realize,” he said, kissing her gently. “Mmm, cinnamon and chocolate may be my favorite flavor. I wonder if there’s any more whipped cream left in that can?”
“You can’t go get it,” she hissed. “They’ll all know.”
“They already know, Ivy,” he said, running his finger around the inside of the bowl to scoop up some deliciousness and place it in her mouth. He growled at the feel of her mouth sucking lightly on his finger.
“You are going to be the end of me.”
Steele supported her as he leaned forward to set the bowl on the coffee table before reaching over his shoulder to tug his T-shirt off in a display of muscles that instantly turned her on. There was no pot belly there. She traced a line down the center of his abdomen and felt him chuckle as he obviously read her thought. He spread the cotton fabric over the empty section of the couch.
“Come here, Little girl.” Steele wrapped his arms around her to hold her steady as he turned to stretch out on the couch.
Propped up on her arms, she looked at him with wide eyes as she tried to understand what he was doing. Ivy watched Steele reach for the leg of the coffee table and pull it closer to the couch. He dipped his finger once again into the melting mixture and drew a line down the side of his throat.
“Taste me, Ivy.”
She leaned forward to lick the liquid from his skin before it could roll too far down his throat and soak into the couch. Ivy hadn’t thought the sundae could taste any better. She was totally wrong. Lapping her tongue over his warm skin, she savored the combination of Steele’s unique flavor and heat.
Ivy could feel his response to her diligence in licking all the stickiness from his skin. She wiggled on top of his body as he hardened under her. His shaft pressed against her mound, demanding attention.
Whack! She lifted her head to look down at him at the sting of his swat.
“What?”
“Lift your bottom, Little girl,” he growled.
Afraid she’d done something wrong, Ivy hesitated. Whack! She raised her pelvis from his in a hurry.
“Good girl.”
His hand swept under her body to unfasten his pants. She tried not to rub herself on his fingers as he brushed her mound. Ivy bit her bottom lip, trying desperately not to reveal how aroused she was. Her breath caught in her throat when he cupped her heat.