Ivy was at it again, spinning words like a tongue-twister. Before Jamison could react, she slipped out of his arms, pushing his hand away and getting up.
This time, Jamison was genuinely flustered. He scrambled to his feet, following her. "Ivy, maybe I don’t have a lot of virtues, but honesty’s always been one of them. I’ve never been the type to hide what I’m thinking. The fact that I’ve been upfront with you from the start should tell you I’ve got nothing to be ashamed of."
Ivy turned, meeting his eyes. "Upfront with me? Funny, because I only heard about this from my sister-in-law."
Sister-in-law? The term caught Jamison off-guard for a moment, but then he smirked. "Well, look at you—settling right into your role."
She scoffed. "Changing the subject? That just proves you’re guilty."
With that, Ivy broke eye contact and headed for the bathroom, already planning to shower and call it a night. Who knew—maybe she’d need to be up at dawn and out the door early.
Jamison frowned, trying to retrace the conversation in his mind. How had he managed to talk himself into such a corner? And why was it suddenly impossible to explain himself?
But then it hit him—she was so hung up on this, clinging to the topic like a dog with a bone. Was it possible… she was jealous?
The realization sent a thrill through him. He strode quickly after her, heading straight for the bathroom. Ivy was about to close the door when he barged in, making her scramble to block him. "What are you doing? I’m about to take a shower—get out!"
He wedged himself inside, grinning. "Ivy, are you jealous?"
She shot him a withering look. "I just ate dinner; I’m not hungry for anything, least of all jealousy."
But Jamison wasn’t buying it. The more awkward and defensive she looked, the surer he became. He stepped forward, wrapping her in his arms, his voice bubbling with delight. "You’re totally jealous. You care that I’ve loved someone before."
“You’re overthinking it. Your past has nothing to do with me. I’ve loved before too—it’s normal.”
His face darkened. “Don’t mention Micah Shepherd in front of me.”
“Then get out. I need to shower.”
“Not yet. Admit it first—do you like me?”
Ivy’s heart skipped, caught off-guard by the earnest look in his eyes. She bristled, doubling down. “Who would like you? You’ve got a sharp tongue and no mercy for anyone.”
He only laughed, holding her tighter. “You say one thing, but you mean another.”
She wriggled, trying to free herself. “This is all in your head! We were talking about your precious first love, and now you’re—mmph—”
Before she could finish, he cupped her face and caught her lips in a kiss, stealing the rest of her protest.
“Jamison, you—mmph—”
“Just admit it. Hmm?”
“I’m not—”
But she didn’t get the words out before he suddenly swept her up and set her on the bathroom counter.
With his lean, strong frame wedged between her knees, it felt like he’d pinned her right there.
“Jamison, stop messing around!”
She couldn’t believe how this usually cool, reserved man could act so reckless in private. Was this counter even sturdy enough to hold her weight? What if it collapsed? Would the hotel staff think they were into some… unusual hobbies?
Just imagining the embarrassment made her panic.
“Put me down! We’ll break it!”
“Relax, you’re not heavy enough to break anything.” He lifted her chin again, flashing a wicked smile. As he leaned in, his voice dropped to a coaxing murmur, “So, do you like me or not?”
“No.” Ivy was stubborn as ever.
He gave a low, teasing laugh. “Then I’ll just keep kissing you until you do…”
His lips pressed insistently against hers, relentless and warm, while Ivy’s mind spun, utterly unprepared for how shameless and persistent he could be.