Ivy glanced at him, nervous and uncertain, her voice barely above a whisper. “Do you have some free time?”
Her question caught him off guard. Given his usual workload, he almost never clocked off on time.
“If I’m busy, can’t you make time for me?” Jamison pressed.
“I’m busy too,” she muttered, looking away.
No sooner had the words left her lips than his arm tightened around her waist, pulling her flush against him. She let out a startled gasp, but before she could protest, Jamison dropped his head, changed the angle, and sealed her lips with a fierce, breath-stealing kiss. There was a hint of punishment in the way he kissed her. He finally understood—this woman was immune to every tactic, always keeping him at arm’s length, stringing him along just enough to drive him crazy.
If she really wanted to, they both lived in the same city—different neighborhoods maybe, but seeing each other shouldn’t be this difficult. She was doing it on purpose, just like those companies that create artificial scarcity to drive up demand. The more Jamison thought about it, the more annoyed he grew, devouring her lips with the single-minded intensity of a man starved for something sweet.
“Jamison, the door… it’s not locked,” Ivy managed between frantic breaths, frowning under his relentless assault. Downstairs, Katrina and Hal were still around; they could come up at any moment. But Jamison didn’t care. His wife was about to leave, and he hadn’t even gotten a real taste of her yet—what man could tolerate that?
Ivy could feel he was genuinely upset; this kiss was nothing like before. Normally, she wouldn’t bother to soothe him, but with two people—one of them a child—in the house, the last thing she wanted was for them to walk in on this. Sighing, she finally caved.
Chapter 427
“I’ll… I’ll do my best to make time and come back, okay? Satisfied?”
As soon as she said it, Jamison froze, the aggressive kiss halting instantly. Catching her breath, Ivy glared at him, cheeks flushed. “Cut it out. It’s broad daylight. Can’t you control yourself?”
He shot back, his tone aggrieved, “You think I haven’t been trying? If I really couldn’t control myself, we’d be way past talking by now—never mind whether you’re ready or not.”
At lunch, Naylor had teased them about starting a family that night. If anyone found out they weren’t even properly married in the physical sense, his reputation would be in tatters.
“I just hope Ms. Penn values professional discretion. Otherwise, I’ll never be able to hold my head up in front of Naylor again,” Jamison grumbled, brow furrowed.
Ivy didn’t get it at first, then realization struck. Blushing furiously, she swatted his shoulder. “Is this what you guys compare behind closed doors?”
Her hand landed squarely on his left shoulder, making him flinch in pain.
“Oh God, did I hurt your wound?” Ivy panicked, instantly concerned.
“It hurts. You’ll have to make it up to me,” he teased, and before she could react, he kissed her again.
“Enough!” she protested, pushing at his chest. “You’re not even healed yet.”
“It doesn’t matter,” he insisted, voice rough. Right now, Dr. Ludwig couldn’t care less about his injury. Days of restraint had built up inside him, and with one kiss, all that pent-up longing spilled over. He pressed Ivy harder, backing her into the wall, his kisses turning desperate.
“Ivy…” he murmured, lost and aching, like a beast unsure what to do with itself.
Her heart pounded; she felt her blood racing, swept up in a rush of heat that left her dizzy and unmoored. Instinct screamed at her to resist, to push him away, but she thought of everything between them—his patience, his devotion, Professor Penn’s words…
Maybe it was time to push herself a little.
Just… not now.
Chapter 427
“Jamison… p–please, calm down. Tonight, okay? Just give me until tonight…” She hunched her shoulders, anxiety fluttering in her chest, doing her best to soothe him.
Jamison knew she was right. Hearing her promise, he let out a breathless laugh. “All right. Tonight, then. Deal.”
She nodded, shyly lowering her gaze. “Deal.”