sheets that tangled around Ivy's bare legs. For a moment, she forgot where she was. The warmth of the morning

er and found Adria

r, buttoning the cuffs of a crisp white shirt. H

, sitting up and pulling

was shy.

he sound-but his e

he said, like it wa

tered. Her hear

t is

t not close. Not like a man who'd made love to her all nig

de a mistake,"

fell bet

onfused. "What

d, avoiding her eyes, "s

t began

shaking. "You didn't seem to think it was a mistake

ooked at her-and

as blank. Not a

y," he said blunt

d through her l

rted, breath caught in her

s on his sleeves again, as i

nship," he continued. "I thought

ht to end," she whispered. "You k

ng imaginary lint from his shirt. "It's better if

the room

red-not from pass

s glistening. "You use me and t

didn't

n't ne

ed louder than any

l in front of him. She climbed out of bed, clutching the

she demanded. "Another girl y

l no

cked up his watch, slipping it on l

as her

ht for her. He wasn't

cked as she sai

nched-

tered. "Makes

the las

he shoved her shoes on and grabbed her purse

, closed the chapter of the night she gave h

-

home was a

cara running down her cheeks. She didn't care what the driv

ne buzz

message f

hings professio

essi

like poison

t out a choked sob. Her chest ached, no

her first time. He

ded her like

-

go to work

e day

r than usual, the silence pressing in like a suffocating blanket. The memory of A

ame th

he company gala off her shelf

ered across the floor

athless. "I will never let a man

ed for he

letter of

-

r. Bla

m my position at Blackwood Enterpri

ot be re

cer

Wi

d. No regrets.

choke on her silence t

and stood up, tears

ime to s

-

od in front of a small, va

ipped, the windows dusty. But sh

aw fr

amed about before she got tan

Ivy

ighbor who owned a small cake business. When her mom died,

t was all

d quit crying over luxury pen

rm peach color. She scrubbed the counters,

eek, she ope

eople

cookies melted in mouths. Her lemon ta

iled-not because of a man, not beca

-

ight... the s

r before everything fell apart. She'd remember his hands, his

erself for

ore for making her feel

dered if he ever

gretted

never re

ever did

o

his glass tower

ething bett

-

rranged pastries in her displ

everyone's been raving

Ivy said with

ing at the warm scent of sugar and spice. "I

softened. "

's what she

out diamonds a

out charm or

hings you built w

and a heart that ref

-

she wrote in

myself. And she's worth fa