Chapter 144: It’s twitching again
"W-What?" Ivy stuttered, but her mind refused to say anything.
Xander had wanted to spend some comforting time with Ivy and inquire about Kevin’s earlier statement. But because she chose to slip her words into his heart, he quickly dropped that thought.
He then leaned closer to her, his hand running down her leg and his arm slowly circling around her back.
"It makes me want to grant Leo’s wish."
Ivy gasped as she was suddenly lifted, but before she could say anything, Xander had already carried her into the bathroom.
The door slammed shut behind them, with Xander pinning Ivy against it and claiming her lips.
Ivy had no idea when a normal conversation became so intense that she forgot what they were saying and succumbed to the temptation.
Xander explored her mouth, savouring every inch of it before pulling away.
His now dark and intense eyes bored into her hazy one. "Take off your clothes," he said, and Ivy blinked, withdrawing from her haze.
Xander appeared to be on the verge of losing control of his desire for her.
Ivy didn’t hesitate and simply obeyed him, slowly slipping down her clothes.
Xander went along with it as well. Holding her gaze, he removed his clothes and walked towards the bathtub.
Ivy quickly averted her gaze as the sight of his well-defined buttocks caused her cheeks to burn.
Xander had simply removed his shirt the night he forced her to come with his fingers. But standing completely naked in front of her made her secretly admire him.
"Don’t be shy, Ivy. This is all yours."
Ivy gaped at Xander, who was now looking at her with an amusing smile on his face.
Something strange happened between her legs, and she shrank from his dark gaze.
"Now, let’s bathe," Xander said, and Ivy, like an obedient puppy, gladly accepted his hand.
When the two had settled into the tub, Xander couldn’t help but pull Ivy into him until her back was against his chest.
"I like it when you get shy. It tells me how much I affect you," Xander whispered into her ears, smiling as they tinted.
Ivy’s chest heaved as she felt Xander’s hand brush across her naked back.
"Earlier, what were you saying?" Ivy couldn’t help asking.
It was about Leo, so she needed to know what his wish was that Xander wanted to fulfill.
Xander’s fingers quickly traced through her collarbone, moving up to her neck and resting beneath her chin as he slowly turned her face to him and claimed her lips.
"About having a sibling"
As soon as Xander said those words, Ivy’s eyes widened, and she yanked him before their kiss could progress any further.
"What did you say?" Her voice was so loud and out of place that it made Xander smile.
Ivy’s face twitched, and she could not help but huff. "Xander, this is not something to laugh about."
Xander noticed she wasn’t playing anymore and was extremely upset. But before her sadness could spread any further, he drew her back and made her sit on his lap.
"Ack," Ivy yelped as his thick groin brushed against her opening, and her entire body stiffened.
Xander’s eyes turned dark, but he didn’t let that minor distraction cause him to lose his mind. His desire can be satisfied later.
"But I won’t do anything unless you want me to," he said, and she suddenly relaxed.
Ivy recalled Leo saying the same thing to her, and when she told him he was enough for her, she assumed he understood. But now that Xander brought up the same words, she couldn’t help but wonder if Leo had given up.
And yet, whatever Xander said now made her look at him in confusion.
"Leo wishes for a sibling, and I promise to provide one. But I also know that I can’t force you to do that. I can’t take a step without your consent, Ivy."
Xander knew Ivy was not the woman his grandfather had hired to spend the night with him. It was a mistake on both sides, but now Xander wanted to make things right. When he found that he had forced someone innocent, it made him understand the reason why Ivy left Leo behind. All this time he believed he took advantage of someone, which only piled up his guilt.
He wasn’t in his right mind when he slept with Ivy, but now that he truly wanted to start something beautiful with her, he wouldn’t force her to do anything she wasn’t ready for.
Ivy’s lips parted slightly as her heart pounded against her chest.
The sincerity in Xander’s voice made her want to believe every word he said.
Her thoughts drifted back to Edward at the old Emerson Residence. The elderly man had apologized for not knowing that she had been the woman with Xander that night. He had also admitted that he finally understood why she had chosen to leave Leo behind.
At the time, Ivy hadn’t known what to say.
Maybe she had never realized what she had been missing all those years.
Maybe that was what had drawn her back to Xander.
But as those thoughts surfaced, another feeling quickly followed.
Guilt.
A sharp ache settled in her chest.
All this love, all this warmth, all the happiness she had secretly longed for—it wasn’t truly hers.
Everyone believed she was Ivy, but he wasn’t.
Leo’s affection. Xander’s devotion. The family she had always dreamed of. None of it belonged to her.
What if this was all a dream?
What if one day she woke up and found herself back in the darkness she had spent years trying to escape?
"Ivy." Xander’s voice pulled her out of her thoughts.
She blinked and looked up at him.
The concern in his eyes was unmistakable and something inside her softened. Before she could overthink it, she reached up, cupped his face, and pressed a gentle kiss to his lips.
The kiss wasn’t driven by passion. It was filled with longing, gratitude, and a quiet fear she couldn’t put into words.
When she finally pulled away, she rested her forehead against his.
"I know where this is coming from," she whispered.
Xander remained silent, allowing her to continue.
"Even though our lives have been tangled together before, I still want us to take things slowly this time."
His gaze softened.
"I don’t want us to rush because of expectations or because of the past."
A small smile appeared on Xander’s face.
"And what do you want, Ivy?"
The question caught her off guard.
For so long, she had been focused on surviving that she had forgotten to think about what she truly wanted.
After a moment, she answered honestly.
"I want the chance to experience everything properly."
Xander listened quietly.
"I want to fall in love without fear. I want to create memories that belong to us. I want to know that whatever happens next is because we chose it together."
Her fingers intertwined with his.
"And if, someday, we decide to take the next step... if you’re truly the person I’m meant to spend my life with..."
A faint blush colored her cheeks.
"Then maybe we’ll give Leo that sibling he’s been wishing for."
A chuckle escaped Xander’s lips. His arms tightened around her gently.
"That sounds like a pretty good plan."
For the first time since the conversation began, Ivy found herself smiling.
Not because all her fears had disappeared. But because, for once, she wasn’t facing them alone.
"Oh, it’s twitching again."
