Chapter 11

Ivy left the building an hour later, stifling a smile as she walked onto the pavement. She hadn’t noticed the car parked beside her with the dark tinted glasses, till the window slid down.

“How’d it go?” she heard a voice ask, which startled her and she clasped a hand to her heart.

“What are you still doing here?” she asked, staring at Travis’ grinning face. He had his glasses on, and a newspaper open in front of him.

“How was the interview?” he insisted and Ivy stood with a hand on her hip.

“Don’t you have something more useful to do with your time than wait for me here?” she said, trying to sound annoyed, but the truth was that she could feel her knees buckling. He had waited for her there for nearly an hour!

“Yes, I most definitely do,” was his reply and then she watched as he unlocked his door and threw it open. “Get in,” he commanded and even though Ivy’s mind kept telling her not to, she did as she was told. Travis slid down the seat of the car and Ivy settled in beside him, pasting herself to the corner so that she could keep as much distance between them as she could.

“So, how was it?” he asked and she noticed that he seemed to be in a better mood.

“It went well, they said they’ve shortlisted me and will get back with a decision in four days. I don’t want to jinx it though,” Ivy said, trying to not sound too enthusiastic. Travis was grinning as he slid his glasses off his nose and held them up in the air.

“That’s great news, Ivy, well done,” he said and she felt a thrill run down her spine, not sure why she was happy to have impressed him.

“Did you have something to do with this?” she asked him, crossing her brows. Travis shrugged his shoulders and laughed.

“Absolutely not. How would I? They have no clue that we’re even acquainted,” he said and she noticed that he was studying her again. Ivy felt her cheeks flush, and she couldn’t stop thinking about how embarrassed she had felt that night in his house. “Besides, what reason would I have to help you?” he added and Ivy clasped her hands together on her lap, knotting her fingers together.

“That’s true. It’s just that I want to do this on my own, be hired on my merit and not because I once went on a half-date with you,” she said, avoiding meeting Travis’ eyes.

“I didn’t pull any strings, Ivy, trust me on that,” he said in a voice that commanded authority and she remained sitting silently for a few moments, staring at her lap because she didn’t know what she was still doing there in his car. There was a darkly tinted glass partition between them and the chauffeur so it felt private. Like they were alone in a room together again.

“And about the half-date,” he said after a few moments of silence.

“Can we please not talk about that? I’d rather just leave,” Ivy said and made a move to open the door but Travis stopped her by placing a hand on her knee. Her skirt reached mid-thigh, and his warm hand on her bare skin stopped her with a jolt. She snapped her head around to look at his face and Travis’ eyes looked heavy and drooping.

“Ivy, I hope you understand why I couldn’t give you what you wanted that night,” he said and she gulped.

“No, I don’t understand. I know what your reputation is,” she said and he slid his hand away from her knee.

“My reputation?” he said, arching an eyebrow.

“How many women you date or sleep with or whatever it is you do!” she snapped and a dry menacing grin appeared on his face and then faded away.

“I didn’t peg you as someone who read the tabloids,” he said.

“You don’t know anything about me. How would you know what my reading habits are?” she said sourly and Travis clenched his jaw and remained silent. “So, no, I don’t understand why you rejected me,” she cried.

“I’m sorry if I’ve insulted you, Ivy, that was not my intention,” he said in a deep voice and she had to do everything to not throw herself at him and beg him to kiss her. Just a few more minutes and she knew she would melt. She wouldn’t be able to hold herself back.

“What was your intention then? Why me? What’s wrong with me?” she cried, her voice sizzling.

“There’s nothing wrong with you!” Travis lunged at her, grabbing her jaw with one strong grip and she could feel the roughness of his skin on her cheeks. Ivy’s breath caught in her throat, her breasts were heaving.

“There has to be,” she said through gritted teeth and Travis brought his face close to hers. She could see the storm brewing in his eyes, the tightness of his clenched jaw, the way he was peering into her eyes like he was searching her soul.

“There is nothing wrong with you Ivy, you’re too good to be true,” he said and with a jerk, he let go of her.

“You don’t have to insult me by throwing empty compliments at me,” she said, feeling the sting on her cheeks where his fingers had dug into her skin. Travis had shifted back in his seat but was still glaring at her.

“What do I have to do to prove to you that I’m not making this up?” he growled and she felt a tingle on her fingertips.

“Take my virginity,” Ivy said calmly, surprised by the conviction in her own voice. She never thought she would actually be able to say the words. Travis was glaring at her, staring at her from under his heavy hooded eyelids, his nostrils were flared, his face was darkened and she noticed for the first time the light silvery strands of hair on his sideburns.

“I won’t do that to you, Ivy,” he said in a deep guttural growl and she stuck her chin up in the air.

“Then I don’t believe you,” she said.

“You’ll regret it,” Travis pressed his eyes close and spoke with his teeth gritted together. She wanted him, she had to press her legs together to distract from the wetness between her thighs, the tightness in her belly. There was nothing more she wanted than for this man to take her virginity.

“That’s my problem, not yours,” Ivy said and Travis opened his eyes again. The storminess in his blue eyes had vanished, he looked like he was back in control.

“If we do this, we have to do this my way,” he said in a voice so low that she had to strain her ears to hear him. Ivy gulped because she couldn’t even imagine what he could be talking about. She had no experience, no way of knowing what she liked or disliked. She nodded her head and Travis clenched his jaw again.

They were staring at each other and Ivy was counting the seconds in her head, it was like time had stood still. Like she couldn’t hear anything, couldn’t smell anything. Like nothing else existed except him.

Travis placed his hands on the sides of her knees and before Ivy even had the chance to react to the sensation of his hand on her, he pulled her. It was a swift, smooth tug and she felt her butt sliding on the car seat and he had pulled her to himself. His hands traveled up from her knees to her waist and he pulled her in closer so that she was now leaning on him, her breasts pressing into his chest.

Travis’ breath fell on her hair and he hooked a finger into the bun she had tied. Her strawberry blond locks came tumbling down her back and he grabbed the side of her neck, clutching it tightly in his hand.

His lips met hers with a fury like he had been trying to control himself forever. Just like she had. Their lips had only touched before he pushed his tongue through into her mouth and they were kissing. Ivy moaned and gasped as she felt his tongue exploring her mouth. He had complete control over her, angling her face in a position that made it easier for him to dive further into her mouth. He nibbled on her bottom lip when he pulled away slightly for air, and then his tongue was inside her mouth again.

This wasn’t any ordinary kiss, he was thrusting his tongue down her throat in a rhythmic sexual motion. Giving her a taste of what was to come when his cock would be inside her. Ivy couldn’t help imagining it, especially since the wetness between her legs was spreading now. Seeping through her panties as he kissed her furiously.

No kiss had been like this before. This animalistic, this wild and she had never felt dominated like this either. Travis had absolute power over her, she felt helpless in his arms as he kissed her furiously and his hands traveled over her body. He cupped her breasts, flicking her erect nipples through the thin fabric of her shirt, he curved his hands over the shape of her butt, trailed his fingers down her legs, the insides of her thighs, pulling her skirt upwards. His fingers were light and tender on her skin, on her thighs…unlike the fury of his mouth on her and this contrasting pressure was driving her body insane. She could feel the fire building up inside her, an uncontrollable urge to make contact with his cock.

Ivy thrust her hips towards him, feeling the sharpness of his hip bones as he pushed himself into her too. They were fused at the hips, their mouths locked together as well and Ivy knew she wasn’t breathing. She didn’t want to breathe. All she wanted was to have Travis inside her and now she did.

He pulled away, to nibble on her neck and she threw her head back, enjoying the wet trail he was leaving on her skin with his tongue. Travis stopped suddenly, lifting his face up to stare into her eyes again.

“Do you want to change your mind about this?” he asked, with their bodies still pressed together, their breaths heavy and panting. Ivy shook her head because she didn’t think she could get any words out.

He turned and knocked twice on the glass divider and the chauffeur didn’t have to ask. The car started and they were on their way.

“Where are we going?” Ivy asked him as he settled back into the seat.

“My house,” he said, in an angered voice and he refused to look at her. He was staring out of the window now as Ivy sat at a distance from him, her clothes crumbled, her hair ruffled and in a mess. She didn’t know what to think. She had no clue what he wanted or what he planned for her. All she knew was that she wanted him to be the one. If she wasn’t convinced enough before, that kiss definitely proved it. She had never felt this instinctual urge to have someone inside her before.

Travis looked at her suddenly and Ivy stared back.

“Do you always get your way, Ivy Zimmerman?” he asked like he was rebuking a naughty child and she bit down on her lip, trying to suppress the smile that was creeping up on her face.