Redeem Me (Beckett Brothers #2)

33. Ivy

Chapter Thirty-Three

IVY

The summer is drawing to a close and with only a couple of weeks until the kids go back to school, it’s time to go shopping for their last few bits. Orla is about to start her second year at Dublin’s most prestigious girls’ school, St. Jude’s. Owen is about to start at St. Michael’s. Uniforms were ordered a long time ago, but the kids need books and stationery. Fortunately, Caelon’s given me his credit card and I intend to use it.

‘Will you pick them up some new shoes, too?’ Caelon hands me a coffee just the way I like, then leans against the kitchen counter, pulling me against him, hip to hip. He’s topless, sweaty and sexy as fuck after his two morning workouts - first in the home gym and the other in the bedroom with me. These days, I no longer lurk in the doorway of his gym to leer. I do it openly, perching on a bench as he presses weights.

‘Of course.’ I eye him over the rim of my cup, resting my free hand on his pecs. He’s leaving for Portugal later and my stomach aches at the thought of him being away. We haven’t slept separately since he returned from Monaco. I’ve become accustomed to having his hot body in the bed beside me.

‘Get yourself something, too.’ He points to the credit card on the window ledge.

‘I don’t need anything,’ I say, tracing my finger over his slick skin.

‘You must want something. Buy some jewellery. Or shoes. Dresses. Whatever you want. ’ He tucks a wispy strand of hair behind my ear.

‘I already have everything I want.’ I dig my teeth into my lower lip. It’s almost true. I live with love and laughter, but I’m not sure I’ll ever get the full package; the husband, the kids.

I’m falling in love with him.

I’ve been falling harder every day since he first took me in the hallway. Maybe even before. I haven’t said it to him. I haven’t wanted to terrify him. But there’s no denying his hard edges have softened. There’s a light in his eyes that wasn’t there before.

‘Buy yourself something, please. It’ll make me feel better about leaving you.’ He presses a fleeting kiss to my temple.

‘Now I’m definitely not going to buy myself anything. I want you to feel so bad about leaving me that you race home the second you have the chance.’

He nuzzles into my neck. ‘Do you think I want to be apart from my sexy, sassy girlfriend?’

‘Girlfriend?’ It’s the first time he’s used the word, and it turns my blood into molten lava.

‘I know, I know, you’re all woman,’ he sighs. ‘Do you prefer the term partner? Just so you know, I think of you as my equal in every way.’

‘Call me whatever you like, as long as it’s yours .’

‘You were mine the second I touched you,’ he purrs, running his lips along my jawline .

‘Hmm, maybe I touch myself again and see how quickly that brings you home.’ I buck against him, the low stirring of arousal building in my stomach and lower.

‘Don’t even think about it,’ he murmurs, slipping a hand between my legs. I’m wet for him. I’m always wet for him.

He groans, prises the coffee cup out of my hand and shoves it on the counter. ‘I really don’t have time for this, but you make it impossible to be anywhere on time. Until you moved in, I’d never been late for anything in my life.’ He spins us around, hoists my bum up onto the counter, and spreads my legs. ‘Now, my PA lies to me about my schedule because she expects me to be late. You’re bad for business, Tranquil.’

‘I’m good for your prostate, though.’ I inch forwards and lift up my nightie. His eyes fall to my crotch and he hisses out his approval, tugging down the waistband of his sweatpants and freeing himself.

‘This is going to have to be quick,’ he warns. ‘I need you to come hard and fast on my cock like a good girl, okay? Can you do what I say without defying me, just this once?’ He pushes the tip against my entrance until I’m the one hissing.

‘You know, just this once, I think I could do that for you.’ Firm fingers grip my ass as he slides into me, filling me and stretching me before pulling out and driving in again and again. It takes less than four minutes for me to come on his cock and only a few more seconds for him to follow suit.

‘I’m going to miss you.’ His ragged heartbeat pounds against mine.

‘Not as much as I’m going to miss you.’

The “l” word hovers in the air like a cloud between us, ready to be plucked from the sky. Or maybe it’s just in my mind.

As he’s finishing cleaning us both up, we hear footsteps on the stairs. I hurriedly tug my nightie down and hop off the worktop, fluffing my hair.

Owen rounds the corner, rubbing his eyes, his dark hair spiked up where he’s been lying on it. His face is creased with marks from his pillow, but notably, he doesn’t have his favourite tatty teddy with him. Is this progress at long last?

‘Morning buddy. How are you today?’ Caelon squats to Owen’s eye level.

‘Daddy, I have a ‘fession,’ he says, but instead of his usual pained expression, he’s sporting a smile like it’s Christmas morning.

‘It’s okay, buddy, I’ll take care of it.’ Caelon ruffles his hair, then pulls him towards him for a hug.

‘No, Daddy, this ‘fession is different.’ Owen resists Caelon’s embrace, his big innocent eyes bouncing between his father and me as he puffs his chest out. ‘I didn’t have an accident.’

‘You didn’t?’ Caelon’s pride is audible. ‘That is amazing! I’m so proud of you, big man!’

‘Thanks, Daddy.’ Owen looks at me again.

‘That’s amazing, sweetheart. You’re such a big boy now.’ Owen runs to me, burying his face in my chest as I stoop to catch him in my arms.

‘I think we need to buy you something cool while we’re shopping today,’ I pretend to whisper, like it’s our secret.

‘Can I get something cool, too?’ Orla appears in the kitchen doorway wearing a Barbie nightie and fluffy pink slippers.

‘Sure.’ Caelon lifts his little girl and twirls her around the kitchen. ‘Anything you like. Make sure Ivy buys herself something, too. Samuel will drive you into the city when you’re ready.’

‘Can we go for ice cream?’ Owen tugs my hand.

‘Sure. ’

After four painful hours of shoe and stationery shopping, we pull up outside Sweet Freeze, Dublin’s quirkiest ice cream parlour. As I’m not driving, I decide my present from Caelon, other than his cock, should be a whiskey whirl, a rich, creamy milkshake blended with vanilla ice cream and the whiskey of your choice, topped with whipped cream and sprinkles.

I snap a quick picture of it and send it to Caelon, along with one of the kids with their chocolate brownie sundaes. He replies instantly.

Caelon: You can’t get enough of the white stuff…

I snort and stuff the phone back in my pocket.

‘You know Daddy said we could get something cool?’ Orla says, with a mouthful of sundae.

‘Yes, sweetie. What did you want?’

‘I’ve been thinking about it all day and I want a dog.’

Uh-oh. Caelon will kill me if I took a dog home. Then again, now I’m staying, I could take care of it. Maybe a fur baby would be good for all of us.

‘Please, Ivy. Daddy did say anything I like,’ Orla reminds me with huge puppy dog eyes. I swear she has me wrapped around her little finger.

Samuel shakes his head subtly at me.

‘Please, Ivy,’ Owen begs. ‘It’ll be so cool. We can walk it, and train it, and play with it in the garden.’

Orla pipes up over her sundae, ‘You know I overheard Liz telling Damon that a couple of dogs around the garden would save his legs a lot of work.’

Samuel snorts.

‘And you know there are probably loads of dogs in the pound just waiting for a home. Imagine their big sad eyes.’ Orla bats her eyelashes dramatically.

I swear these kids know exactly which buttons to press. I take a mouthful of my whiskey whirl as I contemplate. ‘Fine, we’ll look, okay, but I’m not saying yes or no until we get there and see what they have.’

Samuel tuts under his breath. ‘I hope you’re planning on picking up the shit in the garden.’

‘I’m more worried if it shits on the sofa,’ I whisper with a giggle.

‘Mr Beckett will lose his shit with all of us if that happens.’

‘Let me worry about him.’ I offer him a wink.

‘You do seem to have a way of softening him up.’ Samuel quirks an eyebrow.

‘Softening him?’ I smirk. ‘I wouldn’t exactly say that.’

He raises a hand. ‘Enough information, thank you. We’re all just delighted he’s finally found a bit of happiness again.’

‘Happy people buy their kids dogs, right?’ I shrug.

‘It’s your head, not mine.’

‘I’ll take care of it, don’t worry.’

‘You’d better. I’m security, not a dog-sitter.’ He shakes his head, but the corner of his lip lifts. Maybe he’s not as averse to the idea as he claims to be.

When we get to the local pound it’s overflowing with cute little handbag-sized dogs, big shaggy dogs, and dogs that are too old for new tricks.

‘Are you sure this is a good idea?’ Samuel asks, restraining our new fur baby on a lead as I sign the paperwork. Roxy is a boisterous boxer bitch who was too much of a handful for her previous family.

Ha, I can relate.

Dermot has been texting me incessantly all week to ask if my love bite has healed, if I’ve thought any further about going back to college, and if I’m free to take our parents out to dinner for their ruby wedding anniversary next month. I’d rather bite my own hand off than sit through another family meal, or family intervention, as I prefer to call them.

‘It’s not a good idea. It’s a brilliant idea, don’t worry,’ I reassure him as the receptionist fetches us a week’s worth of dog food and some treats.

Roxy bounds around, nudging the kids playfully with her nose and whacking their backsides with her tail as she shakes her excited ass. If I wasn’t convinced already, the kids’ delighted squeals are enough to change anyone’s mind, maybe even Caelon’s.

And if he’s not happy that I’ve bought them a dog, I welcome his punishment. If the last one was anything to go by, I’m in for a treat.