Once Alexander leaves to go to his office, I take a de ep breath. I pace a little, feeling like I just re-entered reality after taking an impromptu trip to an alternate universe for the weekend. I change into some yoga clothes because I’ve been wearing this outfit for two days. Then I vaguely check my messages. I’ve missed five calls from Cleo, but she’s going to have to wait. And so are the seven thousand DMs I have on Instagram because I haven’t posted since that picture by the pool in the Hamptons. That must have been Saturday morning and now it’s Monday. Usually I post at least ten times a day. I glance at a few of them. Did something happen to you? R u alive?? Where u at? We miss you!! Your content is my favorite thing on IG Girl, ur gonna lose followers if u dont post more. This is bullsh! t Give us deets! Where in the Hamptons r u? I’m in the Hamptons! Tag ur location? Msg me? I’m such a huuuuge fan!!!!! Ilysm U should post more Ur hot will u go out with me And so on. I don’t know any of these people. And suddenly having my life on display to millions of strangers feels weirdly invasive in a way it hasn’t before. Maybe because I haven’t had the luxury to worry about that until now. I toss my phone onto the table and go out onto the balcony, staring down at my view of the street. Holy fuck. I own this building. Did I dream him? What the hell just happened? I miss him so much. I feel like I’m missing not just my right arm but... my haven. With the sudden absence of his huge presence, the craziness of how much has changed fully hits me. I’m not a virgin anymore. I had sex a lot with a guy I just met. I fucked a total stranger and it was the most beautiful thing that’s ever happened to me. I have a bank account with an insane amount of money in it. There’s a very real possibility I could be pregnant. It’s that last one that wakes me up. I promised myself I would do something about it. Today. When I googled it a few days ago, I remember reading that the morning after pill is most effective up to 72 hours after the fact. The first fact happened on Friday night. Which means it’s been 72 hours almost exactly. You don’t want to take it. You never did. You’ve put it off and if you don’t take it now it’ll be too late. There’s another bank account. With a blank space. Tears pool in my eyes. I’ll take care of you. I’ll take care of you both. I want you, Jones. I’m all in. I’m in love with you, Ivy Laine. Is it even possible to fall in love this fast? I go get my phone and I google it again. I start reading: “It’s really quite simple. No morning-after pill works during or after ovulation since they’re designed to delay it. If you’ve already ovulated, the emergency contrac eptive pills will have no effect.”
To be honest, I’ve never really spent a lot of time thinking about ovulation before. When you’ve never had sex it’s not something that tends to show up on your radar very often. But my period is due any day. Any minute. Which means I ovulated a few weeks ago. A pill wouldn’t work anyway. I let the tears stream down my face. They’re not tears of sadness. Or even of fear. I’m crying because I’m happy. I want it. And I want him. Of course I do. He’s gorgeous and rough and rock-hard and loyal to the people in his life. He’s grumpy and gruff. And his baby won’t ever have to feel like I’ve felt my whole life. He’s already proven it. I’m the guy who stays. I sit there on my—my—balcony for a while, just crying like an unhinged crazy person. Like a girl who’s fallen in love so hard it hurts, with a guy she’s known for a total of one weekend. Like a hopeful dreamer who wants to move in with him because being with him feels like being wrapped up in a love bubble of orgasms and laughter and sweaty, throbbing, dirty- talking alpha man connective bliss. Who cares if my family was dysfunctional as fuck. We can do better. We already are. Come on, Ive. It’s not rocket science. This is a no-brainer. You’re in love with him. Take a chance. I’m surprised when the door of the apartment opens, banging loudly. Josh walks in. Followed by a stormy-looking Alexander. For some reason, it’s jarring seeing the two of them together. My fantasy and my reality, side by side. I swipe at my tears, trying to look normal and steady, my default mode for whenever my brother is around. “Hi, Josh. How was Florida?” “It was good, Ive. How was your weekend? Seems like it might have been even more eventful than mine.” He kisses my cheek. “You’ve got a visitor.” I can’t help it. I’m crying again because my life has just taken a pretty fucking gargantuan shift and all of it makes me happier than I’ve ever, ever been. It’s scary, the leap I’m about to take. But I want what’s on the other side of it so badly I feel like I’d kill or die for it. Alexander’s expression is layered. It’s stern, with a lot of crazy volatility going on behind his eyes. It’s concerned because I’m crying. But most of all, it’s relieved. He’s really, really happy to see me. As happy as I am to see him. I run and jump into his arms and he envelops me in a bear hug, holding me like I’m the most precious cargo. He wipes my tears. “Why are you crying, Jones?” Then: “Made any major decisions this afternoon without me?” “Yes.” The yearning in his eyes and the devastation at the thought of losing something we might not even have is... I don’t know. It’s enough to make me love him in a way that three days shouldn’t really allow. I’m as sure as a person can be sure of anything that this man might just be the love of my life. Which is a probably a good thing, considering what we might be about to do. “I decided that we’re going to be filling in the blank space if we need to.” Alexander’s eyes get very blue. His smile is hot and connective and heartbreakingly genuine. He kisses me. My arms and legs are wrapped around him and we get a little carried away. Until Josh exhales a laugh. “Um. Excuse me? Could someone please tell me what the hell is going on here?” Shit. I forgot about Josh. We break the kiss, both staring over at my brother. “Ivy’s moving in with me,” Alexander tells him. “What?” Josh squawks. “When did this n —” “Next time you steal money, I won’t be bailing you out,” Alexander says, and I’m almost surprised at the way Josh quiets and stands up straight. Alexander is
clearly very used to dealing with younger brothers. “I was going to give half of it to Ivy, obviously.” Josh is defiant. “We deserve that money.” “I agree.” Alexander says, in his CEO’s voice. “Which is why you’re ke eping it. Ivy doesn’t need any of it. She has her own money. You should both know I met with your father earlier this afternoon.” “What?” Josh and I gasp in unison. “I told him you’re ke eping the ten million. On several conditions. One, you won’t do it again. Ever. Two, you’ll learn how to invest it properly, which I’ll teach you how to do. And three, you’ll come work for me. Anyone who can syphon that much money out of the Bahamas needs to learn how to use their skills to make money, not commit further felonies. My brother will try to poach you, but we can deal with that later. You might be able to work for both our companies eventually. We’ll work around your Columbia schedule and typically, when we hire students, we pay the tuition bills. You’ll be responsible for your own room and board. Where are you planning on living?” Alexander is so no-nonsense Josh is stunned into silence for a few seconds. No huffing. No attitude. Just a measuring glare that almost looks like respect. “Uh, one of the guys I went to Florida with has an extra bedroom in his apartment and they want me to move in. It’s right across from campus. I was going to head over there now to take a look at it.” “Good,” Alexander says. “You can pay for it. I’ll pay for everything else. We can talk about the contractual details when you come into the office tomorrow. Actually, make it Wednesday. I’m going to be busy with Ivy tomorrow. Do we have a deal?” Josh doesn’t even hesitate. He shakes Alexander’s hand—somehow, as Alexander is still holding me like I weigh nothing. “We have a deal.” “Good. It’s settled, then.” Josh looks at me with real feeling in his golden eyes, so similar to mine. “You okay, Ive?” I think it might be the first time he’s ever asked me that question. I nod. “Love you, Josh.” “Love you too.” To Alexander, he says, “I’d say treat her right but it looks like you’re already doing that.” “You have my word.” Josh nods. “Okay, then.” His grin lights up his whole face. “Holy shit.” He crooks a thumb toward the door. “I guess I’m going to go check out my new digs now and leave you guys to it.” “Okay. Bye, Josh.” “Later, kids. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.” Then he slams the door behind him. “Wow,” I comment, about the existential curveball that’s made my life almost unrecognizable over a single weekend. It’s going to take a while to adjust. Alexander is carrying me into my bedroom, kicking the door closed behind us. “You won’t need this apartment anymore, but I want you to ke ep it just like it is. So you have your own space if you need it. You can come here and relax and do yoga and whatever you need to do to get inspired and write your next record. Fuck, this little yoga outfit should be illegal, Jones. From now on, these are for me and me only, not fucking Instagram. Are we agreed?” I guess that’s fair. And a weird relief in some ways. “Okay.” “I’ll be installing a doorman and security. You’ll have your own driver, of course. And I’ll help you invest the income you’ll be making from the other apartments.” I kiss his perfect mouth. “Okay.” “I missed you today,” he murmurs, laying me on the bed and peeling off my clothes, kissing his way down my stomach. “I know it’s fast. We’ll figure it out. We’ll just go with it and see
where it takes us. Don’t leave me.” “You’re too well-hung to walk away from,” I smile, r epeating the words he said to me at some point during our whirlwind love affair. “Damn straight.” My laughter turns to moans because I’m already coming.
Epilogue “She shouldn’t marry the guy from New York. She’s obviously supposed to be with the guy from Alabama,” Alexander comments grumpily, like he’s pissed off Reese Witherspoon isn’t going to end up with the man she’s destined for. “Just ke ep watching. The best part is coming up.” “How can I concentrate on them when the most beautiful woman in the world is riding my cock, Jones? I can’t multi-task like this.” He spans my waist with his hands, sliding them higher to hold my breasts, pinching my nipples until they’re taut and rosy. “How are you so fucking perfect?” I moan a little. It’s true my breasts feel full and sore and extra sensitive. I think I know why. I hope I know why. I felt crampy a few days ago and thought I might be wrong. My body has never run like clockwork and I thought maybe the stress of recent events might have affected my cycle. But my period is definitely late. I brought a test with us. I don’t know why I haven’t taken it yet. I’m pretty sure I am pregnant. I think we’re just happy, either way. Trying to make it happen, if it hasn’t already. “Pause the movie. I need to fucking breed this little goddess who can’t get enough of my giant, bursting cock.” “Because it feels so damn good.” My laughter is more of a gasp. “You’re insatiable, Jones.” I giggle, pressing pause on the remote so we don’t miss the wedding scene. I need to concentrate on making sure my man is getting all the attention he deserves. I want him coming hard, filling me up with his lustrous, life-giving heat. “You’re worse.” “Because you get me so fucking hot.” Another groan. “That’s it, baby girl, take all of me.” I’m de eply, de eply in love with him. I never even thought about having babies before Alexander. But I want his. I want to spend every minute with him for the rest of time. I want to do everything in my power to make him as happy, turned on and blissed out as he can be. I give him everything he wants and it’s working. He only gets grumpy at movie plot lines and the occasional phone call from New York. We’re in Tahiti, in bed in our spacious hut, where we’ve been living for a whole week. Alexander has just extended our trip by another two weeks. His brothers are covering for him while he’s away and they all thought he needed the break—his first vacation ever. Josh and I talk every couple of days. He’s moved in to his new apartment and is having the time of his life. He signed contracts to work part-time for both Maddox Enterprises and Invested Enterprises and met with Alexander and his brothers before we left. He already idolizes all four of them. The signing bonuses were... crazily generous. And all four Maddox brothers have sort of taken Josh under their wing. They see huge potential in him, Alexander said. Josh even went to a party at the Sky Bar last weekend. I’ve never seen my brother so happy and excited about his future. Cleo was, of course, overjoyed at the news. She called me in tears because Alexander, as a board member of Invested Enterprises, made sure she got not only a huge bonus but also a raise. Some of the money will go toward the wedding she and Sam are planning in the fall, but her bonus was so substantial, she and Sam are looking at buying a two-bedroom loft... in my building. Two floors down. We’re so excited. Not that I’m going to be living there, but Alexander is going to have Josh’s old bedroom converted into a recording studio, so I’ll be spending time there to work and to write. Alexander told Cleo we’d give her a good deal. I’ve fantasized about seeing a place like Tahiti my whole life, but the fantasy was never as good as the reality.
The turquoise water is completely transparent, all the way down to the white sand, as warm as bathwater. The floor of our hut is made of glass, so we can see the tropical fish swimming around underneath us. When I pictured these huts in my imagination, they were cute and rustic. Our hut doesn’t happen to be rustic at all. It’s incredibly luxurious, with a king-sized bed, its own kitchen—which we haven’t used because Alexander insists on ordering room service, which is delivered by boat and is the freshest, most delicious food I’ve ever eaten—a large, beautifully- decorated living area, a fancy European-style bathroom, and a deck that’s the same size as the interior. The hut sits on stilts and has its own private boardwalk that takes us all the way back to shore. We also have a Jetski we use to ride over to one of the restaurants or the spa at the exclusive resort our hut is a part of. We’re in our own little cove, so we have complete privacy. Which is a good thing, because we’ve spent the entire week mostly naked, swimming, making love and occasionally watching rom-coms. I’m educating Alexander on the classics. We spend very little time not connected. I’m sitting on top of him, his thick length de ep inside me, taking my time. By now I know exactly how to tease him and drive him wild with lust. I squeeze myself around him, rising up a little before bouncing gently back down. I do it again, squeezing more strongly, taking him de eper. “Good girl,” he growls, gripping my hips, driving so de
Ep I feel like he’s as much a part of me as I am. His possession is complete and total, forcing the de ep, skewering pleasure into me with each thick thrust. His thumb skates over my clit and the pleasure peaks and shatters into a cascade of clenching bliss so extreme, I cry out. My inner muscles work him lusciously, over and over, until he groans and comes, pumping his gushing cum de ep inside me, overflowing and spilling down my thighs. I lay myself over him, ke eping him inside, kissing his perfect lips as his brawny arms pull me close. His voice is rasped and de ep when he says the words. “I love you, Ivy Laine. You’re my dream.” It’s not the first time he’s said it. He told me he loved me the day we arrived in Tahiti and he’s said it at least ten times a day since then. I haven’t said it back yet, even though I do love him. So much. I don’t know what’s holding me back. Everything about our relationship has been fast and uncontrollable. You hear about people falling in love at first sight and it sounds so unrealistic from afar. But I know for a fact that I fell in love with Alexander Maddox the minute I saw him. And I fall de eper in love with him every minute we spend together, exponentially. My body and my heart are so full of him, and the combination of our mingling essence so euphoric and life-affirming, I don’t know what to do with all the overload. It feels like Rocky’s advice, but different. The glowing fire in my heart isn’t about touching an audience, but about loving him with everything I have. So I let one of my fireflies touch him with my words. “I love you, Alexander.” All I can say is that my grump has turned into a very sexy romantic because his eyes turn that shade of blue that’s as brilliant as the night sky and he rolls us over so he’s holding his weight over me, caging me with his comfort and his warmth. “I’m going to take such good care of you, angel girl. We’re going to have lots of babies and grow old together and I’m going to make sure every single one of your dreams comes true.” I think he already has. We make love again and doze for a while. I let him sle ep, being careful not to wake him. I put on a beach wrap that was a gift from a client I haven’t worked with yet, but I like their company. They build schools in developing countries and source their fabrics from women artisans, paying them well and helping
them create better lives for themselves. I can relate to at least some of that. So I sit outside and take a selfie against the backdrop of the blue water. I tag them and post it, linking the product. Absolutely in love with this stunning piece! That one’s on me. Since I arrived in Tahiti, I’ve only posted a couple of times. Just random, off-hand photos that aren’t really staged at all. I look sort of ridiculously happy and relaxed in them. Suntanned with beachy hair. They’ve had more likes by far than any of my other posts. And the news is out. A few photos of me sitting on Alexander’s lap while kissing him at the Hamptons wedding surfaced on the internet. And one of me singing. Crazily, my follower numbers have almost doubled in the last month. Alexander talked me into taking some time off from social media, only supporting the clients I actually want to support and taking a st ep back from the rest. And so I have. It’s amazingly freeing, to not feel chained to it. We video called Roxie Tucker the day before we left for Tahiti. She seems like the nicest person in the world and definitely has an impressive track record. She said she already has interest from the same record label that her brothers’ band is signed with. The offer she mentioned was... insanely generous. Alexander had already had his lawyers check all the details of the contract and I ended up signing that same day. She’s going to come to New York once we get back from our trip and we’ll start to make a plan to record my next album, which I’m putting the finishing touches on with the guitar Alexander bought me— which he made sure was on his private jet that we took to Tahiti. A warm hand wraps around my hair, pulling it gently but firmly until my face is lifted to his. He kisses me. “You didn’t watch the end without me, did you?” I smile at his concern about it. “Of course not.” He’s not wearing a stitch of clothing, his cock half hard again and still slick from our lovemaking. He’s very close to the edge of the deck, the blue of the shimmery, sunlit water reflecting across his big, buff body. And I can’t resist. I use my foot to gently push him off-balance. He falls in. It’s the funniest thing I’ve ever seen and I laugh like I haven’t laughed in a long, long time. He climbs up the ladder, not looking grumpy at all but so hot and playfully stern I fall even more in love with him. I get up out of my chair, ready to run. “Don’t throw me in.” “As if I would touch the mother of my child with anything other than worship, Jones. I have no intention of doing anything to you exc ept showering you with lust, love and gifts.” At that very moment, a wave a nausea rolls through my stomach and I groan a little, bending over. “Ivy?” Alexander’s there, his arm steadying me. “What’s wrong?” “I think it’s probably time to take the test I brought with me.” He knows I have it. We just haven’t been in a rush because we both sort of already know what the outcome will be. We’re too content in our bubble of hoping that we don’t want to rush through it. “Let me help you. Sit here for a minute.” He helps me back to the chair. The concern in his blue eyes as he smooths my hair is... heartbreaking— in a way that not only breaks my heart but r epairs it, fixing all the broken pieces of me with its magnitude and its realness. No one has ever looked at me the way Alexander looks at me. Like he’d die if anything ever happened to me. “I’m okay,” I tell him. “I’ll get you some water.” He wraps a towel around his waist and goes inside.
“It’s going away.” He comes back and sets the glass of water on the table next to me. In his hand he’s holding a small box. But it’s not a pregnancy test. It’s light blue. Alexander gets down on one knee. Oh my god. His hair is still wet and his de eply-tanned skin glistens with little water diamonds. He’s quite simply the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. “Before you take the test, there’s something I need to ask you.” “There is?” I whisper. He opens the box and, inside, there’s a yellow diamond that matches my bracelet, golden and glinting. The diamond is... very big. It’s set beautifully into a solid gold nest with a thick gold band. It’s absolutely stunning. “My beautiful Ivy, I can say with all honesty that you light up my life. You’re my dream girl, my soulmate and my true love all wrapped up into one sexy, sweet, perfect little package. I fell cataclysmically in love with you that very first time I saw you on the rooftop, slaying me with your beauty and ruining me for anyone else before you even said a word. Every second we spend together only compounds my obsession for you, sweetheart. I’m addicted to everything about you. I love you more than I thought I was capable of loving anything or anyone. I can’t imagine spending a single minute apart from you and all I want to do is give you everything I have. I know it’s fast but I’ve been waiting for you for a long time and I don’t want to wait anymore. I’m yours and you’re mine. Please say yes, baby girl. I love you. Ivy Laine, will you marry me?” He’s blurry now, through my tears. But I can still see the blue of his eyes and the hope in them. And also the edge of vulnerability, like he’s not sure if I’ll say yes. I crawl into his arms. “Of course I’ll marry you.” Alexander takes the ring out of its box and slides it onto my finger. It fits perfectly, like it belongs there. “I love you,” he whispers, kissing me. He laughs lightly, like he’s wildly relieved. “Thank God. I thought you might think we were rushing it.” “We are rushing it. But who cares.” He laughs, lifting me into his arms and carrying me to our bed. He’s already set the pregnancy test on the bedside table. “Take all the time you need. I’ll wait for you outside.” I stare at the small wrapped test for a few seconds. Then I take it into the bathroom and unwrap the stick. I pee onto it, then set it on a tissue. I wash my hands. Then I carry the stick out to where Alexander is pacing on the deck. “It takes three minutes,” I tell him. I set it on a towel that’s laid out on the deck. I sit cross-legged on the towel, watching it. Alexander sits next to me, holding me in his arms. “If it doesn’t happen this time, it’ll happen next time,” he says, consoling us both, just in case. We both want this baby. It already feels like a part of us. I definitely didn’t set out to get pregnant that first night. Or the second. After that, maybe I was. I already knew he was the one, and that all of this felt like it was somehow meant to be. I wasn’t expecting it. And I can’t explain it, but I can barely breathe I’m hoping so much. “We’re going to have the best life together, angel girl,” he’s saying, kissing my face. And we watch those two blue lines forming and shining up at us so clearly there’s really no doubt. “You and me and all our babies are going to live happily ever after.” And that’s exactly what we do.