Sins of a Bad Boy (The Original Bad Boys Book 1) (41 page)

CHAPTER 55

William

William paced in his living room at seven a.m. the next morning with Eva lying on her stomach against his chest. She was sucking her thumb and sleeping peacefully after drinking her milk.

He hadn’t closed an eye since the encounter with Ivy the previous day. Since the second she turned on her heel and effectively shut him out, he’d been feeling more hollow than before.

For weeks, William had been existing, not living. His existence didn’t seem as devoid as it used to, only because of his Eva. But that little bundle also tied him to Ivy forever.

When William saw Ivy sauntering by him with another man yesterday, he completely forgot about Miriam. And he indeed scowled at the man. William had wanted to punch his grin off his face. Tim was infatuated with Ivy, and William hated it.

Unexpectedly, the doorbell rang.

Eva twitched but was still asleep, so he lay her down in the crib.

After throwing on pants and a dress shirt, he headed downstairs.

Who could be here this early? And why?

The elevator door opened to reveal a distraught Sean with a servant.

“I rang your apartment because Mr. Hunter has an emergency, sir.”

“It’s fine,” William commented and looked at Sean, prompting him to speak.

“Have you seen Ivy?”

“No. Um, well, I did yesterday. Why?” Alarm crawled up his spine.

“She isn’t at home. She hasn’t been home all night.”

“What?!” William instinctively neared him. “And you’re just now informing me?!”

“I’ve been searching for hours already!”

“You should’ve come to me!” Fear pricked his skin.

Where was she?

William began barking orders at once to his servant, “Go up and wake Silk. Tell him to come down immediately.”

“When did you last see her, Sean?”

“Yesterday morning.”

“I saw her in the afternoon right here in the street,” William mused. Then he told the servant right before he entered the elevator, “After you talk to Silk, take every servant and employee with you and search this area for Ivy Hunter.”

“Yes, sir.”

“I’ve been running through town all night,” Sean expressed. The dark circles around his eyes proved his lack of sleep.

Since time was of the essence, William refrained from reprimanding Sean further and focused on finding Ivy. “She was with Tim yesterday, and I overheard them planning a date for last night.

“Shit! I never liked Tim. I have no idea where he lives,” Sean stated, gesturing wildly.

“Where does he teach? We’ll wait for him there.” William checked his pockets, and thankfully, the car keys were in there. “We’ll take the car.”

They headed out and raced to the school, but since it was still early, they found it empty and dark.

But after a ten minute wait in the vehicle, Tim opened the front entrance.

William and Sean exited the car and trailed him to his classroom.

The room was cloaked in the blinding morning sun, and Tim stood at the side of his desk, opening his bag.

William smashed the door open and papers fell from Tim’s hand.

“What-what are you doing here?” he asked in complete shock.

William marched forward and slammed Tim against the wall with his palm on his throat.

“Ah! What...what do you want?” His eyes became teary.

Sean came up next to them.

“Where’s Ivy?” William demanded, constricting his grip.

Every nerve in his body was coiled tightly. All he wanted was to locate her.

“What?!”

“You had a date with her last night!” Sean elaborated. “And she hasn’t been home. If you’ve hurt my sister...”

“I didn’t see her. She-she stood me up.”

“What do you mean?” William snarled.

“I went to pick her up at seven, but no one answered. After thirty minutes, I left, thinking she changed her mind maybe.” He coughed and was beet red, so William released him.

Sean and William weren’t sure whether or not to believe him, but this slip of a man seemed to be telling the truth.

William cupped Tim’s chin harshly. “If I discover that you did harm Ivy in any way, I’ll find you and skin you.”

And he and Sean left to return to the Loop.

CHAPTER 56

Ivy

Ivy felt a coldness surrounding her. She rolled over and then grasped that she wasn’t in bed.

Shit.

Silence stretched on. The air rustled past her ear.

“Hello...? Hello..? Anyone around?”

No answer.

She could smell it was nighttime. But how late was it? She’d fallen asleep in the grass, and now she had no sense of orientation. And it was dead quiet except for the wind and the occasional faint sound.

Her body trembled from the cold. The temperature had dropped. What time could it be that no one was in the park anymore?

She hugged her knees to her chest to keep warm, deliberating about whether or not to start walking. But that could be even more dangerous. She could walk straight into the pond or further into the woods. Her best choice was to stay put and wait for morning when the world awoke.

Never in her life had Ivy felt so helpless. And while she spent the night alone, outside, with unidentifiable noises scaring her, she prayed that either William or Sean would be searching for her.

CHAPTER 57

William

Two hours later, everyone was in the gambling hall: employees, servants, Silk, Sean, and Miriam.

No one had found a trace of Ivy.

“I’ve talked to many locals. No one has seen her,” Silk explained.

William’s heart sunk with each passing hour.

So far, he’d been calm, but that calmness decreased rapidly.

“Maybe she doesn’t want to be found? I don’t think this running around is helping,” Miriam piped in, setting William off.

Miriam had been irritating him constantly, simply because she wasn’t Ivy. And frankly, he was done with her.

“Get the fuck out,” he spoke evenly.

Every gaze in the room rested on him.

“What?! Why, William?” Miriam asked uneasily.

“Get out. You obviously don’t care to find the mother of my child!”

“I do—”

“Leave,” he ordered, pissed mostly at himself for being with her.

She stomped out as William informed, “Six of us are going to search the park thoroughly now.”

***

Sean and William paired up and examined every inch of the park, going far back toward the pond.

He couldn’t bear the thought of never seeing Ivy again. Of Eva never knowing her mother. William couldn’t keep denying his own feelings. There was a constant emptiness lingering in his heart. One that only Ivy could fill. No woman would ever understand him and his sins better than Ivy. They grew up in the same way, which left scars in both their souls. But William didn’t want to hold onto a grudge or anger that would keep him from being with the woman he loved anymore. The last few weeks had shown him that he could never love another. With Ivy, he could have the life he truly desired. No more balls and boring social gatherings. No more other women. No. Ivy, Eva, and he would build a life with just the three of them.

If Ivy was hurt, William didn’t know what he’d do.

Dread bled through his veins as he scanned the area.

Suddenly, Sean broke off into a run. “Look! She’s there!” He pointed near the pond where a woman with auburn red curls sat curled into a ball.

Sean shouted her name and pulled her up into an embrace when he reached her.

William sprinted forward and shoved Sean away, wrapping his arms around her. She felt so cold.

“Ivy! Are you okay?” William demanded.

“Yes! I’m so glad you found me!” She held him tightly, lips trembling.

He held her back to inspect her full-length, then crushed her within his arms again. Instinctively, he kissed the top of her head.

Sean watched their exchange with shock, and Ivy cried from relief.

“What happened?” William asked.

“I fell asleep here yesterday, and I woke up so long ago, but it was already quiet and smelled like nighttime, so I stayed here waiting for morning. I’m so cold. And I was scared by weird noises.” She huddled closer to William, who felt serenity returning to his system now that she was safe and sound.

“You’re safe now.” He caressed the back of her head and felt his own heartbeat settle down to a normal rate.

He tightened his hold on her and vowed to never let go again. “Let’s go home and get you warm.”

By ‘home’, he meant his apartment because he didn’t think he’d be able to let her out of his sight ever again.

***

After Ivy had a warm bath, she stood by the crib, where Eva was lying, fascinated with her fingers. And William could tell that she was being quiet to hear Eva’s breathing.

William had sent Julia to sleep at Silk’s apartment. He needed to talk to Ivy alone. To make amends.

Ivy had made some huge mistakes, but he’d made them too, and his errors weren’t minor ones either. And still, they were unable to stay apart. It was as if their souls were tied somehow, and kindred souls always had a way of finding one another.

When he met Ivy, he didn’t know what it meant to live for someone. He wasn’t living at all back then, but merely existing. Existing to acquire a wealth that ultimately wouldn’t have made him content. Because the thing with money is that you always seem to want more. But at some point, you have to say enough is enough.

Now, he didn’t live to be rich anymore. He would always strive to earn a lot of money, yes, but his life no longer revolved around it. Life is so fragile and can be cut short at any random moment in time. Charles’s death showed him that. Ivy’s disappearance reaffirmed it.

In the time he had left on this earth, he was done fighting their bond. It was a useless war with himself, and the time had come to forgive the past and start over together because being apart shattered them both.

He came up behind Ivy and folded his arms around her waist. She rested her head back against his chest as he whispered, “I’m done fighting us, Ivy. I’m sorry about pushing you away. Your disappearance proved to me that I need to let go of our past because I can’t let go of you.”

Ivy turned in his embrace and the cloak fell to the floor, leaving her in a white dress.

William continued, hoping she wouldn’t deny him. “I don’t know what I would do if any harm came to you.”

“But you’re harming me with this distance…with your new girlfriend,” she said whisper-soft.

“She meant nothing. I was stupidly trying to cope and get over you. I won’t see her ever again.”

“Has she been here?”

“No, Ivy. She hasn’t been in my bed. I couldn’t…I just couldn’t do that.” He wanted to steer the conversation back on course. “I don’t want to live in anger. I’m still mad about how you handled Eva’s birth, but I promise to get past it. Eva and I need you in our family. Ivy, I was terrified that you had been hurt, and it nearly gutted me.” His hand started to rub circles over her back. “We still have that inexplicable bond. Ours is a connection that can never be severed. Even though you can’t see me, you’re always aware of my every move.”

Her hand came up to stroke his beard.

“I want you to stay here with Eva and me. You belong with us. Forget the boy that kidnapped you a year ago. I want you to get to know the man that I’ve become. Please forgive me too and come back to us. “

“Oh, William. I’ve already forgiven you. I was simply waiting for you to give me another chance. I’ve wanted to start over for so long.”

Then William couldn’t hold back any longer. He wanted to take what he owned. He lowered his head and pressed a soft kiss to the edge of her mouth, which she responded to eagerly.

Taking it slow was far from their minds. Ivy spun around and continued to sweep her tongue inside his mouth as he yanked her dress down her body.

“I want you completely naked,” he growled and easily tore the fabric of her panties with one hand.

Together, they stumbled to the dinner table, and William leaned his ass against it. Ivy’s palm traced down the row of buttons on his dress shirt, but she was as impatient as he was, so she ripped his shirt open, and the buttons clanked on the floor.

While William hurried out of his shirt, Ivy swiftly unfastened his pants. There was no hesitancy in her movement, except when she slowed to feel her way around his clothes and body, which made her touch even more intimate. William reveled in how focused and passionate she was. Ivy was a warrior who didn’t let anything keep her from her goal.

She kneeled down as William gripped the edge of the table, taking his slacks with her, and raked her nails up his thighs.

Then she took the base of his cock in hand and wrapped her lips around the head. She pumped him as her head bobbed, and he was immediately rock-hard.

William dropped his head back and closed his eyes as she hungrily sucked him, but he wanted to watch her. He sifted both hands through her curls and cupped the back of her head, rolling his hips and shoving his cock down her throat. Ivy’s nails grazed his balls, and he had to stop fucking her mouth if he didn’t want to blow his load before they even got started.

“Up.” He pulled her up with one hand still in her hair.

They rotated and William boosted Ivy onto the table, sliding her to the edge. Then he hooked his arms under her knees, pressing them toward her chest while he leaned forward to slant his mouth over hers.

“I missed you,” she said, constantly caressing his face, neck, and shoulders.

William realized that Ivy mostly used touch and hearing now, so he decided to talk more while he worshipped her body to make sure she knew how much he desired her.

“You’re so beautiful spread out on the table, Ivy.” He kissed his way down her throat, rubbing his hard cock alongside her wet pussy. “I’ve missed you too.” He bit her nipple, and her back arched off the table.

William nudged the head of his cock inside, and then he drove in. She was spread wide, his arms hooking her legs back, and he was kissing her brutally. Repossessing his Ivy.

“God, you feel too good wrapped around my cock.” He raised up into a standing position, holding Ivy’s ankles draped over his chest as he hammered into her.

“Yes, William. Harder!” she panted.

William kept roaming his hands down Ivy’s legs, making sure she felt him everywhere. He ran his palm down her stomach
,
then touched the place where he entered her, the place where heaven began and ended.

He took a deep breath, crazy with lust for Ivy. Then William lifted her up and kissed her, their teeth clashing as he carried her to the back of the sofa. He quickly pulled out of her, turned her around, and draped her over the back on her stomach. And he sank into her pussy again from behind, burying his cock deep while both of them made soft groans and moans.

William watched his cock disappear into her pussy while he rubbed her ass cheeks. Then he spanked her once, twice. Pushing his cock in to the hilt. Then another thwack on her ass as she mewled with pleasure. His palm came around her stomach and down to her clit so he could rub her. His hips made circles, straining. She moved her pussy against his hand while his cock slammed inside her, and the couch cushion muffled her moan when she shattered around his cock, whimpering and shuddering uncontrollably.

His climax followed close behind as he bottomed out, and his balls tightened when his peak exploded in his groin. He expelled a low, throaty groan and collapsed on top of Ivy.

“I’ll fuck your ass later today,” he uttered and was rewarded with a smile.

William pulled out of her, took her hand, and led them to the other side of the couch to lie down together.

William lay down first, and Ivy draped half of her body over him when she settled onto the sofa as well. He held her close to his chest and entangled their legs.

“I love you,” she said softly in her husky voice, and a fierce longing fissured through him with an almost painful prickling.

He clasped her face with both hands and tilted her head back, seeking a thorough kiss. “I love you too.” And even though she was blind, she managed to look straight at him with her luminous blue eyes.