Chapter 34: Goading Angel

Ivy’s pov

"Answer me," Angel hissed, the words a venomous whisper meant for my ears only.

The gap between Jenny and us and Anthony walking up ahead was getting wider, and while I was appalled by the nerve of this asshole, I had never seen him so frantic.

Dammit, this was Malachi’s fault.

The jerk wasn’t even here, and he had still managed to put me in trouble.

Lying was useless. Why should I lie? I wasn’t the one who should be ashamed. I wasn’t the cheating piece of shit who was acting like some over righteous priest when he fucked my stepbrother and the freaking receptionist, and who else knows what else he had stuck his tiny cocktail straw into?!

"I’m confused, honey," I drawled, squaring my shoulders.

"Do you not know how hickeys are formed? Here, I’ll tell you. You see, when a man sucks on my skin a little too hard, and does those delicious little nips with his teeth- "

"Are you insane?" He spat, digging his stubby fingers harder against my elbow.

My migraine worsened, and tears sprang to the corners of my eyes, but I would sooner eat dirt than let them fall.

"I could ask you the same thing," I fumed, lifting my chin to meet his furious glare with one of my own, my amber eyes hardening.

"You fuck whoever you want; I do the same. I thought that was our little arrangement now? You have your whores. I have mine. Get over it."

The words hung between us, and for a precious, fleeting second, he was stunned. The fury in his eyes was replaced by wide disbelief.

Oh wow, what was he expecting? Some trembling apology, or me desperate, lying and whimpering, begging him? Like hell I would. He didn’t expect me to throw our loveless, rotting marriage back in his face like a handful of shit.

Then the anger was back in his eyes, but before he could form a retort, Anthony’s voice echoed down the hall. "Everything alright, you two?"

Angel gritted his teeth before a false smile stretched his lips. "Fine, Dad. Just a little marital disagreement, you know how it is."

He gave my arm a final, hard shove, but as he moved past me, he hissed. "This isn’t over."

***

"Laptop, laptop, where the hell is it?"

It was Wednesday. I had just two days left in the week, and I still hadn’t gotten the ledger. At this point, even my mind was starting to mock me.

It was just after nine, and the air in Gideon’s study was thick with the smell of paper and the lemon-scented polish I had just applied to the huge mahogany desk.

The feather duster in my hand was more of a prop than anything else; the real reason I was here was to get his laptop before he came in here and copied the files on my flash drive again.

Except it seemed Gideon slept with that laptop in his bed, because why the hell was it not in any of his desk drawers?

I circled the massive desk a second time before glancing around the room, my eyes scanning every surface, including the ridiculously tall bookshelf leaning against the right wall.

He couldn’t possibly hide the laptop in the bookshelf, could he? Beside the bookshelf was a box structure hanging on the wall. My eyes widened.

It was a safe! Sure, there was a painting on it that made it look like it was just some art installation, but my father had the same safe installed in his own study while growing up; I knew it was a safe.

My shoes immediately glided across the thick red rug, rushing to the safe. If I could figure out which number keys had been pressed more than the others or if I heard the sound of the combination, I could open it-

The sound of the door opening sent a bolt of pure adrenaline through my veins, and with a muffled squeal, I dropped to a crouch, pretending to clean the bottom layer of the bookshelf as Gideon walked in, in all his glory.

I straightened slowly, forcing a smile. "Good morning, Mr. Knight."

My gaze met his, and the air was sucked from my lungs. His sapphire eyes held mine, and in an instant, the study dissolved, and I was back in the hallway two days ago, caught watching him fuck Tittyana’s throat.

We hadn’t spoken since then- not like we used to speak before, anyway.

"Morning, Miss Harpley." His thick voice had my thighs snapping together on command. A furious, betraying blush crept up my neck, burning my skin. God, I had to get out of here before I did something stupid.

Like begging to see his massive dick.

Why wasn’t he looking away? Jesus.

I wrenched my eyes away from him, shivering. "I...I uhm, will excuse you,"

"Don’t stop on my account." his voice was a low, cool command that cut through my panic and all the flurry of madness pumping through my veins. "Continue cleaning."

He moved to his desk, dismissing me, leaving me trapped.

He had seen me cleaning the bottom shelf; I had to clean the rest at least before I could escape the study.

My throat bobbed as I swallowed, moving stiffly as I cleaned the books. My eyes kept drifting to the very top shelf, where a fine layer of dust mocked me.

It was too high. The thought of trekking all the way across the mansion to find a step-stool was exhausting.

On impulse, I gripped the duster tighter, bent my knees, and jumped. My fingers barely grazed the edge of the wood! I tried again and got so lost, trying to dust the top shelf, when a shadow fell over me, so suddenly and completely, it was like an eclipse.

I froze, my hand still in the air.

Holy smokes, Gideon was behind me. He didn’t touch me, but he didn’t have to; my body was all putty from the sheer heat radiating off his huge body that crowded my entire body against the bookshelf.

My lips parted when his scent- oud, smoked leather, and tonka bean- filled my nose, sinking deep until it was etched in my brain. My skin prickled to life, every nerve ending humming, screaming.

"Do you need help with the top shelf?" His deep voice sent a rumble that vibrated through my bones.

"It’s okay," I stammered, the words catching in my throat, my face red as hot sauce. "I’ll just go and get the ladder-"

His hand shot out and long, thick fingers wrapped around my waist, gripping me firmly.

Ohhhh.

OH MY GOD.

The heat of his touch seared through the cotton of my uniform. A soft, involuntary moan slipped from my lips before I could stop it.

Without thinking, my head fell back against his chest, my skull connecting with the solid wall of muscle as I looked up at him, panting heavily.