[Mature Content]

The door closed behind them, and all Ivy could remember was Xander kissing the life out of her.

The man had been true to his word when he said he wasn’t done with her, yet her muddled mind had somehow thought otherwise.

It wasn’t until he gently tossed her onto the bed that she realized where this was heading.

Through her glossy eyes, Ivy watched as Xander shrugged off his coat and tossed it aside. He quickly unbuttoned his shirt, discarding it somewhere on the floor before capturing her lips once again.

Ivy cupped his face and kissed him back without hesitation.

Now that she had given in, she wanted to savor every moment.

Are we really doing this? She wondered, her thoughts hazy from the alcohol.

Her mind felt foggy, but her body instinctively leaned toward him, responding to every touch.

Xander’s hands roamed over her curves before sliding beneath her top. Ivy let out a soft sound against his lips as he deepened the kiss.

The room seemed to spin around her. Every touch, every kiss, made her lose herself a little more.

Ivy moaned against his lips, and it took Xander a second to slide his tongue and devour her endlessly.

While Xander was tasting every corner of her mouth, his hand pulled the cup of her bra and squeezed her breast.

"Ah," Ivy whimpered at the overwhelming sensation; however, Xander stopped her with another kiss.

His finger played with her erect bud as he slowly moved down to kiss her face, then neck.

Ivy found herself being pushed into the deep ocean as her body melted in Xander’s touch, and before she could comprehend what was happening, Xander pulled back and removed her pants.

Ivy blinked, clutching onto her chest. Her eyes wandered towards the man who now looked like a sin.

Xander was not going to back down.

"You are wet," he suddenly said, and Ivy blinked cluelessly before her eyes darted down to where he was staring at.

"Do you want to cum?" he asked.

Ivy didn’t realize how much her body was craving to be touched by him that she failed to notice how wet she had gone.

Unknowingly she nodded, and Xander didn’t waste a second and reached to pull down her panties and toss them aside.

Ivy suddenly felt so much exposed that she closed her knees, trying to hide herself.

"No, don’t," Xander said, shaking his head, and as if she were being spellbound by his deep voice, she parted her legs, giving him the way to come to her.

Xander, on the other hand, had already lost what little restraint he had left.

All he wanted now was Ivy.

He had always been a man with exceptional self-control. Yet everything had changed the night he first kissed her. Never once had he imagined that a single woman could occupy his thoughts so completely.

Ivy had been the first person to break through the stagnant routine of his life and make him feel emotions he hadn’t even realized he was capable of feeling.

And now, after weeks of resisting the pull between them, he was finally letting go of his hesitation.

He didn’t know exactly what this feeling was.

But he knew one thing for certain.

He couldn’t stay away from her.

She was like a magnet, constantly drawing him back no matter how hard he tried to keep his distance.

And with every passing day, his attraction toward her only grew stronger.

"Just relax," he murmured.

His voice was low and reassuring as he leaned over her.

Ivy’s breath caught in her throat. Every nerve in her body felt heightened under his attention.

The alcohol had left her thoughts hazy, but her awareness of him remained painfully clear.

Her lips parted slightly as she looked up at him.

The intensity in his gaze made her heart race. "Xander..." she whispered.

His eyes softened for a brief moment before darkening again with emotion.

"Look at me."

The command was quiet, yet impossible to ignore.

Ivy swallowed and lifted her gaze, and their eyes locked.

For a moment, neither of them spoke. But then without warning, Xander slid his finger into her core, leaving her whimpering in pain.

Ivy felt like her flesh was being torn apart, and the stinging pain was unbearable.

Why does it pain so much? Shouldn’t her body be already used to it? Ivy thought, despite the pain she was feeling.

Tears slipped down her temples as Ivy tried to steady her breathing. After a few moments, the discomfort eased, and she slowly opened her eyes.

Her gaze immediately found Xander.

"Are you okay?" he asked quietly.

The concern in his voice caught her off guard.

It had been years since that night, and hearing her cry out in pain had instantly snapped him out of the haze of his emotions.

Back then, he had been under the influence of drugs, his judgment clouded and his thoughts far from clear.

Now, however, he was completely aware of everything.

And the thought that he might have hurt Ivy bothered him more than he wanted to admit.

Ivy stared at him as he hesitated.

The intensity that had consumed him moments ago had given way to uncertainty.

Something about that softened her expression.

"Don’t stop," she whispered.

Her words pulled Xander from his thoughts.

The moment he looked into her eyes and saw the certainty there, something inside him stirred again.

He wanted her. Not because of the past. Not because of Leo. But because she was Ivy.

For so long, he had convinced himself there were practical reasons for keeping her close. Yet now he finally understood the truth.

Those reasons had stopped mattering a long time ago.

He wanted her in his life for himself.

He remembered the conversations he’d had with her grandfather and couldn’t help but wonder if the old man had seen through him long before he had seen through himself.

Perhaps he had. Because only now was Xander beginning to understand what he truly wanted. And once he accepted that truth, there was no turning back.

His hand gently brushed her cheek as he held her gaze. Then he leaned down and kissed her.

The kiss was slower this time. Softer. Filled with everything he struggled to put into words, Ivy responded, her fingers curled around his neck, pulling him closer.

For a moment, the rest of the world disappeared. There were no doubts. No questions. Only the quiet certainty growing between them.

And as Xander held her in his arms, one thought echoed clearly in his mind.

I don’t want her in my life simply because she’s Leo’s mother.

I want her because she’s Ivy.

***

Pak!

A loud slap echoed through the living room, leaving a burning sting on Nate’s cheek.

"You useless brat!" Gavin roared, his bloodshot eyes fixed on his trembling son. "How much more are you going to embarrass me?"

Nate instinctively covered his face, too frightened to say a word.

Gavin had believed that after countless warnings, his son would finally stop causing trouble.

Instead, the situation had only become worse.

"You know how much I despise Xander and Aaron," Gavin continued furiously. "And now, because of what you did, I’m expected to go and thank them for saving you?"

Every word dripped with venom.

Earlier that day, Marius had informed him about the incident at the academy and how Aaron had stepped in to handle the situation.

Under normal circumstances, a father would have been relieved that his son was safe.

A father would have been concerned that his child had been cornered, threatened, and beaten by a group of boys.

But Gavin wasn’t acting like a concerned father.

He was acting like a man whose pride had been wounded.

Clara, who had been standing nearby, immediately stepped forward.

"Gavin, what is wrong with you?" she demanded. "Have you lost your mind?"

She moved protectively in front of Nate.

"Your son was attacked, and this is how you’re treating him?"

Gavin’s jaw tightened.

Clara knew he was furious about owing Aaron any form of gratitude.

But she couldn’t understand how he could completely ignore what had happened to their son.

Those boys had targeted Nate, manipulated him, and tried to extort money from him.

Yet Gavin seemed more concerned about his grudge than Nate’s injuries.

"Mom..." Nate’s voice trembled.

Clara immediately turned toward him.

"I didn’t know Theo would do that," he said quietly, his eyes filling with tears. "I trusted him. He was my friend."

The pain in his voice made Clara’s heart ache.

Without hesitation, she pulled him into her arms.

"I know, sweetheart," she whispered, gently stroking his hair.

Nate buried his face against her shoulder.

"And none of this is your fault."

Clara’s gaze hardened as she looked toward Gavin.

"Those boys took advantage of your trust."

Then she hugged Nate a little tighter.

"Don’t worry," she said softly. "I promise they won’t get away with what they did to you."

For the first time since the incident, Nate felt a small sense of comfort.

At least one parent was standing by his side.