Chapter 133: But I am serious about this... about us

The night had been far too eventful for Ivy.

By the time she woke up the next morning, fragments of everything that had happened between her and Xander came rushing back.

Her eyes widened.

Shit.

Should I just run?

The thought immediately crossed her mind.

Unfortunately, her body had other plans.

As embarrassing as it was to admit, she remembered almost everything.

They hadn’t gone any further, but the memory of Xander’s touch still lingered in her mind, making heat creep up her neck.

To her annoyance, a small smile found its way onto her lips.

Ivy stretched lazily before reaching toward the other side of the bed.

Empty.

Her brows furrowed.

Where did he go?

She glanced around the room, but before she could think any further, the bathroom door opened.

Ivy froze.

Xander stepped out wearing nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist.

For a moment, her brain completely stopped working.

Holy shit.

Am I looking at some kind of Greek god?

It wasn’t as though she hadn’t admired Xander before.

That would be a lie.

The man was ridiculously attractive.

But last night had been the first time she’d been close enough to fully appreciate just how unfairly handsome he was.

And now he was standing right in front of her.

Fresh from the shower.

Water still glistening on his skin.

This should be illegal.

Completely shameless, Ivy allowed her gaze to wander.

Then wander some more.

She was so busy staring that she almost missed him looking back at her.

"Morning."

The sound of his voice instantly snapped her out of her thoughts.

Ivy straightened in bed so quickly she nearly tangled herself in the blanket.

"Morning," she replied, trying—and failing—to sound normal.

Xander’s lips twitched slightly, as though he knew exactly what had been going through her head.

Which only made her more embarrassed.

As he approached the bed, Ivy found herself watching him again.

Stop staring.

Her brain was trying to be reasonable.

The rest of her wasn’t listening.

When Xander reached her, he leaned down and pressed a brief kiss against her lips.

The gesture was simple.

Yet somehow it made her heart race far more than any passionate kiss could have.

When he pulled away, Ivy found herself staring at him all over again.

This time, however, she wasn’t looking at him because of his appearance.

She was looking at him because she couldn’t stop smiling.

What is wrong with me? Have I completely lost my mind?

Ivy tried to make sense of the ridiculous smile on her face.

Before she could figure it out, she realized Xander was still looking at her.

Her smile immediately faltered.

"Last night..." he began.

Ivy instantly sat up straighter. Her heart skipped a beat.

What about last night? Is he going to tell me it was a mistake?

The mere thought made her stomach drop.

But then she saw the corner of Xander’s lips lift, and the tension inside her eased immediately.

"It was amazing."

Ivy silently let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.

Because if Xander had said anything else, she was fairly certain she would have punched that handsome face of his.

"I was drunk, you know," she said casually.

The second the words left her mouth, Xander’s expression darkened.

Ivy immediately raised both hands.

"Wait, wait. That’s not what I meant."

His gaze remained fixed on her.

"I remember everything," she continued quickly. "And I’m fully prepared to take responsibility for my actions."

The dangerous look in his eyes softened slightly. Only slightly.

Ivy found it strange how much his opinion mattered to her.

A few days ago, she would have laughed if someone had told her she’d care this much about what Xander Emerson thought.

Yet here she was. Watching every shift in his expression. Reading every glance. And somehow liking it.

A lot.

Then another thought suddenly crossed her mind. One that wiped the smile right off her face.

What if this is only physical for him?

The possibility made her chest tighten.

Straightening, Ivy turned serious.

"Mr. Emerson, can I ask you something?"

Xander nodded.

"Go ahead."

Ivy shifted onto her knees and looked directly at him.

"What happened between us..." She hesitated. "Was it just about attraction, or is it something more?"

"Something more." Xander didn’t even need a second to think.

The certainty in his voice surprised her. There was no hesitation. No uncertainty. Just conviction.

Xander held her gaze.

"At first, I questioned it too," he admitted. "I thought maybe I was confusing things."

His expression softened.

"But the more I thought about it, the more I realized it was never just physical."

Ivy felt her heart settle.

For some reason, hearing those words mattered more than she expected.

"When I told you I’d consider us," Xander continued, "I meant it."

Ivy blinked. Then her eyes widened as a memory suddenly surfaced.

"Oh."

Xander narrowed his eyes. The reaction alone made him suspicious.

"Oh?" Ivy scratched the back of her neck awkwardly. "About that, Mr. Emerson..."

Something about her tone immediately put him on alert.

"It’s Xander for you," Ivy couldn’t help but chuckle.

"The message I sent..." she continued carefully. "It wasn’t actually meant for you."

"..."

Xander’s brows slowly drew together, and Ivy saw it happening in real time.

"Oh no." Ivy laughed nervously.

"Listen to the full story before you go into Hulk mode and assume I have a secret admirer."

Xander folded his arms. "Who was it for?"

The deadpan expression on his face made Ivy laugh even harder. Honestly, he looked jealous. And for some reason, she found that adorable.

"It was Leo."

Xander blinked. "What?"

"I wanted to send it to Leo," Ivy explained. "But I accidentally sent it to you instead."

The room fell silent. For several seconds, Xander simply stared at her. Then he closed his eyes slowly as if he were questioning every decision he’d made in life.

Ivy bit her lip to stop herself from laughing. It didn’t work.

A second later, she burst out laughing.

When Xander opened his eyes again, he looked completely unimpressed.

"You accidentally sent me a message meant for our son."

"Yes."

"And that message led me to believe you were talking about us."

"Also yes."

Xander stared at her, and Ivy stared back. Then, to her surprise, he shook his head and laughed.

A genuine laugh.

The sight caught her completely off guard.

"There it is," she said softly.

"There what is?"

"That smile."

Xander rolled his eyes. But he didn’t stop smiling.

"But I am serious about this...about us." This time he didn’t let his words get misunderstood because whatever he said was true and that he was damn serious about her.