Total pages in book: 54
Estimated words: 50402 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 252(@200wpm)___ 202(@250wpm)___ 168(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 50402 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 252(@200wpm)___ 202(@250wpm)___ 168(@300wpm)
He was proud of her.
“I love you, Little girl.”
“I love you, too, Daddy. I’m sorry.”
“Never apologize, Ivy,” he corrected her gruffly. “We all have our demons. We’ll deal with ours together.”
When she nodded, he continued in a low, tortured groan, “Now move before you kill me, Emerald Eyes.”
Their lovemaking was fierce and demanding. She was in control, but Steele drew everything from her as they crashed together. Their bodies heated the room, bringing a sheen to their skin. Pleasure built inside them, driving their motion.
“Ahhh!” Ivy screamed into the room, and Steele drove upward quickly three times before joining her climax.
He gathered her limp body against him, holding her tight as she processed through her emotions. She felt balanced for the first time since the attack. Ivy could never fight off three large men. She’d tried her best and had never given up. Listening to Steele’s thudding heartbeat, she knew he had saved her not only physically, but mentally. He was there for her.
CHAPTER
NINETEEN
Ivy parked her car in the back of the bank parking lot on Monday and took a big breath and released it. She was excited to get back to work but anxious about dealing with Mr. Harris. Finally, she grabbed her purse and forced herself to open the door and slide out.
Automatically, she headed for the back door and slowed as she reached the beginning of the shadows that gathered there. Maybe she should walk in the front for a while. Her key wouldn’t work there until the lobby opened. She’d have to knock on the window to have someone let her inside.
“Ivy! Hi! Let me walk in with you. We’re so glad you’re back,” Virginia said warmly.
“Hi. Thanks.”
As they approached, a huge floodlight clicked on, illuminating the area. It totally erased the trace of darkness from the entrance. Ivy felt her heart rate slow. This was so much better.
“Wait until you see the display inside. No more relying only on the peephole,” Virginia celebrated.
As she stepped inside, Ivy turned to see a video feed of the back of the building. Not just the area around the door, but the display revealed the entire back of the building.
“Mr. Harris did this?” Ivy asked.
“Oh, no! Some generous donor insisted on updating the technology. He paid for all the costs from the installer the board approved,” Virginia told her as they walked through the employee area to reach the lobby.
Claps filled the area as people spotted her. Busy with all the morning duties required to open the bank on time, they waved and called their warm greetings to welcome her back as Ivy passed. Stepping into her office, she found the box of her belongings set in the middle of her desk as well as a gorgeous bouquet.
Ivy collapsed into her chair and opened the bottom drawer of her desk to stow her purse. There, a small version of Lucky dressed in a tattered vest peered up at her. Blinking away the tears, she caressed his soft head. She wasn’t alone.
To distract herself, Ivy plucked the card from the flowers. It was from one of the bank board members, Erick Hamilton. He’d risen through the ranks quickly and quietly to claim a seat. She stared at it. What could make him send her flowers? Maybe he was the friend of the doctors?
Forcing her mind back to getting ready, Ivy quickly unpacked her box of possessions. Setting her nameplate on her desk, she felt official. She grabbed her mug and headed for the coffeepot, greeting people as she passed. The last office in the row was dark. Mr. Harris wasn’t always in the bank during all the official business hours, of course, but Ivy was amazed that he hadn’t been here to make sure she’d followed his instructions.
She filled her cup only partially and felt guilty. Steele hadn’t let her drink caffeine at all while she’d recuperated. Even though he wasn’t here to see her, she only put a splash in her cup with some milk and sugar.
Taking a sip, she smiled. Perfect!
Checking in with all the departments as she had always done before the bank opened, Ivy was pleased to find everyone glad to have her back. When they tried to tell her horror stories of what happened while she was gone, Ivy had waved them off and asked them to submit a report through the normal channels if there was something injurious to the bank customers or themselves, the security at the bank, or against board policy. She didn’t want a lot of hearsay. To take something to the board, she would need concrete evidence. To her amazement, many confessed that they already had filed complaints.
Ivy hung in the lobby, talking to customers entering for the first hour until the morning rush subsided. It felt good that the regulars had missed her. Some had even heard of the attack and expressed indignation and concern that there wasn’t better security. She did her best to address their worries and shared that improvements had been made to keep everyone safe and to protect the bank even more.