Book 1: Echoes Of The Past

Chapter 38 - Plan B

"Babe, can you give me-"

Ivy spun around from talking to her brother on the phone and looked in Shannon's direction, placing a finger to her lips.

He walked over to his couch and placed the items on it, before walking over to her, giving her a kiss on the cheek and whispering, "Sorry."

"Who was that I just heard?" Bryce questioned his sister.

"Oh erm..." Ivy quickly glanced across at Shannon, who was busy unpacking his Starbucks coffee samples and organising them neatly in the cupboard above his percolator. "No one."

"I distinctly heard someone call you 'babe' Iv. Are you not going to tell me who it was?"

"Now you're beginning to sound like mum, Bryce."

"Oh God. I am, aren't I?" She heard Bryce groan. "Anyway, let me know what day would be good for you next week. I'm in LA for the whole week."

"Sounds good. I can't wait."

"Neither can I, Sis."

"Don't!" Ivy hated being called 'Sis' and Bryce knew it.

He chuckled.

'Catch you later Iv."

"Bye Bryce. Say hi to Cassie and the kids for me."

"Will do."

They both hung up and Ivy turned and wandered over to Shannon in the kitchen, wrapping her arms around his waist, resting her chin on his shoulder.

"I don't think I've known anyone else to be so particular about their coffee." She teased him.

He turned his head to look at her and smiled, then kissed her temple.

"Then they haven't met me then, have they?" He suddenly spun her around in his arms and pinned her against the sideboard, caging her there with his body and placing an arm either side of her.

She looked up at him questioningly and he dipped his head down to catch her soft, warm lips with his. Her arms moved up encircling his waist once more, fingers dipping under his t-shirt, grazing up his sides; Ivy felt him shudder as her fingers touched his skin.

"Soo...what's in the bags?" Ivy pulled away from him slightly and raised an eyebrow.

Shannon chuckled.

"Why don't you go and see. Was that your brother you were just talking to?" He questioned watching her leave his kitchen area and walk back out to the Sitting Room.

"It was." She turned her head to smile at him.

He lent his elbows on his kitchen island and cupped his chin in his hands, watching her.

Ivy walked over to the black garment bag that Shannon had draped over the back of his couch. Picking it up to drape over the front of the couch, she saw the familiar word 'GUCCI' in white font on the front of the black bag and hesitated, looking over her shoulder at Shannon.

"SHANNON! Are you insane?!" She exclaimed once she had registered the name on the garment bag.

"No. I just wanted to give the woman I care about a nice dress. That's all."

Ivy smiled shyly at him.

"Open it!" Shannon encouraged him.

She slowly pulled down the zipper on the garment bag, gradually exposing some scarlet fabric. Her fingers ran over the slinky, expensive fabric, before she carefully pulled the delicate fabric from the bag and laid it out flat on the couch, her eyes roaming over it.