Wicked Dreams by Lily Harper Hart Read Free Book Online

Ivy said. “Was there something else that you wanted?”
    Jack arched an eyebrow. “Believe it or not, I didn’t come here to verbally spar with you. I need to know what you found out about your houseguest.”
    “Of course,” Ivy said, feeling stupid for not remembering his true reason for coming to find her. “Her name is Kelly Sisto. She hasn’t told me anything else. I don’t know where she’s from. I don’t know what happened to her. She’s slowly starting to trust me, but it’s going to take time.”
    “You’re going to keep her another night, aren’t you?”
    “Yes.”
    Jack ran his tongue over his teeth, debating how wise it would be to argue with Ivy. Finally, he decided he was going to let it go … for now. “If she tells you anything, will you call me?”
    “Yes.”
    “Will you make a point of doing it as soon as possible?”
    “Yes.”
    “Okay,” Jack said, cracking his neck and glancing around the nursery. “Just to be on the safe side, do me a favor and keep her away from the general populace until we know more.”
    “She’s scared of the general populace.”
    “I know,” Jack said. “Just … be careful. Until we know who hurt her, we can’t be sure that someone isn’t looking for her.”
    “Oh,” Ivy said, realization dawning. “You’re worried someone is going to find her here, aren’t you?”
    “That’s exactly what I’m worried about,” Jack said. “If someone comes for Kelly you’re going to make yourself a target. I don’t want anything bad to happen to you, Ivy.”
    “I know,” Ivy said. “Just because you don’t want to date me, that doesn’t mean you want me dead. I get it.”
    She was still hurt. Jack could practically feel it wafting off of her. “I … .”
    “I don’t want to go over this again,” Ivy said, cutting him off. “I know where you stand. I’m not feeling sorry for myself and pining over you. You’re good looking, but you’re not irresistible.”
    Ivy pushed past Jack and moved back toward the greenhouse.
    “I didn’t say I was,” Jack protested.
    “Just … get over yourself,” Ivy said.
    “You get over yourself,” Jack grumbled under his breath, willing his heart to stop flopping around like a fish out of water. He had no idea what she did to him, but she always managed to leave him unsettled. It was starting to get frustrating.

Six
    “Women are crazy.”
    Brian Nixon glanced up from his computer screen and focused on his partner as Jack stalked into the detectives’ office at the Shadow Lake Police Department. “How is Ivy?”
    Jack stilled. “Who said I was talking about Ivy?”
    Brian snorted. “Son, I don’t pretend to know you very well,” he said. “I do know that Ivy Morgan has driven quite a few men to drink, though, and none of them has spent nearly as much time with her as you have.”
    “I’m not spending time with her.”
    “You played basketball with her,” Brian said.
    “That was one time.”
    “You’ve been sighted out at her nursery twice in the last week – this was before she found a traumatized teenager in the greenhouse – and I happen to know you’re nowhere near ready to think about landscaping at the dump you live in,” Brian said.
    “I was just looking for ideas,” Jack argued. “Wait … how do you even know I was out there?”
    “This town is full of gossips,” Brian said, smiling at his younger partner. “My wife is in the loop. I’m pretty sure I already told you this.”
    “Nothing is going on.”
    “Oh, son, you’re so cute,” Brian said. “I know you believe that. I even know you want it to be true. You can’t argue with chemistry, though, and you and Ivy are like a science experiment gone awry.”
    “Whatever,” Jack said, throwing himself in his desk chair dramatically. “She’s a pain in my rear end.”
    “She’s got a way about her,” Brian agreed. “Did she get anywhere with the girl last night?”
    “Yes,” Jack said. “We have a name to go on.