Buying My Forever Wife novel Chapter 69

That entire night felt like sheer torture for Ivy.

She was terrified that she had crossed a line with Mr. Foster and would be thrown out of The Starlight Estate the very next morning.

Her heart felt permanently damaged, racing out of control even long after she had locked herself safely away in her room.

Her cheeks remained flushed with heat, and a strange, restless thirst crawled over her skin. A cold shower and a glass of ice water did nothing to soothe her.

In truth, Alaric was suffering just as much.

Lying alone in the center of his massive California king bed, his mind replayed the exact moment Ivy pulled him down by his tie.

The sensation had been maddeningly intoxicating.

It left his blood running hot, a thrumming anticipation making him crave more.

Yet the girl had treated the moment like an absolute chore, sprinting off to scrub her face the second their lips parted.

After leaving his daughter's room, he hadn't caught a single glimpse of Ivy for the rest of the night.

She was an infuriating woman.

She had set him completely on fire, then flat-out refused to extinguish the blaze.

Restless and dangerously aroused, Alaric couldn't find a single moment of sleep.

Eventually, he threw off the covers and forced himself under a freezing shower.

The next morning was Saturday.

Since Stella didn't have preschool, Ivy was in no rush.

She took her time getting out of bed, washing up, and getting dressed before finally heading downstairs.

By seven or eight in the morning, she assumed Mr. Foster had already left for the office.

Since he hadn't sought her out to chew her out the night before, did that mean she wasn't getting fired?

Relieved that her living arrangement was safe, Ivy felt her spirits lift.

Doing her best to completely suppress the memory of the kiss, she took Stella's hand and headed to the dining room for breakfast.

However...

Sitting immaculately at the head of the table in a casual, tailored sweater was Mr. Foster.

Ivy froze in her tracks, completely incapable of tearing her eyes away from the man.

Stripped of his intimidating corporate suits, Alaric looked remarkably younger and devastatingly handsome.

His usually slicked-back hair fell casually across his forehead. As he sat there scrolling through his phone, he radiated an effortless, aristocratic charm. His sharp jawline and striking eyes made him look almost unfairly perfect.

Ivy realized with horror that her heart was malfunctioning again.

Ivy vigorously shook her head. "No, it's fine. I just needed a bit of rest. I'm okay now."

Alaric then casually reminded her, "You're supposed to get those injuries re-examined once a month. Don't forget your follow-up appointment."

"Okay, thank you, Mr. Foster."

Not daring to meet his gaze, Ivy focused entirely on putting food on Stella's plate.

Alaric felt a strange twinge of awkwardness himself.

He lowered his head and focused on his coffee.

After breakfast.

Stella excitedly chimed in, "Daddy, Mommy! A while ago I saw that lots of parents take their kids camping by the lake on the weekends. Can we go too?"

Alaric didn't immediately answer, but his eyes slid over to Ivy.

It felt like he was asking for her permission.

Ivy felt a surge of panic, her eyes darting nervously as she forced a bright smile.

"Um... I'm totally fine with it. Whatever Stella wants to do, I'll go with her."

After all, keeping Stella entertained was literally her job, and she was getting paid for it.