Billionaire's Bounty Cost Of Love And Revenge novel Chapter 86

Chapter 86

Ivy’s POV

The wineglass hovered near my lips as I froze. Slowly, I turned to face him, my smirk faltering as my gaze locked onto the storm brewing in his eyes.

“Can we talk?” His tone was calm, but the tension in his jaw betrayed him.

Larched an eyebrow, letting a flicker of defiance cross my face. “What do you want?” I kept my voice even, but my heart clenched in frustration at his audacity.

Marsha glanced between us, visibly uncomfortable. “I’ll… give you two a moment,” she murmured before turning to leave. Miles followed her out.

But then Asher stepped closer. Too close. His presence loomed over me, the space between us shrinking until I could feel the weight of his gaze. I swallowed. “Tdon’t know where to start from, Ivy,” he said, his voice low and firm. “I’m really sorry, about…”

I tilted my head, taking a deliberate sip of my wine, savoring the burn as it slid down my throat. Setting the glass down on the counter, I met his gaze head–on. “What part are you actually sorry for? Lying to me about how you feel?”

He shook his head. “I didn’t lie, Ivy. I promise I didn’t lie about my feelings for you,” he swore. “I told you I loved you and I meant it.”

I blinked back the tears that had welled up in my eyes. “How could you love me and then hurt me like you did? There were other women! You could have been with any other woman but me, but you chose her!”

“I don’t want any other woman, flower. It’s you I want. It was always you! Can’t you see it?” he asked in a strained voice. “I asked you to be married to me. I planned all of it. I wanted you to see Max. I sent that text that evening to you. I planned this!”

“What?” I sounded breathless. “Asher…”

“I love you, Ivy!” he yelled aloud. “I have always loved you, Ivy Whitfield, from the moment I laid eyes on you. It was why I always acted like a dumbass around you. It’s why I teased you non–stop, hoping to get your attention and your affection. It was the only way I knew how. I couldn’t walk up to you and tell you how I truly felt about you…”

“Why?” I cried out in pain. “Why are you chasing to lie to me? What do you get out of this? If you cared for me in the slightest, you wouldn’t do what you did, not with Taylor!”

“I didn’t cheat on you with her-”

I let out a dry, humorless laugh. “You’re joking…”

“I don’t remember what happened. I don’t remember how I got there in the first place. I don’t remember making the trip to that hotel room. I didn’t seek her out. I don’t want her or anyone else for that matter. I only want you.”

“You’re lying to me, Asher!” I yelled. “You’re gaslighting me! I know what I saw. I have the pictures saved. I look at them every day…”

“Ivy, please…” he whispered.

“I look at them to remind myself of what you did, so don’t forget. So I get angrier with each passing day when I see the satisfied smile on your face as you’re laid up naked in bed with her.”

He bowed his head and then looked up at me. “Flower, you felt what I felt. You told me you loved me too. All I’m asking is that you trust me in this moment, Ivy. You meant it when you said those words to me. You know I meant it when I said it…”

I shook my head. “No, apparently I don’t. I don’t know how you felt when you told me, and neither do I know how-”

“Then let me show you.”

Before I could say anything else, he had closed the distance between us. He snaked his hand around my waist and pulled me in for a kiss. His soft lips

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Chapter 86

pressed against mine. I hated my body’s immediate response to him. I melted in his arms like jelly. His tongue probed the entrance al my lips, and opened up to him. He let out a satisfied grunt at the back of his throat, his hands passionately roaming my body. For a moment, I let myself get lost embrace; his scent was overpowering. I didn’t realize until then that there was a difference in the way I reacted whenever he touched me Asher touched me deliberately; he knew all the spots that made my knees go weak. He touched me like I was his…

Like I was his. Those words fang repeatedly in my head. I wasn’t his; he wasn’t mine. I pulled away from him and pushed him hard. “Get away from me!” cried out, my heart beating loudly in my chest.

He staggered a little bit backward.

“I hate you!” I yelled out, tears welling up in my eyes. I hated how powerless he made me feel. I hated that my body craved his so much. I hated that I let him fool me into thinking that he loved me. I hated that he couldn’t just love me. I hated that he hurt me. I blinked back tears, but it was futile, they were already streaming down my face. “I hate you so much!” I said in a tear–laden voice as I wiped my cheeks.

He looked broken as he saw me crying; he made to come to me, but I eyed him. “Don’t.”

The sad look on his face almost made me give in and pull him into a warm hug, but I stood my ground.

“Flower, please…”

“Don’t call me that!” I retorted. “I hate you!”

“But you kissed me back; your body responded to mine when I kissed you. You wanted this as much as I did. You kissed me back, Ivy! You loved it when I touched you. You want more!”

“That’s just the normal reaction to being kissed. You of all persons should know that. You’ve kissed a lot of people…” I watched in satisfaction as his eyes grew darker, anger flickering across his face. “A man presses his lips against yours; the next reaction is to kiss him back. It’s automatic. If his hands roam my body all over…” My voice was barely above a whisper. “I’m going to purr in satisfaction…”

He was visibly fuming at this point. His eyes were shooting daggers at me; he clenched his fists by his side. I was unfazed by his anger. I got even closer and narrowed my eyes at him. I had enough, enough of his apologies. I was tired of hearing about how we were a perfect couple and ought to stay together. We had ignored the elephant in the room for so long now. Asher had stood there acting like he had no memory of my vacation and all the pictures I uploaded. It was time to awaken that memory.

“You’re not special, Asher. You’re not the only one who can evoke such emotion from me…”

His chest was heaving, and then he bared his teeth at me.

I bit my lower lip. “You need to hear how I cried out his name in pleasure…” I said in a soft whisper.

Asher groaned in frustration, and then he lifted me over his shoulders.

“Asher!” I tried to wiggle free from his grasp, but his hold on me was strong. “Asher, put me down!” I yelled. “Now!”

“You wanted a reaction from me, huh?” he asked. “You’re going to get it.”

Before I could say anything else, he lifted my dress. I felt the cold air hit my ass before I realized I had on only a flimsy thong.

“Asher, what-”

His palm connected with my ass cheeks, sending jølts of pain through me.

I gasped in surprise. “Ash-”

“Nice choice of panties for the occasion, flower.”

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