Chapter 16

For once Ivy could feel things were going her way, the feeling only re-enforced when she gets a phone call from the hospital.
“Is this Miss Ivy Stanford?”
“Yes.”
“Ah, Miss Stanford, I’m calling from Aston General Hospital. We have some good news. It seems your mother-Dawn Stanford, I believe; can come in for her chemotherapy. There’s just been a new slot available and she’s first on the list. The appointment’s scheduled for Monday at 12pm, will that be okay?” asks the receptionist.
“Of course, that’s great. Thank you, so much.”
“No problem, just come on down to the Fairdale Ward at 12 on Monday,” she confirms and after exchanging goodbye’s both parties hang up.
She rushes inside the house to announce the good news to her mother and just like she expects Dawn’s face breaks into a wide grin.
Finally, smiles Ivy, things really are going well.

Monday came by quicker than she expected and at lunchtime, she took her mother to her appointment. After the initial tests, they gave her the chemo and released her after making another appointment.

Appointments later and although Ivy could see her mother becoming dangerously weak, she has hope that the therapies are working. However with the test results coming back, the doctors soon diminished that hope.

“I’m afraid the tumour has grown considerably more than we expected. The cancer’s multiplying much too fast and we can only pray that the stronger radiation will work. What we’re going to do is give her short bursts of this high frequency radiation a couple of times a day, for a few days. That will hopefully stop the tumour growth and then we can try remove it. But if it grows any bigger than it is, I’m afraid there’s nothing we can do...She’ll need to be admitted for a few days, so just pack some clothes and belongings for her and drop them off,” instructs the doctor.

Ivy numbly nods, feeling the high from the last few days crash right the way down. She feels so stupid for even holding onto the silver lining of hope. She should have known better. She should have expected that from life. When has life ever given Ivy a break? No matter what she does, it seems fate just hates her. Maybe Ivy could deal with it, if it was directly at her, but why does it have to be her mother? The last relative she has? Her closest, best friend? Why her?
She feels the tears spark at her eyes but Ivy crushes them down. Crying won’t help her mother. Her tears mean nothing; they are a waste of time and energy. Hardening herself again, Ivy returns back home to do as the doctor instructed.

That night, she sits alone in front of the TV. The box playing some kind of show, going on about something Ivy’s not too sure. She hasn’t bothered to pay attention to it, her mind too numb to think of anything but her poor mother. Suddenly her heart felt too heavy, her eyes tears up and soft sobs escape her lips. She wasn’t alone in the world but she certainly felt like it...until the phone beeped. She sighs reading the text from Eli, it’s the first one she’s opened from him since seeing him on Saturday and she can’t help feel a little guilty. She’s completely neglected him and wallowed in herself and mother. Suddenly just as she’s texting him back, he calls her.

“Ivy, why have you been ignoring me?” he demands in a pissed off tone she’s never heard him use before.
“Eli...Eli, can you come over?...Please?” her voice is soft and slightly crackled from hushing sobs. She craves comfort..she craves him.
“Ivy?...Of course. I’ll be right there, sweetheart. You’re at home, right?” He asks gently. He’s never heard her so frail.
“Yeah...” she whispers cutting the line.

Eli doesn’t know what the matter is but he knows when his mate needs him. A few weeks ago, if someone had told him that he’d be rushing off to comfort his girlfriend; he would have laughed at the absurdity and cried out how he-Eli Carter, could ever have a girlfriend and how he wouldn’t be a slave to any woman. But then again, back then, he had no idea what love is. What it’s like to care for someone, to share that emotional bond. But now...now having found his mate, having got to know her, he knows he’ll cross the skies and seas for her-just...just to make sure she’s happy. Anything for her happiness.
His mind spins in the revelation. When did that happen? When did he fall in love with her? Oh his family will have a ball day with that! Eli Carter in love. But then again, at least it’s with his mate. And at least his mate is Ivy Stanford.

Ivy rushes to the door as soon as the first knock is heard. Throwing it open, she snuggles into his warm embrace. Eli stumbles slightly taken by surprise from the little body crashing into him. As he regains his stance, he wraps his arms around the blonde and hugs tight.
“Hey...Okay, now, let’s get inside,” he softly mutters to her, recoiling his arms away.
Ivy too pulls back and gives him a weak smile.
“Of course...Sorry, come on in.”

She leads them onto the couch where he sits and waits patiently for her to explain what’s wrong.
“I’m sorry Eli...I shouldn’t have asked you to come over, you must have been busy. Sorry for spoiling your night, I don’t what’s come over me. I-”
“Stop that,” he interrupts, an arm stretching around her shoulder.
“You can ask me over, anytime, no matter what. Now tell me what’s wrong,” he firmly demands.
Ivy rubs her forehead and cuddles into his warmth, her ear is pressed against his chest, listening to the steady beating of his heart.
“I didn’t mean to ignore you for the last few days. Everything’s been quite hectic, that’s all. Mom’s finally getting her treatment but...” Ivy has to break off and clear her throat, to stop her voice from breaking. God, she internally screams, he must think of her as such a weak sissy. Ivy can’t believe the breakdown she’s having. Never in her life has she let anyone see her as this blubbering mess. Even when her father died, she would silently cry to herself in her room; only wanting to be the pillar for her mother to lean on. And now look at her. Some pillar she is. All cracked and crumbling.

“Tinks...go on, in your own time,” Eli encourages, kissing the top of her head and soothingly rubbing at her shoulder.
“It’s growing too big...the tumour I mean...They have to keep her in for a few days to give her higher frequency radiation...And-And they said that...” she broke into soft sobs causing Eli’s heart to clench. As she buries her face in her hands, Eli knows it must be hard for a woman like her to be crying; a woman who likes to portray themselves as the epitome of strength and toughness. But in a way, he’s glad that it’s him she called first; it’s him that she’s using for comfort and it’s him that she’s trusting.
“Sorry..sorry-”
“Stop apologising, silly girl. You have nothing to be sorry about,” he softly teases causing a faint tinge of pink to splash across her cheeks.
“...They say that, if the treatment doesn’t work...then, there’s nothing they can do,” Ivy whispers the last part in pain and fear.

“Well that’s a big if, isn’t it?” he rhetorically murmurs.
“But it’s one I can’t ignore, Eli. I don’t want to be scared. I don’t want to be frightened. Or worried or weak but...” Ivy breaks into tears again.
“Don’t fight those feelings then, Ivy. It’s okay to be scared, and frightened and worried. You are just human-”
Ivy can’t help snort a chuckle at that.
“-but you’ve got me. And whatever you need, I’m here. Use me...Trust me, I don’t mind being used by you,” winks Eli causing Ivy to chuckle slightly more.

They sit in silence for a while, Eli gently stroking Ivy’s arms while she snuggles into his chest and lies there.
“Feeling better?” he asks gazing down.
“Much. Thank you,” she mutters.
“It’s no problem at all. Now, are you going to be alright in this house, by yourself?”
Ivy hadn’t thought about that. Suddenly the house felt bigger and colder, with Eli being the only heat source.
“Um...” she mutters biting her lip.
“Go pack some things. You can stay with me until your mother gets out,” he commands to her.
“Eli I don’-”
“Ivy, don’t fight me on this. I don’t want you staying alone in this house for who knows how many nights. Pack a bag and come stay with me. I’m not offering, I’m telling you, now get to it,” he demands. 

Ivy pulls out of his hold slightly, eyes wide open with shock. Who is this man?! The Eli she knows would never be so demanding. But...it is a bit of a turn on, seeing him take charge like that for her needs.
“O-Okay...Be right back,” she mutters still a little confused.

Eli grins as she walks away, glad that she’s going to be staying with him for at least a few days. Although the circumstances may not be great, at least she’ll be with him. But even more so than that, she actually complied with his demand. A submissive mate is what he needs and thankfully, the fates haven’t been cruel enough to deny him that.

“How about I make some hot chocolate and we can watch a movie?” Eli suggest, after she dumped her bag in the bedroom.
“Hot chocolate?” grins Ivy, surprised a grown, ‘macho’ man like him would have something like hot chocolate in the house.
“Yep.”
“Sounds good,” she smiles back, going to pick a movie as he makes the drinks.

A few minutes later, both Eli and Ivy were snuggled on the couch watching a movie with hot chocolates in their hand.
“So...are you a Momma’s boy, Eli?” asks Ivy to which Eli can only blush deeply at, causing her to burst into laughter.
“I figured as much-”
“Yeah, I mean who can resist this gorgeous face,” he vainly states with a teasing smile.
“A face that only a mother could love,” retorts Ivy.
“And my millions of adorning-”
Ivy pulls him into a kiss before he can finish the obnoxious sentence he’d started. Pulling back before he can take it up a notch on the passion scale, she gives a light slap on his chest that has him give a short yelp.

“Ow! What was that for?” he cries.
“Being a douche. And the next time you say a douche-y thing you’ll get another slap,” she reprimands.
Eli catches her hand and plants a kiss on there, before pulling her in for a longer kiss.
“As long as I get a kiss every time too, then I don’t care,” he grins.

As the night draws to a close and both yawn in fatigue, Ivy goes to ask Eli for a pillow and a blanket to settle down into the couch.
“You’re not sleeping on the couch-”
“Eli...honestly, it doesn’t matter. I-”
“Stop that and let me be the gentleman my momma raised me to be,” smirks Eli only to have Ivy laugh and shake her head.
“Eli, your fat ass barely fits on the couch. I will take the couch,” she teases.
“ ‘Fat ass’, please, baby, you love my gorgeous derrière,” he retorts, “how about this then? We’re both adults, why don’t we just share the bed?”
“I don’t know,” says Ivy biting her lip and thinking it over. Honestly, she’s not sure if she can deal with sleeping next to his unconscious handsome form all night...besides he is hotter when he’s quiet.
“Unless you don’t think you can keep your hands off me all night,” he smirks.
“Sharing it is,” snaps Ivy with a smirk and quickly gives him a short slap to his chest.
“Hey-”
“I warned you-douche.”
“That’s it. Time for bed, sexy,” he growls leaping up and tossing her over his shoulder. Ivy squeals as he carries her into the bedroom and tosses her onto the bed.

She giggles as her body is enveloped by the soft duvet. Her laughter slowly fades as she watches Eli crawl up beside her, his eyes seeming all the more darker in the dime lightening. The lust and a sparkling of something new catches Ivy’s eyes causing her heart to beat louder, as her body is fuelled with anticipation.

“Eli,” she softly gasps as his lips fall onto hers. The passion, the attraction, the arousal he sends through her from just one passionate kiss is unbelievable. She’s only faintly aware of his body lying on-top of hers, his upper half propped up by an elbow as his lower half rests completely on her. As he continues kissing her, his tongue dancing a dangerous tango with hers, the fires of desire build in her, causing her bare nipples to perk up through the vest top and her p*ssy to throb with need. But she’s not the only one affected and, after weeks of no sex, Eli can feel his own arousal shoot up, as his member twitches in awakening.
His lips part from hers and latch onto that beautiful silky skin at her neck. As one hand runs down her front, he’s surprised when he can feel his fingers brush against a hard little marble under the dark blue loose vest top. Immediately he pulls the material up, desperate to play with those little soldiers.
Ivy doesn’t know what’s come over her, when she actually allows him to throw her top away, leaving her torso bare for him. She knows she doesn’t have the biggest breasts in the world, and they’re more inclined to the side of non-existent, but the way Eli looks at them with such lust, she’s almost convinced they’ve grown about 4 cup sizes.

Eli fights with the part of him that just wants to strip off the rest of her clothing and ravage her, and the other part which wants her begging him to. Then there’s also the large section of him that wants her tied to the bed, blindfolded too maybe and unfortunately his dominant side wins out to the lesser submissive one.

“Ivy do you trust me?” he breathes watching her misty green eyes blink open with confusion.
“Of course, Eli,” she whispers back, a small groan breezing from her lips when his hand softly grasps her pert breast.
“Good. Then I want you to raise your hands up,” he commands, low but firm.
Confused but still filled with lust, Ivy does as he says only to grow even more curious when he reaches towards the side and grasps something. Tying the soft leather around both her wrists she feels him clip it to the bed frame and effectively immobilising her arms.
“Eli, what the hell?!” she cries, the desire momentarily snapping out of her as adrenaline courses through instead, teamed with nerves and excitement.
“Shh...Just close your eyes and trust me,” he responds, calm and controlled. Ivy can see the hardened gaze in his eyes, and knows she’s better off just listening to him. Giving up her sense of sight, she feels silky material cover her eyelids, and being secured by the back of her head. She gulps slightly, knowing that she’s not having her sight back until he deems it so.
“E-Eli...what are you doing? You’re scaring me,” she softly murmurs, fingers grasping around the leather bonds and trying to undo them with little success.

Eli sits up slightly, watching his petite mate, blindfolded and bound, twist and struggle. The sight has a small groan of appreciation leaving his mouth and sending more twitches in his pants.
“Don’t be scared, Tinks...You must have known this was coming. You are after all the soul-mate to a BDSM club manager. You have no idea how many times I’ve dreamt of having you tied and blindfolded like this...I bet...I bet, even you’ve thought about this haven’t you? I bet, even you have-perhaps in the darkest part of your mind-imagined yourself helpless like this at my mercy,” he slowly breathes. His dark, seductive words paired with the low, deep tone of his voice, is like Ivy’s personal saviour, wrapping her up in his embrace and extracting the desire out of her.

Ivy can feel her body heat in lust, her nipples tingling, begging to be toyed with and her core growing ever wetter.
She’s just about to call his name, fearing that he’s just left having received only silence for a few long, antagonising seconds; when suddenly, she feels his rough fingers draw across her cheeks.

“Eli,” she whispers when his finger presses against her lips and silences her.
“Sir...You will address me as Sir, understand, beautiful?”
“Eli sto-”
She doesn’t get a chance to finish as his lips draw her into a rough kiss that when parting leaves her panting.
“What did I just say, sweetheart? You will address me as Sir. Understand?”
“..Yes, Sir,” she mutters, the shivers sparking up her spine.
Eli hisses lightly, feeling his pants and heart tighten at her soft breathless words. Of all the women he’s been with, she truly is the sexiest of them all.
 
“S-Sir...I can’t...You need to let me go, please. I can’t do this...” she gently begs. All of it is such a huge turn on and Ivy’s not sure if she’s strong enough to last.
Eli lays a gentle kiss at her cheek as he rests on-top of her again. He lets his fingers trail down her neck to her breasts and allows his thumb to draw circles around her nipple, never once touching the delicate bud.

Ivy writhes in his hold, the wanton side of her wanting to beg him to give her sweet ecstasy while the cautious side reminds her of the after effects. But just as Ivy’s managing to get her wanton side in line, his thumb flickers over her sensitive nipple and she gasps at the feeling.
He carries on his assault, taking the bud between his fingers and twirling it.
Eli watches in fascination as his fingers grasp at the pink bud. Needing to gauge how sensitive she is, he pulls it sharply causing a groan to come from its owner.
“Oh God...” mutters Ivy the sharp twinge of pain mixing with the throbbing pleasure. The jolt travels all the way through her body, causing her to wonder amongst the swirls clouds of lust; how she can possibly enjoy the pain?!
“You have no idea how damn sexy that noise is...” he murmurs back twisting again and gaining another one of her enticing little groans. However as much as he wants to just drop his mouth onto the small mound calling to him; he knows he must establish a safe word first.

“Sweetheart, I need you to listen very carefully now,” he breathes just below her ear, his fingers still toying with her, gently this time though. Ivy knows that it’s almost an impossibility to ‘listen carefully’ when the damn tease is playing with her. And having had a taste of the pleasurable pain, she hates the softness. Damn bastard, she internally curses at him.

“You see baby, we need a safe word. A word, which I will stop everything at, if you feel too...uncomfortable...What word shall we use, beautiful? Hmm...what do suggest?” he continues, this time nipping her earlobe, whilst pulling her reddening nipple. Ivy gasps at the abruptness and moans at the shot of lust he sends through her.  
“I...whatever, you want...Sir,” whispers back Ivy.
“How about Tinkerbelle?” he grins but gives her no time to reply as he continues, “now, Ivy, you must promise me that from now on, anything like this we do, you will use the safe word, only and only if it’s gets way too much. You have to try hold out as best as you can before using the safe word, understand?”
“Ivy, I asked you a question,” he clips his fingers scratching her breast slightly, causing her to groan and hiss.
“Yes Sir! God, yes, okay, fine!” she yelps.
“Good girl,” he praises, giving her a passionate kiss on her lips. Both his hands close over her breasts, gently massaging the flesh, as his lower half digs into her shorts, the erection protruding thick and strong even with their clothes.

Ivy gives a breathless moan as he pulls away, her hips grinding against him like a cat in heat.
His lips kiss down her neck, down to her tender, red breast that he’s been playing with. He repays her for his cruelness, lapping at the flesh and coating it in his cool saliva. His tongue circles around the tender nipple, as his fingers give the same treatment to her other nipple as the first.

“Oh...Ah, Eli..” she moans making yet another mistake.
“Bad girl,” he mumbles against her hot flesh.
“No..Pleas-Oh! Oh God!” she groans feeling him bite down on one nipple while gently fumbling with the other. The contradicting sensations of pain and pleasure send the ship of her self-restraint crashing again, against the waves of lust.

As Eli continues drowning her breasts in his love, Ivy can feel herself losing control. With her hips grinding harder and harder against his stiff erection and her body throbbing in need; she knows from the tiny corner of her mind, she needs to get this under control. She’s losing a battle part of her doesn’t even want to win, and she doesn’t know how much longer she can hold out.

“Stop...You need to stop...” she softly pants, throwing her head back in pleasure. She can feel Eli’s fingers trail along her abdomen, stroking at her pyjama shorts and she knows that if his fingers even so much as touches her sobbing p*ssy, she’ll be done for. She can’t let that happen.
“Stop!” she cries louder this time but when he doesn’t Ivy’s a mess of confusion. Why won’t he-oh!
“Tinkerbelle,” she groans, half in pleasure, half in frustration at the safe word. Trust him to come up with the most embarrassing word to use for serious situations.

Eli immediately stops, confused and slightly annoyed as to what the matter is. He’s not at all pushing her limits and is hardly causing her any pain, so why is she having him stop?!
Still he’s well versed in the rules and so composing himself he regretfully removes himself from her lithe body and unbinds her arms.
Ivy sits up, immediately ripping off the blindfold and throwing it onto the bed, next to him as she jolts up. Grabbing her top, she marches out of there and into the kitchen.
Eli’s shocked at her sudden exit, he follows her through into his kitchen, where she’s stood, gulping the cold water, with tears rolling down her cheeks.

“Ivy?” he cautiously asks.
Ivy doesn’t know what to feel. She’s partially mad at him; mad that he only offered his company, for sexual interactions in return, angry for the sleezeball move. But she’s also partially angry at herself for not being able to let him ravage her. Any other normal girl would be ecstatic to have a man like Eli bring them to orgasm. But Ivy...
“What kind of a sleazy move is that, Eli? You welcome me in and then try get in my pants like that?! You know what I think I’ll just go hom-”
Eli grasps her arm firmly and pulls her back before she can just run away from him again, like that.
“No...No. You’re going to stay right here, Ivy,” he roughly demands, then pulling her chin up to stare at her defiant eyes he says, “and you’re going to listen to me, because I won’t have you spouting this nonsense.”
“It’s not nonsense when it’s true, Eli,” she spits back, her angry misplaced towards him.
“You’re my girlfriend and I want you here with me. And while I’m here I will not allow you to be all alone in that house for however many nights. I didn’t have the intention of having sex with you, for now at least, and tonight I never would have, even if you’d let me carry on. Can’t you see that it was for you? That I wanted to make you feel good; I wanted to make you forget... Now I don’t know what the matter is, so I don’t know what I’m doing wrong, unless you tell me, and since we’ve established you won’t yet-don’t you dare be angry at me.”

Ivy drops her head and sighs before looking back at him.
“You’re right. I mean you have every right to want to do things like that, and I’m sorry. I’m not mad at you...I’m just...nothing, I’m sorry,” she firmly states clenching her jaw and willing no more tears to spill. God, how much crying has she done today?!
“Come here, sweetheart,” sighs Eli pulling her into his embrace. He’s absolutely hating not knowing the problem, but perhaps, tonight’s too much to delve into that. Instead, he’ll give her the comfort she needs and strengthen her trust in him.
“I’m sorry Eli,” she mumbles into him as he plants a kiss on her soft blonde locks.
“Perhaps I shouldn’t have done that tonight, sweetheart...I’m sorry...Now let’s go to bed, just bed this time,” he grins scooping her petite body into his arms and carrying her like his bride into the bedroom.

A/n Probably next chapter where we have the big 'reveal', not sure yet. Thanks for all the comments so far and votes and reads, I promise that I do read every single comment! They just get too overwhelming sometimes to reply to. But if anyone really, really wants me to reply to something-inbox me! And thank you for reading. 

P.S. No guessing guys! *Unless you wanna inbox me* XD