His long, slender fingers slid into her hair, and his thumb rubbed her cheek—not exactly tenderly. Then he leaned down and pressed a kiss to her lips.

Ivy blinked, and once he pulled back, she asked, "Was that supposed to comfort me?"

With a ‘bashful’ smile, she added, "The only time I get hurt is when it’s someone I actually care about. I stopped caring about Richard ages ago. Honestly, even if he dropped dead right now, I wouldn’t feel a ...