The sun rays peeked inside the room through the curtains, spreading their light and warmth. Though it was a minute past seven, it still seemed to be dawn. It was the time of autumn and the cold was making its presence known slowly. Ivy, who was deep asleep, rolled on her bed, diving right into Joshua's arms. And the man welcomed her with vigor and excitement.

His sleep had vanished the moment his AI, Alvis had signaled him about an email from one of his clients that needed his immediate attention. After dealing with the message, Joshua had returned to bed to find Ivy lost in the slumberland. There was a small smile on her face while she continued to dream, which Joshua wished to be about him.

Shifting to lie down beside her, with his weight on his left hand, Joshua watched her sleep, admiring her features as time ticked by. He pushed back the stray hairs that had fallen over her cheeks and caressed her soft cheeks, before pecking them lightly. His eyes then drifted down to her lips and his heart yearned to have a taste of them. However, he knew that this wish of his would wake up Ivy and that was the last thing he had mind.

The previous night, Ivy had stayed up late, her work taking most of her time away. Joshua could not help sulk remembering about it. He had made full plans to spend some quality time with her, although that was what they every day, after work. He wanted to spice things up in the bedroom and take the next step. But all his desires went down the drain when he found Ivy focused on her work. He knew about her schedule and he did not blame her.

The launch of Noah's new news agency was just around the corner and given how all the responsibilities had been dropped on Ivy and her friends, he could not help but pity her and worry for her. Though he wanted to help her, he had no idea how the mass media worked. He could only sit at the side and watch her work while she arranged the information she had collected over time.

It had been somewhere past two when Ivy had stopped working. Her neck had gone numb with pain and she tried to twist it, trying to soothe the pain. Her eyes immediately fell on Joshua who was sleeping on the chair behind her, with his head lolling to the side. Warmth filled her heart to find him supporting her and giving her the space she needed rather than imposing his desires on her.

Ivy had guessed what the man wanted from her long ago and she knew that it was just a matter of time before they took the last step. Seeing the man control himself and giving her the choice to choose touched her greatly, and she thanked her luck for finding such a considerate man as her partner. Unable to stop herself any longer, she got up from her chair and went to him. Running a hand through his soft hair, she leaned down and pressed her lips on his.

Ivy wanted to end it with just a peck but before she could back off, Joshua held her by her neck and deepened the kiss, stunning her. Her eyes widened in shock. Her hands were frozen in the air while Joshua deepened the kiss and pulled her to him. Ivy did not know how, but after a minute she found herself sitting on Joshua's lap, with her legs straddling him.

Ivy had no choice but to give in to him and allow him to kiss her. She started to kiss him back and pushed herself closer to him, her frozen hands getting into action at once. She locked her fingers around his neck and the couple kissed each other with want and passion. Other than nibbling and sucking on her lips, Joshua did not extend it any further. He knew that he was bound to lose control if this continued. So, he stopped immediately after having kissed her to his heart's content, although that was not the truth.

Joshua released her lips and hugged her, taking a whiff of her scent to calm his excited heart. "Finally," He breathed. "I was wondering when you would kiss me."

"What do you mean?" Ivy tried to pull back and take a look at him but the man was adamant to hug her and keep her this way. So, she could only sit still in his embrace and run her hands on his back.

"I could feel your heated gaze on me when you were done with work. It was as though you wanted to strip me naked and eat me, savoring me bit by bit." Joshua teased and kissed her neck. Ivy had tied her hair in a bun making it easy for him to access her beautiful neck.

This time, Ivy forced herself back and hit him on his chest. "What nonsense are you blabbering? I never intended to do anything like you are claiming."

"Don't lie, baby. I know what was running in your mind when you gazed at him with your hungry eyes."

"Then, you must have also read my mind when I cursed you and wanted to kick you in the shin." Ivy raised her eyebrow and folded her hand, still sitting on his lap.

"Why would you do that?" Joshua almost cried and pushed her closer seeing her lean back so that she could have a clear look at him.

"Because you are annoying as hell."

"But you like this characteristic of me. Am I right?"

"What can I do? I cannot ask you to kill your charms, right? I'll consider your annoying nature as one of your charms."

Joshua smiled hearing her words and he got up. He had noticed Ivy stifling her yawn as well as her tired eyes. She was struggling to keep herself awake. Ivy yelped on being lifted suddenly and she clamped her legs around his waist.

"Joshua, what are you doing?" She patted his shoulders in protest. "Put me down."

Joshua ignored her question completely. The door to the study was already open. So, he kept his eyes on her as he continued walking. "Do you find me charming?"

"What?" Ivy stopped struggling and stared at him in shock, perplexed by his question. "Why are you behaving strangely today?"

"Answer me, baby. Do you find me charming?"

Deciding to be honest with him this once, Ivy stared at him in the eye. "Yes, I find you very charming. You are the most charming man on this earth and I am very fortunate to have you."

"Ivy," Joshua said in all seriousness. "I did not know you were this head over heels with me. I did not expect it." His one statement was enough for the loving atmosphere to break and Ivy narrowed her eyes in anger.

"And, all that I said just now was a joke. It was a lie." Ivy added and this time, she yawned out loud. By then, they had reached the bedroom and Joshua gently dropped her on the bed.

"I'll take care of you when you are well rested. Now go to sleep." He laid down beside her and pulled her into his embrace. Seeing that she was about to protest, he did not forget to add, "If I find you still awake after two minutes or if I hear one word from your mouth, I am going to assume that your filled with energy. If that is the case, let us exercise on the bed and I am sure after the session, you will be depleted of all the energy."

Joshua threatened her and Ivy did have to be a genius to guess what exercise he was talking about. She did not want to provoke him, not when she was dead tired. She closed her eyes like an obedient girl and in the blink of an eye, she slipped into dreamland. Joshua peeked at her on not hearing her voice, only to find her deep in sleep. His lips lifted up and he kissed her forehead, a gesture which Ivy had no idea about.

Returning back to the present time, Joshua continued to watch her, and the moment she rolled towards him, he welcomed her with open arms. 'It feels so great to have you in my arms.' He sighed lightly and kissed her cheek. 'You will always belong in my arms, Ivy. I love you.' He patted her back and embraced her tight.

Joshua had no idea how long he had been staying this way. It was not until he heard Ivy groan that he let her go. "Joshua, you are suffocating me." She protested weakly and Joshua loosened his hold on her, still holding her in his embrace. "What time is it?" She spoke, her sexy morning voice igniting a desire in him.

"Some time past seven. Sleep a little more." He coaxed her gently and his soft caresses lulled her to sleep immediately. Seeing her sleep like a baby in his arms, he too closed his eyes. However, right at that moment, the intercom rang, killing the silence in the house.

The sudden noise made Ivy frown and she tried to move away from his embrace. Joshua ignored the ringing and held her in his arms. But the ringing did not stop and now, he too frowned wondering who had come to visit him this early. The maid only came to clean the house in the afternoon and none of his friends visited him unannounced.

He could not ignore it any further when the intercom buzzed again. So, he released Ivy's hands around his waist. After making sure that she was still sleeping, he got up. Not caring about his disheveled look and messy hair, he left the room and opened the door. He was ready with curse words, irked at being disturbed first thing in the morning. But what he saw made him lose his mind and his jaw dropped in surprise.

"Mom, Dad, what are you doing here?"

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Hello Readers,

We have crossed 400 chapters. Please do drop a review about the progress of the story and tell me what you feel. It will help me to improve and write better.

Thank you very much.