Page 151 of The Dating Ban

“You do realise what else this means, don’t you?” he murmurs, his voice low and knowing.

I blink up at him sleepily. “What else what means?”

He smirks, running his fingers lazily down my arm. “You being Lucy’s mum now.”

I raise an eyebrow. “Go on.”

“Well,” he starts, his smirk deepening, “if the rule is that mums and dads sleep in the same room…” He pauses for effect. “It’s about time you officially moved in with us.”

I push up onto one elbow, searching his face, trying to figure out if he’s just teasing. “Theo, you don’t have to offer. I’m already here most nights anyway.”

He shakes his head, shifting so he’s looking at me properly. “We don’t want you most nights, Ivy.” He tucks a strand of hair behind my ear, his touch slow, deliberate. “We want you every night.”

My heart stumbles.

He’s serious.

This isn’t just a casual suggestion. This isn’t just convenience.

He means it.

Theo is looking at me, waiting, his expression open and hopeful, like he’s already decided that I belong here, with them. With him.

And the thing is—he’s right.

Because I do belong here. I’ve belonged here for a while now, haven’t I? It’s just that neither of us put it into words until now. I exhale a slow breath, my heart pounding but steady, and nod.

“Yeah,” I say softly. “I’ll move in.”

Theo’s lips curve into a slow, satisfied smile. “Yeah?”

I roll my eyes at his need for confirmation, but I’m grinning. “Yes, Theo. I’ll move in.”

His grin turns wolfish, and before I can brace myself, he rolls us over, pressing me into the mattress, his weight settling over me in the best way.

“Well, finally,” he murmurs against my skin, his lips ghosting over my jaw, my cheek, the corner of my mouth.

I laugh, threading my fingers through his hair. “Oh, I’m sorry—was I keeping you waiting?”

He chuckles, low and rough, and something about the sound sends a shiver down my spine.

“You have no idea,” he mutters, before finally capturing my mouth with his.

The kiss is slow at first, teasing, full of quiet knowing. Because this is different. This isn’t rushed, or uncertain, or full of the tension we used to dance around.

Theo deepens the kiss, his hands roaming, exploring, like he’s trying to memorise me all over again.

I arch into him, sighing into his mouth, and he makes a low, desperate sound in response, like he can’t get enough of me.

Like he never will.

I pull back slightly, my breath uneven. “You do realise that now that I live here, you’re going to get sick of me?”

Theo smirks, his lips trailing down my throat, leaving soft, lazy kisses that make my stomach flip. “Not a chance.”

“You say that now—”

He silences me with another kiss, this one deeper, hotter, full of something deliciously possessive.

And God, if this is what moving in means, I’m never leaving this bed.

Ivy and Theo will be back when Jasper and Geoff each find their happily-ever-after