20
Walker
Life’s a fucking weird thing. One minute, you’re balls deep inside of the woman you love, staring into her eyes as you both come together, all while the rest of the world melts away. And for a while there, it really does seem like it’s just the two of you. But then, the next thing you know, you’re at your uncle’s, and he springs on you that he’s brought the chick he’s demanding you to marry here early.
Gia sits across from me on the patio. Her brown eyes cut into mine, but I can’t look at her directly. Her dark hair is perfectly curled, just like it always is when I see her. Her outfit consists of designer clothes pressed to perfection.
She’s a ten by anyone’s standards. She comes from old, old money. For her entire life, she’ll want for nothing, as will I once we tie the knot.
“You can stop ignoring me. I don’t want to be here either, you know,” she whispers, taking a sip from her sweet tea. “Believe it or not, living in the United States, married to a toothless hockey player, isn’t exactly my childhood dream.”
I open my mouth, pointing inside. “I have all my teeth, wife,” I answer sarcastically with a scoff.
“Yeah, for now.” She rolls her eyes. “Look, we had sex. It was fun. I enjoyed myself. But this?” She waves her hand between us. “I don’t want to be your fiancée or wife, Walker.”
“Gee, thanks.” I feign being hurt.
She gives me a pointed look. “What girl would want to marry a dude who is clearly spoken for?” She shakes her head at me. “You couldn’t be more emotionally unavailable if you were a rock.”
I sit up straighter. I just assumed before today that she was on board with this entire thing. I guess I should have asked sooner.
“So, you’re saying you don’t want this either?” I glance toward the door to make sure Uncle Fucking Titty Man isn’t listening. “Like, you don’t want to get married and all that happy horseshit?”
“Hell. No,” she says quickly before inching closer to me. “What deal did you make? You know…to end up in this situation.”
“I’ll tell you mine if you tell me yours,” I utter, widening my eyes. “Go on, girl. What do you get out of this fucking mess that they’ve created for us?”
She looks down, picking at her nails. “My father will pay for the boy I love to attend college. Something that certainly would not have happened if I hadn’t agreed to this.” She shrugs. “When do you think enough will be enough? Both of them are already powerful and rich. Why on earth do they need to join forces?”
“Because they are greedy,” I say matter-of-factly because it’s the fucking truth. “And with people like that, nothing will ever be enough.”
“So, go on then.” She raises a perfectly shaped dark brow. “I told you my secret. Tell me yours.”
I huff out a breath, sitting back in my seat further. “This girl, Poppy, she got in a bit of a mess. I needed to make sure she was protected. And that the people who hurt her were taken care of.” I pull my sunglasses down. “And now, well, here we are.”
She gives me a small smile. “You love this girl, correct?”
“Yeah,” I say instantly. “What’s it matter though?” I jerk my chin toward the house. “He’ll make sure that if she’s tied to me in any way, she’ll never dance for any major company.”
“Did he say that?”
“He didn’t have to,” I deadpan. “I know how my uncle’s mind works. And if I go against this deal—a deal I agreed to—Poppy can forget chasing her dreams. So can I. He’d never let it happen.”
She opens her mouth to speak, but before she can, Natasha and Beckett walk out onto the patio with Gia’s parents close behind her.
“Look at y’all coupled up,” Beckett drawls, taking a sip from his whiskey. “Guess it’s a good thing that your daddy and I talked, Miss Gia.” He smirks from her to me. “Y’all are getting married early.”
“What?” Gia blurts out, standing abruptly and throwing her hands up into the air.
I just sit there, tossing my head back, not really surprised at all.
“Papa, is this true?”
“My dear, Walker’s hockey schedule is very grueling,” Beckett chimes, coming beside me and putting his hand on my shoulder. “Isn’t that right, nephew? But he has tonight and tomorrow off. So, that means…it’s the perfect time for a wedding.”
“I don’t want to marry Gia, Beckett,” I growl, finally standing, and I tower over him by a few inches. “And she sure as hell doesn’t want to marry me.”
“Well, unlucky for you, both of you knew this was part of our agreement.” He shrugs, sipping down the rest of his drink.
As always, Natasha says absolutely nothing. She just stands there with her long, silky blonde hair brushed over her shoulders. A stoic look on her face, though she smiles when he looks her way, as if on cue.
“Papa,” Gia cries, going in front of her father, “I am your only daughter. How can you do this to me?” Her head swings toward her mom. “Mama, you can’t possibly be all right with any of this, can you?”
There’s no denying the look of sadness that crosses her mother, Serena’s, face. But when her husband squeezes her hand, it quickly vanishes.
“Your mother agrees that this will be a good thing for you, princess.” He looks from his wife to his daughter. “Right, Serena?”
“Yes,” she barely chirps. “Walker will make a good husband,” she says, her eyebrows barely pulling together with emotion. “Everyone is not this lucky, you know.”
“You call this lucky?” Gia hisses, looking around at the people who are supposed to be our role models. “You all make me sick. Papa, when will enough be enough? Now what? You need to attach me to Walker James because you think there’s a good chance he’s going pro, and you’re going to try to use him to build your sports connections here in the States?” Her nostrils flare. “I am so disappointed in you. I really am.”
She takes off, running into the house, and I glare at Beckett.
“She’s right. This is fucking insanity.” I step closer to him, tossing my arms out at my sides. “You can do whatever you want to do to me. I’m not playing your games anymore.”
His dark eyes stare into mine. “Oh, what? You think you have a choice?” He chuckles, looking around at everyone else. “If you love your sister or…what’s the name of that nice piece of ass? Right, Poppy. Daughter of a drug dealer. If you love either of them or care just a smidgen”—he holds his fingers up—“you’ll cooperate, Walker. Because I promise you, things can get really ugly, really quick.”
The old Walker would have beaten the fuck out of him until he could hardly move. But that was before Beckett knew Poppy. And had complete control over Briar. The stakes are too high for me to act stupid right now.
“You’re a fucking prick,” I growl.
Backing away, I head into the house, slamming the door before putting my fist through the drywall.
Maybe we will have to go through with this wedding, but in the end, they never mentioned we weren’t allowed to get a divorce.
*********
Poppy
I walk back from the coffee shop, feeling completely defeated and annoyed. Walker left this morning to go to his uncle’s, and I have yet to hear from him since. I’ve texted him, but the messages aren’t going through. And I have this bad feeling deep inside my gut that something isn’t right.
A car stops next to me, instantly putting me on edge, but I’m thankful that it’s daytime and the streets are full of other students walking to and from places.
The tinted window, so dark that I can’t see into it, rolls down, and Hudson’s stoic face stares back at me, stopping me in my tracks.
Jerking his head toward the passenger side, he rests his hand on the steering wheel. “Get in.”
Maybe it’s because I know he’s no threat or I’m desperate to find out where Walker is. Whatever it is, I bolt to the truck and climb inside.
“What’s going on?” I ask, buckling my seat belt. “Why are you here?”
“I’m here because, in a little bit, Walker will be at the arena for practice—but he won’t be alone.” He side-glances at me. “Beckett and Walker’s soon-to-be father-in-law have set up their wedding for tomorrow.” He looks ahead again. “Walker’s a good kid. And if he marries that girl, he’ll be miserable. I can’t let it happen.” He blows out a long breath. “I have dirt on his uncle. Enough dirt to bury him so deep that he’ll never resurface.” He pulls into the arena parking lot, parking between two cars. “Let’s stop this shit, yeah?”
Stunned, I relax my head back on the headrest before nodding. “Yeah,” I mutter with wide eyes. “Yeah, okay. Just tell me what to do, and I’ll do it.”
“First things first. You need to get Walker alone. If I know that hothead, he’s on the verge of losing his shit. He needs to pretend like he’s going with the flow.” When he sees the irritation on my face, he shrugs. “It’s the only way my plan will work. We can’t set off any red flags.”
“Fine,” I whisper and notice Hudson’s eyes focus on something behind me.
I turn slowly and watch Walker and a girl I’ve never seen getting out of his truck before heading toward the arena. Neither smiles, but it doesn’t matter. Physically seeing him with her hurts my heart.
She’s beautiful with her long, dark hair and the perfect amount of curves. And there’s no missing her ultra-trim stomach that pokes out from her crop top that’s matched perfectly with her leggings and cardigan, falling from one shoulder. I look down at my Hanes crewneck and my leggings and cringe. My hair is pulled into a messy ponytail because I’ve been working all day. Something I’m sure she doesn’t have to do. But I can’t hate her for that. This isn’t her fault.
“Now, I can see why he’s ignored my messages all day,” I huff out, watching as they disappear inside the arena doors, sulking like a baby.
“Nah, I’m sure Dr. Boobman blocked your number,” he answers nonchalantly. “Walker called me earlier. He said the same thing about you. That you weren’t answering his messages either. Didn’t take long for me to assume his uncle is severing all connections.”
My hands ball up, my fingernails digging into my palms, and I groan. “That man is a major controlling douchebag.”
Hudson leans forward on the steering wheel. “He’s worse than that, babe. He’s a monster. I’ve watched him do shit for years, and I’ve always just stayed out of it. Not anymore.”
Unbuckling my safety belt, I turn my body toward him. “And Briar? Does this have anything to do with her?” I say as gently as possible, not wanting to make him uncomfortable.
He stiffens before his shoulders slump the slightest bit. Something I’ve never seen in Hudson because he’s always been so strong and sturdy. Someone who seems untouchable.
“She’s too far gone, I’d say,” he mutters. “Walker’s fighting his uncle. I know he is. Briar gave up. She threw in the towel long ago.” He turns the key to his truck, killing the engine. “Come on, girl. Walker’s always telling stories about how feisty you are. I haven’t seen it yet. So, show me that fierceness. He saved you, and now, it’s time for you to save him back.”
His words hit me like a ton of bricks. Maybe I’m not as tough as I used to be. Maybe I have relied on Walker James to make everything okay. But not anymore. Right now, it’s my turn to be the hero for once in my life.
Hudson strolls in behind me, heading into the stadium, and when a few coeds walk by, I don’t miss the smirks they throw his way or the drool that runs down their chins as they look him up and down. Hudson’s got that broody bad-boy look to him. And I honestly can’t imagine him with good-girl Briar at all. But he’s attractive and incredibly smart, and she’s beautiful and quirky, so, hey, I guess it works. Or did until she went and got engaged to someone else.
“Heads-up,” Hudson mutters from behind me.
Off to the side, where the apparel shop is, I can barely see Gia approaching us.
I slowly breathe, begging for her not to notice me. But then again, why should I worry? I doubt she even knows who I am.
“Poppy,” she calls, quickly walking toward us. “Is that you?”
Swinging my gaze toward her, I’m so freaking mad at myself for not being better dressed today. Or curling my hair and maybe applying a little freaking mascara.
Would it have hurt you to just try not to look like you live in a trash can?
Smoothing my clothes out, I stand a little taller and look toward her. “Yes?”
Hudson doesn’t speak, but he stays close, observing intently.
“I thought that was you,” she says with a smile. “Walker has shown me pictures before.” She rolls her eyes playfully but giggles. “My fiancé sure likes to talk about another woman to me a lot.”
Right now, I don’t know if she’s a threat or an ally. I don’t know her. I have no clue what her intentions are. So, I’m not about to let my guard down.
“Umm…okay?” I shrug. “I’m actually headed to him now, so…” I take a step, and she stops me.
“Look, I don’t blame you for giving me the cold shoulder. When we slept together, we were both drunk and hurting, and it just happened.”
My eyes must widen to the size of dinner plates, and I feel sick.
“When the fuck did you sleep with Walker?” I hiss, all but frothing at the mouth.
Her face turns beet red, and her eyes fly to Hudson’s before mine again. “A very long time ago. I thought…I assumed that’s why you didn’t want to talk to me. I’m so sorry. I thought…I thought you knew.”
“Nope,” I say quickly. “Sure didn’t.”
I walk around her, but her hand catches mine, and I spin around.
“Look, I don’t know what the hell your deal is. Coming in here with your fancy clothes, hair extensions, and fake lashes, but back. The. Fuck. Up.”
I swear I hear Hudson chuckle, but I don’t take my eyes off Gia long enough to find out.
“I’m sorry,” she whispers. “If it’s any consolation, he had his eyes shut the entire time. And when it was over…” She pauses when she sees me squeeze my eyes shut, not wanting to imagine Walker and her together that way. In any way actually. “He couldn’t get away from me fast enough. And when I found him after, he was alone, looking at a picture of you.” She smiles sadly. “You were dancing in your ballet attire. It was…a beautiful photo.”
“Do you want to marry Walker?” I mutter, keeping my face like stone.
“No,” she says, quickly shaking her head. “I’m in love with someone else. But my father and his uncle only see what they want and what can give them an advantage.” She sighs. “Trust me, even if I didn’t have a boyfriend, I’d never want a man who is in love with another person the way he’s in love with you.”
I stare at her for a long beat, searching for any signs of bullshit. But much to my surprise, my bullshit alarm never goes off.
“I need to go to Walker,” I whisper, looking behind her at the clock. Luckily, that boy is always extremely early to practice, leaving me over fifteen minutes to talk to him. “Apparently, Beckett has blocked my number. Walker’s probably still getting changed. Can you call him and ask him to go to the film room?”
Quickly pulling her phone out, she puts it to her ear. After a few words, she looks at me and nods. “He’s on his way.”
“Thank you,” I utter and look at Hudson. “I’ll be right back.”
He bobs his head up and down once. “I’ll be right here.”
And then I bolt toward the film room. Because, as always, the clock is ticking, and I can’t waste another second.
*********
Walker
I have no clue why Gia needs me to come see her, but given how fucking weird this day has been, I hurry to get there.
I push the door open, and my breath dies in my lungs when I spot Poppy standing in the center of the dim room. Her eyes are filled with sadness, excitement, and even some anger.
“Hi,” I say, closing the door and locking it behind me.
“I need to say some things.” She fiddles with her hands. “What I want to say is, how the hell did you sleep with Gia and God knows who else while we were apart?” She looks mad, shaking her head. “I waited for you. I didn’t even kiss another man because I was waiting for you.” Pulling in a deep breath, she slowly lets it out, closing her eyes.
“Poppyseed—”
Opening her eyes, she stops me. “We don’t have time for that. So, just listen, and later, once this shitstorm blows over, you can bow at my feet and tell me how fucking sorry you are,” she hisses. “From this moment until the ceremony, you need to be calm. You need to go with the flow and get along with Beckett and Gia’s parents.”
“What?” I scowl. “Why would I do that?”
Walking toward me, she angles her chin up, exposing her neck, begging me to run my tongue down it.
“Because Hudson and I have a plan. And I promise, if you can play it cool until tomorrow, we will take care of the rest. Okay?” Her eyes soften. “Do you trust me?”
“Fuck yes, I do,” I whisper. “You’re the only person I trust.”
“Good.” She nods.
My eyes roam her face, working down her body. She’s so unbelievably fucking pretty. Even right now, when she’s just come from work, she takes the breath right from my lungs.
Reaching down, I graze my thumb along her cheek, swiping it over her bottom lip. “I’ll bow at your feet right now, Poppyseed.” I swallow thickly when her breath hitches. “I can’t take back the times I’ve fucked up, but let me try to make it up to you.”
Slowly, I hook my thumbs under my sweatpants and pull them down enough for my cock to spring free. Backing up to one of the chairs, I pull her along with me before I sit down.
Reaching forward, I slide my hand between her legs until my fingers sink inside her heat, and she moans. Looking up at her, I rake my bottom lip between my teeth.
“You’re fucking soaked, baby. After one day, were you already missing my cock?”
“No,” she growls. “I’m too mad to miss anything about you right now.”
I don’t smirk, though I want to. Because, goddamn, she’s fucking hot when she’s pissed off.
Moving my fingers in and out of her quicker, I glide my free hand under her sweatshirt and grip her breast before pulling her toward me. Shoving her top up and over her breasts, I run my tongue around her nipple, biting gently before releasing.
“Don’t worry, baby. When you’re riding my dick in a few seconds, while I move in and out of that tight, drenched pussy … you’ll forget you’re mad.”
I pull her onto me, and she slowly drops herself down, taking me inch by inch, making me shiver.
“Put your hands behind the chair,” she growls. “And don’t move a fucking muscle.” Bringing her mouth to mine, she glares down at me. “And don’t you dare make a sound. You don’t deserve that.”
I think my cock hardens even more, if possible, when she commands me before her hips start to move.
“This isn’t for you, Walker. This is for me. Do you understand?” She fucks me harder, rocking back and forth and moving up and down, her pussy soaking my cock before sucking me back inside. “You don’t deserve to come, but if you’re a good boy and let me fuck your cock until I come, I might just let you.” She leans down, biting down on my neck—hard. “And that’s only because I want to walk past Gia and know that your cum is dripping from my body instead of hers.”
Holy. Fucking. Shit. I groan, unable to help myself.
I’m always the one in control. That’s how I like it too. At least, I thought I did. But this right here? Poppy taking exactly what she wants, and what she wants is her pussy full of my dick? I like this. No, I fucking love it.
She throws her head back, and her legs curl behind her as she rides me. I feel her begin to clench around my length, making my balls tingle and my vision grow dark. A few soft moans escape her lips, and her movements slow just as my seed spills inside of her, filling every fucking part of her tight pussy.
She grows still, and she looks down at me, sucking in air. “I’m still mad at you.”
“If that’s your punishment, I think I’m okay with that,” I say, and she swats me.
“You’re an asshole,” she grumbles.
“Yeah, I know.” I lean up, kissing her. “I swear, I’m going to make it up to you. All of it.”
Nodding slowly, she smiles. “I know.”