Chapter 47
brOOKES
Walking into my house feels different now. Everything has changed since I was last here, three days ago. Funny how three days can feel like a lifetime. This place suddenly feels a lot less cavernous and whole lot more like a home than it ever has before, and it’s all because of Poppy.
Poppy takes off her sunglasses and walks around me, wheeling her suitcase with her, and I reach out and snag her wrist, causing her to stop.
“What’s wrong?” she asks, looking up at me.
“Where do you think you’re going?” I arch a curious brow.
She looks from me to her case and back again. “To put my stuff in my room.”
With a cocky smirk, I shake my head slowly, and without saying a word, I point. She glances at the stairs, then turns back to me, her eyebrows tugging together, that adorable little crease burrowing between them.
I close the distance between us, placing my hands on her rounded hips. and looking down at her, I breathe her in. Even after a flight, she still smells like sunshine and perfection. “I want you upstairs with me…”
Her eyebrows jump. “In your room?”
I nod. “Every goddamn night.”
Her cheeks flood with pink and she pulls her lips between her teeth, biting back her smile. “I’ve never even been upstairs.”
“Well, let me give you the grand tour,” I say, sliding my fingers down her arm and enveloping her hand. “There’s not a lot up there. Just a spare room, my office, and your new bedroom.”
Poppy giggles as I lead her upstairs, taking them two at a time. When we clear the landing, I look at her over my shoulder, grinning wide and towing her with me before shoving open the doors at the end.
My room takes up more than half the upstairs of the house, opening to a small area with a couch I never sit on and walls of shelves that contain books I’ve never opened.
Continuing through the walkway with his and hers dressing rooms lining either side—the hers dressing room noticeably empty—we come out to my sleeping area, where my huge bed faces a wall of glass that looks out over the ocean.
A slatted wall opens to my bathroom, with its huge tub and shower big enough for ten people, surrounded by more walls of glass with the same ocean view, one that also dips down to the side of the property, looking over the lush tropical gardens.
“Oh, wow, Brookes.” Poppy sighs, taking it all in, the late afternoon sun kissing her golden skin. “I thought the guest suite was nice, but this is crazy…”
I turn, ducking down and wrapping my arms around her waist. “You look good in my room, Pops.”
Pulling back enough to gauge me with a droll smirk, she rolls her eyes. “Anyone ever tell you you’re a sweet talker.”
“Only for you, baby girl,” I quip, pressing my lips to hers.
She wraps her arms around my neck, holding onto me, and I take the chance to deepen the kiss, sliding my tongue into her warm, sweet mouth, reveling in her sounds.
The need to claim her, take her in every part of this space that’s only ever been for me, is more than real, my cock aching.
But, of course, the second I push one of the skinny straps of her tank top off her shoulders and start kissing my way down over the swell of her breast, the goddamn doorbell rings, the shrill sound ricocheting through the house.
“Fuuuck…” I groan, burying my face in Poppy’s neck.
She laughs, playfully shoving me off.
I readjust myself in my shorts, hissing at the discomfort when the damn doorbell chimes again. “Fuck’s sake.”
“Do you want me to answer it?” Poppy smirks, one brow arching, her eyes dancing as they dip down to the obvious tent pitched in my crotch.
“I’ve got it,” I mutter. “Probably just security checking in now that I’m back.” Leaning in, I press a kiss to her cheek and hurry back downstairs.
But when I open the door, I’m not met with security. I’m met with Jonesy and Lori standing there. On my doorstep. And I can’t help but jump back because what the fuck?
“Well, hi there, baby!” Lori shrieks, inviting herself in and wrapping me in her arms and a cloud of her sweet perfume.
“Oh… h-hey, guys…” is the best I can manage, returning her embrace with an undoubtedly awkward one-armed hug.
“I brought steaks!” Jonesy shouts by way of greeting, holding a huge wrapped parcel in the air as he shuffles over the threshold, shoving the meat at me.
Taking it, I close the front door as if on autopilot, murmuring a low and entirely sarcastic, “Please, do come in.”
“Well now, look at you and that enviable tan, you adorable cutie pie!” I turn to find Poppy freezing at the bottom step, her eyes wide and the hint of an awkward smile pulling at her lips as she’s swallowed up by Lori’s long arms.
And, as Jonesy and Lori make themselves at home, I look down at the meat in my hands, sighing and shaking my head to myself because I guess we’re having Jonesy and Lori over for a steak dinner. And I guess christening the bedroom will have to wait. Sometimes, all you can do is laugh.
After dinner, Jonesy is regaling everyone with some story from when he was competing back in the fucking eighteen hundreds or whenever it was.
I’m not really listening. First of all, I’ve heard the story about his legendary hole in one on the most infamous par five in Northern Ireland at least six times.
But mostly, I couldn’t concentrate to listen even if I wanted to; the way Poppy idly drags her nails up and down my forearm as it rests on the arm of my chair has caused my dick to be hard as stone for the last ten minutes.
I check the time on my watch, spearing a glance at Jonesy. Surely, it’s past his bedtime.
“Oh, y’all are just too stinkin’ cute!” Lori shrieks, interrupting her husband.
I glance sideways to see Poppy’s cheeks flush in the adorable way that they do when the attention is on her.
“Aren’t they cute, baby?”
“Eh?” Jonesy grunts, holding a hand around his ear.
Lori rolls her eyes with a muttered, “Lord, give me strength. Poppy and Brookes!” she shouts, pointing at us. “Aren’t they cute?”
“She is,” Jonesy huffs, offering me a wry once over. “Can’t say too much for this knucklehead.”
I say nothing, offering him a deadpan look in return.
“Did you get that acrylic cutter yet?” Lori asks, speaking to Poppy.
“Oh, no.” Poppy shakes her head. “Not yet.”
Lori smiles.
“Why?” Poppy asks, clearly confused, and same girl.
“Well,” Lori begins, shifting in her chair, squaring her shoulders, suddenly smug as hell, and I can’t wait for this.
“I was speaking to June Bug yesterday…” She pauses for effect.
“And she just so happened to tell me that she wants to stock the entire Pretty Poppy range right there in her boutique.” Lori slaps the table, beaming around the table at all of us.
Poppy gasps and turns to me, her eyes incredulously wide. “Are… are you serious?” She gapes at Lori. “My earrings? In her… high-end boutique?” She scoffs, stammering on a breath.
Lori nods, her smile turning watery. “Yes, baby.”
“Oh my God!” Poppy turns to me again, surprise, pride, and a little bit of panic written all over her face.
“Pops, that’s amazing!” I touch her shoulder, giving her a squeeze.
She’s on the verge of hyperventilating, and I can see her mind working overtime, trying to work through a million thoughts all at once, but she’s smiling. And I’m so damn proud of her.
“I have so much to do,” Poppy says on a rushed breath. “I’ve gotta order materials, the laser cutter, figure out wholesale… oh my God.”
I chuckle, smoothing my hand over her back. “Breathe, baby.”
“Baby!” Lori shrieks again, slapping the table another time. “Are you kiddin’ me? I can’t, y’all. This is too much swoon for one night.”
“Maybe you should leave?” I suggest casually while sending her an obvious look across the table.
With a wink, Lori stands, clicking her fingers at her husband. “Let’s go, baby.”
“Eh?” Jonesy grunts again.
Rolling her eyes, Lori opens her purse and retrieves a small medication bottle, popping out a blue pill. “Take this, and take me home,” she says, giving the pill to Jonesy and winking at him, as if we don’t know what she just handed over.
Jonesy pops the pill, downing it with a mouthful of the wine he and Lori brought with them, meeting my eyes and waggling his bushy eyebrows suggestively.
Bowing my head, I huff a laugh.
Lori and Poppy hug one another goodbye, Lori mentioning that June will be in touch. Jonesy lingers in his farewell embrace with Poppy for a little longer than most would deem necessary or acceptable, but I let it slide because the poor fucker’s eighty; who knows how much longer he’s got left.
I walk Lori and Jonesy out, seeing them to their Maserati. Of course, Lori takes our moment alone to interrogate me, spinning around once she shuts Jonesy’s door, gaping at me with huge eyes and an even huger smile. Here we fucking go.
“Now, what on God’s green earth is going on between you two, huh?
” She points one of her white painted talons right in my face.
“That husband of mine might be oblivious, but he barely knows what day of the week it is. I, on the other hand”—she places a hand to her overly inflated breasts—“know everything, so don’t you dare lie to me, baby. ”
I roll my eyes, forced to look away to try to hide my shit-eating grin, and apparently that’s all the confirmation she needs.
“I knew it!” She winks then, her smile turning conspiratorial. “The old hotel room switcharoo never fails.”
My smile falls then, and I narrow my eyes. “Hotel room… switcharoo?”
Lori’s eyes widen, and she bites her lips between her teeth with a sheepish smile.
“Lori…” I arch a brow.
“Frisco,” she says simply, shrugging a shoulder.
Suddenly it all makes sense. “That was you?”
“Poppy didn’t think it would work but…” She shrugs again, her grin cocky. “Momma knows best.”
“Wait!” I rear back, scoffing a laugh. “Poppy was in on it too?”
She makes a point of looking down at her nails. “I’ve said too much.”
I open the driver’s door for her, spearing her with a long-leveled look. “Goodnight, Lori.”
She flashes me a wink. “You go in there and make some lovin’ with that adorable ray of sunshine.”
I roll my eyes again, muttering, “That was the plan before y’all showed up with steaks and fuckin’ war stories.”
“Well, this was all Jonesy’s idea,” Lori says, offering a rueful smile. “He missed his bestie.”
I roll my eyes. “I literally have nine o’clock tee time with him tomorrow.”
“I think he forgot.” She makes a face.
I shake my head, huffing a laugh as Lori wraps her arms around me, craning up to press a kiss to my cheek before hopping into the car and waving her fingers at me. “Night, honey bun.”
“Get home safe.” I close the door and step away, watching as the sleek car pulls out and down the drive, disappearing beyond the security gate.
As I walk back inside the house, I hear Poppy in the kitchen, the clanging of dishes ringing through the silence. Entering the kitchen, I stand and watch for a while, admiring the view of her bent over, loading the dishwasher. Hell, I am one lucky son of a bitch.
“Truth or dare?”
Startling, Poppy jumps up, turning and watching me as I stalk toward her, my eyes narrowed with suspicion.
“You know the rules,” I remind her, the same ways she reminds me.
“T-truth?” Poppy stammers, suddenly looking nervous, and I immediately feel bad.
Smiling, I grab her by the waist and pull her flush against me as I glance up toward the ceiling in mock thought. “You happen to know anything about Frisco and our room reservation getting all messed up?”
Her midnight eyes widen and she presses her lips together between her teeth, averting her gaze, and honestly, it’s almost scary how alike she and Lori are; they could genuinely be mistaken for mother and daughter.
“Don’t you dare lie to me now.” I tickle her sides.
Jumping, Poppy throws her head back, laughing hysterically.
“You owe me,” I say, holding her flush against me, arms wrapped around her tightly. “That couch was the most uncomfortable thing I’ve ever spent the night on.”
Poppy’s lips twitch, one of her eyebrows arching high. “I don’t recall you complaining…”
My dick stirs back to life from her tone and the hidden meaning behind her words, and my mind flashes back to that night, when she dry-humped me and came for the first time in her life.
“You,” I whisper, leaning in closer and pressing my lips to the corner of her pretty mouth. “Me,” I say, peppering kisses to her ear. “Bed. Now.”
Smiling up at me, she wraps her arms around my neck and kisses me like I’ve never been kissed before.