Chapter 10
Chapter Ten
I’m tiptoeing around my kitchen, doing my best to be as quiet as I can. Am I hoping to get out of my house without waking up the very naked—very talented with his tongue, fingers, and dick—man sleeping in my bed? You bet I am.
I don’t do awkward morning afters. I’ve never had to sneak out of my own house, though. This is a first for me. I figure Sammie isn’t hard up for a dollar. I don’t think he’s going to rob me if I leave him here alone.
Just as I’m pouring coffee in a to-go cup, my front door slams open, making a huge banging sound as the wood hits the wall.
“Shit, crap,” Alice hisses before she’s standing in front of me.
“Shhh.” I put a finger to my mouth.
“So it’s true, then?” she asks.
“What?”
“You had some guy in a fancy suit at The Valley Barn last night. Who is he? And seriously, you brought him back here?”
My eyes widen when Sammie appears behind Alice in nothing but a pair of black boxer briefs and a pistol in his hand. Alice turns around, and Sammie tucks the gun away before she sees it.
“You okay? I heard banging,” he asks.
“Ah, yeah, Alice here doesn’t know how to open a door apparently. Sorry.” I mumble, slightly embarrassed and very turned on by seeing him in such a state. Damn it, I’m supposed to be done. He needs to leave.
“Morning. I remember you… You’re the guy from Vegas. You’re the….” Alice stops mid-sentence.
“Best sex of my life guy,” I finish for her. “He knows. He watched the tapes from when we were leaving.”
“You watched the tapes? You came here to find Poppy? Why?” Alice walks around the kitchen towards the back door.
I step in front of her, knowing exactly what she’s going for. My friend might be the quiet, timid one. But if she thinks we’re in danger, that I’m in danger, she will pick up a rifle. My cousins made sure both of us know how to use it too.
“Alice, it’s fine,” I tell her.
“You don’t know that. You’re blinded by orgasms. He could be here to skin you alive, or lure you back to his cave so he can keep you chained up like a dog or something.
I’m getting married this weekend, Poppy, and my best friend going missing will kind of put a damper on the whole wedding thing,” Alice says.
“I’m not planning to skin her alive or keep her chained up anywhere. Well, maybe a bed.” Sammie smirks, his eyes searing into mine, and I blush. “Were you planning on running out on me again, Poppy?” He glares at the to-go cup in my hand.
“No. I always drink morning coffee like this,” I lie.
“Sure. I’m going to get dressed. You good?” Sammie asks.
“Mhmm.” I nod my head. My eyes taking in all the bare skin, muscles, and ink he’s showing as he walks away. Damn, that ass is fine.
“Seriously, Poppy?” Alice hisses at me. “What is he doing here?”
“You saw him, right?”
“Oh, I saw him,” she says. “Are you not the least bit concerned that a strange guy tracked you down to a-whole-other state?”
“He likes my vagina,” I tell her.
“That’s not a reason to track down a stranger,” Alice says. “We don’t know him. He could be dangerous.”
I laugh. “I have no doubt that he is, but he’s not going to hurt me.”
“You don’t know that,” she argues. “You should come and stay with me. Or better yet, go and stay at the main house with your cousins.”
“Pass. I’m good here. Relax. Nothing is going to happen to me.”
“Is the sex really that amazing? I mean, you don’t do second dates.”
“Literally the best orgasms I’ve ever had,” I tell her. “And he’s so… I don’t know… different.”
“Did he really get into a fight with Jaxson at the bar?” Alice quirks a brow.
“He did.” I still can’t wrap my head around why my cousin walked away. He’s literally never walked away from a fight before.
“And he’s still here? Oh my god!” Alice shrieks.
“Alice, for the love of all that is holy, can we lower the volume a few notches please?” Turning, I pull down a mug and fill it with coffee.
“Oh, I don’t want coffee,” she says with a huge smile.
“It’s not for you,” I tell her.
“Oh, I was right.” Her smile widens, and she’s practically jumping up and down on the spot.
“Right about what? And what the hell is wrong with you? Did you eat Froot Loops for breakfast? You know that shit has too much sugar in it for you to handle.”
“Nope, I’m just so happy. You found him.”
“Found him who?”
“Your person. That man in there is your person, Poppy. He’s the one.”
“The one who gives me multiple orgasms in one night, yeah.” I smirk.
“No, the one, the one.”
“Okay, calm down. He’s not the one. I don’t have a one,” I tell my friend.
“There’s a reason Jaxson hasn’t shot his ass. He knows too. That man in there is yours.” Poppy nods confidently.
“Please do not put that out into the universe,” I groan. “Alice, I love you, but that’s never happening for me.”
“We’ll see,” she sing-songs as Sammie makes his way back out to the kitchen.
I hold up the mug of coffee to him, and he takes it. “Thank you.”
“Sammie, right? I’m Alice. We didn’t really get introduced properly. Anyway, I’m getting married this weekend. Saturday. Poppy’s my maid of honor. You should come as her plus-one.”
I spit out the coffee I was just sipping. “Alice, the wedding is catered, table settings done. You can’t just add guests,” I tell her with wide eyes.
“It’s my wedding. I can do whatever I want. Anyway, I gotta go. Hope I see you there, Sammie.” Alice kisses my cheek and then disappears out my back door.
Sammie stares at me. “You can just tell me you don’t want me at your friend’s wedding,” he says.
“Don’t you have to go back to Vegas?” I ask him.
“I do. I’m heading to the jet now.”
“You have your own jet?” My eyebrows raise.
“Family jet,” he says.
“Right, well, thanks for last night. You really did not need to come and find me but I had fun.” This is why I don’t like morning afters. I never know what to say.
“So did I.” Sammie rounds the counter that’s separating us. He sets his mug down, wraps his hand around the back of my head, and then his lips descend onto mine. By the time he pulls away, I’m breathless. “What time is dinner on Thursday?”
“Huh?”
“Dinner with your cousin. What time is it?”
“You aren’t coming to family dinner, Sammie.”
“It would be rude to ignore his invitation,” Sammie says. “I’ll see you Thursday.” He leans in and kisses me again. “Oh, I put my number in your phone. Call me if you need anything before then.”
“What on earth could I possibly need? And seriously, you do not need to fly all the way back here,” I repeat. I’m starting to think maybe Alice’s initial assessment of this guy was right after all. He is freaking insane.
“Call me tonight and I’ll show you exactly what I can give you over the phone, Poppy,” he says and then walks out. Leaving me standing in my kitchen, gripping my to-go cup and wondering what the hell just happened.
My boots stomp on the hard, wooden floorboards of my cousins’ house. “Jaxson, I’m going to kill you. I’m going to shove a cattle prod right up your ass. Where are you?” I scream out as I go from room to room, looking for him.
“Whoa, what happened?” Jaxson’s brother appears in front of me. “You look like a caged wild animal, Poppy,” Joel says, holding his hands up in surrender.
“Where is he?”
“Jaxson? What’d he do?”
“I caught her on a date with some suit last night,” Jaxson says, coming to a stop next to his brother.
“What the hell was that about? You were supposed to scare him away, chase him out of town, not invite him to fucking family dinner!” I scream at my cousin.
“Wait… You’ve been trying to get me to be nice to your dates since you were fifteen. And now that I am, you want me to chase him out of town?”
“Yes.” I cross my arms over my chest.
“Why? Did he do something to you?”
“Besides giving me the best sex I’ve ever had in my life?
Oh, and let’s not forget the part where he listens when I talk, seems to think women have autonomy, and isn’t one of those I’m the man, you do as I tell you kind of assholes.
” I’m blabbering and both of my cousins are staring at me.
“What the hell are you both smiling about?”
“You like him,” Jaxson says. “Good, so do I. He’s good for you, Poppy.”
“You don’t know him,” I grumble.
“He stuck up for you. No other guy has ever done that. They all run. This one stayed and fought. He also stopped bothering with me the minute he thought you were in danger.” Jaxson shrugs.
“Seriously? That’s all it takes? He stands up for me? Argh, you’re an idiot,” I groan.
“Who is he?” Joel asks.
“Who is who?” This comes from the youngest Kestral brother.
“Popp’s got herself a boyfriend,” Joel says.
“No shit, and we’re allowing this?” Jaggar asks.
“Yes. Neither of you is saying shit to this one. He’s coming to Thursday dinner,” Jaxson announces.
I smile. “He just left to go back to Vegas. He’s not coming back.” I turn and stomp towards the front door.
“He’ll be back. Oh and, Poppy, you should probably Google your boyfriend’s name. I did a little digging last night. Interesting family he comes from,” Jaxson calls out to my retreating back.
I stop but don’t acknowledge him. I am not Googling Sammie Russo Junior. I won’t need to. I won’t hear from him again. He wanted a second night and he got it.