Chapter 17
POPPY
Even though Colter had been busy with club business on and off over the weekend, I drifted in a haze of bliss the rest of Saturday and all of Sunday.
Except for when I woke up with morning sickness again.
But he took care of me through it all and made me feel better afterward with ginger tea and saltine crackers.
On Sunday night, we were cuddled on the couch in his living room, finally watching the action movie I’d suggested over pasta a couple of nights before.
I was curled against his side, my head on his shoulder, with one of his big hands resting low on my belly.
The other played absently with the ends of my hair.
After the movie ended, Colter pressed a kiss to my temple. “How’re you feeling?”
“Fantastic.” I tilted my head back to smile up at him. “I don’t remember the last time I felt so relaxed. Thanks for taking such good care of me.”
“My pleasure, baby.”
He brushed his lips against mine, and I caught an odd gleam in his light-brown orbs when he pulled away. “What about you?”
“Me?” he asked, his brows drawing together.
I smoothed the wrinkle that popped up between his eyes. “You look worried.”
His chest expanded on a deep sigh. “Been putting it off ’cause I don’t want to ruin your night, but there’s something I need to tell you.”
With anyone else, those dreaded words would’ve sparked fear inside me. But Colter had never made me feel like I was too much. So I didn’t rush to assume he was going to end things between us, especially not with how he’d reacted to the news of my pregnancy.
“What’s wrong?”
He shifted our positions so that I straddled his lap, facing him. “You’re not going to work tomorrow, baby.”
My head jerked back. “What do you mean? It’s Monday.
I’m supposed to be there at eight. I can’t just call in sick because I’m pregnant.
I don’t have enough time off for that, and I’ll need to save those days up for when I have the baby.
Be glad you work for yourself and the club.
Even though there are rules to protect new parents, setting up my maternity leave is going to be a pain. ”
He shook his head. “I get that it’s not going to be easy, but you can’t go into the office.”
He’d stunned me enough that it was hard to find words, which was saying a lot with how talkative I normally was. “Colter, I have to work. I have rent. Bills. I can’t just—”
“You don’t have rent anymore.”
I blinked. “Yes, I do. My lease is month-to-month, but it’s still—”
“Poppy.” He slid his hand down my spine and shifted me back a little on his lap. “Look around you.”
I glanced around the living room. My teal throw blanket was draped over the other side of the couch.
My favorite mug with a tiny cartoon cat was sitting on the coffee table next to his black one.
My coconut-scented candle burned low on the mantel.
A stack of my paperback romances sat on the side table beside his bike magazines.
My fuzzy slippers were on the floor in front of us.
And it wasn’t just this room. My stuff had invaded every corner of his house. My clothes were in his closet. Half the drawers in his dresser were mine now.
“Am I…? Do I…um…live with you now? How did that even happen?”
“Little by little,” he explained with a deep chuckle. “You’ve been living here for weeks, baby. You just didn’t realize it yet.”
I was happy that he’d been moving me in before we found out I was pregnant, because I didn’t need to wonder if he’d only done it because of the baby. There was no doubt in my mind that he wanted me here. Except it wasn’t as simple as just bringing some of my stuff here. “But my apartment—”
“Is a waste of money. You don’t sleep there. Or eat there. You don’t even go there anymore unless I take you to grab more clothes.” He kissed me until I was breathless. “And I’m not letting the woman I love pay rent on a place she doesn’t use when she already has a home. Here. With me.”
I was still dazed by his kiss, so it took me a moment to realize what he’d just said. “You love me?”
His eyes softened. “Yeah, baby. I love you.”
His answer made my chest ache in the best way. “Say it again.”
“I love you, Poppy.” He cupped my face with both hands. “Been falling since you called me ridiculously attractive before you realized you said it out loud. I’m in love with you. All the way. No going back.”
A sob-laugh escaped me. “I love you, too.”
His lips crashed down on mine. I kissed him back just as hard, my fingers fisting in his shirt to tug him closer. His hands slid under my tank top, his palms warm against my bare skin as his thumbs brushed the undersides of my breasts.
I moaned into his mouth, and he growled low in his throat. My hips rocked instinctively against the hard length of him. One of his hands tangled in my hair, and the other gripped my hip, guiding me in a slow, grinding rhythm that made heat pool in my core.
“Colter—”
He nipped my bottom lip. “Say it again.”
“I love you.”
“Fucking love you so damn much, baby.”
Before he could kiss me again, I pressed my palms to his chest, panting. “Wait.”
He froze instantly, his eyes searching my face. “You okay? Feeling nauseous?”
“No, it’s not that.” I bit my lip, my cheeks heating.
“It’s just…I realized this all happened so fast that I haven’t really had the chance to talk to Clara about what's been going on. She’s going to murder me if she finds out I’m pregnant with a hot biker baby daddy and didn’t tell her about any of it.
If you kiss me again, I’m going to lose track of time, and then who knows how long it’ll be before I remember to call her. ”
“Clara?”
“See, you totally just made my point.” I poked his rock-hard abs.
“She’s my best friend. I haven’t spoken to her properly in weeks.
I’ve been texting her dumb memes and ‘I’m alive’ updates, but now that we’ve said those three little words to each other, I’d be breaking girl code if I don’t fill her in, like immediately. ”
Colter stared at me for a beat before he laughed. “You’re killing me, baby.”
“I know, I’m sorry.” I leaned my forehead against his. “But she’s literally the only person before you who accepted me for who I am.”
“Then call her, baby. I can wait.”
I loved how that was all the explanation he needed, that he got why Clara was so important to me. Like his club brothers were to him.
Grinning, I kissed him quickly, then scrambled off his lap before I changed my mind.
My phone was on the coffee table. I grabbed it, hit Clara’s name, and put it on speaker. I didn’t have anything to hide from Colter, so it didn’t matter if he could hear us. We’d be talking about him mostly, anyway.
She answered on the second ring.
“Finally! I was about to file a missing person’s report. Where the heck have you been, ghost girl?”
I laughed, cheeks burning. “Hi, Clara.”
“Don’t ‘hi, Clara’ me. You’ve been radio silent for weeks except for those cryptic ‘all good here’ texts. I was starting to think a cult had kidnapped you. Or worse—a really boring accountant.”
Colter snorted.
Rolling my eyes, I murmured, “He’s not an accountant.”
“Oh my gosh, there’s really a ‘he’?”
I winced. “Yeah. He’s a Hound, and he’s kind of amazing.”
Clara had grown up in Riverstone as well, so telling her he was a Hound needed no further explanation.
Her shriek was loud enough to make me lean back from the phone.
“Poppy Fairbanks, you met a biker and didn’t tell me immediately? I need details. Right now. Is he hot? Does he have tattoos? Tell me everything!”
I glanced at Colter, whose smirk made it clear he was enjoying the show.
“Yes, yes, and he can hear you.”
Clara squealed again. “Hey, hot biker. Do you have a name?”
Colter answered, “Call me Ace.”
“Ace,” she echoed with a laugh. “Love it. Please tell me I haven’t heard from my bestie because you’ve been keeping her too busy…in bed.”
My cheeks flamed, and I covered my face with my palm as I shook my head.
“Well, she’s pregnant and basically moved in.”
Colter’s reply had Clara shrieking again. “Poppy! You’re pregnant with a biker baby? Whoa! That’s awesome.”
I laughed, tears spilling down my cheeks at how easily she accepted the news. “Yeah, we just found out yesterday.”
“And I’m the first person you told?”
She couldn’t see my nod, so I whispered, “Of course.”
“Okay, that makes me feel better. All is forgiven.” There was a brief pause before she added, “As long as I get to see you soon. I need to hug you. And bring a present because I’m going to be this baby’s favorite auntie.”
I wiped my eyes, grinning so wide my cheeks hurt. “We’ll set something up soon. Promise.”
We talked a few more minutes, and when we finally hung up, I set the phone down and looked at Colter.
“She sounds like trouble.”
I giggled. “The best kind.”
“Now, where were we?”
I reached for the hem of his shirt. “Right about here.”