Chapter 74 Owen
F inally, some time after ten, Noah leaves Poppy’s house. We’ve gone through the art so closely and have pieces carefully propped, draped, and laying throughout her kitchen, dining room, office, and living room just to make sure they’ll dry thoroughly. Not to mention the amount of fans running at their lowest speed. It looks like we’ll be able to save a handful of pieces that Poppy printed photos for, which feels like a huge win.
“Did you see how often Grace blushed around Noah?” she whispers while locking her front door as he heads to his car out front.
“Is she one of his exes?” I ask, recalling Noah telling me that he felt like he was expanding his dating search farther outside of Honey Cove since things weren’t working out here.
“Not that I remember from high school and I feel like he would have mentioned it since we’ve become close these past few years.”
Wrapping her in my arms, I kiss the little crease between her eyebrows. “We can grill him on his complete dating history next weekend, after we’ve all recovered from this show.”
She looks around her house, taking in the scene. “I can’t believe it’s still happening. Thank you.”
Her lips brush mine and everything shifts, the kiss deepening. The tension, the wondering, the frustration, and the stress not only from today, but these last few weeks collide with the promise of our future. Together.
Running my hands down to the back of her thighs, squeezing her amazing ass on the way, I scoop her up and she hooks her ankles behind my back. Even with navigating the artwork drying everywhere, I carry her to the bedroom without my mouth leaving hers, our kisses becoming more and more intense as our need ratchets up.
Kicking her door closed simply out of habit from having Samson at my place, we’re encased in darkness as I lay her down on the bed. She loosens her legs and tugs my shirt up and over my head, pulling me right back down on top of her. A gasp escapes her as my fingers trace the sensitive skin just above her jeans. Making quick work of our pants, I pull her oversized sweatshirt and bra off and hate that I can’t see her.
She grabs the waistband of my underwear, trying to yank me back to her as I push up to turn on her bedside lamp.
“Come back here,” she whispers.
“Patience, my Poppy,” I say, turning the light onto its lowest setting. While I’m there, I rifle through her drawer for a condom, tossing that on the edge of the bed. Hot kisses trail down my side and a deep growl escapes me.
“Oh my god, that sound,” she moans against my skin.
Sitting up, I look down at her, drinking in her flushed, perfect body. I take my time slipping her underwear down her long legs, letting my fingers splay over her soft skin. When I’ve pulled them all the way off, I slowly kiss my way up her legs until she tugs me back up to her so she can kiss me again.
“I’m the luckiest guy ever,” I say, my voice husky with my own need.
“You seem to be delaying getting lucky,” she mumbles, snaking her leg behind my back and bringing our bodies completely flush.
“I just needed to take a moment to appreciate everything I have,” I say, smirking before I close the gap once more and kiss her like she’s my other half.
Pulling both of her hands above her head, I take both her wrists in one hand and she lets out a long moan, grinding her hips against me. I trail my fingers down her arm, over her pebbled nipple and down her belly, leaving goosebumps in their wake. When I slide my finger through her folds, she shudders and tilts her hips to give me better access. Since she’s so ready for this, I slip two fingers into her, while my thumb works her clit.
Being able to hold her without all of these worries weighing us down magnifies every connection. Each hitch of her breath, especially when I find that spot inside of her, is something that’s mine. Knowing that she was able to take the time she needed to understand her wants and in that process, thinking about what could make both of us happy feels like we’re both feeling the same need to stay together. No matter where we go, we’re still “just” Poppy and Owen.
As she begins to peak, I trail kisses over to that sensitive spot just behind her ear, darting my tongue out just the way she likes it. She lets out a whimper and I nip at her earlobe before her breath catches and she whispers my name, tensing. My fingers pump faster and my thumb shifts just a little, driving her right over the edge. She bites her lip to keep from crying out as her body trembles with pleasure and she clamps down on my fingers.
When I release her wrists, her hands rake through my hair as her tongue finds mine in a slow, deep kiss. We relax into her bed, just holding each other close.