Chapter 16 Where She Sleeps #5
Luna and I both put a hand on her.
Poppy looked down at the two palms holding her in place. "Rude."
"What do you need?" I asked.
"I was going to ask what you need."
"You. Still."
Her shoulders went loose beneath Luna's hand.
She settled back between us and let Luna arrange the pillow beneath her head. I kissed Poppy's forehead, then her mouth. Her lips were soft from everything they'd done to me. She kissed without trying to start another round, just keeping contact until her breathing eased.
Her eyes drifted toward the dresser, the closet, and the room that still held enough of her things to make a convincing lie.
"This place can keep my lip gloss," she said. "Maybe a few emergency dresses."
"Generous," Luna said.
Poppy looked back at me. Her fingers curled around mine. "But I meant what I said. I sleep at Brewster Bay. I sleep with you. When you're somewhere else, I wait for you to come home, and when you're there, I end up on top of you whether I planned it or not."
I brushed damp curls away from her forehead. "You make it about six minutes before you climb over Kit and find me."
"My self-control gets sleepy."
"Your self-control never wakes up."
She smiled, but her chin trembled once before she tucked it down. "I don't want anyone mistaking this room for where I belong."
I brought her hand to my chest and held it over my heartbeat. "Then don't. We know where you sleep, Pops."
Luna squeezed Poppy's ankle where it rested in her lap. "Everyone with eyes knows."
That pulled a small laugh from her. Poppy leaned up and kissed me with slow, exhausted certainty.
"I love you," she said against my lips. "An unreasonable amount."
"Good. I love you an unreasonable amount too."
"More than pancakes?"
"Don't make this weird."
She laughed, eyes shining with exhaustion and affection.
Luna's fingers touched the back of my neck. I turned to her.
Her face had softened in the low light, but her gaze remained direct.
"I love you, baby."
Luna used the word rarely enough that it landed everywhere.
I kissed her slowly. "I love you, Sundance."
Her mouth stayed close to mine after the kiss. "Tonight was good."
"That's your review?"
"I'm trying not to inflate your ego."
Poppy reached across me and squeezed Luna's hand. "I'll write the detailed review."
Luna looked at her. "Of course you will."
Their fingers stayed linked through one quiet breath. Poppy squeezed once, smiled at Luna, then turned into me and yawned against my chest, her body already reaching for the place it slept best.
She yawned into my chest.
"Problem," she murmured.
"What's wrong?"
"Medical emergency."
Luna sighed. "Here we go."
Poppy lifted her head with great effort. "I can't fall asleep unless I'm wrapped around my big teddy bear. It's serious. I believe the condition is terminal."
"Terminal?"
"For everyone who tries to put me in a separate bed."
I rolled onto my back and opened my arms. "Treatment's available."
Poppy moved immediately.
She climbed over my side and sprawled naked across my chest and stomach, still sticky with sweat and sex. Her cheek found the spot over my heart. One arm wrapped around my ribs. Her legs tangled with mine, thigh crossing my hip until there wasn't an inch of distance left between us.
She sighed so deeply her whole body settled.
"That's my prescription."
"Dosage?"
"All night. Every night. Refill forever."
My hand slid down her back and covered her ass. I stroked the tight, warm curve slowly. Poppy made a sleepy sound into my chest and pushed back into my palm.
"Keep doing that," she whispered.
"Wasn't planning to stop."
Luna shifted against my other side. I lifted my free arm, and she came beneath it without asking. Her head rested on my shoulder. One strong thigh crossed mine below Poppy's tangled legs, close enough that I held both women without changing where Poppy lay.
I worked my fingers into the muscle at Luna's hip once more. She exhaled and let her body go heavy against me.
"Comfortable?"
"Very."
Poppy mumbled something against my chest.
"What was that, Pops?"
"Said you're both too loud. Your girl is sleeping."
Luna's quiet laugh warmed my neck.
Poppy's breathing slowed first. My palm moved over her ass in long, lazy passes, and every stroke seemed to settle her deeper. The fine tremors in her legs faded. Her hand loosened against my ribs. Her cheek stayed over my heartbeat as if she needed the sound to carry her under.
Luna remained awake beside me for another minute. Her fingertips traced the side of Poppy's arm where it crossed my chest, then came to rest over my ribs.
I kissed the top of her head.
She tilted her face and kissed my jaw. "Night, Nash."
"Night, Sundance."
The sheets beneath us stayed damp and marked. Cum remained warm between Poppy's thighs and sticky against my skin where her body covered mine. Luna's muscles softened beneath my hand. Nobody reached for the bathroom, the discarded clothes, or the dark lake waiting outside.
Poppy's name was still on the other side of the door.
Her cheek stayed over my heart.