Page 124 of Wicked Love

“Were you just saying that to hurt her back?” I ask quietly. “Or because we have a baby on the way and you feel…I don’t know…obligated?”

His eyes widen and he looks wounded. “Poppy, no.” He reaches for my hands, holding them firmly in his. “I’m happyabout the baby, but this feeling, what I feel for you, it was there before I knew about him. I haven’t been able to get you out of my mind since Becca tried to force us together in Twinkle Tales.” His eyes crinkle as he smiles, trying to shoot levity into our conversation, but it drops when he sees that I’m still close to tears. “It’s not duty or confusion. It’s love. Pure and simple. I’m not in love with you because I have to be. In fact, I tried really hard not to fall for you, if you’ll remember what an ass I was.”

That finally makes me smile. “An enormous ass,” I add softly.

He tilts his head. “Right. An enormous ass.” His forehead leans on mine for a second. “You’re everything to me, Poppy. I’m in love with you because I can’t help but be, and I never want to stop.”

I press my lips together when they go wobbly. “Bowie, I just…” I lift my eyes to his and see no hesitation, no lie, no guard put up between us. I let out a shaky breath. “Everyone was looking at me like they felt sorry for me. I didn’t know what to think.”

“I’m so sorry. I should’ve told you as soon as it happened. I couldn’t wait to get home to you. I don’t want you to doubt how I feel. There’s no part of me that wants Adriane back. I hope you know that.”

“I don’t want to lose what we have. This is real for me too.”

His arms slide around me, pulling me close. “You’re not going to lose me,” he says against my hair. “Seeing her changed nothing except solidifying that what I have with you is the best thing to ever happen to me…which I already knew.”

He pulls back and puts his hands on my cheeks.

“Do you trust me?” he asks.

I stare up at him for a long moment and then nod. “I do.”

I see the relief in his eyes and the ache in my chest dulls. Our lips meet so softly at first, it’s just the faintest brush, a quiet question. My hands climb up his shoulders, my fingers curling into his shirt, and he answers by leaning in, his fingers grazing lightly down my arm.

For a moment, it’s gentle, but then the sparks rush in. My heart thuds against his chest and he angles his head, deepening the kiss. His mouth becomes more insistent, coaxing me open, and our kiss changes from careful and sweet to a heat that makes my toes curl. His hands slip to my waist, pulling me closer, and I make an urgent sound in his mouth. His body is taut, hard planes against my soft, and I stand on my tiptoes, trying to get as close as I can.

A noise outside my office reminds me where I am and I pull away, breathless. He stares back at me with hunger.

“I better get back to work,” I tell him.

“Are we good?” he asks.

“We’re good,” I say. “As long as we keep talking to each other…and kissing like that.”

His lips lift. He presses a kiss to my forehead and I exhale. The rest of the world can think what they want, but we know where we stand.

“I’ll see you at home in a few hours?” he asks.

I nod. “Yes,” I say softly.

He walks out and I get a swift kick from the baby that makes me smile. I feel a little wrung out from the roller coaster of emotions, but I do trust Bowie. We’ve come a long way.

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

HEAVY BOXES

BOWIE

As soon as I leave Poppy, I pull out my phone and start texting.

Remember how I mentioned before I went out of town that I needed your help? I’d like to move forward with our plan.

Sadie

Say less.When and where?

Tru

I’m in.

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