Page 30 of Blurred Love

She holds her hand up higher. “Colter, I’m not going to try and convince you of anything. I’m going to talk to you, and you’re going to listen.”

I can’t reject her when she’s looking at me the way she is. I reach for her hand and thread our fingers together. She pulls me back to the center of the room and pushes me back on the bed. She straddles my lap, putting her knees on each side of my thighs.

I put my hands on her bare hips. “You don’t play fair, Poppy.”

She presses her breasts to my chest, and I let my hands slide to her ass and hold her to me. My cock is rock hard between us, but neither one of us is doing anything about it at this moment.

“I watched you tonight, and I know that you’d be a great dad. Any kid would be lucky to have you as their father.”

I shrug. “Poppy, do you not see the real me? Because the real me is not pretty. It’s painful, ugly…” I shake my head, unable to finish.

She reaches for my chin and raises it so I have no choice but to look at her. “There’s nothing ugly about you, Colter. You have the best heart of anyone I know. All that matters to a kid is that you love them.”

For the first time since the bombing, I let myself think what it would be like to have children. I always thought I would be a father, but after the accident, I gave up all hope of that. As I look at Poppy, I let myself think about little kids with brown hair and big blue eyes, and I want it more than I’ve wanted anything in my life.

Without breaking eye contact, I tell her what I’m thinking. “Poppy, even if I changed my mind, no one would want to have kids with me.”

She loops her arms around my neck and smiles. “I would.”

I let out a harsh breath. Two words have never had this kind of impact on me, and right now they have me losing my mind. Everything I gave up on and with two words, Poppy makes me believe it may be possible. It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell her that I love her and convince her to be my wife. The only thing that’s holding me back besides the fact it’s all happening so quickly is that there are some things she still doesn’t know about me.

So since I can’t tell her right now, I sure as hell can show her.

I stand up, holding her to me, and then turn to lay her down on the bed. I put everything I’m feeling into the kiss, and with our lips meshed together, she makes me feel that maybe, just maybe, I can be whole.

I break off the kiss as she wraps her legs around my waist. She searches my face. “I need you, Colter.”

I brush the hair off her face. “I’m yours,” I tell her.

And then I show her, over and over, just how much I need her and want her, and hopefully she knows that I’m never going to let her go.

CHAPTER15

POPPY

Igrab my purse from the passenger seat of my car and then pull down the mirror on my visor. After touching up my makeup, I check myself out in the mirror, and I can’t seem to look away.

There’s a glow about me, and I know exactly what it is. Everything between Colter and me has been perfect. So perfect it scares me a little bit.

He shows up at different locations when I have the food truck out in town. He brings me lunch. He was worried about one of my tires and had it fixed. He has gone above and beyond to show me that he cares for me, and it’s obvious to anyone and everyone I’m around that I’m being loved well.

I close my visor and then get out of my car. I got off work early, and Colter and I had plans for me to come over later, so I hope he’s okay with me showing up early. If he’s working, I can read or just catch up on some much-needed sleep.

I practically skip down the path, and when I get to his door, I adjust my shirt and try to open it. It’s locked, though, and without thinking, I knock softly.

I’m holding my breath in anticipation, but when the door opens and there’s a woman in nothing but a towel standing there, it feels as if I’ve been sucker punched. I take a giant step backwards. There has to be an explanation. Colter is not a man that cheats.

He tells anyone and everyone that I’m his girlfriend, so I know he wouldn’t do this.

“Uh, hi.”

The beautiful blonde leans against the ajar door. “Hi. Can I help you?”

I look at the numbers on the house and then up and down the path. Am I in the wrong place? But no, I’m at the right cabin. I put a hand to my chest as if I’m trying to calm my racing heart. “Is Colter here?”

Her smile gets bigger. “No, my husband had to step out, but he should be back soon.”

I swear the world starts to rotate, my vision blurs, and it’s like a train is speeding straight toward me. I shake my head. Surely I didn’t hear her right. “I’m sorry. Who are you?”

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