Page 25 of Touch My Shelves

Her gaze flares and I see in her the same excitement I feel. “Did I just helptheBJ Sully?”

I grin. “You sure did and you earned an acknowledgement. Now, what was it you wanted to see me about?”

“Oh, right, I wanted to know if I could take Freeya into town this weekend. The town is having a work party to prepare for Buccaneer Days. I thought she might find it fun and meet some new friends her age.”

I’m not sure how I feel about that. Relinquishing control of my daughter to someone that is still virtually a stranger. “I don’t know. We’ve never mingled with the town like that.”

“I know how important your seclusion is to you. I promise your secret is safe with me and I’ll never once let her out of my sight. It’s just that I asked Freeya if she had any friends back home that she missed, and she said she doesn’t have any friends. It’s important for kids to have relationships with others their age.”

Huh? I lean back in my chair, considering everything Poppy said. “I guess I never thought of that. Keeping her close has always been my way of protecting her. I’ve kept her isolated to keep her out of the media. It’s not like I keep her at home all the time. We travel and do fun things, and she used to do things with my sister.”

“I can understand that, but she’s never had a sleepover, a movie night with friends, or done any of the other things kids her age should be doing. Maybe we could just start slow and see how the work event goes. Maybe she’ll meet someone and have a real adventure instead of making one up inside her mind.”

How has this woman, who has only been with us a short amount of time, noticed something with my own daughter I plainly missed? Have all of Freeya’s disappearing acts and mischief been from lack of social interactions? She needs friends. Is that what she’s been searching for? I feel so stupid. I should have realized this. “Yeah, she can go.”

“Great!” Poppy’s excited eyes meet mine. “I’ll talk to Hannah Murphy and see where she thinks we’ll be best suited. I’ve discovered Hannah knows everything. You have nothing to worry about. I’ll be with her the entire time. I do know of a few children Freeya’s age that have been regulars at the bookstore. I think she will fit in nicely with them.”

“The truth is, I’ve never thought Freeya’s lack of friends was an issue.” I brace my elbows on the desk and run my fingers through my hair. “How could I not have noticed something so important? I’ve always been afraid of not being enough for my daughter.”

“No. Don’t think that. You are what’s best for your daughter. She loves you and I can tell how much you love her. That’s the most important thing. All the other stuff will work its way out. If you don’t mind me asking, where is her mother?”

I sit back in my seat with a heavy sigh. “That’s a long, sad story that I don’t talk about. I never want it in the media because it could come back to hurt Freeya someday when she’s older.”

“Of course. I’m sorry, I never should have asked.”

“For some crazy reason, I trust you, Poppy, and that doesn’t happen often in my world. When my first book was picked up by the network, I had a brief affair with an up-and-coming actress. I thought she was truly interested in me, but all she really wanted was the part of Meeka. She didn’t get the part and moved on. Three months later, I got a text from her saying she’s pregnant and the baby is mine, and she’s going to haveitand putitup for adoption.” My jaw clenches. “She called Freeya an it. Like the baby didn’t matter. To me, she mattered. I told her I wanted the baby.”

Poppy’s face tightens and her hands fist in anger. “That bitch. In a text! That’s harsh and wrong, and then she just left the baby?”

Her anger for my child touches me. “Something like that. She scheduled a C-section. Or rather she said she worked one into her schedule and I was to be there on that day to ‘take it away.’” I wasn’t in the media at the time and she wasn’t an A-lister or someone would have sniffed it out and publicized her lack of the mothering gene.

Poppy’s eyes narrow with rage. “That coldhearted bitch.”

My lips twitch at her ire and that buttery feeling slides down my insides. She thinks she looks so tough… and she really doesn’t. But being angry on behalf of my daughter makes her even more tempting to me. “That she is. To my knowledge, Scarlet has never seen her own daughter. She never calls to ask about her. It’s as if Freeya doesn’t exist to her. You, Poppy, you are good for my daughter.”

Our eyes meet and any tension from discussing Scarlet eases. Her gaze lowers to my lips and I feel the air begin to heat. My eyes lower to her chest and I remember how being pressed against her felt.

But anything happening between us could jeopardize her working here. I just can’t let that happen.

CHAPTER 9

POPPY

I stab my lip with a straw as I stare mesmerized at Brax’s bare chest while he pumps another set of bicep curls out in the home gym. I hadn’t realized I could see inside the gym from my bedroom window until now. He has a very impressive setup in one of the turret rooms.

I take another sip of my breakfast smoothie. Each flex of his muscles causes a rippling affect that engages his abs and a big, bulging vein in his forearm. Sweat glistens over his entire chest.

I take a step closer to the window. My mouth goes dry, my nipples poke against the soft silk of the teddy I sleep in, and I squeeze my thighs together to ease the tingle between my legs.

Brax finishes his set and walks over to grab a towel from a shelf filled with crisp, white, perfectly rolled towels. He swipes it over his head and scrubs it down his face, leaving his dark brown locks messy and damp from sweat.

I swallow my sip of smoothie and almost choke when he rubs the towel down all those high and low glorious abs. Each one shines like it’s been painted with sparkly dust and I want to drag my tongue over every one of them. I love salty with a bit of sweet and I can practically taste him on my tongue.

My eyes go lower and I swear I can see his black shorts grow tighter in the front. I take another sip of smoothie and focus on his crotch. It does come to me that I’m leering at my boss. Heck, there’s not a woman alive who wouldn’t stare at the fine specimen before me.

My gaze moves upward and I freeze when I find his eyes locked onto my puckered nipples. I want to look away. I tell my feet to run, but instead the hand not involved with holding my smoothie slowly treks up my body and cups one breast. I’ve never been this brazen and I love the confidence bubbling inside at showing my attraction.

He steps closer to the window and, as if a devil is on my shoulder giving me directions, I pinch my nipple. Our eyes meet and I can hear him tell me to do it again as clearly as if he were in the room with me.

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