Page 52 of This Time I'm Keeping You
“You all good?”He moved to the bed to look down at her.
“Yes, of course.”Had those words come out really squeaky and panicked?
“What’s the deal?”He leaned down and brushed a kiss over her lips.
“No deal.”
“Definitely a deal.I can read it in your eyes.”He straightened and studied her.
“I don’t know how to do this.What’s going to happen between us?”She waved her hand about.“I like to have things worked out, and I can’t do that with this.”
“This being the sex, kissing, and cuddling?The cohabitating?”
She nodded.
“Between us, we’ll work it out.”His smile was small.“Do all writers overthink things?”
“Pretty much.It comes with the job description.”
“Forewarned is forearmed.”He bent down to kiss her again.“Relax, Poppy.We’re all good, don’t overthink it.”
Which means what?
He’d left the room before she remembered the appearance at the League Hotel.Looking at her watch, Poppy realized it was in two hours.She wanted to go alone, needing the time away from Nick, but she was also no fool.He would never allow that, and she understood the reason.It just chafed at her.Poppy had done everything for herself for years.
Firing off an email to Astrid saying she had a new number and not to book any more appearances until she told her otherwise, she checked the rest, but there was nothing that needed her attention.Once she was done, Poppy left her room and headed down the stairs.
She could do this, be cool, like Nick was.“Get a grip,” she muttered before entering the kitchen.
Sam was still there, seated at the table.He was just a different version of Nick, but he didn’t make her heart race when she looked at him.
“I have to go and do a talk and signing today,” she blurted out.“One o’clock this afternoon at the League Hotel.My agent just emailed me.”
Nick was making coffee, but he stopped and stared at her.
“What’s it like signing books and having all those people looking at you?”Sam asked.
“I haven’t done it much because… well, you know.”Poppy shrugged.
“Right, gotcha,” Sam said, understanding that Malcolm Davy had stopped her from doing a lot of things.
“I should have told my agent to stop any further signings after what happened, but I forgot, and because this is the first time I said I would, she got excited and booked this one too.”
“You’re not going.”Nick’s words sounded calm, but the hard look in his eyes told her differently.
“I am going because it’s my job.”
“You’re not serious?”
“Nick—”
“She can’t go, Sam,” Nick cut his brother off.“That assface said?—”
“What did Malcolm Davy say?”Poppy demanded.
“Nice work on the delivery, Nick.”Sam sighed.
“Billy called,” Nick said.“Apparently the assface was located by police last night back in his hometown?—”
