“Shit, Poppy. I swear that wasn’t the kind of talking I was messaging you about.” And for the first time since I’ve met him, Landon looks vulnerable.
“I know, and that wasn’t the kind of sex I was expecting tonight either. But here we are, and I’m not complaining.” There is something about him that makes me give him my honest truth.
“At least I can sleep tonight,” Landon says, freely admitting that he was as worked up as I was.
“Same,” I reply. “Oh, and is Nash okay?” I can’t help asking, because those two little boys have already dug deep into my heart.
“Yeah, he’s fine. It happens every so often. He has nightmares about losing me. I understand it. It must be hard for a little brain to process everything. I mean, I struggle most days as an adult.” And I can see the sadness in his eyes for not only his wife but also the life he lost.
“You are raising two gorgeous boys, Landon. You should be proud of yourself. Life sometimes throws curve balls at us, but it’s how we catch them and run forward with them that makes all the difference.” He nods, acknowledging what I said.
We both just lie there in the silence for a moment.
“Poppy, I like you, a lot, but I don’t know what to do with that.” His words hang in the air between us.
“I feel the same, but it can’t be anything more than this. We both know that. My life is in Rochester and yours is here. We are worlds apart in so many things.” We need to be realistic.
“I know.” He pauses. “I haven’t looked at another woman since my wife died, and then you walk into my life, full of sass, a rocking-hot body, and such a beautiful soul to my kids. You’re kind of hard to ignore, although I should’ve.” I’m sure this conversation is easier for him to have with me not being in the same room.
“If it was a different time and place, this could’ve been something, but I still stand by what I said to you. Take a chance and let’s have some fun. No commitment, and we have an end date. I leave on Boxing Day. So, we have eight days left. What do you say?” I’m almost begging him again; I don’t even know who I am right now.
“My boys can’t get confused or hurt in this.” The worry in his voice is cute.
“They won’t know, and neither will my mom because I don’t want her getting any ideas.” My comment makes him chuckle.
“What’s in this for you?” he asks, surprising me so much with his question that I blurt out the truth.
“My ex. He could never keep his eyes from wandering even when we were together, which always made me feel like shit and that I wasn’t good enough. He has now moved on with a twenty-year-old, and he’s thirty-nine. So yeah, I need someone to make me feel good about myself, as shallow as that sounds.” Just even saying it out loud has me cringing. I hate that Dean still has that power over me to feel like I don’t meet the mark to hold on to a man.
“Forget that asshole, he’ll regret letting you go. You are simply breathtaking, Poppy.” And in that moment, I feel his attraction to me right to my core. He will never understand what that means to me right now.
And then his whole demeanor changes. “God, I really want to fuck you,” he rasps.
A shiver runs through my whole body as I push my legs together. “Then say yes,” I plead softly.
He nods, and my chest flutters in anticipation.
“Good night, Landon.” I think we both need time to process what we have agreed to and what just happened between us.
“Sleep tight, Poppy, I’ll see you tomorrow.” My finger hovers over the red X, not wanting to end the call, but I know one of us needs to. Pushing it, Landon’s face is gone as I let out a deep sigh.
Exhaustion instantly washes over me. Today was a lot, between the craziness of Kade on sugar—even though I was warned, I had no idea what he would be like—and then tonight with Landon. My body is still tingling, so there’s not one bit of adrenaline left in me.
I close my eyes to sleep, but no matter how tired I am, I can’t get the vision of Landon in all his glory as I made him lose control leave my mind.
Yeah, sleep isn’t happening in this bed tonight.
LANDON
“Who’s ready for the cookie-baking competition?” Mrs. B asks as we take our spots around my kitchen counter. I insisted we do it here because I feel so bad that she has had to clean up after my boys every day.
Including when Kade vomited on her floor the day after making gingerbread houses.
Initially I thought it was all the candy he ate the day before, especially when I heard the stories from both Nash and Poppy. But it turned out to be a stomach bug which is the joy of young kids in daycare together. They love to share germs.
Every night I came home from work, he was curled up asleep with Poppy on the couch. It was hard to look at, because it made me wish for things I can’t have. And as much as I told Poppy I don’t want the boys to get hurt, I’m already expecting tears the moment she leaves. They have fallen for her just as easily as I have.
There is something about this woman. I’m standing here watching her gear up my sons to beat me with their cookies, and it just hooks me in. I could fight it, but it’s a waste of time, I’ve discovered.
