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“Let him in, Poppy,” I call, keeping myself as calm as possible. “We’ve got some shit to figure out.”
She opens the door in invitation but lunge steps at Hunter as he passes by her. He doesn’t flinch away but rather lunges back at her, both freezing before I can hurl myself between them. They both smile like they shared a secret handshake, and I slowly feel my heart loosen up in my chest. “You two . . .”
Poppy grins. “Well, you boys have a seat. I'm pretty sure I’ve got a bottle of wine tucked away somewhere, and I think it’s time to pour a few glasses. Oh, and pizza. I’m the best at ordering pizza.”
As she goes into the kitchen once more, Hunter side-eyes me and quietly says, “I get it, man. I’ll back your play, whatever you need.”
Chapter 26
Poppy
The next morning is too bright and too early, especially when my belly is unhappy with the amount of pizza, wine, and stress I subjected it to last night. But when Connor wakes me up with a kiss and says it’s time to go, I slowly rise to my feet. But I refuse to shine. Yet.
Shuffling into the living room, I see all three men up and ready to go, apparently having already helped themselves to coffee. “Where are we going? Are we going on the run? We’ll have to pick up JP’s family too before we leave the country. Oh, wait . . . I’ll have to find my passport. And get Becca to take care of Nut and Juice until we can bring them with us. We’ll have to do one of those adorable reunion videos when we get them back.”
Hunter sighs from the couch, rubbing at his stubbled cheek. “Is she for real?”
Connor chuckles, which is an amazing sound that draws me into his side so I can feel the vibration of it against my skin. He wraps an arm around me easily, nodding before kissing the top of my head. “Amazingly, yes. She is. If you don’t know, the craziness is just camouflage for a very sharp mind.”
“Aww, thanks, babe,” I tease, skipping the coffee to go straight for the hard stuff. I’ve had to ‘self-medicate’ before in order to wake up after a late night of work, so I know exactly what I need. Grabbing a sugar-free Red Bull out of my fridge, I use a corkscrew to poke a hole in the can before popping the top and shotgunning the whole thing in one long swallow.
“Ignition in three, two, one . . .” I drone. “Blast off.” I shake my whole body, sending the caffeine through my bloodstream. Eyes clear, I look at Connor. “Let’s do this.”
Connor’s eyes are wide, and I realize what he just watched me suck down. Grinning, I playfully, and obscenely, lick my lips. He growls, taking the can from me to drop it in the trash. “Go get dressed.”
“It’s a good thing you’re sexy when you’re grumpy,” I tell him, scooting back down the hallway to pull on jeans and a T-shirt. I also choose tennis shoes in case I need to make a run for it. At this point, I’m planning for any and every thing.
Once Connor assures me I won’t need a passport, we load up in his truck. JP and I are relegated to the back seat this time so that Hunter and Connor can sit up front. As we pull out, I see the walking club women making their rounds. They stop, wide-eyed and staring.
I wave as I roll down the window. “Hey, ladies! Beautiful morning, isn’t it?”
Jane, who once surreptitiously asked me to sign a copy of my book for her, sees three handsome men and blinks. “Uhm, hi, Poppy. Aren’t you gonna introduce us to your friends?”
She points to JP and Hunter, striking a flirty pose with one hand on her hip as she pushes her hair behind her ear. But before I can say anything, Connor rolls my window up and pulls away.
“That was rude,” I comment. “I was about to tell them I’m researching a reverse harem story with some real first-hand experience!”
Connor doesn’t laugh, but his lips do twitch. Like I could ever need another man after him? Pssh. “JP’s married, and Hunter’s a bigger asshole than I am.”
I lean forward, looking at Hunter, who merely shrugs.
“I’m sorry for Connor,” I tell him very seriously. “I’ve met his family, and manners aren’t exactly a strong suit. Words as weapons is more their style.”
Hunter smirks, and I think he’d like to laugh at my humor but is as unfamiliar with laughter as Connor was before I came around. “Maybe so, but Connor’s not wrong. I’m definitely an asshole.”
We drive in silence for a few minutes until I realize where we’re going. “The police station? That seems like a bad idea, guys. A really bad one.”
