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My heart thumped fast and hard.
“You’ve gotta quit kissing me,” he said, his voice rough.
“I don’t know if I can,” I admitted.
“Then we need a game plan. Because next time I fuck you, you’re going to be naked.”
A laugh slipped out of me, and I pulled him in for another kiss.
“Meet me tonight,” I said. “And we can figure out how to fuck this out of our systems. That’s all it can be, you know.”
He nodded, setting me on my feet. His fingers snagged the strap of my dress and righted it, though he watched my breast disappear behind the fabric with a hunger that sent a pulse of desire straight between my thighs, still tender from his touch.
“Good,” I said, glancing around. We were too far away to see anyone, but I could hear them in the distance. He tapped me on the shoulder with the tiny pencil, and I twisted my hair up again, planning our escape until his hands hooked my hips and pulled my back to his chest. He bent to lay a kiss on the curve of my neck, then brought his lips to my ear.
“Naked. Tonight.”
A shudder of pleasure wriggled through me. “Tonight. But how are we getting out of this?”
“I’ll text Evangeline and have her pick me up on the other side of the woods at the road. But you should try to wrangle your sex hair again.”
I patted it. “That bad?”
“That bad.”
I chuckled. “Okay. Go. I think we’re safe.”
“Why so sure of yourself?”
I turned around in his arms and smiled up at him. “Because nobody would believe I’d sleep with you, not in a million years.”
He smirked. “Shows what they know.”
One last long kiss left me wishing it was already tonight. With a wink, he trod into the woods, leaving me wondering what the hell I’d gotten myself into.
And more importantly, why I didn’t care.
14
KEEP TELLING YOURSELF THAT
DUKE
Evangeline eyed me as I climbed into the vehicle silently and shut the door behind me.
“Are you gonna tell me what this is about?”
“At some point, but not now.”
She nodded, pulling back onto the road toward the house.
I watched out the window as the countryside rolled by. Pieces of me tugged apart, splitting in different directions. One for the election and my future. One for my parents. Another for the shitshow I was about to walk into with my brother. And one for Poppy.
I didn’t know what I was doing anymore. I had no plan, not when it came to her, and that was more unlike me than anything I’d experienced since coming home. Maybe I’d figure something out before I saw her later, but I doubted it. Maybe we’d sort it out tonight, but I wasn’t banking on that either.
I caved, just like I knew I would.
There was too much at stake to fuck around like this. But I knew for a fact I’d be exactly where she told me to be tonight. Not going wasn’t even on the radar, not even as a distant warning. I should have hesitated. But I didn’t, and I wouldn’t.
I told myself she was a habit, nothing more than familiar arms to lose myself in. There was no way I’d admit it was more than that. No way in hell.
Tonight, I’d have her, all of her. Tonight, I’d take time to appreciate her body before the whole thing fell apart. Inevitably, it would. That should have been enough to walk away. But despite my academic accolades, I was not a smart man. Not when it came to Poppy.
Before I could have her, though, I had to deal with my family.
“I need to figure out why Nash is here,” I said, hoping to work it out with Ang’s help. “He’s at the house now, and I’m not sure if I can talk to him without hitting him.”
“Well, you’re going to have to figure it out. We need you camera ready for the fair next weekend.”
“No promises.” We were silent for a moment. “He tried to tell me at the church that he wanted to make amends. Wanted to introduce us to his girl and prove he’s doing fine. That he’s turned around.”
“But you don’t believe him.”
“I want to.”
“It’s really impossible for him to have gotten his shit together?”
“Despite how we’ve all tried to help him get there, he never has.”
“Maybe this time’s different.”
“That’s how he gets you. Hope.”
She sighed, pulling into the driveway. “Well, let’s hope he behaves himself. I’ll work on some contingency plans in case he doesn’t.”
I leaned forward on seeing the ratty trailer parked next to the house.
“Guess he’s not staying in the house after all,” she noted.
I cut her a look and she shrugged.
“Listen, Duke—there’s no way out of this but through. Try not to lose your mind in the process.”
“Too late.” The second the car was parked, I climbed out and slammed the door shut, stalking to the trailer.
