Poppy was adorable like this. I wanted her.
Wanted her badly.
The torture of watching her all night, of watching and not touching, was at its limit.
And because I couldn’t help myself, I reached out and ran my knuckles along her upper arm. Poppy’s responding shiver was delicious. I couldn’t see her face from this angle, so I moved to gaze down. Her unguarded astonishment was a thing of beauty. She stared at the house, blinking rapidly as if it would vanish.
More than anything, I wanted to kiss her.
“You did this? For us?” Poppy’s gaze swiveled to meet mine. Emotions glistened in the corners of her eyes.
Fuck it.I reached for her, pulling her into my arms. It felt…right.
“Don’t be shocked,” I deflected.
“I am!” Poppy tentatively placed her palms on my sides. The effect was instantaneous. Heart pulsed through me, and I had to forcefully hold myself back. “You spent all night changing this place. Cleaning it up, because I—Oh, no!”
I frowned. “What?”
“It’s because I criticized your house, isn’t it.” Worry darted across her face.
I tightened my grip around her. “A little paint and new floors are an easy price to pay for your comfort.”
She nodded, but I could see I hadn’t convinced her.
Leaning down, I decided to take her mind off it. My lips hovered over hers for a brief second. She didn’t take the option to pull away. Rising on the tips of her toes, she met my mouth with a kiss.
The contact stole my breath.
It started gentle, a tentative brush of lips. Her mouth was soft and warm against mine. I gave her time to explore, to get used to the idea. There was a question we both asked, and at the same time, our bodies answered. Poppy’s response was nothing short of primal. In a flash, she deepened the kiss. Her palm cupped my face. It was firm and determined, closing on the stubble that lined my jaw.
Our mouths moved, and the hesitation melted away.
On my stomach, her fingers curled into the material of the shirt.
A sharp sound, part whimper, part plea, escaped her. I lost control in the echo of that noise. I backed her against the wall. My body bent to pin her in place as the kiss turned hungry. I slid my tongue against her lips, pressing and demanding entrance. She gave it.
Hers flicked to meet mine, and I tasted her sweetness.
My little mountain flower.
There was no remorse for plucking her and taking her to my dark corner of the world. She was hardy and strong. She could survive in this place. But it was up to me to make it less terrible. More like her dreams. Which was exactly the reason I had my men do a quick home-reno project. If she noticed the new flooring that spread through the house, she hadn’t said. There were other projects we could—and would—do in time. But paint and flooring were a solid start.
Fire exploded through my veins. I pulled her body up against mine. My arm wrapped around her waist and I lifted her, usingthe wall to brace her, although the size difference between us made it easy. I dreamed of this moment. While I devoured her with the kiss, plundering and demanding more, I skated my other hand over her body. The explorative touch confirmed she was every bit as delicious as I imagined.
This whole time, my cock strained hard against my slacks, demanding attention.
Right as I was debating taking this further, footsteps clattered outside, and then the door creaked open. Poppy gasped and pulled away.
The loss of her mouth was a vivid pain. I lowered her wriggling frame to the ground. Rayko arched a questioning brow, but we’d untangled quickly enough that the round, dark eyes of his sidekick didn’t catch us.
“Brady!” Poppy stifled a shout. “What are you…? Where have you been?”
“Mr. Ray took me to his house for a movie.” The boy yawned. “We fell asleep on the couch, but here, Mama! Doughnuts from the drive-through.”
Gone was the passionate beauty, who’d been captive in my arms. In her place was the fiery mother. Poppy shared that same ferocity of any mammal when her young was in the picture. Her anger turned on me, controlled only by the refusal to have an outburst in front of the child.
“You let himleave?” she hissed.
