It’s almost a shame that the one thing Poppy truly deserves, is the one thing that isn’t genuine right now. One day it will be. Once we both get what we want.
“And I want to spend every day of my life with you. Will you marry me?”
The three karat, oval diamond glimmers in the dim light of the restaurant as I open the velvet box.
For a moment, Poppy looks stunned, even though this was all but rehearsed. After a second or two, she starts nodding her head, a smile taking over her gorgeous face.
“Yes, Jett. Yes, I’ll marry you,” she answers, and people murmur around us.
Did she say yes? Oh my god, they’re engaged!
I stand now, and Poppy rises from her chair, stretching up on tip toes to throw her arms around my neck.
She plants a hesitant kiss on my cheek next to my mouth before she buries her face in my neck. I dip my head and hold her close to me. This might all be staged, but the joy that sparks at the contact between us is very real.
“I love you,” I say aloud, and then into the shell of her ear I whisper, “you did so good, Pops.”
When I look down, goosebumps have scattered across her arms, her upper back between her shoulder blades where my fingers are resting.
We separate from our hug as people start approaching us to congratulate us. Others are milling about, some of them taking pictures on their phones. I recognize one of them as a reporter that frequently interviews skiers at competitions.Perfect.
A middle-aged couple approach us to offer their congratulations, and they both shake mine and Poppy’s hands. They tell us how they’re out for dinner on their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary. It’s sweet, and it’s all going to plan.
Until another onlooker pipes up in the crowd. It’s one of the waiters I saw wandering around the tables around us. He’s shorter in stature, with a stocky build, and sharp eyes.
“Anyone want to take bets on how long this lasts?” He asks with a sneer to no one in particular. I turn toward him slowly, staring him down.
“Want to say that again?” My blood pressure rises, anger sizzling beneath my skin. I can normally take the heat, negative commentary typically rolls off my back. But this isn’t just aboutme. My gaze snaps to Poppy. Her cheeks are flushed, eyes wide in shock.
A defensive wall slides up my back. The image of her standing in her apartment with her ‘silly goose on the loose’ sweatshirt flashes through my mind, along with an overwhelming need to protect her.
“Nah. I’m good,” he answers. He has a smug look that I want to punch right off his face. “Wouldn’t want to ruin the fun. Looks like your cute little clout chaser’s enjoying the attention.”
That’s when I snap, and my fist flies. It connects with the arrogant asshole’s face, and as I imagined, he doesn’t look so smug anymore.
He brings his hand up to rub his bruised cheekbone, and flashes me a dirty look. As if he didn’t deserve what I just did.
I take a step towards him, and he flinches.
“Don’t say another. Fucking. Word,” I snarl. “About my future wife.”
Whirling around, I search for Poppy to make sure she’s okay.
But all I catch is a glimpse of her taking off toward the back of the restaurant.
CHAPTER 16
POPPY
Jett’s eyesare shrouded in a dark intensity, his breathing is heavy as he takes a few slow steps toward the waiter. The sleeves of his button-down are rolled up, and now the muscles in his forearms are flexing and tensing as he forms a fist at his side.
I don’t hear what the waiter has said in response, because before I know it, Jett’s fist has connected with his face and the restaurant guests around us are shrieking.
All I can do is stand here watching the scene unfold before me in horror, and shock, and… attraction?
It’s the only word I can think of to describe the sudden fluttering in my chest. Normally, I’m not one to condone violence. But watching Jett stand up for me, it’s a side of him I didn’t know existed.
“Don’t say another. Fucking. Word. About my future wife,” he snarls.
