A goofy smile, bright eyes, and glowing features. Then there was how light her heart felt. It started when Decker had hugged her and it went up like a helium balloon when she’d kissed him. But the sweetest part was when he said he had her.
It had been a long time since someone was there to catch her. Opal would forever be her rock, but lately Opal seemed to be slowing down in her age. Which was why Poppy had taken on the role of the protector. Opal protected Poppy for years, now it was her turn. Only tonight’s protector was Decker.
The way he held her, called his family to arrange care for Opal, even lacing his fingers through hers on the ride home, it all had something deep in her soul that had once been snuffed out flickering to life. And that excited her as much as it scared her. If anything, tonight showed her just how quickly life couldchange. Sure, Opal just suffered a sprain, but it could have been worse. And Poppy knew firsthand how quickly things could go from bad to debilitating.
That’s how it had been with her mom. After the crash, she’d battled to stay alive for Poppy, but in the end the injuries had been too great. Within minutes she had passed. Poppy still wasn’t sure which was worse, a long, drawn-out goodbye or an instantaneous one. But she did know one thing. In a few weeks she’d have to say goodbye to Decker, and she wasn’t sure how.
“Which is why you’re going to act like nothing has changed and you’re going to crawl into that bed and go straight to sleep. And you’re not going to look into his mesmerizing eyes. You’re certainly not going to look at that sexy mouth. And let’s send a plea to the Wish Fairy that he’s wearing a shirt.”
With a fortifying breath, she creaked open the bathroom door and nearly jumped out of her pajamas when Decker said, “The Wish Fairy didn’t answer your wish.”
He was sitting against the headboard, shirtless. Her eyes dropped to his chest, and he made his pecs bob up and down—sweet baby Jesus—letting her know she was caught staring. “You, on the other hand, are wearing armor. What’s the matter, Angel, don’t trust yourself?”
She looked down at her sweats and baggy shirt. Thrusting her shoulders back, she said, “I’m just cold.”
His gaze ran the length of her, and she felt a shiver follow in its tracks. “Maybe you are cold,” he said. “Or perhaps turned on?”
She looked down and dammit, her nipples were poking through her shirt, ready to break out their party poppers.
“You wish.”
“Well, the Wish Fairy is listening to one of us, because you aren’t wearing a bra.” She covered herself with folded arms. “You’re only making it worse.”
She looked down and her cleavage was up around her neck.She climbed into bed, nuzzling her feet beneath a sleeping Taters, then placed two pillows between them like the Great Wall of China and laid down.
“Goodnight, Decker,” she said and flicked off the light.
“Goodnight, Angel.”
Silence fell over them as an intimate darkness blanketed the room. A sliver of moonlight broke through the part in the curtains. Poppy was so exhausted, even her bones ached. She closed her eyes but her mind was spinning so fast with possibilities that they sprang back open.
Possibilities like crawling over and snuggling deep into his chest. Or, perhaps, getting rid of the wall altogether and letting her fingers glide over the ridges of his eight-pack. Maybe even kiss him again, now that the emergency had passed, and see what he did next.
Only, she knew what came next. Sex. Sex came next. And if she were bold enough, she might come, too.
“I can hear you thinking,” he said, his voice gravelly in the night air.
“There’s something I want to tell you.”
The bed shifted and he came up on his elbow. Even in the darkness she could make out those cobalt blue eyes. “Does this have anything to do with you being cold?”
“No, I— Yes, um— Stop distracting me!”
“Stop talking about being cold. It brings an amazing image to mind.”
She picked up the pillow and smacked him in the face. But he was too fast and palmed it out of her hand and threw it on the floor.
“That’s my wall.”
“You broke the first brick. I just put it someplace more useful.”
“The floor is useful?”
“Yup. Watch.” He took the other pillow and stacked it against the first and made a teepee. “Taters. Floor.”
Taters farted but didn’t move.
“Floor or no treat tomorrow.”
