“Remember, the boys are asleep and that I’m here in your arms, perfectly fine,” Poppy says. Straight away I can tell that I’m not about to like what she’s going to say if she’s telling me not to get angry and yell loudly.
“Poppy.” I rumble her name in a voice so low she gets the message to move on with it.
“Dean turned up at my mom’s house after we were on the phone together, you know, um… Yeah, anyway. He was here…” My chest is already tight, and I can feel the anger of Dean being anywhere near Poppy about to burst out from me.
“He fucking did what?” I murmur. “I warned him what would happen if he went near you.” I start to sit up, but Poppy catches me off guard, pushing down on my chest so that I’m flat on my back, and she climbs on top of me, then leans forward so her chest is on top of mine.
“Don’t even think about it. You are going to stay right where you are. Listen to everything, and then if you still have an excess of pent-up frustration, then you can fuck me like you promised earlier. I know you’re pissed at Dean, but by the time I’m finished, you’re going to be so damn proud of me and beyond excited with the news I have to share.”
“Poppy, I swear to God if you don’t move…” I’m not sure I can lie here much longer. I feel like I’m about to crawl out of my skin.
“I’m not moving. Actually, let’s start with that. I’m not moving back to Rochester, I’m staying here, in Boston. I’m coming home for good, Landon. There’s no way I want to be away from you or the boys. Today I knew it was time to stop putting off the tough decisions. This is what I want, to be with you. That’s if you’ll have me.” I feel like her words are giving me whiplash. I’m still wound so tight and need to know about Dean, but this decision, this is everything.
Poppy moving home to Boston permanently is my forever.
“Fuck, you’re saying that now when I’m pissed off. I’ll be angry at you for that later, but right now, I just want to kiss every inch of you.” I take a quick breath and look as deeply into her eyes as I can. “Do you mean it, like this is not just a thought? You’re really coming home to me? Moving in here, in this bedroom with me, forever.” Shit, I’m about to ask her to marry me, and now is not the time for that.
“I sort of just assumed and invited myself to move in, but I could always move back in with Mom if that’s what you want.” I can see the cheekiness in her smile that’s a bit too cheesy looking as she waits for my reply to her comment.
“That’s not even funny, Poppy. You know where you’ll be living, and that’s with me. As if you needed to ask. I’ve practically had you living in this house for weeks.” I reach up, my hands on her cheeks, and kiss her firmly on her lips and then gently on her forehead too which lets her know how happy I am about this. But there are so many unanswered questions, and I can’t stop the rumble of anger that is still circulating inside me, knowing that Dean is in Boston and has been talking to Poppy.
“We will come back to this news, because I want to celebrate properly. But please, Poppy, you need to tell me what happened with Dean. Why the hell is he here?” Sitting her back up so she’s seated on my stomach, I raise my knees up so she can lean back on them to be comfortable.
“I know you must be upset and worried, but it’s not as bad as you think. I was just about to head back over here from Mom’s house after I gave myself a moment or two to get over the intense orgasms you had gifted me.” The slight pink on her cheeks as she says it, under different circumstances, would’ve taken me back to that moment, reveling in the memory of it, but this time, I just want her to keep talking. So, I just smile and don’t say a word. Thankfully, Poppy keeps talking and blurts the whole story out.She tells me what Dean said, how she felt, what she said back to him, and how she stood her ground, telling him she wasn’t taking any of his shit. Normally I’d be cheering at her for not letting him put her down, but I’m too wired at the thought that this prick is still in Boston somewhere. And now I trust him even less than I did when the accident happened and I met him in Rochester, which is saying something because I didn’t trust him at all then either. From day one of Poppy telling me about this man who made her feel less than her worth, I have hated him. But now it’s escalated way past that feeling of hatred and moved on to loathing. I want to make him pay for everything he has done to her and continues to do to torment her.
Poppy may be able to push past her issues with Dean, but I’m not there yet. Not even close.
“Then I basically told him he could go fuck himself and kicked him out. Called Meara to tell her how proud I felt, but I knew that I needed to tell you everything in person. Because let’s be honest, there is nothing I could have said to you over the phone that would’ve convinced you I was okay until you could see me with your own two eyes and be able to wrap me in your arms.” It’s almost like I can feel the excitement vibrating through her body.
I can’t believe how unruffled Poppy is right now. The glow on her cheeks and sparkle in her eyes shows me that she’s actually in a happy place, which is screwing with my head too. I’ve been hoping so hard for this for her, to find her place again that she can settle down, unlock her memory, and go on to start living her life the way she wants to. I just never expected it to come off the back of an unscheduled and unwanted meeting with Dean.
One thing I know for sure is that I’m not leaving her alone until he’s left town. And even then, it will be either Poppy or me calling Rosco to let him know what Dean has done. That bastard is not getting away with intimidating Poppy. Plus, I’ll bedemanding the case be reopened and they look more closely at him for the candidate responsible for the ceiling collapse.
“Landon?” Poppy’s voice snaps me out of my fixation on Dean. I have to try to push thinking about him aside, because my girl deserves my full attention tonight.
“Sorry, just processing everything.” Putting my hands on her waist, I start to rub her body gently, back and forth over my cock.
“I’m so proud of you. More than you can even imagine. I have watched you even before the accident, when you told me how you’d let that disgusting poor excuse of a man bring you down in so many ways.”
Poppy releases a soft moan as my cock gets harder and starts rubbing her clit firmer every time I drag her pussy over top of me.
“But today, you took back your power from Dean. Showing him the badass boss woman you are. Letting him see firsthand how strong you are and exposing the awful things he’s done that are now coming to light. The karma bus is catching up with Dean, and you’re the driver, with the rest of the people he’s hurt on board. I’m sitting at the front of the bus, right behind your seat, cheering you on the loudest.” I watch that glow on her cheeks getting brighter, her mouth open and her head dropping back to give me the best view. Her hair hangs down loosely over my knees that she’s still leaning against. Her tits thrust forward with her nipples pebbled and pointing straight at me. And it’s the glorious sight in front of me that reminds me that I need to stop giving Dean any power over me either.
“So, we’re going to forget about Dean, and for the rest of the night, I want to show you how ecstatic I am that I never have to watch you walk away from me again. That you’re here, where you’re meant to be. You’re home, Poppy, and sometime in the future, I’m going to show you how committed I am to keep you this happy for the rest of your life, with the most stunning ringand by getting down on one knee. And you’ll say yes and never want to leave.” I can feel tears welling in my eyes that I didn’t expect, but I never thought I would find this kind of contentment again. Poppy finding her happiness again brings a sense of fulfillment back into my life.
She lifts her head and has the most beautiful and precious smile on her face, eyes glistening and filling with tears as she nods softly at me.
“I want that too, Landon. I love you so much that I want it all with you,” she whispers to me as she lets her head fall back again and starts to gyrate her pussy harder over my cock. “But right now, all I want is for you to stop teasing me and fuck me.” Poppy whimpers.
“No, Poppy, not tonight. I’m not fucking you.” Her head whips up, and she glares at me, looking confused.
“I want to make long, slow, passionate love to you until you fall asleep in my arms, and we’ll both spend the rest of the night dreaming about the amazing life we’re going to live together.”
The tears in her eyes spill down her cheeks as I lift her gently off me and then onto the bed. Moving over the top of her, I drop my head and kiss her. Our lips join our bodies, and the moment I push my cock inside her, we become one. Body, heart, and soul.
Chapter Twenty-Two
LANDON
