She fiddles with the hem of my hoodie, shifting her weight between her feet. And that’s when I realize she’s waiting for me to leave.
I clear my throat. “I’ll head out.”
I turn around and reach for the doorknob, then stop myself. This feels off. How did we go from kissing and talking to her pushing me out of her apartment?
“Hey, is everything okay?” I ask Poppy.
She smiles and nods, but I can tell it’s strained. She’s upset. Or anxious.
The urge to wrap my arms around her and hold her hits hard, but I don’t. She backs away another step, creating even more space between us.
A sinking feeling hits my gut. She doesn’t want me around.
I rub the back of my neck, hating the tension in the air between us now.
“Okay, well, I’ll see you later,” I say. I grab my suit jacket and tie, then slip on my shoes.
I head out the door as she holds it open for me.
“Bye, Nick,” she says in a soft voice.
I step out, and she shuts it behind me. Brody the asshole is long gone, thankfully. No idea when he finally left, but I’m glad he’s not here trying to bother Poppy anymore.
I stand in the empty hallway, my head spinning as I struggle to process what I did wrong.
Shit, maybe she regrets what we did? Maybe we went too far. I mean, we kissed on the mouth for the first time last night. And now, less than a day later, I’m making her come with my hand, and she’s sucking me off…
An ugly feeling rips through me. I think about knocking on her door and apologizing, but I stop myself. I need to leave. She made it clear she doesn’t want me around, so I need to respect that.
I shove my hands in my pockets and make my way down the stairs and out of the building back home.
I need to make this right with Poppy. I just don’t know how.
Chapter 29
Poppy
Istare at my phone screen, at the text Nick sent me yesterday.
Hey. Are you okay? I’m really sorry if what we did yesterday made you uncomfortable.
Guilt throttles me. I feel like the biggest jerk on the planet for making Nick think that he did anything wrong yesterday. He didn’t, and I need to tell him that. And I need to apologize for how I practically kicked him out of my apartment.
That was the hottest hookup of my life. I’ve never been able to come from just a guy’s hand before. But Nick played me like a fiddle with his fingers, delivering an orgasm that made me forget my own name.
I think about how he said I gave him the hottest blowjob of his life. How much I turned him on. How my confidence was through the roof. Hearing him say that made me feel like a sex kitten.
I think about how he kissed me and held me and showered me with praise.
And then I think about the words he spoke that triggered me, that made me finally come to my senses.
So much for your rules, wild girl. We’re just a couple of rule breakers now.
I broke my rules for Nick. But now I have to get back on track.
Because I know without a doubt that if I keep breaking my rules for Nick, I’ll fall hard for him. And I’ll definitely end up with my heart broken.
Because I’d bet anything that Nick isn’t developing feelings for me. I bet he’s just along for the ride, having fun. Because he’s a player. He’s not a relationship kind of guy, so he’s used to this—to fooling around and having a good time without getting attached.
