Page 38

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

REUNITED AND IT FEELS SO GOOD

POPPY

The morning starts out normal…I go to work, dragging slightly because I don’t sleep great when Bowie’s gone. But as the morning continues, something feels off. There’s a hush when I walk into the room. I catch a few staff members whispering behind their clipboards, glancing my way with pitying looks.

“What is going on?” I mutter under my breath, forcing a smile at the next person I pass and getting a tight-lipped grin in return.

By the time lunch rolls around, I’m on edge.

I lean against my desk and pull out my lunch, scrolling on my phone. And then I see it, a picture posted online of Bowie hugging a woman—a beautiful woman with perfect hair and a body that won’t quit.

The headline says: Has Bowie Fox reunited with Adriane Fletcher?

Oh my God. Adriane? My appetite vanishes. I’m grateful I didn’t take a bite of my sandwich yet, because I’m pretty sure I’d choke. The image sends my mind spinning. Why is she there? Why is he hugging her like that? Is she back? Oh, God, is she back? And how does everyone here know about it before me?

I try to get a grip. Have they been talking again? I thought he hadn’t spoken to her in years. I thought they didn’t leave it on friendly terms when they talked last. Who am I kidding? This woman’s body language doesn’t scream anything close to friends. One of her hands is up in his hair, and I see red.

I hear my name and look up. Bowie stands in the doorway, grinning at me. The relief in his eyes drops and his brow furrows when he sees my face. Normally, I’d melt at how glad he seems to see me, but right now, everything feels shaky.

“Hey,” he says softly, leaning in to kiss me. I turn slightly, just enough to make him pause. Confusion flickers in his eyes. “Poppy, what’s wrong?”

I draw a tremulous breath, which is just so annoying—I wish I could keep my cool, but I can’t. I unlock my phone, turning the screen so he can see the photo.

“This. Everyone’s been acting weird this morning, so I went searching online and found this. What happened? ”

His jaw clenches. “Damn it,” he mutters under his breath. “Adriane was at the hotel when we got back after the game last night.” He drags a hand over his head, frustration radiating off him. “I’m so sorry. I was going to tell you about this last night, but you were so tired, I thought it could wait until I told you in person.”

“Did you know she was going to be there?” I ask, feeling myself go numb.

“No,” he says, setting his hands on my shoulders. “I had no idea. She caught me completely off guard and just showed up, acting like she expected us to just ease back into what we were.” He grimaces, shaking his head. “She tried to hug me. I stepped out of it right after this was taken.”

I bite my lip, searching his face. He looks upset and sincere, but would he really have told me if this hadn’t been taken?

“So she’s back,” I say carefully, my voice cracking. “Why now? Are you…I mean, do you still…?”

He stiffens before his expression softens. “No,” he says firmly. “Absolutely not. Seeing her again just reminded me of everything I don’t want. She tried to convince me that what we had was something special. And I told her what we had doesn’t come close to what you and I have. That I’ve found true love.”

The words should comfort me, but doubt still gnaws at my mind. I drop my gaze and try to move away, but he lowers his head and forces me to make eye contact with him.

“Poppy,” he says softly.

“Were you just saying that to hurt her back?” I ask quietly. “Or because we have a baby on the way and you feel…I don’t know…obligated?”

His eyes widen and he looks wounded. “Poppy, no.” He reaches for my hands, holding them firmly in his. “I’m happy about the baby, but this feeling, what I feel for you, it was there before I knew about him. I haven’t been able to get you out of my mind since Becca tried to force us together in Twinkle Tales.” His eyes crinkle as he smiles, trying to shoot levity into our conversation, but it drops when he sees that I’m still close to tears. “It’s not duty or confusion. It’s love. Pure and simple. I’m not in love with you because I have to be. In fact, I tried really hard not to fall for you, if you’ll remember what an ass I was.”

That finally makes me smile. “An enormous ass,” I add softly.

He tilts his head. “Right. An enormous ass.” His forehead leans on mine for a second. “You’re everything to me, Poppy. I’m in love with you because I can’t help but be, and I never want to stop.”

I press my lips together when they go wobbly. “Bowie, I just…” I lift my eyes to his and see no hesitation, no lie, no guard put up between us. I let out a shaky breath. “Everyone was looking at me like they felt sorry for me. I didn’t know what to think.”

“I’m so sorry. I should’ve told you as soon as it happened. I couldn’t wait to get home to you. I don’t want you to doubt how I feel. There’s no part of me that wants Adriane back. I hope you know that.”

“I don’t want to lose what we have. This is real for me too.”

His arms slide around me, pulling me close. “You’re not going to lose me,” he says against my hair. “Seeing her changed nothing except solidifying that what I have with you is the best thing to ever happen to me…which I already knew.”

He pulls back and puts his hands on my cheeks.

“Do you trust me?” he asks .

I stare up at him for a long moment and then nod. “I do.”

I see the relief in his eyes and the ache in my chest dulls. Our lips meet so softly at first, it’s just the faintest brush, a quiet question. My hands climb up his shoulders, my fingers curling into his shirt, and he answers by leaning in, his fingers grazing lightly down my arm.

For a moment, it’s gentle, but then the sparks rush in. My heart thuds against his chest and he angles his head, deepening the kiss. His mouth becomes more insistent, coaxing me open, and our kiss changes from careful and sweet to a heat that makes my toes curl. His hands slip to my waist, pulling me closer, and I make an urgent sound in his mouth. His body is taut, hard planes against my soft, and I stand on my tiptoes, trying to get as close as I can.

A noise outside my office reminds me where I am and I pull away, breathless. He stares back at me with hunger.

“I better get back to work,” I tell him.

“Are we good?” he asks.

“We’re good,” I say. “As long as we keep talking to each other…and kissing like that.”

His lips lift. He presses a kiss to my forehead and I exhale. The rest of the world can think what they want, but we know where we stand.

“I’ll see you at home in a few hours?” he asks.

I nod. “Yes,” I say softly.

He walks out and I get a swift kick from the baby that makes me smile. I feel a little wrung out from the roller coaster of emotions, but I do trust Bowie. We’ve come a long way.