guy. I don’t want her to hate me more, but I don’t want him to use this as a way to wheedle himself in with her. I was already worried that she was setting herself up for a fall, except now when it happens, it will be my fault.”
“Charley was already nuts about this guy,” Turner said, resting both hands on her shoulders to give her a reassuring squeeze. “You said that yourself. And we both knew there was no way the relationship would end well.”
“That doesn’t matter,” Poppy said, shaking her head. “Charley didn’t know it. Did you talk to her before you left? Does she know about us?” He faltered. “Oh God!”
“No, hey, it’s okay,” Turner said, pulling her back when she tried to turn away. “Baby, it’s going to be okay.”
“That we were screwing around behind her back? That we were sharing a bed? Having sex? Grabbing a quickie any time she wasn’t looking? I already betrayed her by not telling her who I was and now…” Sorrow plunged through her. “She told me not to sleep with you. Zoey did too and—”
“When the hell was this?”
She shook her head again. “Charley was talking about David, and… she was drunk. I don’t know if she meant it.”
“Before or after we were together?”
Her eyes met his. “Define together?” she asked. “I told you already I was nuts for you before the sex even happened.” It wasn’t easy to ignore his emerging satisfaction. “It was the night we made our deal.” His brows rose. “Not that one. When I told you not to work on the apartment.”
“That was the same weekend.”
That they first had sex. “Yeah,” she said, relaxing against his supporting hands. “I didn’t think much about it at the time. I don’t think she meant it… maybe she did.”
“She was clueless about us… She thought we were alone in your room talking about repairs.”
“I know, but—”
“Charley might have hooked us up, but that’s where her rights in this relationship began and finished.” He scowled. “You weren’t even close when she sent you to the Venture.”
“No, but we got close after.”
“After we already knew there was something here.”
Which she couldn’t deny. “I don’t know,” Poppy asserted. “I really never thought about it much, but now, with everything put together… She’s going to think I stole you.”
He didn’t get it. “From who? I was single a long time before we got it together. You know that.”
“You’re her brother. I hurt her. Your whole family could demand you never see me again.”
“But they won’t,” he said, smirking as his fingers curled around the back of her neck. “My mom’s already talking about us buying a place near hers after we get married. The kids are desperate for a wedding.”
“Okay,” Poppy said, stepping backward out of his clutches, holding up both hands. “Everyone needs to breathe.”
“You need to breathe,” he said, his amusement apparent. “You’re way behind on the curve here. I’ve already seen what’s around the corner.”
Her heart was pounding. “You have?” Poppy asked. Coming closer, he nodded while wrapping his arms around her. “What does it look like?”
“Like you and me and everything that makes you happy.” He squeezed her tighter. “I love you, Popkat. That comes with forever. It’s in the small print.”
The three little words. How could they change so much? She’d known about his love. Yet, for some reason, hearing those words set her mind into slow motion. Every one of her senses zeroed in on him, on the man holding her. It was from his lips that she’d dreamt of hearing those words. Now that dream was real.
“You love me,” she whispered.
Proud, he didn’t even blink. “I do.”
Resisting him only got more difficult with every second that passed. “Oh God,” she groaned, burying her face against him.
The warmth of his laugh heated her hair. “It’s supposed to make you happy when the man you love says that.”
It did. It just complicated everything. Though it was her fantasy come to life, it would be easier for everyone if they could forget each other ever existed.
He liked determined women and was showing his own resolve. Her repeated attempts to persuade him to leave fell on deaf ears. Turner was sticking around and Poppy wasn’t sure she had it in her to keep pushing him away.
Her head fell back as her hands flopped to his neck and she drew him down for a kiss. Turner loved her. For just a second, Poppy wanted to relish that. To enjoy