caught his jaw in both hands to hold him there above her. If he made love to her like he wanted to, like she wished he would, Poppy wouldn’t be able to maintain any level of discretion.
“You’re right. We shouldn’t. The kids are just through the wall and Charley’s across the hall.”
“Thought you were across the hall,” he said, joining their lips again.
“I gave my room to Charley so she could have more space. I bunked in with Grammie.”
“You won’t have to do that again,” he said. “There’s always space for you right here.”
Poppy loosened as all her stress receded. “I missed you,” she said, coiling her arms around his neck. “I couldn’t sleep… until I got here.”
“I live to serve you.”
“But not service me,” she said on a sigh. “Why does this feel like history repeating?”
“It’s a big estate, baby. You telling me we can’t carve out a corner to get it on? Just tell me when and where…”
“Hmm, maybe,” she teased.
“You better, baby, or I’ll drag you back to the Venture. I said I’d live wherever you want, I shoulda said I’ll live wherever you want so long as sex is allowed.”
“We have a lot to talk about,” she said, stroking his face with her forefingers. “A lot of stuff to work out.”
“We’ll get there, baby.”
“Tiller says they’re thinking of inviting Holden here for dinner.”
Shifting off her, he lay on his side next to her. “Pres mentioned something about that.”
“How do you feel about it?” she asked, righting the fabric over her chest. “About him being here with your family?”
“I think he should have to look the people he’s messing with in the eye.”
“But the kids…”
“Yeah, they shouldn’t be there.”
“And the twins,” she said, licking her lips. “Charley’s upset too… Zoey’s been super understanding, but I don’t want to put her through that… I want Holden to face what he’s done just like you do. And I want to give him a piece of my mind, but if we give him any reason to be smug… I want what’s best for our families.”
“Family,” he said, combing his fingers into her hair to spread it on the pillow. “You heard Grammie, it’s all one and the same. I haven’t seen you and Violet talk much.”
“Pfft,” Poppy said, at the end of her tether. “I don’t know what to do. I never spent any quality time with Holden, yet somehow he thinks there’s a potential future for us. Violet I saw almost every day of my life, but that hasn’t earned me the benefit of the doubt. Should I chase her down? Should I leave her be? I don’t know what’s best. I’ve been trying to give her space, hoping she’d notice how much I’m desperate to get rid of Holden… So far, it hasn’t worked out.”
His rough fingers grazed her forehead, soothing her. “You know you’re not dealing with any of it alone anymore.”
Poppy needed to be adamant. “I am not piling my burdens onto you. I know there’s something here, with us, but we have to deal with Holden before we can start to figure it out.”
“Good,” he said, showing her a rare smile. “I have a goal. I’m great at fixing things, Popkat.”
Wrapping her arms around his neck, she was ready to surrender to the present. “Don’t I know it,” she said as he lowered to kiss her again. When he tried to pull back, she tightened her arms. “We can’t have sex, but we can make out.” His mouth was the most fascinating thing in her whole world. “Do you want to make out with me?”
“Would be a dream,” he said, glancing past her. “I’ve gotta be at work soon.”
“Work,” she said, blowing out a puff of frustration. “I knew there was a reason I hated alarms.”
When her consciousness had begun to wake, Poppy had thought for a few seconds that she was due at work. That part of her life was history; it was still present for Turner.
Though the twist of his lips suggested he enjoyed her sulk, he didn’t tease her. “Do you want to come and look at apartments with me this weekend?”
If they did have Holden over for dinner that week and he got the message, they might be able to pack up and leave soon. “How much notice do you have to give Aitken?”
“Couple of weeks, I think,” he said. “But Grammie’s our in, I’m sure she could sweet talk him. That a no on the apartments?”