Shaw (Alpha Geek #6) - Milly Taiden Page 0,37

pushed around in wheelchairs or aided by nifty walkers. “There’s even a cool media room where we have movie nights. Everything from the classics to new releases. I think you’ll have a lot of fun during your stay here.”

It didn’t take all that long to get Nana set up in a private room. Poppy had pulled in a series of favors to get the room, and she would owe her boss a few overnight shifts, but it was well worth it when she saw Nana settling into the pre-furnished space. The television was pretty huge, and Nana wasted no time turning it on.

“Sweet lord, the picture quality is amazing on this. You can really see all of his wrinkles.” She pointed to an aging actor on the screen. “It makes me feel better to see that. Age comes for us all. You can go, you two. Go deal with whatever trouble you’re in and don’t come back for me until it’s all resolved. This feels like a five-star resort.”

Shaw laughed and plopped down next to his grandmother. “I’m happy you’re going to be okay here.”

Poppy left the room then, intent on giving them the privacy they needed to say their goodbyes. But she did peek over her shoulder as she exited. It made her heart do all kinds of things to see Shaw being so sweet, caring, and tender with his nana. He would be a good father one day.

The thought surprised her, and she had to physically shake out her head and body to banish the thought. It wouldn’t do to think like that. She squared off her shoulders and waited for Shaw.

“You made quite the impression on her,” he said once he finally joined her in the hall. “She really likes you.”

“She is spunky. I like her, too. She’ll be safe here. The staff knows she’s a friend of mine, so she’ll be well tended to.”

“I trust you, Poppy.” His words were loaded.

He was saying so much more than just I trust you. He was asking her to trust him right back. She wasn’t there yet, and she had no idea if she would ever be. The three little words rang out in her head, as they walked back to the car and drove farther away from their town, from the nursing home, from their troubles.

Shaw was driving, and he was quiet for the two hours it took to get to the wooded side roads. During the drive, there were a few moments where Poppy would have liked nothing better than to reach over the center console to take Shaw’s hand in hers. Her panther was all but crying for it. They hadn’t kissed in what felt like forever since he recuperated from the near-fatal attack.

Poppy could hold onto her shattered heart and broken trust. She could repeat to herself over and over again that Shaw had lied to her. It was easy to do that. But it was so much harder to ignore the pull that she felt. Her body kept wanting to be closer to his. It made her skin ache every time she denied herself the chance to touch him. With every passing moment, it was more and more difficult. If her animal had her way, Poppy would have been in Shaw’s lap, kissing him.

Being so close to Shaw, but so far away, was painful.

But being lied to again, being used again? That would be more than agonizing.

Chapter Eighteen

Shaw

Shaw parked the car by two enormous and ancient oak trees. The branches were long, high, and filled with leaves. If he squinted, he could almost see his grandfather’s old pickup truck parked in its usual spot.

This cabin had been his Pops’ hunting lodge and fishing retreat from his work in the city. He had refused to install any sort of amenities. There was no running water, no electricity, and definitely no neighbors. It was truly the perfect place to come to hide out from the Cains. It would also be the ideal spot for him to get in some shifting practice. That’s why this had been the perfect place for them to come to.

They had left Nick’s crew back a few towns ago, but that was fine with him. He could take this time to hide from his enemies, to become a better shifter. But he could also use the isolation to make reparations with Poppy. He had all but broken the steering wheel on the drive over, as he tried to keep his hands off