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She smiled. “Good.” She stood up, and kissed his bare neck. “You’re like a delicious donut, you know? I’m always ready to eat you up.”
“Donut?” he asked, his brain still foggy. “Isn’t that like a breakfast treat?” he said, remembering how she’d been bold to bring donuts on her first day of work. Now he knew she meant well, but god, one should never give Archie that kind of energy boost early in the morning.
“See, that’s where you’re wrong. In my book, donuts are good at any time of the day. Always and forever,” she said, then turned around and kicked off her shoes.
He straightened his shoulders, attuned at her words. A warm ripple of hope coursed through him. Always and forever. Was she trying to tell him something, or was he reading too much into it?
Poppy stretched her limbs, loving the feel of those silky sheets against her bare skin. “This is by far the best surprise I’ve gotten.” That day, she’d gone to her booth at Kyle Entertainment to check it out, to test it, and she’d finished her script for the big opening the next day. A part of her was nervous, a part excited, and somewhere in between she kept telling herself not to overthink.
They’d made glorious love after she gave him oral.
He kissed the top of her head. “Really?”
She lifted her head to see him, sprawled on that big bed. He’d planned this for her, and that thought made her fell all warm and tingly inside. “Really.”
He tucked a stray strand of her hair behind her ear. “Tomorrow is the big opening. Soon, you won’t even remember us little people.”
She nudged his elbow. “I can’t ever think of a world where you’re little people.”
He smiled. “I’m happy for you.”
Sighing, she ran her fingers across his chest, playing with his hair. Damn it, even if he hadn’t said that he was proud of her, that he was happy for her… she’d sensed it. She knew it deep in her gut. Her heart did a Cirque du Soleil flip in her chest, then apprehension doused over her. No. If they kept talking about her, she might end up telling things she shouldn’t tell him. It was time to make this about him. “You’ve made it happen. Soon, you’ll be able to leave Kyle and start your firm.”
He looked away, then shifted a bit, uncomfortably. “Yes.”
She reared back then sat on the bed, looking at him. “How soon will you be leaving? Do you think there’s a chance they may kick me out if you’re not there?” she asked, the question just now occurring to her. Of course she’d expected to stay as a podcaster based on performance—that had been what he’d offered her when they closed the deal— but what if he pissed people off by leaving and they took it out on whoever he’d last hired?
He ran his fingers down his face. “Don’t worry, Poppy. I’ll make sure you’re in good hands. You are very talented, and they’re lucky to have you.”
“Seems like I’m lucky to have you… believing in me like that.”
Slowly, he sat, scooting until his back touched the headboard. “Why would I? You’re amazing. You’re the most incredible woman I’ve ever met.”
His words clawed their way into her heart, expanding it, and for a moment she felt bigger than the room. She needed to hear that, but not just from anyone—from him. If he continued, she’d end up letting out way more than she should. Change the subject, she told herself. “What was Darcy like?”
“She enjoyed making friends, getting to know people. We met through mutual friends, after I finished my business major. I thought she’d be a good partner, but how little did I know,” he said, resentment cracking through his voice.
She bit the inside of her cheek. Something in the air shifted, and the light breezy energy from earlier dissipated. “What happened?”
“She got pregnant with Willow. It was an accident, but we were happy about it. She seemed to be at first. Then, she grew anxious. She hated sitting around at home, and was always on the go. She always needed the next big thing. Went to a party after Archie was born, and tried cocaine for fun. The rest is history—though I believe something else would have broken us up. We weren’t meant to be together.”
“I’m sorry. And the last time she came, she left you with a debt, right?” she asked, still processing all he’d told her. Was that how he’d seen her in the beginning too? As this impulsive woman with ambitions, that wouldn’t do well with a family in the long run? Her stomach curled. He doesn’t think that way now.
“Yeah. She maxed out my credit cards, and drained the one banking account she had access to. Used all the money because she wanted to move out of the country with this guy she met in rehab. See, her plan was never getting straight and being with us. She came back like a freaking actress, and got the money and left.”
Damn. “Wasn’t there something you could do, legally?”
“She didn’t do anything illegal, and we were still married. My fault was believing her.”
Still, couldn’t he prove somehow that she acted in bad faith? She reached to touch his shoulder, but he moved away, lifting his hand in a gesture pleading for her to let him finish. “Ethan…”
“Besides, I already felt like an idiot. I didn’t want the world to know,” he said, and his gaze flitted to hers.
Her stomach sank. She saw frustration, regret but also a strong glint of determination. This was certainly not a side of himself he shared with just anyone, that much was obvious. A sense of pride swelled inside her. He’s amazing. He’d put his family first, in every situation, and the world needed more men like him. “You’re far from an idiot. You’re a smart man,” she said, chastising herself for not voicing what she really thought of him. How she really felt about him.
A tiny smile curled his lips. “Not always, as it turns out.”
“Does your mom know about it?”
