“I have to because I need to know. You lost our baby because of the attack, right?”
She chews her lip; her face one of abject sorrow.
“Damn it all to hell,” I hiss, burying my head in my hands. Deep down, I suspected it after she admitted to being attacked. The timelines were too similar. Too close.
Her arm wraps around me, her head resting on my shoulder. “Don’t do this to yourself. You didn’t know. I’ve shed enough tears for the both of us over our baby.”
When she forces my chin up, her gaze reacts to the tears in my eyes. “I’m sorry, Poppy. I’m so sorry.”
“It’s not your fault. A bad man did a bad thing. It had nothing to do with you.”
“If I’d been there—”
“It would have happened, anyway. He attacked me right outside the ladies’ room. You couldn’t have done anything. Please stop.”
That’s the thing about the dam breaking. Once it’s breached, you have to wait out the pain. The ironic part? I came in here to comfort her and yet here she is, her arms wrapped around me as I come to grips with how much Poppy suffered in my absence. Her gentle voice soothes me as her fingers trace over my scalp. I’m not sure if it’s five minutes or fifteen before I feel like myself. But not once did her embrace loosen.
“Are you okay?” she questions, pressing her lips to mine.
“So much for me helping you feel better, huh?”
Poppy giggles, tightening her embrace. “You can owe me.”
“Let’s go to my room. The bed is far bigger, and we’ve slept here every night. Let’s go play in there. I’ll give you a full body massage. Love you all night.”
Poppy shakes her head, not meeting my gaze. “I can’t, Dylan.”
“Why? Are you that attached to this room?”
With a deep sigh, she rolls her shoulders before turning her gaze on me full force. Uh-oh. It’s going to be one of those conversations. “That was your room with Merry. Your bed together. I know it sounds stupid, but it’s hard for me because I feel like everywhere I go in Yuletide Acres, I see your wife. Don’t get me wrong, I think she’s a wonderful woman, and I wish she was still here, but I just sometimes feel like I’m in the way. That I’m stepping into her role and her home. That I don’t belong here.”
The comment about the bed isn’t a surprise. I suspected as much with her refusal to sleep anywhere but the guest room. “If it’s any consolation, Merry never lived here. I built this home from the ground up five years ago.” I push a lock of hair behind her ear, willing her to understand how deep my feelings lie. “Another confession is that no woman that I’ve been intimate with has ever been here. Just you.”
She gazes off, staring at the far wall, and I can see her scanning her brain for the reasons behind my decision. “Why?”
I shrug. Okay, heart, open the floodgates. “I was always waiting for you.”
With a whimper, she throws her arms around my neck, squeezing me tight. “I love you, Dylan.”
“I love you more, Sunshine.” I set the box of photos aside before easing her to the mattress, my body covering her. “Can I stay in here with you?”
“You don’t mind?”
“Poppy, I slept in a tent with no roof during a hailstorm just to be near you. I’d follow you anywhere.” I trace the planes of her face, basking in her effortless beauty. But it’s more than her physical appearance. It’s her soul shining through that makes her so exquisite. “I just want you with me.”
“Okay.” It’s such a simple answer, but I realize she doesn’t know what I’m asking.
My hands slide under Poppy’s shirt, cupping her firm breasts as my tongue teases a path along her neck. I love feeling her come alive under me, her body arching toward me, desperate for more. “Such a temptress.”
“I didn’t do anything,” Poppy retorts, catching her bottom lip between her teeth. “This is all you.”
“Do you want me to stop?”
Her fingers drift down, drawing her nails along my cock. “Don’t put words in my mouth. I never said that.”
“I can put something else in your mouth.” I chuckle and duck as she lobs the pillow at my head. Pinning her wrists to the mattress, I force her to meet my gaze.
What I need to say is important.
Vital.
And I risk everything with her by speaking the words aloud.
Poppy reaches toward me, trying to capture my mouth with her own. “Aren’t you a tease tonight?”
I trace my fingers along her beautiful mouth, before pressing a single kiss to her lips. “I’ll make good on every promise, Poppy. But, I need to talk to you, first.”
“Okay.” Her eyes are questioning, and I see apprehension lingering in their depths.
“I know you want kids,” I begin, pressing my finger to her lips when she starts to speak. “Let’s do it.”
Her jaw drops at my statement. “Stop messing with me, Dylan.”
“I’m not messing with you. I’m serious.” As she struggles to sit up, I tighten my grasp, keeping her still. “Hang on, I’m not done. I know you’ll be an amazing mother. Next level incredible. I sure as hell don’t want you having kids with anyone else but me.” I steal a kiss, gentle and tender, trying to push away all her doubts and fears. “I love you, Sunshine.”
“You’re serious?” I watch her gaze soften, realizing that I’m very, very serious.
“I also recall someone saying how much fun it would be creating them.”
Poppy chuckles, her fingers stroking along my scalp. “Is this your ploy to have endless amounts of sex with me?”
“Is it working?” I inquire with a grin.
I know she’s apprehensive, afraid that I’ll abandon her once more. But I’ll do everything in my power to make Poppy realize that I’ll fulfill her every dream.
The only caveat? I want those dreams fulfilled with her by my side.
“I can’t say it’s not working, but you might need a few more bargaining points.”
“I’ll get right on that, Sunshine,” I smile, my hand pulling off her sleep shirt. “You don’t have to ask me twice.”
Chapter 15
Poppy
I peer through the blinds, in awe at the sheer volume of snow now covering the ground. “It really is a winter wonderland.”
Dylan chuckles from the bed, and I return to the warm cocoon of his arms with a smile. “Good thing you like snow. Montana produces a ton.” His hands skate along my body as his mouth finds mine. “Of course, there is more than one way to keep warm this winter.”
I scratch my nails along his scalp, wrapping my legs around his waist and laying claim. Our return to each other has been fraught with obstacles, but after last night, I realize that we’re on the same page. “I like the way you think.”
“Hey, I’m going to be busy producing a gaggle of kids,” Dylan smirks, smacking a final kiss against my lips. “We need to practice.”
I giggle, stretching underneath his form, and relishing these quiet moments before the house wakes up. I’m especially enjoying the feel of his fingers as they find their intended target, sliding along my slick skin.