Total pages in book: 47
Estimated words: 43071 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 215(@200wpm)___ 172(@250wpm)___ 144(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 43071 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 215(@200wpm)___ 172(@250wpm)___ 144(@300wpm)
White-hot rage momentarily blotted out everything else, my fists clenching hard at my sides.
King’s voice snapped through the roaring in my ears, pulling my gaze back to his hard stare. “Ace, rein it in.”
I realized he stood right in front of me, his eyes locked on mine, and his voice low but unyielding. “Poppy needs you to stay in control. Take care of her first. She can’t go back to work, so keep her home or bring her here. Whatever you need so you know she’s safe.”
He paused, his jaw tightening before he continued, “We’ve got your back. But the only way to ensure this threat is fully eliminated is to stay calm, make a plan, and execute it properly. We need your methodical, detail-focused ass polishing every piece of this.”
“I’m not that bad,” I muttered, the air around me continuing to clear.
A faint smirk tugged at King’s lips. “Whatever you need to tell yourself.”
I exhaled sharply, the tension slowly easing at his familiar sarcasm, enough to steady my pulse. He stepped closer, his hand clamping firmly on my shoulder, a tangible anchor to the moment.
“Go take care of your woman, Ace.” King’s tone brooked no argument. “When we have everything we need to set shit in motion, I’ll call you.”
His words settled the last of my restless anger, grounding me firmly back in control. I nodded, knowing he was right.
Poppy was my priority, now and always, and I’d do anything necessary to keep her safe.
17
POPPY
Even though Colter had been busy with club business on and off over the weekend, I drifted in a haze of bliss the rest of Saturday and all of Sunday. Except for when I woke up with morning sickness again. But he took care of me through it all and made me feel better afterward with ginger tea and saltine crackers.
On Sunday night, we were cuddled on the couch in his living room, finally watching the action movie I’d suggested over pasta a couple of nights before. I was curled against his side, my head on his shoulder, with one of his big hands resting low on my belly. The other played absently with the ends of my hair.
After the movie ended, Colter pressed a kiss to my temple. “How’re you feeling?”
“Fantastic.” I tilted my head back to smile up at him. “I don’t remember the last time I felt so relaxed. Thanks for taking such good care of me.”
“My pleasure, baby.”
He brushed his lips against mine, and I caught an odd gleam in his light-brown orbs when he pulled away. “What about you?”
“Me?” he asked, his brows drawing together.
I smoothed the wrinkle that popped up between his eyes. “You look worried.”
His chest expanded on a deep sigh. “Been putting it off ’cause I don’t want to ruin your night, but there’s something I need to tell you.”
With anyone else, those dreaded words would’ve sparked fear inside me. But Colter had never made me feel like I was too much. So I didn’t rush to assume he was going to end things between us, especially not with how he’d reacted to the news of my pregnancy.
“What’s wrong?”
He shifted our positions so that I straddled his lap, facing him. “You’re not going to work tomorrow, baby.”
My head jerked back. “What do you mean? It’s Monday. I’m supposed to be there at eight. I can’t just call in sick because I’m pregnant. I don’t have enough time off for that, and I’ll need to save those days up for when I have the baby. Be glad you work for yourself and the club. Even though there are rules to protect new parents, setting up my maternity leave is going to be a pain.”
He shook his head. “I get that it’s not going to be easy, but you can’t go into the office.”
He’d stunned me enough that it was hard to find words, which was saying a lot with how talkative I normally was. “Colter, I have to work. I have rent. Bills. I can’t just—”
“You don’t have rent anymore.”
I blinked. “Yes, I do. My lease is month-to-month, but it’s still—”
“Poppy.” He slid his hand down my spine and shifted me back a little on his lap. “Look around you.”
I glanced around the living room. My teal throw blanket was draped over the other side of the couch. My favorite mug with a tiny cartoon cat was sitting on the coffee table next to his black one. My coconut-scented candle burned low on the mantel. A stack of my paperback romances sat on the side table beside his bike magazines. My fuzzy slippers were on the floor in front of us.
And it wasn’t just this room. My stuff had invaded every corner of his house. My clothes were in his closet. Half the drawers in his dresser were mine now.