Poppy

Devon Wallace is my hero.

To be honest, he was more than my hero. I’d been in love with him since I was twelve, and I was totally and completely besotted with the man. He was my step-dad’s nephew, so I saw him almost daily, and we’d become really good friends.

But friends didn’t date.

So when Michael Sulkin, one of the guys from my equestrian club, had asked me to go to the National Equestrian Club ball, I’d been super excited (’cause I was dying to go to the ball), but then two days ago, out of the blue, no explanation, no nothing, Michael had bailed on me. I’d been crushed... until Devon had offered to take me instead.

And let’s be honest, I wanted Devon like an addict wanted a needle, so the fact he was willing to take me to a formal dance and dress up, gave me a funny feeling in my vagina.

“Poppet?” Mum called through the door. “Devon’s here.”

“Be right there.” I checked myself in the mirror and bit my lip.

Tonight was my last dance with the club, since I had just turned eighteen and was heading off to college in less than a month. I was excited about my new life adventure, but I honestly hated the thought of being away from Devon for so long.

I sighed. The truth of the matter was, Atlanta was the best option for my choice of career, so Atlanta it was.

My dog, Sparky, gave a little whine and I scratched his ears. “I know. I have codependency issues. Don’t you start judging me, too.” He let out a quiet yip and I giggled. “Come on then. Let’s go see Devon.”

I shoved my nerves down into my fluttery tummy and headed downstairs... stalling on the second to the last step, gripping the handrail because I was in serious danger of tripping... or melting into a puddle of goo. Sparky made a run for Devon and he scooped him up and pulled him close, smiling up at me. I swallowed convulsively as I took in the man in front of me. He wore a dark blue tailored suit, crisp white button up, a paisley tie, and motorcycle boots. Ohmigod, the motorcycle boots did me in. So sexy.

“You look gorgeous,” he whispered, and again, my lady parts thrummed. I squeezed my legs together for a second, then forced myself to walk down the last two steps.

“Oh, lovey, you look amazing,” Mum said, effectively jolting me out of my erotic haze.

I wore a floor-length, ice blue gown, that had a halter neckline and rouching at the stomach. I might be cold walking to and from the car, but I was willing to take that chance because I felt beautiful in it.

“Thanks Mum.” I smiled.

“Baby girl,” Hatch breathed out as he wrapped an arm around my mother’s waist. “Back upstairs.”

I frowned. “What? Why?”

“I’ll find you something more appropriate to wear.”

“Sid!” I ground out. I’d nicknamed my stepdad, Hatch, Stand-In-Dad a few years ago and it’d stuck.

“Oh, stop it!” Mum ordered. “Ignore him, poppet.”

Hatch turned to Devon. “I’m gonna get you a gun.”

“Hatch!” Mum admonished. “Stop being so melodramatic.” She took my arm and guided me into the living room. “Let’s get some photos. You stand next to Poppy, Devon.”

Devon said nothing as we took the obligatory pictures, but then it was finally time to escape, and I took the jacket mum shoved at me (but refused to put on). After hugging my parents, I followed Devon to the car and slid inside as he held the door for me.

“You don’t have your camera,” he murmured.

I was obsessed with photography, but tonight I wanted to live in the moment.

“I don’t want to be distracted tonight,” I admitted.

He smiled and closed me into the car, heading to his side and climbing in.

“You look really nice,” I said as he backed the car out of the driveway.

“Yeah? You like this?”

“I do,” I said. “Especially the boots.”

He grinned. “Even cleaned ’em for you.”

I tried not to sigh like a love-sick school girl, but that was seriously sweet. “You clean up nice, Dev.”

He chuckled.

“You haven’t been around much lately. Is your dad overloading you with work?”

His dad owned a construction company and it was busy all year round, so Devon worked for him when he wasn’t doing ‘Club shit.’ Devon was also a recruit for the Dogs of Fire Motorcycle Club... Hatch’s club... so he was super busy.

“Sure. We’ll go with that.”

“It’s not ‘that’?” I asked.

He smiled, his eyes on the road. “We’re here.”

I was so excited to be going out with Devon, I didn’t notice he hadn’t answered my question. He parked the car, then walked to my side and opened the door. His chivalry was on-point tonight and I smiled as he took my hand and helped me out of the car.

“Your coat, Poppy.”

“I don’t want it. It ruins the dress.”

He rolled his eyes, but closed the door and locked the car, before shrugging off his suit jacket and slipping it over my shoulders. “Don’t want you catching a cold.”

I bit my lip, unable to speak (lest I blurt out how badly I wanted to have his babies), and snuggled into the warmth. He took my hand, linking his fingers with mine, and we headed inside.

Once we hit the lobby, I handed him back his jacket and was disappointed when he didn’t take my hand again.

“Poppy!”

I turned to the sound of my name and smiled as Finley Adams rushed toward me. “Ohmigod, you look amazing,” she exclaimed.

“So do you.” I smiled, hugging her.

“Hi, Devon.”

“Hey, Finley.”

She focused back on me. “Did you hear what happened to Michael?”

“No, what?” I asked.

“He got jumped. I think it’s why he bailed on you.”

“Shut up, seriously? Is he okay?”

“I think so. But his nose got broken and his ribs are bruised. Derek said he was pretty messed up.”

Derek was Finley’s brother and a few years older than us.

“Oh my god, that’s awful. Who did it?”

Finley shrugged. “No idea. He said he didn’t see the guys.”

“We should probably get inside, huh?” Devon said, and laid his hand on my back.

I didn’t want to do anything that would make him remove his hand, so I nodded and we headed into the event space. “Wow,” I breathed out.

The hotel ballroom had been transformed into a starry night theme, complete with twinkling stars on the ceiling.

“Super cool, huh?” Finley said.

“Yes, it’s gorgeous.”

She giggled. “Well, considering we had to pay over a hundred bucks a ticket, it should be.”

I smiled. “This is true.”

Devon’s hand left my back the second Finley led us to a table. Missing the contact of his skin on mine, I looked up at him. “Everything okay?”

His shrewd eyes scanned the crowd, especially the guys, and his features locked down with anger. “Fine,” he growled.

* * *

Devon

I was gonna fuckin’ kill these assholes if they kept tryin’ to grind up on Poppy. Goddammit, they were relentless. It didn’t help that she was smokin’ hot in her blue dress. The second I got a glimpse of her, I was rock hard, and the way she looked at me, fuckin’ gutted me. I knew how she felt about me. It was always written all over her face.

But I’d never go there. Couldn’t go there, no matter how much I might have wanted to. She was my uncle’s step-daughter and he’d made it perfectly clear she was off-limits.

But, fuck me, I wanted her. From my head, to my heart, to my dick, I ached for her, and the older she got, the worse that ache got. So much so, that despite the amount and sheer variety of pussy being offered at the Club, she was in my head when I fucked another woman.

It had gotten so bad, I’d stopped going to the Club unless absolutely necessary, considering I didn’t want to look like a pussy turning down every woman who offered herself to me.

Poppy was the only one I wanted and since she wasn’t available, my hand got a steady and regular work-out, imagining her face as I jacked off several times a day.

Fuck! I needed some relief and I needed it soon.

“Last dance, folks,” the DJ said over the PA, and I was relieved this fuckin’ night was gonna be over soon.

“Dance with me,” Poppy said, holding her hand out to me.

I hesitated for a second, because she looked so fuckin’ cute, her face flush from exertion, her eyes bright with excitement, and I wanted to remember her this way to file away in my mind.

“Dev, come on. It’s the last song.”

I rose to my feet and took her hand, leading her to the dance floor, and pulling her close. God, she smelled good. She looped her arms around my neck, slid her hands into my hair, and I tried not to react, but it was fuckin’ impossible. I wanted her hands in my hair when I ate her out, not when we were fully clothed and in public.

I held her close, wrapping my arms around her waist and breathing in her sweet honeysuckle scent. It took all of my willpower not to run my hands down her ass, but, God damn, I wanted to touch her.

The song ended and I separated myself from her as quickly as I could. “You ready to go?”

“Um... sure. I guess.”

“Hatch wants you home by midnight.”

“Right.” She sighed. “Let me just say goodbye to a few people.”

I watched her as she hugged her friends, then we headed back out to the car and I drove her home.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

“Golden.”

“Then why are you all stressy?”

I gripped the steering wheel in an effort not to snap at her. “Didn’t realize I was ‘stressy.’”

“Well, you are,” she grumbled. “Your body’s all rigid and your face is all... well... stressy.”

“Just don’t wanna be late.”

“It’s barely eleven-fifteen, Dev, and we’re, like, two minutes from my house.”

I didn’t respond as we pulled onto her street. I parked at the curb, then went to her side of the car and opened her door. I wasn’t prepared for what happened next, and it was something I’d regret for a really long time.

Poppy climbed out of the car, and gripped the lapels of my jacket, standing on her tiptoes and settling her mouth on mine. For a few seconds, I didn’t think... I just reacted... sliding my hand to her neck and tilting her head back, then pressing my tongue against her lips so she’d open for me.

She sighed as she touched her tongue to mine and I was lost. But then sense hit me like a fuckin’ Mack truck and I pushed her away and dragged my hands through my hair. “Goddammit, Poppy! Why the fuck did you do that?”

Her face fell. “I... ah...”

“Come on,” I said, and started toward the house. When she didn’t follow right away, I turned with a scowl. “Poppy. Come on. I’ve got shit to do.”

She squared her shoulders and walked up the driveway, shoving past me, and unlocking the door. Pushing it open, she turned to face me and I didn’t miss the tears in her eyes.

“Thanks for taking me, Devon.”

Without further comment, she shut the door and I heard the locks turn.

Goddammit!