The country club was becoming a second home—or a third, as it were. Felix had been spending a lot of his downtime hitting balls across rolling green lawns the last few weeks—ever since his talk with Poppy. He promised not to lie to her again, and he always kept his promises. If he said he was going to be late coming home because he wanted to spend a little time with the guys, then that was exactly what he was doing. It made it more difficult to do what he needed to do, but not impossible.
Now that he was on his best behavior, Felix had been forced to find alternatives. He had to hide in plain sight. That meant leaving a little earlier, driving a little faster, cutting to the chase, and most importantly, keeping his mouth closed.
He’d learned from his last encounter with Jon that even a hint at what he was doing could cause his plans to backfire. He couldn’t afford to undergo another one of Jon’s talks, or for Jon to run back to his fiancée and tell her his suspicions over pillow talk. Tate had the biggest yap out of all of them, so it was crucial that he maintain the façade. Just blend in, have a little fun and everything would work out.
“So, how’re things at home with that spitfire you call a girlfriend? Has she come to her senses and kicked your sorry ass to the curb yet?”
Felix glared at Tate. What the hell was that supposed to mean? Did he know something? His glare swept to Jon, who held up his hands in surrender. If he didn’t know anything, then Tate must be spouting off again. “Sorry to disappoint, Tate, but Poppy is more than satisfied with my sorry ass. Can you say the same for Piper?”
Tate shook his head. “Hell yeah. Piper isn’t going anywhere, if you know what I’m saying.” He waggled his eyebrows.
Nope, he couldn’t say that he did, but Felix laughed anyway. Tate was possibly the most arrogant man he had ever met, but he wasn’t hard to get along with either.
“Have you two worked out the housing situation yet?”
Bent at the waist, Felix lined up his club, cranked his arm back, and drove it into the ball. They watched it sail down the green then picked up their clubs and started walking. “Nope.” Was that bitterness he heard in his voice? “Poppy doesn’t want to give up the house, and I’m not ready to let go of my condo.”
“Is there a reason you two can’t come to an agreement, besides being stubborn asses?” Jon gave him a lopsided grin.
Felix shrugged, mentally drained from months of having this exact same discussion with Poppy. “She has Bo, and Bo needs a yard so he can run around and be a dog. She doesn’t want to take that away from him, which I understand. But at the same time, he can just as easily walk around the city as the country. That’s what leashes were made for.”
“And you? What’s your excuse?”
“I just want to be closer to work. The hour commute every Friday and Monday is murder. Poppy insists on staying at the house on the weekends,” he explained. “Plus, I spent a lot of damn money on that condo.”
They set up shop on the eighth hole. Jon went first, his form perfect as he tapped the ball and sent it rolling gracefully into the hole, making the rest of them look like the amateurs they were. He came to stand beside Felix as Travis stepped up to take his turn. “Do you want my honest opinion?”
“Shoot.”
“I think you’re the problem here. Poppy sounds like she has a legitimate reason to want to keep her house. Dogs need space to roam around, and from what I understand, that dog is the equivalent of a child to her. Not to mention, it’s a house. That’s an investment you won’t get back. So the real question here is why are you really holding on so tight to the condo? You and I both know that money is never a factor in our decisions.”
Jon was right. Money had never been an issue. Felix didn’t weigh his decisions based on it, and he didn’t strive to acquire it. He was satisfied with what he had. It just happened that his hard work paid off and provided a lot of it. So why was he holding on so tight?
Turns out, he didn’t have a good answer for that. He shrugged. “I’m starving. You guys hungry?”
Leaning against his club, Tate examined Travis. “I heard Mr. Priss over there was watching his figure, but I could eat.”
Straightening, Travis shot Tate an annoyed look. “You’re just jealous because you don’t look this good.” His arms extended out to display his trim and fit form.
Tate shrugged and looked away. “Whatever, man. I bet there’s a potbelly and chesticles under all that cotton.”
Travis jogged to catch up with him as Tate started walking back toward the country club. “Does this look like chesticles?” he called as he lifted his shirt and flashed his abs. A group of young women nearby began to giggle hysterically. Jon and Felix shook their heads and began to follow behind them, keeping a safe distance so no one would associate them with the two crazies up ahead.
While Tate and Travis compared tit size, Jon offered Felix words of advice that he had to admit were pretty sound. Felix took note of all of them and promised to give them consideration. They ate lunch and kept the conversation light, which wasn’t a problem since Travis and Tate spent most of the hour debating who had the sexier bod. In the end, Travis won due to his current bachelor status. Apparently, happily married men lost their sexual prowess claims upon speaking their vows.
Directly after lunch, Felix gulped down the last of his drink and excused himself. He needed to get going if he was going to make it. Gianna agreed to meet him and he had less than twenty minutes to make a drive that would normally take him thirty. He’d kept her waiting last time and didn’t intend to make a habit out of it.
Thanks to his lead foot, Felix made it just in time. Swinging into a parking spot just outside the restaurant they’d agreed to meet at, Felix jumped out of the car. At the door, he gave the hostess his name and she pointed him in the direction of the table. He spotted Gianna’s golden mane immediately and felt the tension roll from his shoulders as he threaded his way through the dining area.
She must have felt him coming. Lifting her head from whatever she was doing with her phone, her face lit up. Setting the phone aside, she rose to greet him. Her tall, slim frame was perfect in the tight-fitting black-on-black ensemble. Felix couldn’t help admiring her. She was a beautiful woman—classy in a way that screamed money, but subdued enough by the understated make-up and lack of jewelry to make her approachable.
“Felix,” she said softly, her pale pink lips curving to reveal perfectly straight, bleached white teeth. Wrapping her thin arms around his shoulders, she gave him a brief hug. “You made it, and on time.”
There was a teasing note in her voice that made Felix chuckle. “I may have broken a few laws to get here, too. Have you ordered yet?”
“No, I was waiting for you.”
He scooted her chair in for her and took the seat across from her. The waiter appeared a moment later and they put in their drink orders. “So, how have you been?” Gianna asked him as she snapped open a cloth napkin and draped it over her lap.
Felix met her pale blue gaze dead on. “Pretty good, and you?”
“As well as ever, but I have to ask. You seem distracted. Is everything all right?”
Balling his hands under the table, Felix looked away. Gianna had always been able to read him like an open book. It was a quality he wouldn’t mind her losing. “I’m a little stressed,” he admitted. “All this going behind Poppy’s back is starting to become a problem. A couple weeks ago she confronted me about lying about where I’d been all day.”
Gianna’s eyes rounded with concern. “Did you tell her about us?”
Felix shook his head. “No, of course not.” Because that would be a disaster.
She visibly relaxed. Taking a sip of her mimosa, Gianna regarded him thoughtfully. “Maybe it would be best if you told her what was going on. Keeping secrets has a way of making a bad situation worse.”
He knew that, and still he knew that he wasn’t going to say a word. Soon, Gianna would be on a plane back to California and he wouldn’t have to look over his shoulder or walk on eggshells anymore. “I’m not telling Poppy anything. Not right now, at least.” He stared back at her, willing her to understand. “This needs to stay between you and me right now. I’ve went through a lot of effort to keep this—” he motioned his finger between the two of them “—quiet. There’s no point saying anything right now.”
“Felix, it’s going to come out eventually.”
“It will, yes, and I will deal with it then.” He sighed. With Poppy already suspicious, he wasn’t sure how much longer he could keep this under wraps, but he was determined to try. She would thank him for it later. They both would.
Having already eaten a large lunch, Felix stuck to his drink while Gianna ordered herself a salad. She was one of those women. She watched her figure by eating like a rabbit. He couldn’t help noticing the difference between her and Poppy. They were both sophisticated, intelligent women, but Poppy was shorter, curvier, and her fiery temper was something he could never imagine Gianna harboring under that cool, professional exterior.
Gianna ate half her salad before setting her silverware down and sliding the plate away. “So, your place or mine?”
Shifting in his chair, Felix experienced a note of discomfort. He’d already told Poppy earlier that he would be swinging by the condo to pick up some papers and would be home late. If she knew he was having a lunch date with this woman she would rip his balls off, shove them down his throat, and ask questions later. But she didn’t know, and he intended to keep it that way. And since he was all about keeping his promises, there was only one choice to be made. “Mine,” he said definitively. At least at the condo, he was on neutral ground. He could control the variables.
Flagging down the waiter, Felix paid for the meal and stood. Placing his hand at the small of her back, he guided Gianna out of the restaurant.
***
Felix was going to be surprised.
Poppy had awakened early today with one thought in her mind: to do something special for Felix. They had been spending so much time apart lately, their relationship was starting to suffer, and she wanted to try to fix it. He was distracted with work and the housing situation was always looming in the background causing tension between them. Maybe if she met him halfway, it would ease some of that.
Then he had unwittingly given her the perfect opportunity to make it happen. He was planning to stop by the condo on his way home, so why not meet him there? She gave herself a mental pat on the back for being so clever.
Felix was out with Jon, Tate, and Travis again. He had been spending a lot of time with them recently, and she was happy that he had found himself a group of friends like she had. It went a long way in maintaining balance and sanity in her life, so she prayed it did the same for him. Felix worked so hard to make everyone happy. He deserved to have something in his life that would make him happy, too.
Everyone should have that.
Golf though? She didn’t understand that one, but to each their own.
For her part, Poppy made her specialty: filet mignon with roasted baby potatoes and steamed green beans. With the food plated up and ready to serve, she went through the living room and bedroom, lighting the dozens upon dozens of candles she picked up at the craft store that afternoon.
She was going for a soft, seductive atmosphere. Not to mention, she looked damn good in candlelight.
After all the candles were lit, Poppy took a look around at her handiwork. The condo glowed with warm, flickering lights. The tables and floors gleamed like water in the moonlight. The air smelled of spices with undertones of gardenia from the candles. She smiled to herself, deeming her efforts a success.
Glancing at the clock, she noted the time: just after five. Felix promised he would be home by six, but that he had to swing by the condo to pick up some business papers first. She planned to be waiting for him. With an hour commute, he was cutting it close, but little did he know he wouldn’t be making that drive tonight.
Checking on Bo, she found him curled up on the bed in the guest room, his head propped on one of the pillows. Since moving in, he’d claimed the room as his. His ears perked and he cracked one eye open to look at her. With a huff, he went back to sleep. Quietly, Poppy closed the door, leaving a small crack in case he wanted out later, then walked into the master bedroom to change.
She had picked out a sassy, sexy schoolgirl outfit for tonight. The woman at the lingerie store had assured her it was one of their top sellers, and she could see why. The red and black plaid skirt barely covered her, and the black boy shorts underneath more than exposed the bottom half of her cheeks. The top was black with cap sleeves and instead of buttons, it tied between her breasts. After dressing and making sure all her bits and pieces her plumped and perfect, Poppy studied her figure in the floor length mirror mounted to the back of the door. Pigtails or leave her hair down?
She fussed with her hair for an inordinate amount of time, unable to decide which style to go with. That’s when she heard the keys in the lock. Rushing to grab her robe, Poppy slipped her arms inside the sleeves as she sped down the hall. It looked like she was leaving her hair down tonight.
In the living room, her eyes darted frantically. She should have planned this better, given herself more time. As the locks clicked, she threw herself across the couch, flipped onto her side, and propped her head in her hand. She was breathing heavily, her skin felt a little clammy from the burst of adrenalin, but she had a smile in place and was ready for anything.
Anything but that.
The door swung open at the same time Poppy heard the woman’s sharp laugh. Her smile melted as she watched Felix step inside. The smile on his face fell as confusion set in. He took a look around, seeing all the candles she’d laid out. He noted every one of them, and when his gaze finally landed on her, she witnessed the exact moment his brain shouted Oh, shit!
The woman was still laughing and yapping away, but Poppy didn’t hear a word. She was too busy dying. He’d brought a woman home. To their home. No, to his home. To his condo. So this was why he didn’t want to sell it.
“Poppy.”
The sound of her name snapped her out of her daze. Poppy threw her legs over the side of the couch and popped to her feet. “You’re a fucking bastard.”
Sick to her stomach, her eyes burning with unshed tears, Poppy flew toward the bedroom. Felix shouted as he ran after her. His commands were briefly shut out when she slammed the bedroom door behind her, but he refused to leave her alone.
Throwing open the door, Felix strode toward her. “Poppy, it’s not what you think. I swear.”
Poppy choked on a sob as she pushed him away. His eyes dropped to her outfit as she tossed aside the robe and shoved her legs into the pair of jeans she had been wearing earlier. She didn’t even bother to get undressed first. Her focus was on getting the hell out of there before she broke down completely.
“You’ve been lying to me for weeks. Weeks! I am so stupid,” she muttered, cursing to herself.
Having heard the commotion, Bo trotted into the room. Poppy felt her stomach drop. She didn’t want Bo to see them fighting. She didn’t want him to see her heart being torn from her chest. “Bo, go lay down,” she said, her voice weak and shaky.
Bo didn’t respond. He stood there, his big head tilting to the side, assessing the situation. Felix turned and pointed at the door. “Bo, go lie down,” he snapped.
Pulling a sweater over her head, Poppy scrambled for her tennis shoes and started smashing her feet inside. Bo lumbered past Felix to stand next to her. He pressed up against her leg, showing his support, and she felt the dam begin to break.
Tears fell from her eyes and Poppy grabbed ahold of the only lifeline she had left. Wrapping her arms around Bo’s neck, she hugged him tight.
“Damn it, Poppy, we need to talk about this.” Felix took a step toward her and Bo’s whole body stiffened. His lips peeled back and a growl ripped from his throat so vicious, that even Poppy paused.
Felix’s eyes widened and he took a cautious step back. “I think we should leave now,” Poppy said in as calm a voice as she could manage. Bo was on the verge of attack. If he was given reason, she didn’t think she had the strength in her to save Felix’s life, but it warmed her to know that, regardless of whatever bond they had formed, Bo had chosen her.
Slipping her fingers under Bo’s collar, Poppy guided him past Felix, giving him a wide berth. “I made dinner, but I doubt you came here to eat,” she sneered. “Business papers, right?” She laughed humorlessly. Oh, what a fool she was. I guess the joke is on me.
Felix grimaced and took a step toward her, but Bo’s low warning growl stopped him. “Poppy, please, just let me explain. It’s not what you think.”
Poppy looked toward the ceiling, praying for patience. She found none. “Funny, that’s the same thing Jimmy said.”
Felix called her name again, following at a distance to avoid being mauled to death as Poppy headed for the front door. She had her first real look at the woman he’d brought as she reentered the living room. Standing with her hands clasped in front of her, she had the good grace to look embarrassed, but Poppy wasn’t fooled for a minute. This woman, dressed to the nines in her expensive black suit, spiked red heels, and perfectly curled, smooth blonde hair was a viper. She was the type that did anything to climb the ranks in a world made with men in mind. She ate men for breakfast—or in this case, dinner.
Seeing Poppy enter the room, the woman stood tall. “Ms. Montgomery, I’m sorry—”
“Shut up,” Poppy snarled. “Don’t you say my fucking name, ever.” Sensing danger, Bo barked and the woman backed up. Smart. For her, Poppy would let him run wild. Taking his leash off the hook by the door, Poppy clipped it to Bo’s collar then drew her purse over her shoulder. When she turned back to them, Felix stood at the mouth of the hallway, looking devastated. The woman stood on the opposite side of the room looking contrite.
“Congratulations,” she said to the woman. “You win.” To Felix she said, “And you don’t have to give up your condo after all.”
Felix raked his hands through his hair and started for her, heedless of the danger Bo presented. “Poppy, don’t leave. I swear, I never meant to lie to you. Please—”
She didn’t want to hear his crap excuses. She didn’t want to break in front of him, didn’t want to show any sign of weakness to either one of them. “Go fuck yourself.” The moment she slammed the door in his face, her breathing stopped. Her eyes blurred and she stumbled down the hallway toward the elevator, blinded by her tears.
Bo whined as they got inside, and she dried her eyes enough to see the buttons. “It’s okay, boy. We’re going to be okay,” she assured him. “It’s just you and me now.” She repeated the mantra all the way home, even after Bo fell asleep in the back seat, because she needed to hear it, to believe it. Otherwise, she wasn’t going to make it very far.