Page 120 of Five Summers

“So, what’s your son’s name?” he asks.

Poppy shoots me a quick look before turning her attention back to Theo. “His name is Alex.”

“Cool name,” Nate chimes in.

“Cool kid,” Poppy adds with a smile, and I can see the love in her eyes as she talks about her son. It brings back memories of my mom's love for me. This kid is so lucky to have her in their life.

“So you all went to school together?” Nate asks.

“Yeah, we did,” Poppy answers, glancing at Ace and then over at me.

Under her scrutinizing gaze, I feel a lump in my throat.

Theo shifts his attention to me. “So, who was that girl at the bar claiming to be your childhood sweetheart?”

I shoot him a death glare. The fucker already knows who she is because he asked if I wanted to join him and Nate fuck her in the men’s restroom. I’m tempted to punch that smug look right off his face, but Ace’s words snap me back to reality.

“That was Jade,” Ace bursts into laughter. “No way. Did she actually say that, for real?” Ace laughs so hard that it makes him slump over in a fit of laughter. Finally, when he regains control of his laughter, he adds. “Xander and her were never a thing growing up. She was super easy. She was everyone's hookup.”

"From what I remember,” says Poppy, slurring her words. “She was a total bitch. She was hell-bent on making my life miserable for years.”

“Yeah, but I remember how you always shut her down with your quick comebacks,” I add.

Her piercing blue eyes lock onto mine, and a surge of awareness sends my heart racing in my chest.

“Yeah,” Ace chuckles. “I remember that. Some days, putting her in her place was the highlight of my day.”

“Well, the bitch deserved it,” Poppy shrugs.

We keep talking for another hour, getting even more wasted.

With only six more hours left, Theo and Nate go back to the girl they've tied up in their bed. Ace, however, grabs his guitar and goes to his room to get some much-needed sleep. Now it's just me and Poppy. Every time we lock eyes, it's like a rollercoaster of emotions and my heart aches when I think about my actions.

“I get that me being here is awkward,” she says.

“It’s not awkward.”

She chuckles softly. “I can tell this is making you uncomfortable... Anyway,” she trails off, cutting herself off mid-sentence, and then gets up. “I really should get some rest.”

She turns and heads towards the door, and before I realize it, I’m following. As she reaches the door, I wrap my arms around her waist, causing her to let out a startled gasp, when I pull her back against my chest. The overwhelming feeling of being able to touch her again sends my mind into a whirlwind. I nuzzle my nose against her neck and get lost in the way she smells - a mix of innocence and temptation. I yearn to explore every inch of her, to possess, to consume her, succumbing to the desire to corrupt every inch of her completely.

“What are you doing?” she asks.

“You wanted to know if it felt awkward. The only awkward thing, Princess, is this,” I say, pressing my lips to her neck as I grind my hard cock against her ass. “Feel that? The only awkward thing right now is how deep I want to be buried in you.”

Her skin breaks out in goosebumps as she arches her back. And I'm loving how I'm affecting her.

"Yeah, that's what I thought," I whisper, feeling the warmth of her skin as my lips brush against the sensitive spot beneath her ear. “I'm dying to fuck you.” I graze my teeth on her shoulder, then slide my hand in under her skirt and run my finger up her thighs. “Remember how much fun we had when you got off on my cock?” I run my finger along her wetness, exploring her slit.

She hisses when I touch her, and I love that I'm getting to her.

"Oh yeah, I remember all the stuff you used to love," she says, teasingly rubbing her ass against me.

“Fuck!” I hiss, closing my eyes as a flood of memories come racing back. The way she takes charge and teases me with her body has always fascinated me. It’s so fucking hot.

"I remember a lot of things about you, Xander," she says, her eyes lingering on me as she glances back over her shoulder. “But now, none of that matters. Get it through your fucking head. I will never be one of your groupies.” She forcefully shoves my hand, walks forward, opens the door, and then slams it in my face.

The world is full of women I can pursue, but none will ever come close to evoking even a fraction of the emotions Poppy Reeves stirs within me. Her presence is like a magnetic force that pulls me in. What's worse is she's the one person on this planet that I can't have, and it drives me fucking crazy.