Page 2 of The Hollywood Billionaire's Fangirl Wife

"Why did you write Guy de la Rocq's name for THROW when you literally founded the Secret International Alliance of Supporters of—"

"Sssh!"Jilly was privately appalled. It wasn't called a secret for nothing.

"Sorry," Poppy apologized quickly, and in a suitably lower voice this time. "But...you get why I'm confused, right?"

"Not really."

"But youadorehim—"

"Absolutely," Jilly affirmed without hesitation.

"So why choose to throw him out of your life?"

"Because he'syounger." How was that even a question?

Poppy rolled her eyes. "Five years aren't much—"

"It's, like, fifty in my book."

"Oh, please," Poppy scoffed. "You look half your age!"

Jilly didn't take the compliment seriously. Poppy was the Queen of Nice. Of course she'd say something like that...andmean it, too.

And besides, had Poppy forgotten already? Jilly had long told her about the world having two types of fangirls: those who were simply fans of the individual because of his works...and those who were fans of one's works because of the individual.

And of course, at the sensible age of forty, Jilly always believed that—

A sound broke into her thoughts, causing Jilly to look up.

Oh.

Poppy's billionaire husband had arrived, and as expected from someone frequently described as Adonis incarnate, Valerian Rossfield's sudden appearance had just about every woman in the cafe sitting up and acting like, well, fangirls. Or at least the type that Jilly wasnot.

A pair of icy blue eyes swept over the room before landing on his wife. Only then did they soften, just enough for those who knew him to notice the change.

"Do you really not mind?" Jilly couldn't help asking her friend, seeing the way the other girls were rather shameless in their efforts to attract the attention of Poppy's husband.

A brunette at the corner table actually flipped her hair three times in succession. The barista behind the counter kept polishing the same spot over and over. And a college student by the window seemed to have forgotten her textbook existed.

"Just a bit," the younger woman admitted with a rueful smile. "But it's not his fault he's beautiful, right? And incredibly smart. And honestly, people rarely believe me about this, but he's also amazingly funny..."

Jilly had a hard time holding back her own smile.Here we go again. Once Poppy got started like this, she could go on and on and on...

Poppy noticed the way Jilly was looking at her, and her expression turned sheepish. "I did it again, didn't I?"

Valerian's lips curved slightly when he reached his wife's table and saw the way the two women were laughing even as they started gathering their things.

Poppy had only just started mentoring Jilly two months ago, but the two already seemed best friends for life...even though they were also opposites in many ways.

Jilly was forty to his wife's twenty-five, a quiet and thoughtful soul whereas his wife was more like a friendly little bee than a social butterfly. Their contrasting traits were evident even in their Bible preferences: Jilly's was a no-nonsense, personal-sized, leather-bound KJV while Poppy's was the Amplified Bible version, complete with floral tabs, ribbon bookmarks, and an embroidered case.

After greeting his wife's friend with a smile, Valerian pulled Poppy into his arms for a brief but thorough kiss that had her slightly flushed even when they were already outside the cafe, and she was waving goodbye as Jilly got inside her Tesla.

The evening air felt warm against Poppy's skin, carrying the mix of scents that made San Antonio summers special: grillingmeat from nearby restaurants, sweet-smelling flowers from the hanging baskets outside storefronts, and the earthy undertone of the river that flowed through downtown.

"Are you sure it's fine that we didn't invite her for dinner?" Valerian asked, placing his hand at the small of his wife's back.

"She prefers to be home early for her babies," Poppy explained as they walked to their waiting car.

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