Page 88 of Trouble in Love
“Home? What are you talking about — oh my god, a puppy!” The multimillion-dollar beach house skidded into second place on Polly’s priority list when my second surprise, the four-legged one Ana helped me with made its attention-grabbing appearance.
“Putmedownputmedownputmedown,” she squealed, wiggling and swatting at my shoulder. Though it ruined the image I’d been picturing all day, returning Polly to the ground probablywasthe safest option, especially with a three-month-old Australian cattle dog yelping and bouncing at my feet. As soon as her toes touched the ground, Polly collapsed onto her knees, giving our yet-to-be-named baby all the kisses meant for me. “You are the cutest thing I have ever seen. Aren’t you? Aren’t you?”
“I am, thanks.”
“Not you, idiot.” she chuckled. “The puppy. Is she really ours, Luca? And the house?”
“Yes, and yes. I wanted us to have a fresh start and for you to have some company when I’m away. There’s no cuter company, and nowhere fresher in New York than Long Island beach … especially in winter.” Balancing the puppy in one arm and pressing herself off the sandy soil with the other, Polly stood and threw herself against me.
“I don’t deserve you.”
“That’s a filthy lie. You do, Pol. You deserve the world and so much more. I’m making it my mission to give it to you, too.”
Even as I said it, I knew it was a moot point. Polly was unstoppable. She didn’t need me to give her anything. She could take whatever she wanted. I just had to get her to believe it.
I was fairly certain Polly was paying more attention to her new baby than she was to me, or to our house. And I didn’t mind one bit. We had a lifetime to walk the halls. The pure bliss andhappiness that radiated from within as she fell in love with her little Aussie mate was worth a million houses.
“This is the fourth bedroom,” I said as I opened the double doors that led her into the oceanfront room. “I thought this would be a guest room when Holly or your parents come over to stay.”
The puppy’s head continued to be stroked as Polly looked up at me through her hair. A tiny bit of that glow disappeared. “She called just before we got here.”
“Holly did?”
“No. Mum did.”
“Shit,” I said, wincing and rubbing my hands over the back of my neck. “Is that why you were sad on the beach?”
“How did you know I was sad?”
“Let’s just say you might be able to fool everyone else with that tough facade of yours, but you don’t fool me.”
Polly huffed, walking towards the windows and opening the plantation shutters. The chilled ocean breeze swept through the room, blowing her hair back off her face, creating something of a plaything for the puppy, who yipped and nipped at the flowing strands. “I’m not sure how I feel about that. Maybe I have to lift my game a little?”
I waltzed up behind her and wrapped my hands around her waist, resting my head on her shoulder. “Or you can be content in knowing you’ve finally found someone you don’t need to play games with?”
“Maybe … I do rather like playing some games with you, though.” Instantly hard, I ran my fingers through her hair and kissed my way down her neck, eliciting the exact kind of shiver I was aiming for.
“I will play with you all night long, however you like,ifyou tell me what your mom said on that call.”
“Conditioning sex games around me talking about my mum is … eww. But … I really want to be railed over the kitchen bench with the lights on and the blinds open, so I’ll do it.” Polly placed the wriggling pooch at her feet and laid her head on my chest. “Mum being mum, it was more of a prepared sermon than a talk, but in a roundabout way, she did explain a few things. Holly had told her about Luke, so she said a little about that. She apologized for what she said and for how she handled the whole Elias thing, and she may also have pointed out how similar we are.”
“Ahhh. The old two north poles repelled each other.” I sighed.
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“You know, like magnets? They’re south and north poles, just like you and me. We come from opposite sides of the world, but our attraction was so strong we couldn’t fight the pull toward each other. Instead, it drew and held us together. But when you have two of the same pole—south and south—they clash and push each other away. Just like Hermes and Nyx. Exactly the same but completely different.”
“Again. What are you talking about?” Her voice trailed off as she glanced up at me bemused.
“You know, your goddess friend Nyx and her daughter … the day … or was she the light and the brother was the day? I forgot.”
Polly grabbed my chin and pouted, “You remember Nyx?”
“I do. I even looked her up after the day when your dad caught us in his office. “
“Huh.” Her cheeks flushed as she turned her face toward the ocean.
“Why ‘huh,’ and why are you still so surprised when I remember things you tell me?”
