Page 120 of Pucking Wild

The girl between them pops off Morrow’s dick. I think my brain explodes when Poppy turns to face us, eyes wide, those tight blonde curls now disheveled. “Ohmygod,” she shrieks, a look of horror on her face as she locks eyes with me.

“Ohmy god,” I bellow back as Tess pulls the door shut with a quick, “Sorry, carry on!”

I just stare at the closed door as I digest this new information. All the pieces snap into place: Novy and Morrow’s shitty attitudes over the past few weeks, their weird vibes of being in a lover’s tiff. It all makes sense. They’ve been fighting over the same woman…and that woman is Poppy Fucking St. James, our public relations manager.

But…how? I mean, Morrow is a super nice guy, so that tracks. But Novy and Poppyhateeach other. They’re like cats in a bag. Half of our media training sessions are the result of Novy doing something to piss her off. I guess it’s true what they say about love and hate being a thin fucking line—

“Ryan…” Tess brushes her fingers down my arm.

I shake my head, trying to clear it. “Right. Fuck.” I shift my hold on Drunk Cleopatra and move down the hallway. “Come on, over here.”

“But these are the kids’ rooms—”

“The kids aren’t here,” I reply. “They’re all over at Shelby’s mom’s house tonight. Just open this door before I drop the Queen of the Nile.”

She hesitantly opens the door, peering inside. “Empty,” she says with relief.

We step inside Addie’s bedroom, and I move over to the pink princess twin bed, dropping Cleopatra down onto it. She groans, immediately curling on her side into the fetal position, her wig askew.

Tess takes charge. “Here, honey. I’m putting a trash can beside the bed, and there’s a water on the nightstand.”

Cleopatra just groans.

“She’ll be out soon.”

“Yeah, and then she’ll be hurting in the morning,” Tess says at my side.

“I’ll have Josh and Shelbs check on her,” I assure her.

Tess shakes her head.

“What?”

“It’s just so reckless, you know? What if she had done her little bump and grind trick on someone other than you? What if they weren’t as noble?”

“She’s safe here,” I say, putting my hand on her shoulder. “Shelby and Josh won’t let anything happen to her.”

And just like that, my sexy she-devil is crying. All the distracting thoughts of my defensemen double-teaming our PR manager disappear in a flash.

“Hey, hey, what is this?” I say, pulling her into my arms. “Why are you crying?”

She presses her face into my chest, her arms holding tight to my hips. “God, it’s nothing—it’s—I’m just being ridiculous. I’m—it was a hard day and—it’s nothing.” She shakes her head, trying to pull away from me. “God, I fucking hate crying. Lately it feels like it’s all I do.”

“Whoa, hey. Stay. Tell me.” I place my hand under her chin and tip her face up. “Tess, look at me. What happened?”

She shakes her head again, eyes closed. “I don’t—Ryan, don’t. Let’s not talk about it. I can’t talk about it, okay? Not tonight. Not here. Not now.”

And now I know it has to do with Troy. Man, fuck that asshole. I fucking hate him. I hate the hold he still has on her. I just want her to be free of him.

“I just really missed you,” she admits, and my heart does a somersault. “I needed you today. I’m starting to feel like I need you, Ryan, and I think that’s scaring me a little. I don’t really have anyone else here except Rachel, and you’ve been such a good friend, but I can’t put that on you. I can’t burden you.”

Friend, she calls me. Not lover. Not boyfriend. I’m just her friend. Ryan Puppy Langley, the nice friend she’s casually deep throating. It’s better than nothing.

“Hey,” I say, cupping her face. “Look at me.”

She takes a deep breath before tipping her face up. She’s so beautiful. She’s got thick black eye makeup on tonight, and those bright red lips could stop traffic. Pair that with the horns and this lacy red bra thing, and I’m ready to get on my knees and beg.

But that’s not what she needs right now. She needs comfort and reassurance. She needs her friend. “You’re safe with me,” I tell her. “Cleopatra is safe, and you’re safe too. Nothing will touch you when you’re in my arms, I swear to God.”

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