Quiet Angel (36 page)

“Oh, the ole porn slam,” Poppy said. “Hate that.”

“Yeah, but it wasn’t porn. It was the log sheet. I’d rather porn.”

“My log sheet would have just one entry—‘Bent Poppy over a desk.’”

When the tour was over, Poppy wanted to see Layla’s place, or, as she put it, to “snoop around where the boss lives.” She wanted to borrow some shoes, too. So, with Mateo in tow, the ladies headed over to the penthouse. Poppy was as crazy as ever, talking a mile a minute, making up words, blurting out any random thing that came into her head. A new city, a new job, hadn’t changed that. But Layla could tell, despite her friend’s silliness and brave face, something was a little off.

They rode up the elevator together. “You don’t have to try to cheer me up,” Poppy said. “I’m really OK. I actually have a date later.”

“You’re dating other people?” Layla stepped out on her floor, thanking Mateo and telling him she’d be in for the evening.

“Well, tonight will be a first date, but it counts. That’s why I wanted to borrow your sexy black stilettos. I need to get my ‘date face’ on.”

Layla opened up her door. “You know you can borrow them, but I really think you should think about Dash first.”

Dash stepped out of the kitchen with a beer. “Think what about me?”

“Dash!” Layla said, throwing a look to Gage on the sofa. “I didn’t know you were coming by.”

“We’re watching the game,” Gage said.

“Poppy, I had no idea,” Layla whispered. “Sorry.”

“Can I get the shoes?” Poppy asked. “Quickly?” Layla hustled to her bedroom.

Dash offered the beer to Poppy, but she shook her head and gingerly walked towards a leather chair and took a seat on the arm, looking like she wanted to be anywhere else. Layla came out with the heels, almost tripping on Gage’s briefcase in the den. She moved it off the floor and handed Poppy the heels.

“She’s borrowing
those
?” Gage wondered.

“Is that a problem?” Layla asked.

“Well, you know. . . .” he said, a twinkle in his eye.

Poppy wrinkled her nose. “You fucked in these? Gross!” She tossed the shoes at them. “I’ll get my own stripper heels.”

“Come look in my closet,” Layla said. “I’ve got other shoes.”

“Virgin shoes, I hope?”

“All my other shoes are virgins.”

“I don’t understand women and their shoes,” Dash said.

“You don’t understand a lot,” Poppy replied.

Gage threw a look to Dash not to engage. The guys turned their attention back to the game.

“I don’t understand men and their sports,” Layla teased.

“It’s about the only action I’m seeing lately,” Dash said.

“I believe that as much as I believe you were in the store everyday because you liked me.”

Dash slugged the rest of his beer. “You want to do this
here
? In front of our friends?”

“Why not?” Poppy snapped.

“I’m sick of groveling,” Dash said. “I don’t know how many more times I can say ‘I’m sorry.’ I don’t know what you want me to do. I even ripped up my TBF list to show you how serious I am.”

Layla bit her lip, confused, and looked at Gage. “His ‘To Be Fucked’ list,” he whispered to her.

“I mean that list is sacred, and I ripped mine up! That shows commitment!” Dash said. “What else do you want me to do?” Poppy shrugged her shoulders. “You are the most frustrating female. I don’t know how much longer I can take this. I mean, I haven’t had sex in over a month, waiting on you to calm the hell down.”

Poppy raised an eyebrow. “Your dick has too big an appetite to fast for a month.”

“You used to have quite an appetite for my dick,” Dash said.

“You did
not
just say that to me!” Poppy cried and made an angry move towards him. Layla stepped in front of her.

“Hell yeah, I did. You called me a liar. You called my
dick
a liar!”

“Maybe now’s not the best time to do this,” Layla said.

“You’re right,” Poppy said. “I have a date anyway.”

“Pop!” Layla gasped.

“I’m sure you’ll find a reason to ditch him, too,” Dash said. “You know why? You know what you’re problem is, Poppy? You don’t know how great you are. You don’t know how beautiful and sexy you are. You can’t believe that I was truly crazy about you—that any real man could be crazy about you!”

Poppy looked away, as Dash stood silent for a moment, his big brown eyes revealing his pain. “Sorry about all this,” he said to Gage and Layla and gave them both a nod before heading towards the door, closing it softly behind him.

Gage and Layla stared at each other then heard a little whimper. Layla turned just in time to see Poppy cover her mouth, trying to hold in her cries and tears. Layla wrapped her arms around her friend. “What did I just do?” Poppy cried.

“You just acted like a raging bitch,” Layla said.

“I did, didn’t I? And in front of my new boss?”

“It’s OK,” Gage said.

“I think I love him,” Poppy said. “That’s why this hurts so much.”

“Then go get him,” Layla said.

Poppy drew a deep breath and walked to the door. She opened it and screamed. Dash was leaning up against the wall in the hallway, looking calm and cocky as hell. “Took you long enough,” he said.

“I thought you left,” Poppy said, smiling and leaping into his arms.

“I thought you had a date,” Dash said.

“I did!”

Emerson prepared five
pages of notes about bedtimes, what the kids could and couldn’t eat, appropriate TV shows, homework, how much time they could spend on the computer, directions to the nearest hospital, and the names of the kids’ pediatrician and dentist and ENT and dermatologist. Layla paid close attention to each instruction, while Gage rolled his eyes behind his sister’s back.

They were just watching the kids in Savannah for the weekend. It’s not as if Emerson would be gone a year. They didn’t need a dissertation of instructions. It was frustrating how much his sister was like his parents—so over-protective, always worried that something bad might happen. He caught himself for a moment and looked at Layla, knowing full well the same could be said of him.

Before Emerson headed out, she pulled Gage to a separate room. She’d been getting some disturbing calls lately from other parents. And they were all saying the same thing, all equally upset. Jacob apparently had blabbed to his friends at school about his “aunt and uncle going at it in the garden a few weeks back,” and that his “Uncle G had given him a C-note to keep it on the down low.”

“I don’t think I ever said ‘down low’ or “C-note,” Gage said. “I wouldn’t use those words.”

“That’s not the point!” Emerson said through gritted teeth. “So when you’re around my kids this time, keep your hands off Layla’s tits and your dick in your pants.”

“Can you write that down with the other instructions? I’d hate to forget and get in trouble again.”

Of course, Gage didn’t listen to his sister. He jumped Layla as soon as the kids were asleep. And he planned on starting the morning the same way, but Connor leapt into their bed around dawn and kneed him in the nuts, waking him up for good and ending any hope of morning sex.

After breakfast, they headed out to his mother’s house. The noise in the car was deafening, Jacob and Ava asking constant questions while Connor carried on a conversation with Petey. Gage kept one hand on the bridge of his nose and the other on the wheel.

But the chatter didn’t seem to bother Layla. She managed to talk to each of the kids, with Pippa curled on her lap. Gage put the car in park, and the three kids hopped, running up the path to their grandmother’s house with Pippa.

Gage just sat for a moment. “You’re right. Only two kids for us.”

“Come on, only 24 hours left.” She reached for the door handle.

“Stay in,” he said. “I got my mom to watch the kids today. We have the day to ourselves.”

“That’s so nice of her.” They saw the kids and dog go inside, and his mother give a little wave.

“I think she’s hoping to get more grandkids soon,” he said.

*

Layla looked up
at what was once Story Wings. “I hope it’s not going to be a Starbucks,” she said, still able to make out the sign behind some scaffolding. “I miss it.”

“I know,” Gage said, taking her hand and walking down the street to her old house. “Have you decided what you want to do?”

“Well, I was thinking about. . . .”

He shook her hand a little. “Angel, you know I can help you. I mean, if you want another store or. . . .”

“It’s not that. Story Wings was my dream. No other store would ever be the same.”

Gage pulled her into a little kiss in the middle of the sidewalk, relishing they didn’t have to worry about it ending up in the paper, and that Jacob wasn’t around to tell his friends. “Tell me.”

“I don’t know,” she said. “I’ve been thinking about the crosses I make—maybe trying to sell them in a few boutique stores. Donating the profits to charity, since we don’t need the money. I know some artists donate prints to different organizations and schools for them to auction, like I do for Hope Cottage. I was kind of thinking about expanding that.”

Gage looked down at her, still in his arms. Even now that she had money, she had no interest in shopping, spas, travel. She still wanted to do for others. And the way she spoke about her plans, with a quiet confidence, like she always carried herself, even as a teen, he knew she’d be successful. “You can turn the spare bedroom into your workspace.”

“So you like the idea?”

“I love it.” Gage kissed the side of her head, and they continued down the street. He saw her taking in the sights and sounds of the city she loved, the vintage houses, the quaint porches, the old oaks. And he saw the wheels spinning in her head, seemingly excited about finally having a plan, a new adventure.

Her smile faded at the sight of her house, a “Sold” sign in the front yard. “I can’t believe it’s not mine anymore,” she said softly. “I was so proud the day I bought it.”

He saw her eyes start to water. He wondered if she recognized her life. In the past three months, her entire life had changed. His had, too, but nothing compared to what she’d gone through. “I’m proud of you. I mean, you put yourself through school, started your own business, bought your own house. And now you’ve got this new project brewing. Makes me proud you’re my wife.”

She elbowed him gently. “That means a lot, Mr. CEO.”

“My success is mostly on the shoulders of my dad.”

“Don’t be modest. You launched the whole company into orbit.”

“Maybe a little,” he said. “But what you’ve done is different, better. You are totally self-made, Angel. Not many people can say that.”

“That’s sweet of you to say.” She looked back at the house and sighed. “At least I got a full price offer on it. The buyer is some LLC or closely-held company or something. They didn’t even want an inspection. I sign the papers this week.”

“I know,” Gage said, smiling.

“How do you know?”

“I’m the buyer.” He dangled a house key in front of her face. “A wedding gift.”

“You bought my
house
?”

Gage couldn’t tell if she was pissed or pleased. “You love this house. It’s a part of you, and you’ve given up so much for my career, my life. I just thought we could use it when we come into town to visit. But if you. . . .”

She crashed her lips into his, and Gage picked her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist. He carried her to the door, fumbling to get the key in the lock. They both started laughing. “They make this look easier in the movies,” he said, finally getting the door open. He pushed her against a wall and dropped to his knees, forcing her legs apart, letting her sundress drape over his head.

“Gage,” she whispered, embarrassed.

He took her panties in his teeth, his breath making her legs tremble. He slid his fingers along the side of her panties and lightly stroked her. “No more panties,” he said, pulling them down and swatting her naked butt. He gently outlined her with his tongue, and she melted into his mouth. He slid his hands to her ass, squeezing her gently. “Fuck my mouth, baby,” he said, placing his tongue at her entrance and pushing her ass, encouraging her. “God, you’re so sweet.”

Layla was sure she was all shades of red as she moved her hips against his mouth, clenching her muscles around his tongue. “Oh,” she moaned, losing self-control, totally greedy, wanting nothing more than to finish. Her nails gripped his shoulders as her body began to quake, coming hard against his mouth. “Yes!” she screamed.

He slapped her ass then squeezed it. “Give me all of it.”

“Please!”

Gage sucked down hard and stuck his tongue deep inside. He continued to lick her as she came down from her orgasm, trembling. Layla panted and looked down at Gage, still on his knees. He came out from under her dress, grinning. No matter where they were, no matter what position they were in, he always made it about pleasing her. It seemed nothing was more important to him.

His dark blue eyes stared up at her, warming her body all over again. She reached for him and ripped at his clothes. Within seconds, their clothes were spread on the floor. Layla instinctively started up the stairs to her bedroom. Gage caught her from behind, one arm around her waist, the other between her legs, rubbing her gently. “Kneel,” he whispered and kissed her neck.