Poppy squeezed his hand, her dainty fingers feeling good against his.
“They also told me about how you lost your show too. Seeing her every day, you had to leave—I’m sure.”
Ah, yes, his Swedish paranormal show that he apparently worked on with his ex-fiancée, Agnetha.
“What was your show called?” she asked.
Shit. He didn’t know. But neither did she, so he could just make up anything, right?
“Well, that’s a loose translation from Swedish.” He paused, suddenly afraid maybe this wasn’t the Swedish television show they were talking about. Did he have another show? A non-paranormal one?
But Poppy nodded as if his response made perfect sense.
“But yes,” he said, moving back to the point of this whole conversation, “I think maybe we both need more time to work through how to date again. How to have any sort of relationship.”
Poppy didn’t say anything for a moment. Then she squeezed his hand and released him.
“I know you must still have things to work through,” she said as she shifted back against the pillows. “Look at me, the mere mention of Adam, and I wind up acting like a fool and sporting a hangover.”
Killian nodded, glad his tactic had worked.
Poppy yawned, and she let her head fall back against the pillows. She blinked, then blinked again, and he could tell she was exhausted.
He was too. All this emotional-sharing crap really drained a person. And a demon too, apparently.
“Why don’t you nap?” he said softly.
She widened her eyes as if doing so would suddenly cast off her sleepiness.
“I need to get to work. I have just a couple chapters left to edit in a law text.”
“Okay, well, stay still and let me get it for you. You can work on the couch today.”
She looked as if she was going to argue, then nodded. “The chapters are on my desk, and I need the red pencils that are there too.”
He nodded, heading off to her office. The first thing he noticed was her desk. Beautiful and antique, he noted as he gathered the items she needed. Then he went to the bookshelf beside her desk to find a large hardcover book she could use as a makeshift writing surface.
He pulled one out, flipping it to read the cover. The book had no title or author printed on it. Curious, he flipped the book open. Inside were drawings. Vivid, magical images created in colored pencil. Some in ink.
Poppy’s illustrations. Worlds of fairies and dragons and princesses and castles. They were amazing.
He looked back to the bookshelf, realizing there several more books like this one. Hundreds and hundreds of pictures Poppy had produced, images from her own mind.
“Are you finding everything okay?” she called from the other room.
He carefully replaced the sketchbook and grabbed another one, a hardcover about jewelry making, and returned to her.
“Yes,” he said with a smile. “I think I got everything.”
He handed her the items, then watched as she got herself situated. Once done, she looked up at him, one brow lifted in silent question.
“I’m just going to go clean up the kitchen,” he told her.
“You don’t have to do that.”
He shrugged. “I want to. Cleaning helps me think. You know, about this new show idea.”
“Okay,” Poppy said. “But I can clean it up later. You cooked, so I should clean.”
“Nah,” he said. “I’ve got it.” Plus he didn’t want to go back to that apartment. He’d much rather stay in Poppy’s bright, homey place. And if he was being honest, in her presence.
“Go ahead and work. I’m fine.”
Poppy did as he said and turned her attention to her editing. As she worked, she could hear Killian moving around the kitchen. Dishes being washed, cupboards being opened and closed. Unlike earlier, she found the noises pleasant. Comforting. Nice.
She finished a chapter, then allowed herself to drop her head back against the couch cushions and just listen to him cleaning.
Her thoughts drifted, thinking of what he’d said about both of them needing time to let go of their past relationships. He was right.
She should be over Adam, but she’d just never dealt with her loss. Maybe it was time.
Then she thought about Killian’s kisses. And her reaction to them. It might have been the alcohol, it probably was, but she didn’t recall Adam’s kisses affecting her like that.
Passionate, all-encompassing, earth-shattering kisses. Even just the memories made her breathless.
Of course, there hadn’t exactly been many kisses since Adam. None to be exact. So maybe any kiss would have thrown her body into overdrive.
One thing was for sure: She did need to let Adam go. She needed to stop holding on to the past. She felt a closeness with Killian over this. He understood her hurt over Adam, because he’d lived through heartbreak too.
“Are you feeling okay?”
Poppy opened her eyes to see Killian leaning in the doorway, wiping his hands on a dish towel, concern burning in his golden eyes.
She smiled, then said with certainty, “Yes, and I want to go to that gig.”
CHAPTER 25
“He’s been here the past few evenings,” Daisy whispered, peering around the corner from the hallway to spy on her sister and Killian in the living room. They sat on the couch, one of them on each end, watching television.
“Well, he said he was going to get to know her,” Madison said, watching them with her.
Emma snuck occasional peeks too.
“But how’s he going to find her Mr. Right, if all they do is hang out in our apartment?”
Killian said something to Poppy and she laughed. Her reaction seemed real and carefree. Daisy loved hearing her laughter. She loved seeing her sister having fun. She was just worried.
She nudged Madison, then gestured for both girls to follow her back to her room.
“I think they’re falling for each other,” Daisy said, once they were in the room with the door shut.
“Nah,” Madison said. “You already told him that he can’t let that happen. And he has to do what you say. The book was clear about that.”
Daisy nodded. “True. And he has done everything else we told him to do.”
“They are just becoming friends,” Madison said, flopping down on Daisy’s bed. She began flipping through the newest
Emma sat down in the fuzzy hot-pink beanbag in the corner, reaching for the English homework they were supposed to be working on. But she just opened the book, letting it rest in her lap.
“I think it’s nice they are becoming friends,” Emma said with one of her small, dreamy smiles. “Poppy doesn’t seem to have many, and they actually get along well.”
Daisy couldn’t argue with that. Her sister was sort of friends with Ginger and Emma’s mother, Sara. And she did have a few friends at work, but really she’d cut herself off from the world since their parents had died. She supposed a pal was good for Poppy. And she did seem to genuinely like Killian.
“But isn’t she going to be sad when he goes back to—you know?” Emma dipped her head toward the floor.
Madison rolled her eyes. “We’ll just tell her he moved back to Sweden.”
Daisy smiled, shaking her head. “That works.”
Maybe Sweden wasn’t such a bad place to say he was from after all. Poppy wouldn’t very well go visit him
