Adam blinked, some of his joy at seeing Poppy evaporating. “Killian. Nice to meet you.”
Killian waited for his conscience to tell him he was behaving idiotically, but it didn’t.
“Over here,” Adam said as he led them to a less crowded part of the bar to the right of the stage.
When they reached the table, Eric greeted them too, then introduced them to his wife, Karen, and the two other women at the table, Nancy and Gina.
Killian noticed Poppy blanch, just a bit, as Gina was introduced. Adam pulled up chairs and the two of them joined the others.
“So Poppy”—Karen leaned to be heard over the buzz of the bar—“you went to college with Adam and Eric?”
Poppy nodded. “Yes.”
“We actually dated for what …” Adam looked at Poppy for the answer. Then at Killian a bit more warily.
“Almost three years,” Poppy said with a polite, social smile.
Killian took another sip of his drink. Hell, even he knew that. As he set down his drink, he noticed that Gina was watching Poppy through narrowed eyes. But when she realized Killian was watching her, she smiled. The animosity he’d seen there switched to something that looked remarkably like interest.
Killian looked away, to chat with the other woman, Nancy, a music teacher at a local high school. And also with Eric, who overall seemed like a pretty decent guy. Killian definitely liked him better now than the last time he’d met him.
“Well, Eric and I need to get back to work here,” Adam announced to the table, but Killian noticed his look lingered on Poppy.
The two men went to the stage and began tuning up. With Adam’s attention otherwise engaged, Killian had the liberty of studying the guy. And in truth, he found it hard to understand why Poppy had held a torch for him.
Adam was pretty much average. Average height, maybe 5′10″ or 5′11″. He had brown hair and similarly colored eyes. His build wasn’t particularly muscular, but not heavy.
He was pretty much like any guy anywhere.
But hadn’t he kind of thought the same thing about Poppy when he first met her? Killian glanced at her. She was chatting with Eric’s wife, her features animated, her charming dimple showing. She pushed her hair away from her face. He noticed the way her hand looked as she did so, and the flow and shimmer of her chestnut hair.
She was so far from average, he just couldn’t recall how he could have ever come to that conclusion.
Poppy stopped talking to the other woman as Adam began to play. Her eyes fastened on the man.
Did she see someone beyond average right now too? Then she looked at Killian and smiled. A happy smile. Her attention returned to the man on the stage.
Yeah, she did.
Did she see her soul mate?
Poppy had to admit this was the kind of night a scorned woman fantasized about. She was sitting at a table with her ex, with the woman her ex had left her for, and Poppy had a totally hunky, utterly charming new boyfriend. Strike that, fiancé.
Yeah, this was pretty sweet, and she didn’t really care if she was being petty.
Of course, as she watched Adam up on the stage, she couldn’t quite imagine why she’d let him affect her life for so long. He was a good-looking guy with thick hair and a nice smile. But somehow he seemed like a faded memory of the person she’d loved all those years ago.
She glanced at Killian. Of course, any man would seem pretty washed out when compared with Killian. Beautiful, golden Killian. Even now her body hummed with the recollection of all the amazing things the man beside her had done to her in the last twenty-four hours.
She took a sip of her wine, smiling that secret smile again. Then she noticed Gina watching her, a frown tugging at the woman’s full lips.
Poppy wanted to giggle at her annoyed expression. Poppy’s secret smile wasn’t a secret to Gina. And Gina was jealous.
Good, Poppy thought. She didn’t want Adam back from Gina, but she was glad the other woman was envious of her. That made up for the hurt Poppy had suffered, knowing Adam was in Gina’s bed. That while Poppy struggled alone, heartbroken, Gina and Adam had had each other.
“Darling,” she said, leaning against Killian as she spoke. “Would you mind getting me another wine?”
“Sure.”
She smiled, then kissed him. He seemed a little startled by the gesture, but quickly rallied, kissing her back, quite thoroughly.
“Can I get anyone else another drink?”
“I’ll take a dirty martini,” Gina said, smiling at Killian. The other two women declined.
After he left the table, Karen and Nancy let out appreciative sighs. Gina just shot her another resentful glare.
“Where on earth did you find him, Poppy?” Nancy watched Killian cross the room toward the bar. She shook her head, impressed at the sight.
“I met him through one of my sister’s friend’s parents. He is her cousin.”
“If only my sister’s friend’s parents had cousins like that,” Nancy said with a smile.
Poppy laughed.
“And you can just see he’s mad about you,” Karen said. “I can’t think of the last time Eric looked at me the way Killian looks at you.”
Poppy’s smile slipped just a bit. If only those looks were real. If only …
She shoved the thought aside. She was going to enjoy this for what it was.
“Killian would probably tell you that I had him falling at my feet the very first night we met.”
Karen and Nancy sighed again, and Gina looked as if she wanted to be ill.
Yes, tonight was pretty sweet.
Killian would like to say that he was enjoying the evening as much as Poppy seemed to be. She chatted with the other women. Well, not so much Gina. But something about Gina’s clear animosity toward her seemed almost to please Poppy.
Even though Poppy had never said anything about Adam’s leaving her and getting involved with another woman right away, he deduced Gina was that person.
And from the looks Gina kept throwing him, Killian got the impression she’d like to repeat history. He ignored her. Gina was not his type.
He’d definitely developed a rather strong attraction to petite, pixielike women with dark eyes and dimples.
“I’m going to find the restroom,” Poppy said, flashing that dimple temptingly at him. Her cheeks were flushed, and he could see the wine had gone to her head a bit.
“I’ll join you,” he whispered so the rest of the table couldn’t hear him. He felt safe with her near him. Vepar might be nuts, but he had enough sense not to approach Poppy with Killian at her side.
“You had your chance at bathroom sex earlier. As I recall you turned me down.”
“Stupid, stupid me.”
She laughed again, then stood, excusing herself.
He’d let her go, but follow. He didn’t want her to become aware that he was nervous about her being alone. That would lead to questions he couldn’t exactly answer.
After a few seconds, he excused himself to quickly make his way toward the restrooms. Then he leaned against the wall to wait. He’d give Poppy five minutes before he entered the ladies’ room—rules and politeness be damned.
“So,” a female voice said from close beside him, and he looked to see Gina standing very close indeed. She’d followed him, he had no doubt. “I heard Poppy telling Nancy that you are from Sweden.”
Killian stepped away from her, not liking the hungry look in her eyes.
“Yes, that’s right.”
