“Don’t freak, Poppy. All will be well,” he assured her in aserious voice.
Poppy began giggling. Apparently hearing the tone of hisvoice along with him telling her not to “freak” tickled her funny bone enoughto make her start laughing. Pretty soon his face added to the hilarity when heappeared so completely confused and she laughed even harder. Obviously having acase of the giggles was contagious, because for the first time since she’d methim, Behyr started smiling. And it wasn’t a small smile that he covered up withhis hand. No, it was a full-on, teeth-showing smile accompanied by a boominglaugh. That was when she noticed something that made her gasp.
Behyr had fangs. Fangs. Not gigantic vampire fangs,but they were definitely there. And they were sexy as hell. Before he knew whatshe was going to do, she reached up and touched his cheek. Her manners were theonly thing holding her back from prying his lips open to investigate further.That and the knowledge that if a hug made him stiffen up, then checking histeeth as if he were a horse would totally scare the shit out of him.
“You have fangs! Why didn’t I know you had fangs? Is it aSkrammon breed trait?” she asked while he stood completely still, letting hertouch his face.
“Yes it is. We are fighters and sometimes we use our teethin hand-to-hand combat. They are intimidating to our enemies as well,” he said,flashing them again for her to see more clearly.
Nodding now in understanding, she let go of his face and herelaxed. Not wanting to lose the moment, she held his hand in hers.
“Is that why you don’t smile?” she asked.
He nodded while still appearing slightly uncomfortable. “Wealso do not have much to smile about, Poppy. You seem happy all the time…thisis new to many of us. I do not remember the last time I laughed before youarrived.” His voice had lowered as if he had finally realized what she had beentrying to explain to them about raising her children.
“What is going on here?” The booming question camefrom a couple feet away.
“Wheaton!” Poppy yelled, launching herself at him.Practically climbing his body in an effort to reach his lips for a kiss, shefelt his arms come around her and squeeze tight. She saw Behyr, was nowstanding at attention with all emotion wiped from his face. Hands folded behindhis back, he resembled a soldier standing at perfect attention. In herexcitement at seeing Wheaton, she hadn’t realized how pissed-off he was. Nowshe did. She saw him glaring at a warrior who had once been a friend, but who,if he didn’t step back from his bride, would be a dead warrior.
“Don’t you dare yell at me, Wheaton!” she said, climbing offhim.
“I do not like the familiar way you were speaking withBehyr,” he argued.
Oh hell no. Wheaton was delusional if he thought he was goingto dictate who could be her friend and who could not.
“First off, Behyr is my friend. Friend. That is all.Understand?” she said, poking his chest. The action startled him enough for himto step back and focus his entire attention on her.
“Second, I haven’t seen you in forevah, so if youthink you have any right to be angry with me, then you’re nuts!” shehollered with another hard poke as he moved even farther. Soon he had retreatedall the way to her apartment door.
“And third…” she continued only to be interrupted.
Wheaton threw up his hands to ward off more pokes. “You areright, Poppy. I am sorry. I just have not seen you in days and I did not likehow comfortable you seem to have gotten with another warrior,” he rushed out,apparently realizing that he needed to dig himself out of a hole and do itquickly.
Glancing back, Poppy saw Behyr was still standing atattention. The only thing relaxed in his stance was the small smile he nowwore. Poppy smiled back at him. “I will message you later about my schedule fortomorrow, okay?”
“Of course, Poppy. Have a nice evening.” With a bow to bothher and Wheaton, he walked away.
Poppy waved her wrist to open the door Wheaton was blocking.
“Come on, big guy, we have a lot to talk about.”
Clutching his hand and tugging him into the apartment, shefigured they couldn’t waste any time in case he got called away again.
Chapter Twenty-One
Once in the apartment, Poppy found herself in his armsbefore she could be sure the door had even closed behind them. Losing herselfin his kiss, she breathed in his musky scent. Wheaton released the clip fromher hair, causing it to fall in curls down her back. With his hands tugging atthe strands like that, a shiver crept down her spine and goose bumps popped upon her arms. Holy hell, this man could kiss. His mouth was so warm on hers andshe thought she would melt into a puddle as he sucked at her lips and tongue.Her hands were being wasted, gripping his shoulders, so she moved them to hishair. His shoulder-length hair was silky smooth and she tugged a handful of it,causing him to moan into her mouth.
Wheaton moved his mouth from hers, trailing it across hercheek to her ear and nibbling a bit before placing sucking kisses down to herneck. Fisting her hands in his hair now, she dragged his head back as she triedto clear her own. Wheaton fought her direction and kept his mouth moving lower.
“Wheaton, we need to talk.” Rasping out the words, shegasped to pull air into her lungs.
“Talk later,” he mumbled into her cleavage while trying topull her vee-neck T-shirt down.
Pulling at his hair again to get him to tip back his head,she noticed his eyes had turned a dark green. The same dark green sheanticipated whenever they got frisky. Before they’d begun fooling around, shewould gauge when they needed to call a halt to their foreplay by the color ofhis eyes. If they were any indication right now, then she needed to put thekibosh
