Truth or Demon

CHAPTER 20

“Eric,” Poppy said, although she knew she didn’t sound as thrilled as he did.

“Oh, my God.” He grinned. “It’s been like, what? Four or five years?”

She nodded, managing a tight little smile. “Yes.”

Eric hugged her then. She stiffened, then lifted her arms to return the embrace.

“So are you still playing?” she asked when they parted, having hugged the guitar on his back as well as him. Which, if he was the same Eric, was appropriate. His guitar had been as much a part of him as his arms and legs.

His grin widened. “Oh, yeah. When I can. There’s not as much free time now as there was in our good ol’ college days.”

Poppy nodded, noticing he looked older. The boyish looks she remembered had been replaced by a squarer jawline and more defined features.

Did she look different to him? She felt different. But she’d felt different for a long time now.

As if he were following her train of thought, he said, “You look great, Poppy.”

“Doesn’t she?”

Poppy looked away from Eric to see Killian standing beside them. He stood several inches taller than Eric, and his build was much bigger, much more powerful. A sense of safety that she didn’t quite understand instantly washed over her.

“Um, Killian, this is an old college friend, Eric. Eric, this is—” What title did she give Killian? “This is my friend, Killian.”

Killian nodded at Eric, then almost as if it were an afterthought, offered his hand. “Nice to meet you.”

Killian shook the man’s hand, not feeling in the least bit pleased to meet this person. In fact, when he’d first watched the guy bump into Poppy and seen her shocked expression, he’d risen, ready to come over and step in.

Then recognition and a small smile had appeared on her face. And there had been the hug. So he’d sat back down. But only for a few minutes.

Something about Poppy’s demeanor had called to him. She wasn’t comfortable with this guy, and now up close, he could practically sense her emotions in the air. A subtle wafting of dismay mixed with melancholy.

Had this man hurt her in the past? Was this the ex? No. No, Eric wasn’t the right name.

“I can’t believe it’s really you,” Eric said, shaking his head, smiling fondly at her. “Adam just mentioned you last week.”

Adam. That was the ex’s name.

Beside him, Poppy swayed, just a quick rock from foot to foot, but Killian moved closer. Just in case.

“He—he mentioned me?” she finally gathered herself enough to say, the hesitant words dripping with hope.

Something in Killian’s chest twisted. A strange pain he didn’t understand. He disregarded the feeling, focusing on Poppy instead.

She didn’t look well. Her already pale skin faded until it appeared almost translucent. He placed his hand on the small of her back, wanting to give her support, simply needing to touch her for his own sake. She stiffened, just a bit, then sagged against his hand.

He rubbed her lower back, noting that Eric saw the touch. A strong surge of possessiveness filled Killian.

He didn’t like seeing Poppy so upset. He wanted to help her. That’s all.

Eric’s eyes moved back to Poppy, another ready smile on his lips. “Of course, Adam mentions you.”

Poppy swayed again.

“He’s actually playing a gig this weekend,” Eric added. “You should go. I know he’d love to see you.”

Another slight weave.

Killian fought a grimace. My, wasn’t ol’ Eric cheerfully oblivious. Totally unaware of the effect his words was having.

Then still merrily unaware, Eric looked around as if suddenly remembering why he was here.

“Speaking of gigs, I better set up,” he said. “You’re going to stay and listen to me play, right?”

Poppy nodded, although Killian wasn’t sure if she’d really heard the question or just realized a response was expected of her.

“Great! I’ll come join you for a drink on my break.”

Again, Poppy nodded.

“Nice meeting you,” Eric said to Killian.

Killian dipped his head in response, then waited until the man walked away

“Poppy?”

She blinked up at him as if she’d forgotten he was even there. Seeing this guy had really shaken her. He rubbed her back again to soothe her. He tried to ignore the idea that it might also be to make her aware of him.

“Sorry. I’m just a little—” She laughed, although the sound was brittle, humorless. “I’m just a little surprised, I guess.”

No one, with the exception of maybe clueless Eric, could miss that.

“Come on, I got you another wine.”

Poppy allowed Killian to lead her back to their seats, taking comfort from his hand, steady and strong, on her lower back. She slid up on the stool and reached for the glass of wine he’d ordered her. She polished off most of it in one gulp.

Behind her, Eric started strumming a song she knew very well. A song that he’d played back in their college days. The strains of the music acted like a trigger, setting off an explosion of memories in her head.

Sitting in bars like this, watching Eric play with another musician. She closed her eyes and she could hear the other guitarist’s amazing voice. His classical guitar training shone through, even on pop songs. His wild, unkempt hair and Byronic good looks. His love of art and creativity and learning.

Adam.

The talks they’d had. The plans they’d shared. All the things they were going to do. Traveling around Europe, living in different cities, not caring if they existed hand to mouth, just living on love and the art they would create.

She finished off her wine and waved to the bartender, gesturing to her empty glass once she’d caught his attention.

When the third drink arrived, she took another long swallow.

“Whoa there,” Killian said from beside her, startling her. How did she keep forgetting he was here? He wasn’t exactly forgettable.

He took the glass from her, placing it in front of himself. She didn’t argue, mainly because the wine was almost gone anyway.

“What’s going on?”

Poppy frowned at him, pretending she didn’t have a clue why he was asking such a thing. “What do you mean?”

He raised an eyebrow, his expression the very definition of sardonic. “You would not be on the top of my list of lushes.”

“Lush?” Poppy laughed. She wasn’t a lush. Never had been. “I don’t think three drinks—really two drinks and a half—constitutes lush status.”

Killian’s gaze moved over her face, studying her, but then he nodded. “No, I suppose not. But it just doesn’t seem like you.”

Like her. She almost snorted at that. Like her.

Which her was he talking about? The her who was going to have a wild, adventuresome life with the man she loved? Or the her who pined for the man who’d walked out years ago? The her whose life revolved around her little sister? The her—

“Tell me about Adam.”

Killian’s quietly asked question knocked the breath out of her like a sucker punch to her gut. She hadn’t seen it coming, but she should have. Killian was pretty straightforward and rarely subtle.

“Umm,” she started. What did she say? That he’d left her because … because she wasn’t enough for him. Did she admit that?

She couldn’t. Not to this man, who already saw her in the same light.

No. No. Killian just wanted and needed a different type of woman. That wasn’t the same. But wasn’t it? Wasn’t it exactly?

“Adam was—” Poppy stopped as a woman appeared beside Killian. Not the woman who’d been here when she’d left for the restroom.

Poppy looked around. What had happened to her, anyway?

Well, whatever. This was a brunette with a short pixie cut and big baby-blue eyes. The kind of eyes a man could get lost in—wasn’t that the cliché?

“Hi.” She smiled, leaning in right between the two of them, so Poppy had to lean back to avoid being bumped.

“My friends over there”—she gestured to the table of women—“and I have a bet going. Are you a model?”

“No,” Killian answered, his tone curt.

“Really, because I could swear I’ve seen you somewhere before.”

Poppy snorted. “You better get a more original line than that. He’s already heard that one tonight.”

Poppy snapped her mouth shut. Had she really just said that?

She giggled a little, until she realized both Miss Blue Eyes and Killian were staring at her. Blue Eyes looked annoyed. Killian looked—amused. His golden eyes flashed with silent laughter.

Poppy suppressed her own laughter. Well, mostly. A slight snicker escaped.

“I’m sorry.” The brunette shifted so she was standing closer to her. “I don’t believe I was talking to you.”

“Oh, I realize that.” Poppy smiled, undaunted by the other woman’s irritation.

“Then maybe you should mind your own business.”

Poppy blinked. Hadn’t this woman seen that she was here with Killian? Didn’t she see him walking her back over here? Didn’t she see them talking? Hadn’t she seen his hand on her back? Given how they’d all been watching him since he got here, Poppy knew she had. They all had.

Something inside her snapped. This was another person telling her that she wasn’t good enough. No. Not this time.

“Oh, he’s my business,” Poppy said. She knew it was probably the wine talking. But at this moment, it felt pretty darned good. No, pretty damned good.

“Oh, really?” the woman said, eyeing her like there was no possible way she was telling the truth.

But before Poppy could reply, Killian tapped the woman’s shoulder and when she turned to look at him, he said, “Yes. Really. Come here, baby.”

Then before Poppy realized what he intended to do, he reached over and pulled her, stool and all, closer to him. The move brought her against him and effectively nudged the brunette out of the way.

Poppy looked from Killian to the woman, then back to Killian. This was silly. She started to giggle.

Killian smiled too, then he murmured, “Come here.”

For a split second she didn’t understand. Her stool was already bumped right against his. Then his hand came up to catch her chin, and his head descended.

He kissed her.