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voice came out smaller than she expected. “Promise?”
    Bringing his hand to her face, Felix smoothed her hair back behind her ear, holding eye contact. “Cross my heart. I love you, kitten.”
    Her chest tightened and Poppy knew that any second, she would start crying. She didn’t want him to see her cry, but she didn’t know if she could hold it back. There was no way of knowing if he was telling her the truth, but she knew that she couldn’t bear to hear it, even if he tried. This was the only truth she was willing to accept, the only one that would keep her heart from being shattered. So, she closed her eyes and absorbed his words, holding onto them with a tight fist.
    Leaning into him, Poppy wrapped her arms around Felix’s neck and held him tight. “I love you, too.”

 
     
     
     
     
     
    5
     
    The country club was becoming a second home—or a third, as it were. Felix had been spending a lot of his downtime hitting balls across rolling green law ns the last few weeks—ever since his talk with Poppy. He promised not to lie to her again, and he always kept his promises. If he said he was going to be late coming home because he wanted to spend a little time with the guys, then that was exactly what he was doing. It made it more difficult to do what he needed to do, but not impossible.
    Now that he was on his best behavior, Felix had been forced to find alternatives. He had to hide in plain sight. That meant leaving a little earlier, driving a little faster, cutting to the chase, and most importantly, keeping his mouth closed.
    He’d learned from his last encounter with Jon that even a hint at what he was doing could cause his plans to backfire. He couldn’t afford to undergo another one of Jon’s talks, or for Jon to run back to his fiancée and tell her his suspicions over pillow talk. Tate had the biggest yap out of all of them, so it was crucial that he maintain the façade. Just blend in, have a little fun and everything would work out.
    “So, how’re things at home with that spitfire you call a girlfriend? Has she come to her senses and kicked your sorry ass to the curb yet?”
    Felix glared at Tate. What the hell was that supposed to mean? Did he know something? His glare swept to Jon, who held up his hands in surrender. If he didn’t know anything, then Tate must be spouting off again. “Sorry to disappoint, Tate, but Poppy is more than satisfied with my sorry ass. Can you say the same for Piper?”
    Tate shook his head. “Hell yeah. Piper isn’t going anywhere, if you know what I’m saying.” He waggled his eyebrows.
    Nope, he couldn’t say that he did, but Felix laughed anyway. Tate was possibly the most arrogant man he had ever met, but he wasn’t hard to get along with either.
    “Have you two worked out the housing situation yet?”
    Bent at the waist, Felix lined up his club, cranked his arm back, and drove it into the ball. They watched it sail down the green then picked up their clubs and started walking. “Nope.” Was that bitterness he heard in his voice? “Poppy doesn’t want to give up the house, and I’m not ready to let go of my condo.”
    “Is there a reason you two can’t come to an agreement, besides being stubborn asses?” Jon gave him a lopsided grin.
    Felix shrugged, mentally drained from months of having this exact same discussion with Poppy. “She has Bo, and Bo needs a yard so he can run around and be a dog. She doesn’t want to take that away from him, which I understand. But at the same time, he can just as easily walk around the city as the country. That’s what leashes were made for.”
    “And you? What’s your excuse?”
    “I just want to be closer to work. The hour commute every Friday and Monday is murder. Poppy insists on staying at the house on the weekends,” he explained. “Plus, I spent a lot of damn money on that condo.”
    Th ey set up shop on the eighth hole. Jon went first, his form perfect as he tapped the ball and sent it rolling