Free Ruin Me Please by Nichole Matthews

words.  “He’s magnificent — more than pe r fect.”
    “ I doubt that , ” Piper retorted, throwing in a bit of reality.  “W ell I can tell you that he is equally intrigued . ” S he raised one of her brows.  “He mention ed your encounter quite a few times during the course of breakfast.”
    Poppy grinned.  “ He’s is exactly what we talked about.  He is the complete opp osite of a fribble , he is a—man,” she said finally.
    “ I think you will be interested to know h e even charmed Auntie Adele.   Had her eating right out of his hand as if it were made of candy. ” Piper’s brows rose high on her forehead.  “And you know how hard that is to do.”
    “How did he manage that?”  Her curiosity piqued, it was tough to get Auntie Adele to like you.
    “He did nothing.”  Piper chuckled . “Auntie just kept talking about how she loved big strong men and sheep.”
    “Sheep?”  Poppy’s eyes widened.
    Piper waived her hand dismissively.  “Don’t ask me.”  She giggled.  “Auntie must know something that we are not privy too .”
    “How odd . ” They both laughed in agreement.
Moving towards the adjoining door, Piper said, “Maybe you will be a ble to tame a rake after all.”   She gave her twin a measuring stare. 
    “Oh pooh ! ”   Poppy laughed.  “Leave me alone .   You’re just trying to fluster me.”  Her blue eyes almost dreamy as a warm heat sufficed he r cheeks.
    “It looks like I won’t have to try too hard.”              

 
CHAPTER F IVE
     
    Love com e forth like a sunshine after rain, but lust’s effect
    Is tempest after sun; Love’s gentle spring doth
    Always fresh remain, lust’s winter comes ere summer
    Half be done; Love surfeit’s not, Lust like a glutton dies, Love is all truth.
     
    Venus and Adonis
    *William Shakespeare
     
                  P oppy sat on her window seat , the air infused with honeysuckle, listen ing to the chirping birds while she worked at sort ing the muddle of t houghts running through her head .   Georgie snu g gled comfortably in her lap was oblivious to her agitation, enjoying the restle ss scratching b e hind his ears.
    Anxious for Chloe and Freya’s easy friendship and comfort she waited impatiently f or their arrival.   She pressed a hand to her stomach to calm the apprehensive flutter there drawing in an unsteady breath.  If this is what love felt like, then she was not sure she wanted to conti n ue down this path. 
    She sat for another quarter hour until she final heard the crunch of carriage wheels on the pebble drive.  Forgoing formality and good manners, she rushed down the stairs, her bare feet slapping on the stairs until she reached the bottom and threw h er arms around Chloe and Freya almost knocking them over .  S he then kissed them soundly on their chee ks with a loud smacking noise.
    “I have been counting down the days , the hours, even the minutes until I was able to see you both .”
    Not to be overlooked , Poppy’s ever present canine, Georgie, jumped and barked for a t tention at their feet.
    “See it is unanimous, even Georgie missed you . ”
    “Poppy, you are as silly as ever , ” Chloe said . “ But I must confess, I have missed you te r ribly , too .”  Chloe looked down and spied Poppy’s unshod toes peeking out from the edge of her gown.  With h u mor in her voice, she ex claimed, “For heaven’s sakes, Poppy .   Wh at have you done with your shoes?”
    Poppy jokingly replied , “I was too excited to put them on.  I have been listening for the crunch of your carriage wheels all afternoon and when the sound finally intruded on my mela n choly, I could not bear to wait even one more second to see you . ” She hugged her frie nds tigh t ly once again, sinking into the warmth of their embrace .
    Declan ducked into an alcove at the sound of feet racing down the stairs and watched from the shadows as Poppy greeted her friends in the foyer.  Chloe