Page 39 of Primal

“But–”

He set a finger over my lips to silence me. His blue eyes met mine. “I know he busted into your place. While he’s going to have to come to terms with us being together, we shouldn’t flaunt it in front of him.”

“Flaunt? He busted into my place,” I repeated. “It wasn’t like we were doing massive PDA in the grocery store.” I glanced around. “Or at my college.”

“If your dad had a woman sleep over, would youwant to walk in and see her in just your dad’s shirt making coffee?”

I cringed at the mental picture he painted. “God, no.”

“Exactly. You’d have to come to terms with him with this woman because he’s a grown-ass man, and he can do what he wants, but he should keep some things private.”

I gnawed on my lower lip, considering. Then nodded. “You’re right.”

“I left because he needed time to cool down.”

“He gave you an out,” I said. “You got told off and could’ve kept right on going.”

He growled. “Not happening, sugar. Not fucking happening. That’s why I’m here. Let me take you to dinner, so we can talk.”

18

RILEY

Dinner?Just the two of us? He probably wasn’t talking about a burger at the drive-up place on Main Street.

“Yeah, I’d like–oh wait.” I closed my eyes, wishing I didn’t have to turn him down. “Sorry, I can’t. Again. I’m having dinner with my nana at the retirement home.”

His eyes widened, then he grinned. “Your nana? Then I’ll go with you.”

My eyebrows popped. “What?”

“Riley Abbott, bowling with your girlfriends is one thing. But you’re the most important person to me in the world, and I want to meet your family. Thingsdidn’t go well with your dad, but maybe I can get your grandma on my side.”

I laughed, thinking of my impulsive, slightly reckless Nana. “You probably can,” I admitted. “Lord knows, you have a way with women.”

Cody’s smile dimmed. “Just one woman, now,” he promised. “Only you, sugar.”

My heart pitter-patted against my breastbone. I wanted to believe him. God, did I want to believe him. But was that smart? Was I setting myself up to get crushed by this gorgeous player? Lord knew I would’ve thought Cody McIntire was completely unattainable a week ago. Maybe I was deluding myself about what this was. If I was just the next woman in a long string of fun times for Cody, it was going to really hurt. And, I’d have to tell my dad he was right, which would really suck.

Gah! Why did Dad have to put doubts in my head?

Cody looped an arm around my waist and led me to my car in the nearby parking lot, opening my door for me, like a gentleman. When I settled in the seat, he fastened my seatbelt and kissed the top of my head. “I’ll be right behind you, sugar. White Elm Retirement, right?”

It was the only place in town, so it was an easy guess. And correct. “Yes.”

He winked and shut my door. I sat there for a moment, glowing. My brain still kept trying to poke holes in my euphoria, but it was no use. Being around Cody McIntire, being the object of his attention, made me delirious. It was definitely too good to believe.

Right?

I continued to stew on it all as I drove to White Elm. After I parked, I remained in my car for a few minutes waiting for Cody’s truck to appear. What was taking him so long?

The voice in my head told me to brace myself. He wasn’t coming. He found some woman on the way, picked her up, and left town like Mom had with that nature photographer.

“He’s coming,” I muttered fiercely, getting out of the car recognizing how stupid my thoughts were.

“Hi, Riley!” Sarah, the front desk receptionist, welcomed me when I walked inside. “Your grandma is in the game room, socializing as usual.”

Of course, she was.

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