Page 16 of Cop-Off

“Yeah, it really sounds like you’re taking that well, honey.” Cat took a big slurp of her drink, eyes not leaving her now frazzled best friend.

She knew her all too well. She would stage a goddamn sit-in if Cat wasn’t too careful.

Just get it out of the way.

“Okay. Fine. I’ll answer your questions if you promise not to comment...or judge...or give me any kind of advice.”

“So basically, say absolutely nothing?” Her friend’s eyebrow raised, already looking a little judgemental.

“Yep, basically.”

“Fine.”

“Fine.” Cat sighed, already planning to stick to facts and facts only. “So, to answer your earlier questions...yes, we’ve kissed before. Once. At the Tipsy Cow. On Sunday. His explanation forhauling me over his shoulder mid-date was because, and I quote, the idea of me with another man made him want to ‘burn the world down.’ We did have sex, last night. Yes, it was good, no, I have no idea if it’s gonna happen again. Happy?”

Libby’s mouth hung open so wide she could catch flies. It took her a while but eventually she found her voice. “And I’m not allowed to speak?”

“True. Guess we’re done. It was nice of you to stop by—”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. You’re not seriously gonna tell me all that and not let me respond, are you?” Libby looked ready to pounce. So much for no comments.

“Fine. But make it quick and no judgement, remember?”

“The idea of you with another man makes him want toburn the world down?You don’t wanna talk about that? Or the fact that you guys have literally been at each other’s throats since the moment you met only for you to be...I don’t even know what! Dating? Hooking up? I need more information, Cat, seriously. You can’t leave me like this. It’s just...cruel.”

Ever the drama queen.

One thing Cat could agree on,burning the world downwas quite a statement. One she hadn’t forgotten. Or would be forgetting any time soon. Who even said stuff like that? He was either straight out of some romance novel or he was the ultimate fuckboy. At this point, she had no idea which she was rooting for.

Placing her mug onto the wooden coffee table, needing comfort, Cat crossed her legs and found a throw cushion to hug. “I don’t understand it any more than you do, Lib. The man drives me absolutely insane but evidently there’s something else too. Something that drives me just as crazy...but in a very different way—if you know what I mean.”

The world knew what she meant. But it was still embarrassing to admit out loud that as much as she hated theguy, she still wanted to bang his brains out. There was no logic. No common sense. Just pure hormones messing her up.

She watched as her friend tugged at her flowery dress and flicked her long brown hair over one shoulder. She was getting ready to say something. Something Cat had a feeling she did not want to hear. And she didn’t have to wait long to hear it.

“Don’t get mad at me, okay?”Yeah, right.“But everyone knows there’s averythin line between love and hate. And to be honest, I’ve never really seen you react so strongly to a guy before. So maybe, just maybe...this could really be something?”

Yep. She was right. Cat definitely didn’t want to hear it. “Can we not, please?”

Her head was already stuffed full of crap, the last thing she needed was someone else sticking more into it. Cat’s face must have said as much because seconds later her friend was throwing up her hands defensively.

“Okay, okay, I’m done. No more Cat and Cody talk...for now. How ‘bout we get some lunch? I’m starved.”

Now that, she could do.

CHAPTER SIX

Cody’s head was in his hands. Bent over his desk, he was actually close to pulling his own hair out. If one more person made a smartass remark about him and Cat, he was going to lose it. The emotional minefield last night had triggered was very real and very confusing. Dealing with all these new feelings was bad enough, so the last thing he needed was being subjected to everybody else’s opinion on the matter.

There was one person’s opinion in particular that he was dreading. It was the reason he’d been clicking ignore every time his phone had rung today.

Zach. His best friend. His blood brother. And the one person who’d think to ask the question he really wasn’t ready to answer yet.

There was someone hedidwant to speak to, though. His fingers had been itching all day to call her. And he would’ve if he had the first clue what to say. Leaving Cat’s sated, sexy body in bed in the early hours of the morning had been a form of torture. What made it worse though, was that look on her face. A look he couldn’t shake.

Feeling guilty was nothing new for Cody. Guilt wrenched his insides daily. Naturally, after last night, it had kicked up a notch. But he could deal. What he couldn’t deal with was the thought of Cat feeling like what they’d shared last night was anything less than special.

He hadn’t missed the hurt flashing in those big eyes when he’d told her he had to leave. He wasn’t an idiot; leaving after sex wasn’t okay. Especially after the first time. Well, third technically. It cheapened it. And that’s the last thing he wanted to do. There was nothing cheap about his feelings. And there was certainly nothing cheap about the connection they’d shared.

---