Page 28 of The Re-Proposal

Anger is a far more appropriate emotion than the crazy butterflies that won’t stop beating around in my stomach.

“The brownies are a peace offering.”

“If you think chocolate is enough of an apology for what happened that night—”

“I don’t. Not even close.” He straightens. His expression shifts from playful to earnest in a heartbeat. My stomach quivers. “There’s no apology big enough to erase what I did.”

I blink shakily. A ragged breath escapes me.

Why is he talking about regret now? After so much time has passed?

I steel my shoulders and beam a dark scowl in his direction. “For the record, that wasn’t an apology.” His lips curl up at the corners and I raise a hand. “Not that I want or need one. Like I said before, I don’t want anything from you.”

“That’s too bad.” He steps in close to me, taking my breath away with his sea-green eyes. “Because there’s so much I want to give you, Ris.”

My resistance shapeshifts from a lion to a mewling alley cat, pawing softly at my legs.

Cody glances down and his ridiculously long lashes hide his eyes. I once asked him if he’d gotten eyelash extensions and he looked at me like I was crazy. ‘Why would I do that?’

It’s annoying that even his eyelashes are pretty. The man doesn’t have one physical flaw.

Gosh, I hate him.

“Does it still hurt?” Cody asks softly.

I’m too busynotnoticing his eyelashes to hear.

Suddenly, Cody crouches in front of me and lifts my foot in his lap. His fingers on my ankle are like fire and a surge of messy emotions tangle over my skin.

I reel back. “What are you doing?”

He keeps his hold on my foot as if he has any right to touch me. As if it has any right to feel so good.

“I regretted it,” he whispers. When he lifts his head, his eyes are molten. “In the elevator, I saw you limping. I saw you in pain. And I let you go.”

“I didn’t need your help.”

His jaw flexes. “You never were the type to ask for what you need.” Cody traces a circle over my foot. The anger inside me turns to delicious tingles. “Your feet shouldn’t have touched the floor after I saw you wincing.”

I scoff to hide how he’s affecting me. “You’re just as arrogant as ever. Assuming I want to be rescued.”

“And you’re just as stubborn as you were in college. Assuming you’re the only one who needs saving.”

“Saving from what? You’re a man who has everything.” I gesture to his designer suit.

“Everything except you.” His eyes pierce mine.

My heart does a somersault.

I dig my fingernails into my palm. “I’m not doing this with you, Cody.”

“Talking?”

“Pretending that we have anything between us. You made your choice clear when you didn’t show up to our wedding.”

He flinches.

“Sweet words won’t sway me. Neither will your empty promises. I’m not a building. You don’t get to walk in and out of my life when you feel like it.”

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