Page 46 of Cody

“So what did Dotty think of you coming out with me?”

The fact that his tone was laced with humor told me the solemn moment was behind him. It also revealed that he already had a good idea what my mom might have said. When he turned back to me there was a mischievous glint in his eyes now. I took the glass he handed me, smiling back at him. I liked this side of Cody much better.

“Mom likes you, but she warned me about you.” We shared a brief laugh. I took a drink, thinking that I needed to slow down on the wine. Two glasses was my usual limit.

Cody nodded, and his expression revealed that he wasn’t surprised.

“I told her that you’d already warned me about you, too.” I hesitated from saying more, thinking about what it would cost me. It occurred to me that getting to know one another was a waste of time when nothing more than sex would happen between us.

I set my wine glass down and released a heavy sigh. “What are we doing here, Cody?”

He said exactly what I’d been thinking. “Getting to know one another?” There was confusion in his tone, as if he thought that what we were doing was obvious.

“Why does it matter?” I demanded to know. I waited for him to answer, but none came. “Do you usually spend time getting to know all the women you sleep with?” I was proud of myself for not letting the bitterness I was suddenly feeling come through.

He took a drink, then set his glass down on the granite counter separating us. I could tell that he was thinking over his answer by the way he ran his palm over his bearded jaw. I sensed that he was having a tough time coming up with a suitable reply.

“To a certain extent,” he finally admitted. “They’re not one-night stands, Alina. We date. Then fuck.” Was that irritation in his voice? Had I made Cody uncomfortable? “It depends on what the woman expects from me. In time, it’s only natural that we become friends.”

Fuck buddies,I wanted to say, but held my tongue. Friends with benefits. And if a woman expected too much from him, his message was clear. He cut her from his life. It was the time we lived in. It was acceptable to sleep around.

I smiled, hoping it conveyed that I understood. We stared at one another for a long time, and I wondered what was going on in Cody’s mind. His gaze darted to my breasts before he picked up his glass and threw back his drink in one gulp. When he set the glass down again, I was surprised it didn’t break. I could see it in his eyes and on his chiseled face.

The raw, powerful emotion that told me that we were done talking.

Chapter 22

Cody

I was done talking. Sure, I wanted to get to know Alina, more than I’d ever wanted to get to know anyone else that I’d been involved with. I liked her, liked spending time with her. She had a sweet disposition, she was intelligent, and I liked her maturity and the fact that she wasn’t afraid to say what was on her mind.

Plus, she was a knockout.

I tried not to think about the other women I was drawn to, and how I limited my time and sharing of information with them. None of them knew about Maggie. So why had I felt the need to tell Alina about her? Deep down, I sensed that there was something off with our involvement. Somethingdifferenton both sides. Until I figured out how to handle it, I’d just enjoy her company.

Right now, I was horny as hell and had something else to handle. I walked slowly around the counter, never taking my eyes off Alina, letting the sexual buildup grow between us with a lazy look that encompassed her, from her eyes down to her feet and back up again. She made me hungry without trying to. I watched with amusement when her nipples peaked against the material of her dress, when her breath caught and her eyes dilated as she stood silently waiting for me to reach her.

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