Page 7 of Cody

His handsome face lit up with stunned surprise when our eyes met. “Well now, this is the second day in a row you’ve flashed that fine ass at me.”

Even though I was embarrassed, I couldn’t contain the excitement I felt at seeing him again. “I hope you can ignore the temptation,” I teased boldly while wondering why he was standing outside the door to my mother’s house. “Hi, soldier.”

The lazy, thorough way his gaze moved over me gave the impression that he could see right through my nightgown. “Marine,” he said simply. “Soldiers are in the army.” His interest settled on my breasts, which weren’t as perky as they’d once been. For the second time, I was acutely aware of how little I was wearing.

My thin, pink nightgown resembled a slip with spaghetti straps and a scooped neckline. I resisted the urge to tug it up, the silky material stopping at mid-thigh. As my nipples hardened against the silk, I refused to cross my arms in a gesture I was certain Cody would recognize as discomfort.

His surprise at seeing me barely registered. I was more aware of what he made me feel, and I wasn’t sure why.

“Sorry if I startled you.” His gaze fell on the hand that was still rubbing my head. “But I’m not sorry for the sexy view I got.”

I waved him off like it was no big deal, while inside I was burning up with something beyond mortification. “That’s okay, um, just pretend you didn’t see anything.”

His gaze smoldered with awareness and held mine with merciless intensity. “I’m afraid that won’t be possible, ma’am.”

More than just his lazy drawl got to me.Shit!

If he didn’t stop looking at me that way, I was going to melt into a puddle right at his feet. My mind suddenly went to my trusty little vibrator that was packed away with my other things. Which box was it in?

I had to pull myself together! There was nothing I could do right now about the hot warmth pooling between my thighs, but I knew what I was going to be busy doing later that afternoon.

My smile was a little on the shaky side. “Um, Mom didn’t tell me someone was coming over. What are you doing here?” Considering that we hadn’t exchanged personal information the day before, I knew he wasn’t there to see me.

“Dotty wants some repairs made to the back porch.”

Oh. Cody’s casual use of my mom’s first name revealed that he knew her, and that they were likely friends. I vaguely recalled that Mom had told me she was going to have some work done on the house before we’d started watchingThe Golden Girlsthe night before.

“The supplies are already here.”

“Okay. If you need to talk to Mom, she’ll be back soon.” Suddenly, the inappropriate image of me offering my horny self to Cody flashed in my slutty mind, but I offered him something else instead. “Would you like a cup of coffee before you begin?”

Cody tilted his head, considering it. For some reason he was hesitating, as if he were afraid to come inside the house, which was just plain silly.

It’s just a cup of coffee, Cody,” I teased.

His expression turned solemn, and when he spoke, his slow-as-molasses comment alarmed me slightly, but in a good way. “After the view I just got, if I come inside, Alina, I’m going to want more than a cup of coffee from you.”

Oh my!The man didn’t mince words, and the infernal heat simmering inside me turned into flames.

The way that we had gone our separate ways the day before had left me with the impression that he hadn’t been interested in pursuing anything with me, so his suggestion came as a shock. I didn’t need him to elaborate. I was a forty-five-year-old woman. I knew what he meant. My heart fluttered at the possibilities that his gruff words implied, and I grew even hotter.Wetter.I resisted the urge to squeeze my thighs together to stop the arousal tickling my clit.

Cody smirked. He knew what his bold remark was making me feel. “Still want me to come inside?”

“Should I be worried?”

He tilted his head and let his gaze drop lazily down my body again. His eyes turned darker with unmistakable desire. “Depends.”

Was he testing me? He would soon learn that I did not back down. I was a confident woman, and I could handle myself. “Why don’t we start with that coffee and see what develops?”

It was a challenge, an unspoken invitation that didn’t need to be spoken explicitly, but one I was willing to face. It felt good. Freeing. There was something about Cody that made me feel comfortable. Safe. Bold.

He opened the screen door and stepped into the house, his larger-than-life presence filling the kitchen. And I knew by the look in his eyes that it wasn’t a matter ofifwe had sex, butwhen.

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