Page 41 of Cody

I knew that the one and only door in the room led to a bathroom. Cody had arranged a sofa in front of the rustic stone fireplace, and there was an old-fashioned, braided rug in front of it, which, if memory served me correctly, had always been here. One recliner sat next to the sofa, and I knew by its worn appearance that it was where Cody liked to sit. There was a huge, flat screen TV above the fireplace.

“I really like what you’ve done to the place.” I walked to the kitchen island, pulled out one of the bar stools, and sat down. “What else do you have planned?”

Cody turned from setting a pan down on top of the stove, removing the oven mitt as he walked over to me. “Eventually, I want to add a loft that I can use as a bedroom.”

I glanced up at the ceiling, wondering how he was going to accomplish that. “So you’re going to make this your permanent residence?”

He nodded with a smile in his eyes. “That’s the plan.”

I hadn’t realized there were stools on the other side of the island until he pulled one out and sat down across from me. “You like small and simple,” I concluded, noticing the tags he wore around his thick neck.

He smirked. “If you’re talking about my home, I like simple and low maintenance.” He reached forward and tucked some loose hair behind my ear. “If you’re talking about my women, I like tight and wet.”

I hadn’t been talking about his women, but damn him. His words made me wet. I clenched my thighs to appease the sudden ache there. “We weren’t talking about your women,” I pointed out, holding his gaze. He leaned in, and for a second I thought he was going to kiss me. I was a little disappointed when he didn’t.

“Would you like a drink?” The gleam in his eyes told me that he knew exactly what I was feeling.

I resisted the urge to lean in and kiss him and tried to breathe normally. I didn’t want to appear too eager. “Yes. That would be nice.”

He swung around and slid off the stool. “I have wine, whiskey, and beer.”

“Wine, please.” This didn’t seem like a beer moment, and I didn’t care for whiskey. I watched his movements as he dug out two glasses and poured us each a drink. It didn’t surprise me when he returned to the island with a whiskey for himself.

I accepted the glass of wine from him.

“Are you hungry?”

I ignored the double meaning behind his question, but there was no disguising the awareness darkening his eyes that told me just what Cody was hungry for. It gave me a little thrill to know where our evening would undoubtedly end. “I am.”

The intensity of his stare caused my heart to race, and I half-expected him to drag me across the island and have his way with me right then and there. I would have let him. Finally, he said, “Then let’s eat.”

My gaze followed him when he turned back to the stove. “Anything I can do to help?”

“Nope. Got it covered. Just sit there and look pretty.”

His compliment made me smile, and for the first time I noticed two plates and silverware wrapped in linen napkins on the counter. It just went to show how being in his presence made everything else seem to fade around us. The thought kind of scared me, and revealed what this man did to me.

Cody’s movements revealed that he was plating up the food. When he was done, he returned and set a small platter down between us. My brows lifted with pleasant surprise. There was some kind of stuffed fish swimming in a thick sauce, complete with garnishes and roasted vegetables. The delicious aroma wafting up to me caused my belly to rumble with hunger.

“Mmm.” I smiled at Cody as he settled on his stool. “I’m impressed. This looks good, Cody. What kind of fish is this?”

“Flounder, stuffed with crab. Wait ‘til you try it.” He scooped a serving onto my plate, along with some vegetables.

I waited until he’d prepared his own plate before anxiously taking the first bite. “Oh, my God, this is good!” I moaned. Cody’s grin revealed his pleasure at my response. “This is five-star good, Cody.” I was being honest. Never would I have expected a big, rough brute like Cody capable of preparing an elevated dish like this. I took another bite and moaned again. I couldn’t help it. The fish was flaky, and I could tell that it was fresh.

Cody’s rough laughter drew my gaze to him. “I taught myself to cook. I wasn’t about to go through life on processed food or take out. What did you expect?”

“Oh, I don’t know. Something that goes with beer,” I joked.

“You wound me, woman.” He pointed his fork at me and said, “I know how to wine and dine a woman.” He laughed good-naturedly before adding in a quiet undertone, “Just like I know how to make her scream in my bed.”

His arrogance was staggering, but I couldn’t argue with him. He’d certainly made me scream at the brook that day. I cast a subtle glance at his bed, wondering how much screaming I’d be making there before the evening was over. I wondered how many women he’d had there, suddenly thankful that he’d been honest with me about his dating habits.

I ate every bit of the food on my plate, it was that good. Once I was finished, I reached for my glass and leaned away from the table. My gaze met the amusement in Cody’s eyes. “What?”

“I’m glad you enjoyed dinner.”

Was he making fun of me for cleaning my plate? I thought about asking for seconds just to see his reaction. “It was an excellent meal, and when I’m hungry I eat.” I wasn’t one bit embarrassed about cleaning off my plate. “You think picking at my food and living on salads gave me these womanly curves?” I teased while running my hand down my body.

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