Total pages in book: 54
Estimated words: 50656 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 253(@200wpm)___ 203(@250wpm)___ 169(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 50656 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 253(@200wpm)___ 203(@250wpm)___ 169(@300wpm)
The smile on my face is genuine as I say, “And I appreciate the help I got along the way.”
His asymmetric smile widens and he lifts his glass to me in cheers, but just after taking my sip, Patterson’s smile fades.
Before I can turn to my left to look at whatever’s taken his attention, a heavy arm rests across my shoulder and Cody Walsh kisses my cheek.
I barely catch sight of him before his lips brush against my skin.
What the fuck is he thinking? My heart spasms as I smile like it’s a joke and push against his muscular chest, which barely moves.
“Do you have a minute?” Cody questions, his brow furrowed as he ignores Patterson. The older man is up from his seat and leaving before I can hiss at Cody, “What the hell are you thinking?”
Adrenaline races through me as I tuck a loose strand of hair behind my ear, the long day wearing on the simple bun I’d styled my hair into this morning, and casually glance around the bar.
Aaron saw what Cody did, that I’m sure of. He has the decency to look away when I catch him staring.
Shit. Shit, shit, shit. It will be the talk of the office. As if I need any more buzz around my personal life and intentions right now.
“I’m sorry I didn’t come over sooner; I’ve been busy.” He speaks as if it’s a given. Like he was genuinely busy. Does he think I’m a fool? I have eyes and common fucking sense. He was ignoring me and we both know it. I’m not an idiot and I don’t like being treated like one.
“What the hell are you doing, Walsh?”
“Saving your ass. He was eyeing you up and you didn’t like it. I know damn well you didn’t.”
“He’s my father’s age and my father’s friend.” The excuse doesn’t dissipate Cody’s scowl; it only makes it deepen. And quite frankly, I second-guess myself at the term “friend.”
“Don’t lie to me,” Cody reprimands me. He has some damn nerve.
I grit my teeth, laying cash down at the bar for the glasses of wine and grab my coat. “You have some fucking nerve to come over here pretending to be a knight in shining armor when you’ve ignored me for days.” The last word is practically spit out of my mouth.
I could choke on emotion right now, but I’m damn good at ignoring it and better yet, at hiding it. I give Cody the cold shoulder and silence as I make my way out of the bar, but the stubborn fool follows me.
Shaking my head and huffing out a sarcastic breath, I turn to look at him as the entrance doors close and a gust of wind blows against my bare neck.
“I don’t have time for a man who doesn’t know what he wants.” My anger is palpable. I don’t know what gets to me more. Him ignoring me after sleeping with me, or him affecting the way colleagues see me by implying we have a romantic relationship in the bar.
I don’t care to figure it out. Not here in the cold night on the corner of Main and Spruce.
“I’m already up shit creek with the press. I was fine with having something low key. But ignoring me? No, I didn’t sleep with you because I thought you’d treat me like I didn’t exist after. And I sure as hell didn’t want it out in the open. I get it, you don’t want a relationship, but causing a scene isn’t my style. I don’t need any more prying into my life,” I mutter under my breath and push Cody back another step.
“I’m not prying.”
“No, you’re kissing me in front of everyone after leaving without a word and not speaking to me for days.”
“You needed him to back off,” Cody says, keeping up his hero mentality and it only pisses me off more. Is he not hearing me?
“Is that what you were really doing? Saving me?” I practically hiss. The weight of the other night lays on my shoulders. I glance around to make sure no one’s out here, but even in the empty street, I feel the familiar prick. It’s an uneasy sensation, only adding to my annoyance and frustration. “I want to get out of here.”
“Because I kissed your cheek?” Cody asks as if it’s an insult and I take it as my cue to cross the street. Holding my coat tightly closed and ignoring Cody behind me as I walk as quickly as I can to the garage.
“Don’t follow me.”
“Don’t leave then,” Cody responds.
Why does it have to be messy? Why couldn’t this have been low key and easy? The same at work as it’s always been and if we needed each other, we’d act on it. That’s what I thought it would be. Just as I figured Cody would, he follows me as I storm off toward the garage, my irritation growing with every step. Both with myself and more so with Cody.