Page 182 of Candy Hearts, Vol. 2

CHAPTER 4

BEN

What on Earth had I been thinking? Shaking his hand? On a fucking date ? Okay, maybe it wasn’t a date. Maybe it was just a meeting. Straightforward. Two guys who’d never met each other. A handshake was a totally, totally normal thing to do in that situation. I pulled my hand away, trying not to look like a total weirdo.

I mentally shook off the panic, thanking the server before turning my focus to Cody. He seemed to be about the same height as me, around six feet tall, with wavy dark hair and warm caramel eyes. His smile made my insides heat. I gestured for him to sit.

"So, Cody…" I was at a loss for what to say next.

He raised his eyebrows. "Yeah?"

"Thanks for coming. I thought you might stand me up, which would have been totally fair."

"It did occur to me, but no. I’m not that kind of guy."

I winced. "Neither am I, usually. I swear. It’s just that my coworker needed some help on a presentation and I got caught up in helping her and the next thing I knew… it was too late. You were already gone."

He nodded slowly. "Sure. I understand." His tone was reserved and a little distant. We looked at each other for a few long seconds, awkwardly, before he cleared his throat.

"Why did you text me in the first place?"

I let out a surprised laugh. I don’t know why I hadn’t seen the question coming. "Fender-bender. I rear-ended someone."

He grimaced. "Yikes. That sounds bad."

"It wasn’t as bad as all that, to be honest. They were stopped at a stop light and I let off the brake too early, so I rolled into them. We exchanged numbers but I must have typed it wrong. I don’t know. I thought I was texting him that morning, but it turned out to be you."

Cody gave me a soft smile that made my stomach flutter. "I’m glad it was me."

"I’m glad it was you, too."

We were quiet for a few moments again, our gazes meeting. Heat crept up my neck, blush flooding my face, and Cody’s pupils widened.

Cody broke the silence. "Are you from around here?"

I let out a breath that had been caught in my throat. "Actually, I’m not. I’m a transplant from Port Grandlin."

He snorted and shook his head. "What made you want to move from there to Silver Creek, small-town capital of Virginia?"

"My mom. She lived here when she was a kid, moved to Port Grandlin for college and met my dad, so they stayed. Anyway, when she got sick, she wanted to move back here, to be close to her family and her roots. I took care of her until she passed. That was about a year ago. I haven’t been able to bring myself to leave yet."

He gave a quiet nod. "I’m sorry about your mom."

I didn’t want to dwell on it, so I shrugged. "How about you? What keeps you here?"

"I’m a small-town guy, I think. Port Grandlin is a small city, everyone knows everyone, that kind of thing, but it’s still a city. I can’t imagine living anywhere besides here, to be honest."

"What do you do here?"

He explained his job, a clerk at the courthouse, and I wondered if we had corresponded or met at some point while I was handling my mom’s estate. Probably not. I definitely would’ve remembered him if that were the case. Then he turned the question on me.

Before I could answer, the server stopped by and took our food and drink orders. The minute they stepped away, Cody turned back to me. "You were saying?"

I chuckled. "Finance. I work for an investment firm."

His eyebrows shot up. "There are investment firms in Silver Creek?"

"Just the one," I said with a laugh. "Even small-town folks need to think about investing for the future, whenever they can afford to."

As we chatted and ate our dinners, I caught myself leaning forward, drawn to Cody both physically and mentally. We discussed our families—I was an only child, he had two siblings—the way we’d been raised, and even our favorite dinosaurs, a question that had caught me by surprise and made me laugh.

"I’m serious," Cody insisted. "When you’re a kid, everyone wants to know your favorite dinosaur. When you’re an adult, nobody even cares. Adulting is stupid."

His soft laugh made my insides heat again. "Fine. My favorite dinosaur is Quetzalcoatlus."

He nodded triumphantly. "Good. I mean, I’ll allow it, even though it’s not technically a dinosaur."

"Fine," I shot back. "What’s your favorite then?"

"Argentinosaurus."

"That’s a good one. Any particular reason why?"

"It was huge. One of the biggest dinosaurs in existence. But it was an herbivore. It could’ve been a massive predator, but instead, it was basically a giant cow. What’s not to love?" He waited a beat. "How about you?"

"I just like the way the name sounds."

Cody grinned. "Okay, you’ve got me there."

Too soon, our meal was done. The server dropped off the check and I scooped it up immediately.

"You don’t have to do that," Cody protested.

I shrugged. "I don’t mind. It was my idea."

He laughed incredulously. "None of this was your idea."

After a moment’s hesitation, I shrugged again. "I want to pay." Once he conceded, I leaned forward, dropping my voice to a low murmur. "I’ve had fun. Do you want to come back to my place? Maybe watch a movie?"

He snorted and rolled his eyes a little, but the smile on his face made him seem less serious. "Movie and chill?"

My stomach fluttered again, my cock twitching a little in my jeans. "That’s not what I meant, but I wouldn't say no." A nervous laugh escaped me.

"Sorry, but I can’t."

A cold rush hit me. Had I misinterpreted the situation entirely? Was he straight? I should’ve asked that right up front, I realized. Too late. "I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to assume… I mean… I’m gay. I thought you were too, but if I’ve misread things, I apologize."

Cody held up a hand to stop me. "No, it’s fine. You didn’t… I mean, yes, I’m queer. It’s just… I have plans."

I frowned, my brow furrowing. "You can just say no. You don’t have to invent plans for my sake."

He laughed and shook his head. "No, really. I have plans. I’m supposed to meet my friend Sophia for a drink after this."

"You are?"

"I needed an excuse to get out of here, in case things went badly, so we made plans to meet up after and debrief. I’d love to hang out more. Just not tonight."

I thought about it for a second and nodded. "Okay, that’s fair. Tomorrow then?"

He thought for a moment before nodding. "Text me your address and a time and I’ll be there."

"Sounds like a plan."

A few minutes later, we got up and walked to the door together. We’d parked in opposite directions, so I braced myself to say goodbye. "This was a great date. I’m glad you gave me a second chance."

Cody grinned and looked at his feet. "Me too. Thanks for showing up this time."

"Hey now, I said I was sorry for that."

He laughed and winked at me. "Doesn’t mean I’m going to let you live it down anytime soon."

"Fine, fine," I said, dropping my voice to a murmur. I took a slow breath and stepped close, crowding into his space. Cody looked up at me, his cheeks turning a slight shade of pink. "I’d like to kiss you now," I whispered, placing a hand on his jaw.

Cody nodded and I leaned in, pressing my lips to his. As we kissed, his lips parted and I slid my tongue along his, fireworks exploding inside of me. He inhaled sharply, his hands dropping to my waist and firmly gripping the fabric of my shirt. I couldn’t stop the soft groan that escaped me, our bodies pressed together. Heat radiated off him and I pulled him closer, holding him more firmly. We kissed for several long moments before parting, my head spinning. I wanted more. So much more.

"That was…" He exhaled slowly, his pupils wide again.

"It was." It was one of the best kisses of my life. Another moment passed before we stepped away from one another.

Cody sighed softly. "I’ll see you tomorrow?" A second later, his face fell. “Wait. It’s Valentine’s Day tomorrow.”

I chuckled. “Is that a problem?

He shrugged, still frowning. “It’s just… that’s a lot of pressure to put on a second date.”

Confidence surged through me. “Will you be my Valentine, Cody?”

His cheeks reddened. “Are you serious?”

"I’ve never been more serious," I assured him. Cody beamed, nodded, and leaned in for one more kiss.

“See you tomorrow, then.”

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”