Page 5

EMILY

M y usually controlled anger and frustration at my ex spilled out in front of Cody, and I couldn’t put it back in to hide. “My ex-fiancé is such an ass,” I blurted, repeating myself. “His dad owns half the commercial real estate, his uncle is a state senator, and his mother sits on every major board for every event that makes Sunridge look good.”

Cody didn’t say a word. He pulled out of the parking lot and drove, just letting me talk.

I shook my head, staring out the windshield. “I met him when I interned at his office when I was twenty. And I was just so... young and dumb.”

“Never call yourself that again.” Cody’s response was sharp. I tore my gaze from the window to see the fierceness in his eyes. He focused on the road again. “I’m still listening.” His voice softened. “But no way I was going to let that slide.”

I blinked, caught off guard by the firmness in his voice. He wasn’t just saying it to be nice. He meant it. The way he looked at me, even for the brief second, made my chest tighten. When did I ever reveal my feelings about my past to someone outside my family, especially my not-so-sunny opinions about Trey? When was the last time I had even considered being gentle with myself?

Swallowing past the sudden lump in my throat, I looked out on the road ahead. “Right. Well, like I was saying. We dated, and then I got pregnant. He was not thrilled. I wasn’t out to baby trap him, and I never asked for anything.”

“Were you still working in his office?”

“No. I left because he said the optics wouldn’t be good. Young family heir, his pregnant intern. He proposed, but said he didn’t want a shotgun wedding. The family lawyers needed to figure out his trust fund first.”

Cody gave a slight shake of his head. I went on. “I knew he didn’t really want to marry me, but I thought at least he would show up for me when it counted.” I scoffed, crossing my arms. “He told me he’d be there throughout the pregnancy, but he had his assistant update him on my OB appointments instead. Then, when I had to have an emergency C-section, she was the one who showed up at the hospital with flowers. I gave her his ring to return to him.”

I clenched my jaw, my fingers tightening against my arms. “He got even more distant after Oliver was born. And now— now —he suddenly wants to be more involved just because his office is a sponsor for Family Day.”

Cody’s hands flexed on the steering wheel, though he stayed quiet.

“He doesn’t care,” I continued. “He doesn’t see Oliver as a real child with real needs or emotions. He just wants the town to ooh and ah over a fancy trip he’ll take him on.” I let out a humorless laugh. “Did I mention they’re headed to the Kentucky Derby next week?”

I pressed my palms to my face. “Oh, gosh, Cody, I’m sorry. I just dumped all my baby mama drama on you.”

The truck slowed as he pulled up in front of the restaurant. Before I could scramble out and put distance between myself and my own humiliation, his hand reached out, firm but kind.

“Stop,” he said, his voice quiet but unwavering. I looked at him, and my breath caught at both the fierceness and compassion in his eyes. “You’re a damn good mother, Em, and a hell of a hard worker. This little town wouldn’t be half of what it is without you. Don’t you dare let that Spandex-wearing, jelly-haired fuckshit make you think less of yourself. You got that?”

I just stared at him, stunned. Even Max seemed unusually attentive, his dark eyes locked on me from the back seat.

Cody cleared his throat, rubbing a hand over his jaw. “Excuse all the cussing. I meant everything else.”

A slow smile tugged at my lips. “Trey is a jelly-haired fuckshit.”

Cody huffed out a laugh, and I grinned.

“Thanks for the pep talk,” I said. “Sorry I needed it.”

He reached over and took my hand, his calloused fingers warm against mine. The simple touch sent a spark up my spine. “Stop apologizing,” he murmured. “You’ve got to be one of the strongest people I know, but you still deserve someone in your corner.”

I shook my head, demurring. “Come on. You’ve got guys around you who could probably bench press this truck.”

“You know I’m not talking about that kind of strength.” He squeezed my hand gently. “I’m talking about your mind and spirit. You think on your feet. You go after what you want, or you create it for yourself. Not many can do what you do.”

I swallowed hard, his words settling deep in a place I usually kept locked away. “That’s really thoughtful of you,” I admitted, my voice quieter now. “And sweet.” I let out a small, breathy laugh. “I don’t think anyone’s ever put it like that before.”

His grip on my hand didn’t waver, grounding me in the moment. I glanced down at our intertwined fingers, something warm and unfamiliar curling in my chest.

“But,” I continued, “it gets exhausting sometimes. Being the strong one. The one who always smiles, always figures it out and keeps everything running smoothly.” I looked back up at him, my throat tight. “I don’t mind doing it. I love my life. I love Oliver. Yet sometimes I just...” I trailed off, unsure how to say what I really meant.

Cody didn’t press. He just held my hand, his thumb brushing slow circles over my skin. “You’re tired of swinging and want someone to tag team with you.”

“Yes.” My voice rose in exclamation. “That’s exactly it.”

“I get it.”

“You really do.” My smile became shy as I gave it to him. “I wish I didn’t have to be the one to make things happen all the time.”

He made a frown as he thought. “Sounds like a lot of pressure. Who says you should do that?”

“Just the whole town.” I settled back in my seat, drumming the fingers of my other hand on my knee as I gave a more realistic admission. “I did some of this to myself. It was my way of proving I could handle business and didn’t need anyone, including my ex.”

“The people who got used to you carrying all the weight for them can adapt if you switch it up. You gotta decide if you want to.”

I soaked in what he said. “It’s amazing how easily your boxing analogies relate to my life.”

He gave me an earnest look. “I’d like to think your life and mine aren’t so different,” he admitted, almost like he was just realizing it himself. “We’re both fighters.”

Something about the way he said it made my breath stall. I studied him, the hard lines of his face, the quiet ferocity in his eyes. He wasn’t just throwing words around to humor me. He meant them.

Maybe it was why the air between us suddenly felt heavier.

Cody’s jaw tensed like he was debating whether to say more, but instead, he let out a quiet breath and turned toward me just enough that our shoulders brushed. He let go of my hand. His fingers flexed, like he wasn’t sure what to do with them. Before I could second-guess anything, he leaned in.

The kiss wasn’t planned. It wasn’t for the cameras. It was raw and real, and God help me, I melted into it. His lips were firm but unhurried, testing, almost like he was waiting for me to pull away. I didn’t. I couldn’t.

He pulled back. “Sorry,” he muttered, his voice heavy with an emotion I didn’t see in him before. “Just talking to you is a turn-on.”

I swallowed hard, my lips still tingling. “No,” I whispered. “Don’t apologize.”

A low noise from the back seat made us both glance at Max. The dog was staring at us, tongue lolling out in what could only be described as a doggy grin.

I chuckled, even though my body was still buzzing. “We should go inside. Max doesn’t want our reservation getting canceled.”

“He’s just hoping for another biscuit,” Cody said, glancing at the restaurant’s name. “Topped with parmesan.”

With one last breath to steady myself, I opened the door. As we walked inside and were led to our cozy table in the corner, my mind was nowhere near the food. I wanted to know everything about Cody that I could.

I ordered penne with chicken. Cody got spaghetti. I wrestled with the patience of a three-year-old as I waited for our server to set the breadsticks on the table and leave before I spoke.

"I took up the floor telling you my life earlier. What about you? What’s your origin story?"

His half-smile sent a signal straight to my clit. “I never heard it put like that before.”

I squeezed my thighs together under the table to relieve some of the pressure building. “You don’t have to tell me anything you don’t feel comfortable sharing.”

“It isn’t like that. Hardly anyone takes that kind of interest in my life outside of MMA. My dad worked a lot,” Cody said, taking one of the breadsticks. “Even when he was home, he wasn’t there, you know? He’d sit in his chair, drink a beer, and act like the rest of us were background noise. My mom wasn’t cold. She just wasn’t the kind of mom who checked in or worried too much about what I was up to.”

I rested my chin on my hand, listening. “So you had to figure things out on your own.”

He nodded. “Pretty much.” Our food arrived. He swirled his fork through his pasta. “My uncle was different. He saw me. He noticed when I got in fights at school, noticed when I started skipping class. Instead of giving me some half-assed lecture, he took me to a gym and told me to hit a bag instead of people.” A small smirk played at his lips. “It was the first time I felt like someone actually gave a damn about what I was doing with myself.”

I could picture it. Cody, younger but still with that same sharp focus, pouring himself into something that finally made sense to him.

He rolled his shoulders like he was shaking off a memory. “When I graduated, I had no plan. My uncle was in the military, and he told me straight up if I didn’t get some direction, I was going to end up either in jail or throwing punches in the street for money. He got me to enlist.”

I studied him, trying to picture him in a military uniform. It made sense. The discipline, the quiet strength. “Did you like it?”

“Yeah. It made me feel like I was part of something bigger. But it was hard, the real combat, not the stuff I do now. The things I saw while deployed couldn’t be shown on TV.”

I nodded, giving him space to continue if he wanted, but not pressing. He carried those memories with him, even if he didn’t speak them aloud. “I can’t imagine what that was like,” I said softly, meaning every word. “I know it shaped you.”

His eyes flicked to mine, searching, maybe for judgment, maybe for understanding.

I offered only the latter. “Is that why you have Max?”

His gaze dropped on the canine at his feet, who raised his head when I mentioned his name. Cody gave him an affectionate scratch behind the ears before nodding. “Yeah. My friend Ryder trains service dogs at his facility. Max was the runt of the litter when they found him on the side of the road. I guess Max and I needed each other.”

The space near my heart felt like it was humming. It wasn’t just sympathy I felt for Cody. I had admiration for him. He endured things I couldn’t fathom and turned his survival into something more. A protector, a fighter, and, in ways he might not even see himself, a healer.

He resumed telling me about his time in the service. “When my time was up, I didn’t re-enlist. I felt like I needed something else.” He glanced down, rubbing his fingers over the condensation on his glass. “Fighting filled that space.”

The feeling over my heart began to spread through my entire body, making me feel warm and alert at the same time. “I’m glad you told me.”

His gaze flicked back to mine, steady and unguarded. “I don’t talk about this stuff much.”

“I’m glad you felt comfortable sharing it with me.” I felt the sensation of a force pass between us, something deeper than the casual act we’d been playing. “Thank you for sharing tonight with me.” I wanted to share more than this night with him, but I didn’t say it out loud.

By the time we stepped outside, the night air was crisp. I barely felt it. The drive back to my house was quiet, but not in an uncomfortable way. It was a silence thick with everything unspoken between us, with the weight of what tonight had become. The city lights blurred past, the hum of the engine steady, but all I could focus on was the man beside me.

Cody’s hand rested on the gear shift, close enough that I could feel the warmth of him. My fingers itched to reach out and close the distance. Instead, I held myself back. This was already dangerous territory.

When he pulled into my driveway and cut the engine, he didn’t move right away. Neither did I.

I turned to him, finding his gaze already on me. The look of desire and heat darkening his eyes to a storm grey sent a shiver of anticipation down my spine. “Cody,” I started, unsure of what I even meant to say.

“You don’t have to say anything.” His voice was lower now, rougher. “I just wanted tonight to be real.”

It had been. More real than I was ready to admit. My heart pounded. “Me too.”

His expression seemed to hold a mix of relief and a deeper emotion I had trouble naming. All I knew was how I wanted to see that look in his eyes whenever he gazed at me again and again. Then, slowly, like he was giving me time to stop him, he reached out and ran his thumb along the side of my cheek. His touch lingered against my skin, warm and sure.

“Emily.” My name was barely more than a whisper, but it curled around me, drawing me in.

I tilted my chin. It was all the invitation he needed. He leaned in, closing the last bit of space between us. Our kiss wasn’t rushed. It wasn’t just for the sake of it. It was slow, deliberate, like he wanted to make sure I felt every second of it.

It was soft at first, testing, but then deepened, his hand cupping my face like he wanted to savor the moment. My body responded before my brain could catch up, leaning into him, breathing him in.

When we finally pulled apart, I searched for words to speak.

“I’ll see you soon,” he spoke first.

I barely managed a nod. “Have a good night.” I got out of the car. His truck didn’t pull out of the driveway until I turned my key and went inside the house.

I wanted to ask Cody to stay. Everything in my emotions and body wanted him to be near me again. Even if I actually had the courage to ask, I couldn’t do it because I wasn’t at my house alone tonight.

“How was your date?” Mama asked when I saw her and Oliver in the living room, watching a game show.

I dropped my purse on the armchair. “It was nice. Dinner was good. You and I will have to go back to that restaurant since I know you love cheesy breadsticks."

“Me, too,” Oliver chimed. “Can we go with Cody?”

“We’ll see, Ollie.” I wrapped my arms around him in a goodnight hug. “You know what time it is.”

He groaned. “Five more minutes?”

“Maybe Friday. Tonight’s a school night.”

Oliver threw me the most wounded pout he could muster before grabbing his blanket off the couch. “G’night, Grammy. You too, mom.”

I watched him go up the stairs, the cuffs of his pajamas flooding his ankles. He was getting so big. Had he gone through another growth spurt and I somehow missed it?

Mama got up and put on her coat. “I’m surprised that young man didn’t want to skip right to dessert with how nice your dress fits.”

“Mama,” I half-scolded. “Innocent ears are still in range.” I turned off the TV. “I don’t remember you being this cheeky when I wanted to date boys in high school.”

“That was when you were in high school. Your father, God rest his soul, and I did not want our daughter distracted. But now.” Mama’s warm brown eyes twinkled with mischief. “A little distraction never hurt anyone.”

I found myself unable to hide my giggle. “Cody is highly focused on his upcoming fight, so I doubt anything could distract him.”

“That’s not what I gathered when I saw him look at you during the press conference on TV.” Mama innocently reached for her keys. “I’ll text you when I get home. Goodnight, honey.”

My mother’s teasing left laughter in my spirit and more than a little curiosity about Cody. It was obvious we were attracted to each other. I should’ve been glad it was obvious to others. Was everyone picking up on my growing feelings for him, too? More importantly, was he?

My sex drive was singing high notes tonight when I was around him. As much as my body wanted what it wanted, I knew I needed him for more than just a night. And the thought alone scared me.

After tucking Oliver into bed, I settled into my own, scrolling through social media out of habit. The pictures from earlier were already circulating of me and Cody at the press conference. His arm around me. His lips on my cheek. The comments were filled with people speculating about us, calling us the hottest couple in the city.

My phone rang, and my friend Ava’s name popped up on the screen.

“Look at you,” she teased the second I answered. “You and Cody Stone, huh? You have been holding out on me.”

I laughed, playing along. “It’s complicated.”

“I bet,” she said suggestively. “You guys look good together, though. And you look happy.”

Happy. I bit my lip, unsure how to respond. Because the truth was, this thing with Cody was supposed to be pretend. Then I thought about the way he kissed me at the park and the way he kissed me tonight. We talked about some pretty deep things that we didn’t share with other people.

If that wasn’t real, I didn’t know what was.

“We’re having fun. But tell me how you and Ryder have been. Are you getting ready to cover his fight at the Intercontinental, too?”

Ava and I chatted for twenty minutes before we both got drowsy. We set a date for a girl's night in a few weeks before we hung up.

A deep warmth spread through me as I turned off my phone and sank against my pillows. My body still buzzed from the way Cody touched me, from the intimate, sexual way I wanted him to. It had been so long since I’d felt this kind of pull toward a man. This turned out to be the first time I actually experienced the jolt of something electric and real.

My fingers grazed my lips as if I could still feel the press of his. I wanted him in a way that had nothing to do with public appearances or my job expectations. The realization terrified me. I had no idea what to do about it.