Page 8

EMILY

I swallowed hard, the heat in his gaze making it impossible to look away. He cupped my face, his thumb brushing away the last trace of wetness on my cheek. His eyes darkened with intent. “Come here.”

I leaned into him, knowing what I wanted. His mouth was on mine. Firm. Certain. The kind that didn’t just steal my breath but gave me something in return. His hand slid to my waist, pulling me in until there was no space left between us.

His lips brushed mine in a whisper of a kiss. It started gentle, as if he were memorizing the shape of my mouth. Then it shifted. A spark ignited, and the restraint holding us back snapped.

His mouth slanted over mine with a raw urgency, his grip tightening as if he needed to feel me against him. My fingers curled into the fabric of his shirt, desperate to anchor myself as heat flooded my veins. He continued to kiss me. Every stroke of his lips, every tilt of his head, sent a pulse of pleasure through me, dissolving every last bit of hesitation.

We broke apart for only a second, our breaths mingling in the space between us. His forehead pressed against mine. “I want you, Em,” he started, his voice rough like gravel, yet there was a softness to it that I hadn't heard before. His fingers tightened around mine, and I could feel the tremor in his touch.

The words sent a shudder through me, my body already answering before my mind could catch up. My hands skimmed over the hard lines of his chest, feeling the steady rise and fall of his breathing, the tension coiled beneath his skin.

“I want you too, Cody. I think I'm falling for you. Not in the way that fades, but the kind that sticks.”

There, I had said it. My feelings for him were out there, wide open and vulnerable and trembling like leaves in the breeze. I waited, time stretching out between us as he absorbed my words

Then, in a movement that felt like both surrender and claim, he reached for my hand. His fingers entwined with mine, strong and assuring. There was strength in his grasp, the same strength that had drawn me to him from the beginning, honest and true. Cody exhaled sharply, his grip on my hand tightening as if he needed to steady himself. His thumb brushed over my knuckles, the simple touch sending a ripple of heat through me. Then, without a word, he pulled me up from the couch, his eyes locked onto mine with an intensity that sent my pulse skittering.

He guided me through the dimly lit hallway. Anticipation curled low in my stomach for what was about to happen. His hand never left mine, and with each step, my body heated with a need that had been simmering beneath the surface.

When we reached the bedroom, he turned to me, his free hand lifting to trace the line of my jaw. “You sure?” His voice was strained, like he was holding himself back.

Instead of answering with words, I pressed my body against his, feeling the way his muscles tensed under my touch. I tilted my head up, brushing my lips against his in a kiss that held all my answers.

That was all it took.

Cody groaned, the sound vibrating through me as he wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me against him completely. His mouth claimed mine, the kiss deepening, growing hotter, more desperate. His hands slid over my back and hips.

“I want to memorize every curve, every inch of you.”

I barely registered the moment he lifted me off the ground, my legs wrapping around his waist as he carried me to the bed. All I knew was the way he held me like he never wanted to let go.

My back came in contact with the soft mattress. I lifted the hem of his shirt, exposing the taut muscles of his abdomen. My fingers trailed along his skin, tracing the contours of his scars, both seen and unseen, honoring his battles and the strength it took to fight them.

His hands were equally gentle on me, peeling away my jacket and exposing the strap of my jumpsuit. He tugged on one of the straps, lifting it from my bare shoulder.

Every piece of clothing that fell to the floor was another barrier we tore down, another step closer to the raw truth of us. As I looked up at him from the bed, my heart surged with a mixture of vulnerability and the courage to want to explore him— us —more.

Cody pulled me close, and our bodies fit together with an ease that felt like it was meant to always be this way. The taste of him was enough to make me forget every heartache that had come before. His kiss was a question and an answer all at once, and my body responded with a hunger born of lonely nights and silent prayers for something real.

As he trailed kisses down my neck and across my collarbone, his fingers skimming my hard nipples, I gasped. Seeing my reaction, he took one in his mouth, rolling it between his tongue while his fingers continued their journey down past my stomach and beneath the waistband of my thong. His thumb and index finger stroked my labia and clit while his tongue made swirls around my nipples.

“Look how wet you are.” He withdrew his hand, his fingertips glistening with all the desire I kept hidden from him until this moment. He put one to his mouth. Fire flew up my cheeks and more liquid heat came from my center as I watched his tongue flick out and lick his finger. Leaning down, he brought his mouth to mine. I moaned as I tasted myself on his tongue. He shifted his head lower, kissing me along my neck and collarbone. Then his tongue left a hot trail between my breasts, scaling down my stomach and past my hips until he reached my sex.

Cody told me he wanted me. Suddenly, his words I can show you better than I can tell you took on a whole new meaning.

He tugged my underwear off. I spread my legs wide and arched my back, each stroke of his tongue sending rip currents of pleasure through me. He grabbed me by the thighs and dipped his head again, gently biting, licking, and sucking on my sensitive parts.

I felt fire wherever his tongue and fingers roamed. With every passing moment, the intensity grew. His tongue was a whip against my swollen clit.

“Cody.” I pushed my fingers through his thick hair, watching his head motion between my thighs. The sensation was overwhelming. I dug my heels into the mattress. As he sank two fingers inside me, I cried out in climax, the sound muffled against the pillow.

He pulled back just enough to look at me, his breath ragged. I noticed the way his eyes, a stormy shade I'd come to know intimately, scanned my face. His fingers traced the contours of my cheekbone.

"Em." This time, his voice was barely above a whisper, as if he didn't want to break the spell that had taken hold of us.

He shifted closer to me and began unzipping the fly of his jeans. The tough fabric was stretched with his erection. I put my hands over his and felt his movements as the zipper slid down, releasing his cock. Its impressive size filled my hands as I wrapped my fingers around the base. I sat up and leaned forward, taking the tip between my lips and sucking the clear preejaculate collecting at the tip.

He groaned. His cock grew bigger in my mouth, the veins on the underside pulsing with his need. He pressed me back down on the bed. His hands skimmed over my body again. The anticipation was almost unbearable.

“I need you now, Cody.”

He reached for a condom in a drawer on the nightstand. I watched, getting turned on more as he tore the foil and stretched the latex over his long shaft. He leaned down, the head of his cock brushing against my entrance.

I could feel the wetness between my legs, a testament to how much I wanted him. I raised my hips as he pushed inside me.

He moved slowly at first, savoring the connection between our bodies. I relished every thrust, each one taking me further into a passionate haze. Our moans and gasps filled the small room, punctuated by the sounds of skin slapping against skin and mattress creaking under our weight.

Cody's hands held me close, his fingers digging into my hips. He looked into my eyes, his expression a mix of lust and love. He growled as he picked up the pace. The bed creaked under our combined weight. With every stroke, I felt myself getting closer to the edge again.

He slowed down and pulled out, his cock still hard. He guided it back to my entrance and thrust in again, hitting that spot inside me that made me see stars. I cried out.

He began to pound into me harder. I moaned and pushed back against him, meeting his rhythm with my hips. I could feel the tension building inside me, his cock hitting my g-spot with every thrust.

I called out his name, my orgasm hitting me hard and fast. I felt the walls of my vagina clamp down around his cock as he continued to thrust into me. It was overwhelming.

A deep groan rumbled in his chest, and I felt him get rigid all over as he came. His movements slowed, and then stilled.

Finally, his body went limp on top of mine. I felt the warmth of his chest against mine, our hearts still racing from what we had just shared.

I lay there, my heartbeat slowing yet still echoing in my chest. He disposed of the condom and got back in the bed. He reached out for me. His arms were my sanctuary, strong and secure, wrapped around me with gentleness. The room was silent except for our synchronized breathing.

As sleep began to tug at the edges of my consciousness, I let myself believe in the possibility of us. Whatever tomorrow might bring.

I WOKE UP TO LIGHT filtering through the bedroom blinds and the soft scent of Cody’s cologne lingering on the sheets. I stretched, feeling more rested than I had in weeks. Maybe months. The kind of sleep that came from having nothing weighing on me. No overthinking. No doubts.

Then I blinked, glancing at the empty space beside me.

Cody was gone.

For a second, disappointment curled in my stomach, but then I caught the faint hum of a washing machine somewhere in the house. A glance at the clock told me it was nearly ten.

I never slept this late.

I pushed up on my elbows, running a hand over my face. My body still felt loose, warm, like I’d spent the whole night wrapped up in something good. In him.

This was not just some fantasy I let myself indulge in for a night. I’d let my guard down, told Cody how I felt, and he hadn’t run for the hills. He hadn’t brushed it off as a complication.

I slid out of bed and found my clothes folded neatly on a nearby chair. That made me smile. Even in his rough, gruff way, Cody was thoughtful. That was something I liked about him, one of many things.

I grabbed the t-shirt he’d worn last night from the floor and slipped it on, inhaling his scent as I made my way out of the bedroom.

The house was quiet except for the low hum of the washing machine, and I found Cody standing in the kitchen, barefoot, flipping a pancake onto a plate. He was fresh out of a shower, hair still damp, wearing a simple T-shirt and sweats.

His eyes flicked up when he noticed me, and something in his expression softened. "Hey, sleepyhead."

I smirked, tugging at the hem of his shirt. "You let me oversleep."

"You needed it." He slid the plate toward me. "Hope you like pancakes. I figured after last night, you deserved breakfast."

Warmth bloomed in my chest. After last night . He wasn't brushing it off. He wasn't acting weird. He was making me breakfast .

I sat at the counter, watching him move around the kitchen like he belonged there—which, of course, he did. But I was the one out of place, wrapped in his shirt, in his house, in his world.

And I liked it way too much.

I bit into the pancake, humming in approval. "These are good. Who taught you to cook?"

"My uncle," Cody said, pouring more batter into the pan. "Said a man should be able to feed himself without relying on a microwave."

I smiled, resting my chin in my hand as I watched him. There’s that side of him again. The one most people didn’t get to see.

He glanced at me. "What?"

"Nothing," I said, but my heart was already racing. I wanted to bottle this moment up. Keep it forever.

But forever wasn’t part of our deal.

I cleared my throat. "I, uh, should probably head home soon."

His movements paused for a fraction of a second before he nodded. "Sure. Whenever you're ready."

I didn’t move. Neither did he.

CODY

I PULLED UP TO EMILY’S house just as the sun started burning off the last traces of morning haze. She sat in the passenger seat, quiet but comfortable, her fingers tracing the rim of her empty cherry soda can.

Last night still played in my head. The way she touched me. The way she trusted me. I wanted to say something. Maybe tell her I didn’t mind if she stuck around a little longer. But she had a life to get back to, and I had no right to ask her to change that for me.

She turned to me, lips curving into a soft smile. “Thanks for breakfast. And for last night.”

A warm feeling settled in my chest, but I kept my voice level. “Yeah. We had fun.”

She hesitated, like she wanted to say something else, but instead, she opened the door and stepped out. I watched her walk up the steps to her front door, a little part of me wishing she’d turn back.

She didn’t.

Max groaned. I patted his back. “Yeah, I know.” I shook it off and headed straight to the gym.

The moment I walked into the gym, Ryder had a look like he was ready to roast me. “Late start to the day?”

Liam chuckled from where he was wrapping his hands. “Man, you’re glowing. Something you wanna share?”

I rolled my eyes and headed to the heavy bag, throwing a couple of quick jabs. “Not a damn thing.”

Ryder snorted. “Right. And I’m the Pope.”

I ignored them, letting the rhythmic thud of my fists against the bag drown out their nosy remarks. I should’ve expected this. They weren’t blind. And I wasn’t exactly doing a good job of hiding the fact that I felt different this morning.

Lighter.

Even when I pushed through drills and sparring rounds, Emily wasn’t far from my mind. I needed to be careful. She had her life. I had mine. This was supposed to be temporary.

Right?

By Monday morning, I was ready to shake the weekend off and get back to business. But when I checked my phone while grabbing a protein shake, my gut twisted.

Pictures of me and Emily at the arcade were everywhere.

It wasn’t just social media, either. Some tabloid had taken a dig at her, twisting the whole thing to make it seem like she was out partying while Trey was out of town.

My jaw clenched. Emily didn’t deserve that. She was a great mom. She worked her ass off. She finally let herself have a little fun, only for some trashy headline to make it look like she was neglecting her kid.

I ran a hand through my hair before making a fist. I could take heat. I was used to it. But Emily?

I hoped this wouldn’t get to her.