Page 14 of The Change Up
I just stare at the boy in front of me. “I-I-I made vegetable soup, and there’s a loaf of bread baking.”
He makes himself at home by removing his jacket and hanging it on the back of a bar stool. With a few strides, Cody is standing at the stove, removing the lid of the soup and stirring the tomato-based mixture.
What the hell is happening? Did I fall and bump my head somewhere along the way today?
Placing the lid back on the pot, I watch as Cody turns and finally takes in my appearance in the little light we have. His eyes start at my head where my long, blonde hair is pulled up in a claw clip. They trail down my makeup-free face and continue down my body. He stares at the white satin pajamas with tiny purple flowers detailed along the edges. Even in the low light, I can still make out his eyes darken.
And that’s when I remember that I’m not wearing a bra.
Quickly I fold my arms over my chest attempting to cover my hardening nipples.
A light chuckle escapes him as a smirk spreads across his lips as he whispers, “You and your purple.”
I try to keep my heart from doing a little pitter-patter at the realization that Cody remembers that purple is my favorite color.
He walks toward me, and my heart stops. Like it legit stops beating in my chest. I don’t know what Cody is about to do. But him reaching out and twirling the loose pieces of hair around his finger before tucking it behind my ear was not what I predicted. My breath stutters at the contact. That smirk appears on his face as he looks down at me, skimming his finger across my cheek. Goosebumps spread across my body as he brushes past me and heads into the living room.
What is going on?
I did not have being iced in with Cody Jacobs on my BINGO card this winter. Not only is he stuck inside with me, but it has been the most awkward three hours in the history of being forced together. Even withStep Brothersplaying on the TV.
Since that little incident in the kitchen where he touched me—which cannot happen again—the two of us have barely spoken to each other.
We even ate our soup and bread in silence. Cody mumbling the occasional compliment was the only sound filling the room. As grateful as I am that he came with a generator and space heater, I wish I was here alone.
I’ve been engrossed in my Kindle while Cody has been playing around on his phone since the one-and-only movie ended.
“Do you have a book I can read?” he asks, interrupting my thoughts.
Glancing over, I find him watching me and realize he is being completely serious. “Um, I’m not sure that you would like any of the books I read.”
“Try me.”
Chewing my bottom lip, I try to think of a book I have that Cody Jacobs—star pitcher for the CTU Eagles—would enjoy.
Do I give him something full of angst?
Something sports-related?
Or maybe he’d like an all-out smutty book?
Eh, forget the all-out smutty. Iced in reading smut sounds like a scene from a book, and I’m not about that life right now.
“Do you mind reading on my iPad?”
He shakes his head in response. Tossing my Kindle aside, I rush out of the room and climb the steps to my room. I’m so glad I thought to charge all of my electronics when I got home from the store. Making my way back downstairs, I thumb through my ebooks on my iPad and find the one I’m looking for.
“Okay,” I start, handing Cody the device. “This is a MMA romance that I think you’re going to love.”
“We’ll see if Iloveit.” He smirks and wiggles his body into the armchair to get comfortable.
Now my entire being is uncomfortable knowing that he is reading one of my books. I try to settle back into my single-dad motorcycle romance.
Finally, back in the zone, I’m interrupted again. Only this time it isn’t Cody but my phone vibrating. Sighing, I reach for it on the table.
Brynn: You doing okay?
Me: Yep. Did you send Cody over?
