Page 58 of Brighter Shades of Light
Another week had passed since we began seeing each other in secret. He had come over to my house a few more times, and while we hadn’t had sex, we had kissed and grown closer in other regards. One evening, we sat on the balcony at sunset, and as he talked about his life, I had felt myself falling for him.
Each time I saw Cody, my desire built even more. I knew we were on the verge of taking our relationship to the next level. Once that happened, there would be no going back.
Wanting Cody was wrong. As his professor, I was in a position of power over him. It could be seen as him giving me sexual favors for a better grade. Even thoughhewas the one who pursuedmein the beginning, that still didn’t make it right.
My feelings for him went beyond physical, though.
Leon was the only other person I had ever felt so strongly for. In a way, it felt like a betrayal to his memory. Perhaps that was why I read over the journal he left me. I was at a crossroads, just like he mentioned in the creased pages, and I needed guidance. Some kind of sign that it was okay for me to be happy with someone else.
However, that was theonething he hadn’t discussed in the two-hundred pages—it being okay for me to move on.
I jolted at the sound of Cody’s beast of a truck.
Going over to the window, I saw it coming up the driveway, the engine grinding and sounding as though it would give out any moment. We hadn’t made plans to see each other this evening, so I was taken off guard. I wiped the remnants of tears from my cheeks before jogging into the upstairs bathroom and checking myself in the mirror. Not much could be done to fix my tousled hair, but I ran my fingers through it to tame it as best as I could.
The engine cut off, and I took the stairs two at a time on my way to the front door. When I opened it, Cody was walking up the sidewalk. He wore a backward baseball cap, which made my heartrate spike.
“Evening,” he said, a wide smile on his handsome face. “I hope it’s okay I stopped by.”
I hated unannounced visitors. Cody, as usual, was the exception.
“Of course it is.” I opened the door wider to let him inside and closed it once he passed me, catching a faint whiff of his cologne. That close to him, I noticed the smile he wore didn’t reach his eyes. “Is everything all right?”
“Yeah.” Cody put his hands in his jacket pockets and faced me. “I just didn’t want to be at the dorm and took a drive. Wasn’t paying much attention to where I was going. Then, I found myself on your road.”
“Why don’t you want to be at the dorm?”
“Tristen and I are kinda fighting,” he said, sitting on the couch. “If I stayed there another second, punches would’ve been thrown.”
I sat beside him, not too close. “Why are you fighting?”
“Doesn’t matter.” He took off his hat before placing it back down on his head, almost as though it were a nervous tick. “We’ve never really fought before, so it’s weird. Things have been tense for a few weeks, and it kinda blew up tonight.”
I wanted to say something to help Cody feel better, but I came up short. Reading people’s emotions was still a challenge, and I had never been good at giving advice. That was always Leon’s specialty.
“It’s Halloween night,” I said, fighting the urge to place my hand on his thigh. “You don’t have plans?”
“I got invited to a few parties but didn’t feel like going.” Cody focused on me. “I’d rather spend time with you.”
Perhaps it was the raspy quality of his voice or the tender look in his eyes, but I scooted toward him on the cushion. So close to him, but not nearly close enough. I slid my hand up the side of his neck. My mouth hovered over his but didn’t touch. Not yet. I wanted him to meet me, so I knew it was something he wanted, too.
Cody closed the gap between our lips, kissing me softly.
One kiss. Two. A soft meeting of mouths again and again.
He tasted like spearmint, and when I inhaled, our lips still locked, a rush of minty freshness filled my mouth. My hand cupped his nape while his tugged at my shirt. My body instantly responded to his proximity, my senses heightening by the feel and taste of him.
I was made of ice, just like Emily had so often said. But Cody warmed me. His heated skin on mine, the soft breaths he took between kisses, the pulse in his neck that I felt beneath my palm—all these things thawed me.
Cody pushed against my chest, his lips still moving on mine, and laid me back on the couch. I groaned at the weight of him and gripped his jacket, pulling it down his shoulders and off his muscled arms. He broke the kiss and sat up to take off his shirt.
As the valley of his abs and his toned chest filled my vision, I bit my bottom lip. He was too perfect.
When he went to take off his ball cap, I touched his arm.
“Leave it on,” I said. As much as I liked running my fingers through his hair, the sight of him in the backwards hat was too irresistible.
“Yes, sir.” He flashed a cocky grin and placed it back on his head.
