Page 34 of Spurred On

“Tibby Pucey!”

“I—”

“The very next day. Couldn’t you even wait, I dunno, a week?”

“Look—”

“Whatja do? Hitch up your britches and head straight over to her place?”

“Sidney, please.” His sharp tone stalled her rant, but only a little. “I only dated her because—”

“Yeah, yeah. I know.” Everyone knew. Tibby’s father was the richest man in town. Sidney’s stomach heaved. Bile tickled at the back of her throat. “And I couldn’t give a shit why you date who you date. Just keep away from me.”

“Sidney—”

“Just drop it, Cody. The fact is, you use women and then just throw them away.”

“I absolutely do not—”

“And I refuse to be one of them.”

He leaned back and studied her for a long, long moment. “You’re punishing me, aren’t you?”

“What?”

“For what I did back then.”

She sucked in a breath and tipped her head to the side. Perhaps a little offense was warranted. “Do you think you deserve punishment?”

His Adam’s apple worked. “Maybe.”

That was as close to a Cody-pology as anyone could ever expect. She refused to allow him such absolution. “Well, I’m not punishing you.”

“You’re not?” For some reason hope flared in his eyes. It was only logical to squash it.

“No.” She stepped away and picked up the pitcher, holding it between them like some kind of cold, beaded shield. “I’m protecting myself. That’s all. You are a dangerous man and I will never forget that.”

***

Cody stared after Sidney as she swept out of the kitchen and back into the dining room.

Dangerous man?

How was he a dangerous man?

And then it hit him, in a rush. The only way he could be dangerous to her was if she shared his feelings. If she had the same mindless, irresistible attraction for him as he had for her.

The thought exhilarated him, and then, his belly dropped. Because she was determined to end this.

He could not let that happen.

With that thought in mind, he hurried to catch her. When he spotted her in the dining room, she was with her sister and—shudder—Tibby. Even as he watched, Logan entered the room and headed for them.

To Cody’s horror, Logan pulled Sidney into his arms . . . and kissed her. Full on the mouth.

Cody’s blood went cold. And then it went colder, because when Sidney spotted him staring at this display, she wrapped her arms around Logan’s neck and kissed him back, making it a point to moan and groan like a steer with a bellyache.

Why the hell was Logan kissing Sidney?