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“Not your bae,” she muttered as her eyes fluttered open. When she realized she was sniffing Cody’s jacket, she tossed it into the back seat. But she missed the comfort of his scent around her.
“We’re here? At Jack’s?” she said as she struggled to waken fully.
“Yeah.” He gestured toward the building. “Okay if I leave the car in this visitor’s spot for now?”
“Of course.” She shook her head to jolt herself awake. To force her brain to engage. “No problems on the way?”
“Nope. Clear sailing. No one followed us. Nothing suspicious the whole way.”
“Great.” She reached behind her for her bag, and Cody put his hand on her arm. “Maybe we should go up first. Figure out what we’re going to do. Jack might prefer to come to your place.”
“I doubt it,” she said as she climbed out of his car. “His computers are here. All his paraphernalia. He’ll want to stay in his own place.”
“Is there room for us?” Cody asked.
“Yeah, it’s a big apartment.” She sighed. “An investment, my parents said.”
“Okay. Let’s go. I’m looking forward to meeting your brother.”
It sounded like the kind of thing someone would say to a date. Someone you were involved with. Not two people who had a business relationship.
After their long car ride, the secrets he’d shared with her, she’d let herself dream about what might happen after the case was over. For all of five minutes. Then he’d told her casually that when she was safe, when the danger was gone, he’d disappear from her life.
His nonchalant words about meeting her brother were exactly that. A careless remark someone would throw out to a casual acquaintance. He’d made it very clear there would be no happily ever after for her and Cody.
Chapter 16
Sierra led him into the lobby of the apartment building, and Cody looked around, studying the layout. A doorman behind a desk nodded at Sierra, clearly recognizing her. An alcove off to the right held a wall filled with mailboxes. A convenience store on the left side of the lobby was closed.
“Good evening, Ms. Baker,” said the doorman, apparently unfazed by her late-night visit.
“Hey, Pete. How are you doing?” Sierra said easily. “How’s Janie?”
Pete beamed. “Getting bigger every day. Crawling all over the apartment. Be walking before we know it.”
Sierra smiled. “Give her a kiss for me,” she said.
“Will do, Ms. Baker.” He glanced at Cody. “Is Mr. Cook expecting you?”
“No, we’re surprising him,” Sierra said. “He’s a night creature, so I know he’ll be up. Must have some vampire in him.”
Pete laughed. “Have a good visit,” he said, waving her toward the elevator.
Once inside the car with the door closed, Cody said, “You’re pretty friendly with your brother’s doorman.” He kept his face neutral, but the open, friendly woman talking with Pete was nothing like the woman he’d gotten to know.
“Of course I am.” She frowned at him. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
“Where did secretive, closed-off Sierra go?” he asked. He shifted his feet, knowing he was on shaky ground, but kept his gaze on her.
She gave him an incredulous look. “I’m not secretive and closed off around people I know,” she said. “Why would I be? Pete’s no threat to me. He hasn’t pried into my life or tried to dig up my secrets. All he cares about is that I’m Jack’s friend.” She narrowed her eyes at him. “What’s going on, Cody?”
He sighed. “I pried into your life,” he said with air quotes, “because protecting you means I need to know everything about you. So when I see a side of you I’ve never seen before, it makes me wonder what else I don’t know.”
Cody took a step toward her. Realized that wasn’t a good idea and stepped back. “You know what? Forget I said anything. We’ve had a long, stressful day. I spoke without thinking. Okay?”
It wasn’t okay, not by any stretch of the imagination. That prickling in his chest when she’d been smiling at the doorman? It wasjealousy.
Which was terrifying. Jealousy meant you cared about someone. On top of that, it was ridiculous. He had no right to be jealous of Sierra. And no reason to be. What the hell was wrong with him?
