AllFreeNovel
Share Us
No code words, thank God.
She pulled open the door and stepped aside. After she’d locked the door behind him, she said, “Anything look off downstairs?”
“Nope. Nothing unusual. No one hanging around. No cars but mine in the visitor’s spots. No one in the garage.” He held out the key card, and she took it from him, careful not to touch his fingers.
One side of his mouth twitched, as if he knew exactly how hard she’d tried not to touch him. But all he said was, “Ready to sleep?”
“I am. Good night, Jack,” she called to her brother.
Without looking away from his computer screen, Jack said, “See you in the morning, sis. Parker.”
Jack’s spare bedroom had always looked enormous to Sierra. With two double beds separated by a pair of night tables, along with a desk, a chair and a dresser, there was plenty of room for two people. But with Cody standing in the room with her, it felt tiny. Way too crowded.
“You want to use the bathroom first?” he asked.
“Sure,” she said, relieved to be able to hide for a few minutes. She shoved her suitcase against the wall beside the bed she usually used, snapped it open and retrieved her kit bag. Gave Cody a wide berth as she stepped into the bathroom and closed the door.
After the conversation they’d had in the car, having to share a room with Cody was about as awkward as it could get. But she’d get through it.
She didn’t have a choice.
She pushed away from the door and opened her kit bag, unbearably sad. Weary.
She went through her nighttime ritual, refusing to think about how close those two beds really were. After she’d finished, she grabbed the small bag and exited the bathroom.
She stepped around Cody, who had changed into a pair of boxer briefs and a tee shirt. “All yours,” she said brightly.
When she heard the bathroom door close, she rummaged in her suitcase for her own tee shirt and sleep pants. Hurriedly undressed, folded her clothes and put them in the suitcase. She slid into bed just as the bathroom door opened.
Cody walked over to the light switch on the wall, and Sierra couldn’t help follow the play of muscles in his ass and thighs in the clingy boxers. “Okay if I turn out the light?” he asked as his hand hovered over the switch.
“Yeah,” she said.
Moments later, he’d plunged them into darkness. Faint light outside the building seeped into the room, but in the sudden darkness, Cody was a black shadow moving toward the bed. The only sound was the faint swish of his feet against the carpet.
Followed by the slide of his body over the sheets as he got into bed. “You okay, Sierra?” he asked quietly. “You need anything?”
I need you. She pressed her lips together to keep the words from pouring out. “I’m good,” she said after a long moment. “Good night, Cody.”
“Night, bae,” he said, his voice soft in the darkness.
She wanted to tell him she wasn’t his bae, but the lump in her throat bottled up the words. She lay still and rigid, and she didn’t hear any movement from the other bed. Finally, the tension in her body began to ease. She rolled onto her side and closed her eyes, determined to fall asleep.
It took a lot longer than usual. She didn’t hear Cody moving, and wondered if he’d fallen asleep immediately. He had to be exhausted. After disarming and tying up five Russians, he’d driven all the way to Evanston. Even Superman had to sleep sometimes.
Finally her eyes drifted closed. Her last thought before she fell asleep was that she wished she were in the other bed with Cody.
* * *
After a mostly sleepless night, Cody woke slowly. After a few moments, realization hit -- he wasn’t alone in the bed.
Sierra was curled into him, her soft curves inches from his hand.
She must have crawled into his bed after he fell asleep. Why hadn’t he noticed?
Because he wanted her in his bed, too. His fingers ached to touch her. To explore. He wanted to move closer. Curl his body around hers and enjoy the sensation of having her close.
No. Not happening.
