I nod. “They do. Jace especially, though he’ll be the last to admit it outright.”
“And I don’t think we should touch each other in public,” he says, running his thumb over my hand again.
“You mean like the way you tapped my foot under the table while we were at lunch with our friends?” I squeeze his hand lightly.
Cody chuckles. “Busted. But, to be fair, our feet were in private. The rest of us was in public."
"Ahhh, okay then. So no public-public touching. But private-public touching is okay?”
“You’re just going to make this hard on me aren’t you?” he asks with a grin.
I return his smile. My hand itches to reach out and run over the late-day stubble on his jaw.
“I’ll behave,” I promise him.
“Not too well, I hope,” he teases, giving my hand a light squeeze that I feel throughout my body.
He looks at me in that searching way that feels equal parts question and assurance.
Then he says, “If one of us gets uncomfortable or wants to tap the brakes, we pause—no questions asked. No hesitation.”
“Okaaayy,” I say, drawing the word out. “Do we need a built-in escape hatch?”
“Carli, I’m out here on an abandoned property in the dark of night just so I can grab up a few stolen moments together. I have no intention of backing away from you. But we have to be honest with ourselves. We don’t know how this will go. We’ve only ever been friends and practically second family to one another.”
“Let’s keep it at friends,” I say.
“Definitely not family,” he agrees. We both laugh lightly. “Anyway, it’s only prudent for us to leave room for the possibility that you might want to back out at some point.”
“Me?” I shake my head. “What about you?”
“I don’t see that happening.”
I don’t question him. The intensity in his expression floors me. But this is Cody. If he’s going to risk rocking the foundations of the connections between our families, he’s serious.
“That said, let’s not make any promises about the future,” he says. “Not yet. We deserve the chance to explore this without that kind of pressure.”
“So you want to see other people?” I sure hope not, but I have to ask.
“First of all, when would I have time to see another woman between my job, the ranch and McKenna’s wedding?” He raises a brow and tilts his head at me. “But even if I were unemployed and had all the time in the world, no. I’m not interested in seeing anyone else.”
“Me neither.” I never have been, but I don’t add that tidbit.
“Good,” he says. “Enough of that.”
“You don’t want to talk about rules all night?”
“Carli,” his tone holds warning and playfulness. Warning about what, I don’t know. But it makes me want to poke the bear.
Everything about this night so far is almost as unexpected as our barn kisses.
“You’re too far away from me,” he says softly.
I scoot over so I’m sitting closer.
“That better?” I ask
“Getting warmer,” he says, tugging the hand he’s still holding.
