Though his dad wouldn’t have worried at all about how something like this would have rebounded on the woman.
But he might’ve been sneakier for his own sake.
Whatever it was, it would’ve had nothing to do with her, that was the damned truth.
“I should have,” he said. “To be considerate.”
“You’re a man. You don’t have to think about those things. Though I have to say, everyone here is so great, I don’t really think they would judge me. Chris wouldn’t judge me.”
“Well, as long as Chris understands.”
She smiled at him.
The ache inside him was profound. He wantedmore.
More than what she had given Walker at the dinner table, more than he had gotten from her when they had been up on Painted Ridge. He couldn’t explain it. But then, nothing with her felt readily explainable.
“I haven’t seen your place since you got settled in.”
“Is that how you’re trying to maneuver your way into my bed? Because you could’ve just asked.”
They walked out of the restaurant, casually, making sure not to touch one another. There would be nothing strange about them walking through the hotel together, even goingupstairs together, after all, he had a vested interest in the place. He was the owner.
They ended up on an elevator, by themselves, but even still, they kept their distance.
“This doesn’t feel real,” she said.
“What?”
“None of this. None of this feels real. Nothing from the time since I left New York to now.”
“It’s been over a month.”
“I know. Just barely. But still. I was supposed to be doing something totally different than this. And now I can’t… I can’t imagine him here.” She looked him dead in the eye. “If he were here, it would be a problem.”
“No, it wouldn’t be. You would be married. That’s a pretty clear boundary.”
She looked up. “Cody, I was attracted to you before I ever saw you.”
He felt like he had been punched in the gut. Because that was exactly the same for him. Exactly.
He hadn’t known how to explain it, and he hadn’t wanted to. He still didn’t, not really.
“How?”
“Your voice. I had a… I had a sex dream about you?” Her face was turning bright red. “After we interviewed. Especially after the time we talked, just the two of us.”
So did he. He had dreamed about her, about that voice. “I knew it was you,” he said. “When I saw you walking toward the hotel with Cara, I knew which one you were. Because I felt the same way.”
She looked stricken. “What would we have done?”
He realized what she was asking. Because they both came from a situation they wanted to be better than. She was asking him if they would have been good. If it would’ve been okay.He knew who he was. Or rather, he knew who he was afraid he was.
So, the answer on his end wasn’t all that good.
“You would’ve honored your marriage vows,” he said. “Because that’s who you are.”
“What about you?”
