Coyote (Hawks MC Next Generation #1) - Lila Rose Page 0,55
at your shop, but….”
His hands shook my hands that he held between his. “Clary is a friend of my mum’s.”
“So…?” I drew out. “It’s not okay for her to come to my bakery?”
“That ain’t it. Angel, my mum, she’s Zara.”
My eyes widened. “What? No, she’s too young to be.”
“Well, she’s actually my stepmum, but I don’t see or want anything to do with my real mum. Zara’s been it since I was thirteen.”
Oh.
Well…. Oh, his mum was in my store.
Wait, why was she in there?
“Next time they’re in, call me. I want to drop by.”
That would mean Julian was Cody’s uncle.
Were they in there to check me out? To make sure I was the right kind of friend for Cody?
He gave another shake of my hand, and I looked up into his eyes. “Don’t stress over this. Clary would have seen you at the store and… she would have…. Fuck it. Clary would have seen something between us, and she wouldn’t have been able to not say anythin’ to her posse. I’m surprised it was only those three. Did they give you shit?”
I was still stuck on the part of Clary seeing something between us.
So there was something between us? Did I ask?
“Channa, babe, did they give you any shit?”
“Um, no. I mean, they asked some questions, but I thought they were nice.”
“How many times they been in?”
“At least once a week. They like my cakes.” At least I thought they did. “I think they do anyway.”
He smiled. “They would or else they wouldn’t have come back after the first time they saw you. No doubt you would have won them over with your kindness and charm.”
I snorted. See, that wasn’t very charming. “I doubt that.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll deal with them.”
“What do you mean?”
“They’re being overprotective. Fuck, babe, I’m twenty-eight. I don’t need them to look out for me.”
“But why would they need to look out for you with me?”
I jumped slightly when he cupped my cheek. “Babe” was all he said, and it didn’t explain anything.
However, when he leaned forward slowly, his eyes flicked down to my lips and up again. My ears rang, my body shivered, and I licked my suddenly dry lips.
My heart sang for joy when he pressed his lips against mine. Once, twice, and I made a noise of complaint when he pulled back.
“That’s why they were checkin’ you out.”
Huh?
“What?”
He smirked. “Clary saw somethin’ between us.”
“Something?” I asked stupidly, but my brain wasn’t firing.
“Yeah, angel.”
I had to confirm, just to set myself right. In a quiet voice, I asked, “Do you mean… are you, well, interested in me more than friends?”
His smirk grew into a smile. “Are you with me?”
“Cody,” I whined. Already I was near having a panic attack with how bold I was being.
“Channa,” he mimicked.
I blew out a breath and then nodded.
“Yeah?”
“Yes.”
“Good, ’cause I am too.”
I dragged my top teeth over my bottom lip. “What does that mean, then?”
He leaned in again and touched his mouth to mine. Against my lips, he said, “It means we see where this could go. It means we’re gonna watch some TV or a movie and take things each day as it comes.” Another kiss to the corner of my mouth. “You good with that?”
“Yes,” I whispered. I was more than okay with that. Now that I knew Cody was into me, I felt like I was floating on a cloud. Heck, I felt like Jasmine in Aladdin when they were flying through the sky on the carpet and seeing a whole new world again. It might have sounded cheesy, but that was where I was. In one big, cheesy moment, I felt giddy, and I couldn’t stop smiling.
“Good,” he stated. He stood, dipping down to kiss my shoulder. “Let’s get this cleaned up and set up on the couch. But, babe?”
“Yes?”
“I expect you to sit by me this time.”
Heat hit my cheeks. “Okay.”
His smile was smug. “Okay.”
After we boxed up the leftovers and put the plates in the dishwasher, we made our way towards the couch. Cody sat first. He took my hand, spun me around, and pulled me down to sit right next to him where he could curl his arm around my shoulders.
“This good?”
It was perfect, amazing, and sent my pulse racing, but I didn’t tell him that. Instead, I nodded and gave him a shy smile.
“You know what this also means?”
“What?”
“You’ve got to come to dinner with me to my family’s place.”