“Well, now you live here. You’ll get to see for yourself how it feels.”
She gave him a weak smile. Honestly, she wasn’t sure how long it would take her to work up the nerve to go into town for more than just a grocery run. Hopefully not too long. Maybe she could start with the little bookstore she saw the day before. She was dying for some new books.
Refocusing on Cody and the conversation, she nodded. “Yeah, I will. I guess I forgot for a moment that this is my home now, too.”
Both sides of his lips turned up in a smile, causing a dimple to pop out in one cheek. For crying out loud, couldn’t she get a break when it came to how good looking he was? Every time she turned around, there was something else drawing her in.
Not good looking. Sexy.
The thought whispered through her mind, and she knew it was her own, not her dragon’s, and she felt her cheeks warm. She didn’t want to add sexy to his list, but as she stared at that smile, she knew it was only fair.
“Well, if no one has said it yet, welcome home,” he replied, his voice a low rumble in the kitchen. Her knees weakened slightly at his words combined with that smile, but luckily he spoke again before she could embarrass herself more. “So, are you the one who’s been fixing some of the things around the house?”
Her eyebrows rose with surprise. “Yeah. How’d you know?”
“I noticed the newer improvements. And you said they thought you could fix the pipe, so I took a guess.”
“I’m pretty handy,” she murmured, suddenly feeling shy. “My dad taught me a lot, but I have a knack for it. I can figure out what’s wrong with something and how to fix it pretty quickly. Honestly, I could have replaced that rusted pipe. But I knew it would just keep happening, or something I actually couldn’t fix would break, so I fibbed a bit.”
He glanced at her over his shoulder as he looked around the dining room, and even from the distance between them, she could see amusement dancing in his eyes. “So they’d agree to having someone fix the house. Don’t worry, I’ll keep your secret. I would have done the same thing.”
Their eyes locked for a long moment, and when he finally looked away, she had to remind herself to breathe. This whole not letting herself get sucked into her attraction to him business was going to be even harder than she’d thought it would be.
They fell silent as he finished making notes on the first floor, and when he followed her up the stairs, she wore she felt his eyes burning into her. The butterflies took flight in her belly as a tingle of awareness crept down her spine.
She was going to need him to finish this estimate and leave before she completely lost her mind. If they hired his company—and they probably would—how was she going to handle him in her home every day for however long this project would take?
Oh, God, how long would it take? Weeks? Months? She needed to learn how to handle her shit fast, or she really would end up insane.
The stairs opened up into the parlor, and as she reached the top, Paisley and Carlie snapped their eyes over to her. They were reading, thank God. She wouldn’t put it past Carlie to actually be braiding hair when they got up there.
She was looking at them when Cody reached the top, and she saw Carlie’s mouth drop and her eyes widen as she took him in. Her reaction was comical, but she glared at her anyway, warning her to act normal.
She snorted in her mind. Like she had room to talk when it came to this man.
They stood up as he walked in the room, and Olivia angled herself so she could see them all. “Cody, these two are Paisley and Carlie, two of my friends who live here. Ladies, this is Cody Aaron. His family owns the construction company?”
She glanced at him as she added the last bit, not really knowing for sure if that was the truth. It was a guess based on his sister and grandfather working there, but they could be working for him.
Looking over at her, he nodded before looking back at her friends. “Yeah, it’s a family company. It’s nice to meet you both.”
They echoed his words as he shook their hands, and then he immediately began going over the room. Carlie waggled her eyebrows the moment his back was turned, and Olivia renewed her glare as she shook her head.
He turned to face them, and luckily, Carlie stopped her antics before he could notice. “I’ve been in here before, as you know,” he said, looking at her, “so I know where everything is up here. Do you—”
Carlie spoke before he could finish. “If you know your way around, feel free to take a look. I need to speak to Olivia for a moment.”
She narrowed her eyes at her friend for a moment, suspicion washing over her, before nodding to Cody. “Go ahead. I’ll be here when you’re done.”
The moment he was out of sight, Carlie grabbed her arm and tugged her farther into the parlor. “Oh my God, girl,” she whisper-shouted. “He is hot as hell! You were holding out on us.”
Casting a glance at the hallway and desperately hoping he hadn’t heard Carlie, she then turned her head and tried on her most intimidating glare. “Keep your voice down!”
Her friend rolled her eyes. “I’m already whispering. Now explain yourself.”
Apparently, her most intimidating glare wasn’t actually the least bit scary. “Yes, he’s good looking, but I didn’t think it was worth mentioning.”
Carlie shook her head with obvious disappointment. “That man is a hell of a lot more than good looking, and you’d have to be blind not to notice. And he was checking you out hardcore when you guys came up here.”
“What?” she asked at normal volume, shocked into forgetting to whisper. Lowering her voice, she spoke again. “He was not. He’s never once looked at me like he was checking me out.”
“You really are blind then. That or he’s really good at doing it covertly, and we just happened to catch him. He was looking at you with heat in those delicious brown eyes, girl, and you better jump on that. I’ll never stop being disappointed in you if you don’t.”
Eyes wide, she shook her head, speechless for a moment. She just wasn’t sure what shocked her more—the possibility of Cody looking at her like that, or Carlie suggesting she actually do something about it if he was.
“Are you crazy?” she hissed. “After everything we’ve been through, you think I should just hop straight into bed with the first man who gives me a second glance?”
Carlie nodded firmly. “First, the way he was looking at you was a hell of a lot more than just a second glance. Second, why the hell not? Not all men are evil, Liv. In fact, most are just normal guys. And those normal guys far outnumber the Fernandez’s of the world. If you need to get to know him a little better first, then do that.
“But don’t keep him at a distance because you’re scared. Remember what I said? If we deprive ourselves of fun, of making a connection with someone, of really living, then he’s winning from the grave. And you could be missing out on something amazing. Not saying that’s Cody necessarily, but that applies to anything we want but don’t go after because our fear is holding us back.”
She stared at Carlie, speechless yet again. Conflicting emotions were rioting through her, and she turned her gaze to Paisley, imploring her to jump in with something that would contradict Carlie’s words.
Because the last thing she needed was encouragement to let her attraction to Cody run wild. She’d just resolved to get it under control, dammit.
But Paisley gave her a little shrug. “I feel like you’re looking for someone to tell you that staying away from him is a good idea, but it won’t be me. If you’re truly not ready for a relationship or connection with a man, then you’re right to keep your distance. But I agree with Carlie on the rest. Don’t let fear be the only reason you don’t see where things could go between you.” Pausing, she cocked her head as she smiled. “Besides, I saw the same thing she did. That man was eating you up with his eyes.”
They were both quiet after that, letting her digest their words. But before she could tell them it was far too soon to be talking
about connections and relationships with a man she just met, he walked back in.
And when he met her eyes and smiled, she knew she was in big fucking trouble.
“Ready to go check out the outside?” he asked, his voice caressing her nerve endings.
Swallowing hard, she glanced at her friends one more time before nodding. He gestured for her to go down the stairs first and she did, still not saying a word. Honestly, she wasn’t sure she could in that moment.
When they reached the bottom, Cody immediately moved in front of her and opened the front door. Ah, he was a gentleman, then. One more strike against her defenses.
She brushed past him to go outside, and then stiffened as she caught just a hint of a scent on him. Eyes narrowed, she studied him closely as he said they needed to walk around the house, checking the brick and the foundation. She nodded, but she wasn’t sure she really heard a word he said.
That hint of a scent wouldn’t leave her nose, even as they moved farther apart while walking around the house. Was that… had that been a hint of fur? She couldn’t tell if that was what she’d smelled, or if she was imagining things.
Is Cody… is he a shifter? she asked her dragon.
Her animal was silent for several long moments before she replied, her voice puzzled and subdued. I… I don’t know.
Well, fuck.
Chapter 5
Cody
Cody glanced at Olivia surreptitiously out of the corner of his eye. She was walking along beside him, her arms wrapped around herself, barely saying a word. And, like him, she kept snatching little glances when she thought he wasn’t looking.
Was that because of what her friends said? He couldn’t think of what else it could be. She’d been relaxing with him the more they talked downstairs, but after she was alone with them, she’d gone quiet on him.
He hadn’t meant to eavesdrop, but his hearing was excellent, and he’d heard what one of her friends—Paisley, he thought—was saying. At least, the tail end of it.
That Olivia shouldn’t let her fear be what stopped her from seeing where things could go between them… and that he’d been eating her up with his eyes.
That last part was absolutely the truth. He’d been doing it whenever she wasn’t looking, unable to help himself. It was like the past day since they’d met, he’d been starving to see her again. And once he did, he couldn’t stop looking.
He just hadn’t expected to get caught. But then, he hadn’t known her friends were up there. It’d been so quiet in the house, and no one had been downstairs. He just assumed they were all off doing their own things.
Not that he was ashamed to be looking at her like he was. He wasn’t, at all. But something inside him told him he needed to go slow and easy with her, so he’d tried not to make it obvious.
Something he was glad he was doing, after overhearing the first part. His instincts had been leading him in the right direction. But then, they rarely ever failed him. The one time they did—
No. He wasn’t going to think about that. Not here, and not now. Not while he had Olivia walking by his side.
Taking a moment to look more openly at her while she gazed at the mountains, he wondered what had caused her fear. Was it men in general? He didn’t know for sure, but judging by the way Paisley and Carlie were urging her to overcome her fear for him, he thought he was on the right track.
His gut tightened at the thought of her living in fear, and his hands clenched into fists as anger at an unknown foe simmered inside him. Whoever caused her to live her life afraid of others deserved at the least a serious beatdown.
He didn’t know her well at all yet, but it felt like he did. And she was good to her soul, he knew that already. The thought of someone hurting her had him all riled up.
The heat in his chest flared bright, and he swallowed down the rumble that went with it. Fuck, he was letting himself get too worked up. He needed to think of something else before that rumbling convinced him that the bastard who hurt her deserved more than just a few broken ribs and a cracked jaw.
Taking a deep breath and blowing it back out slowly, he studied the foundation and bricks on the exterior. It was all in surprisingly good shape, which was a good thing—because depending on just how much of a reno she and her friends wanted, this could end up being a costly project.
Speaking of her friends… “So, five of you live here?” She glanced over at him, her eyebrows raised and suspicion blossoming in her moss green eyes. “There are five bedrooms, and they’re all occupied, so I just wondered.”
Her tensed shoulders immediately loosened, and she gave him a smile. It was small, but it was genuine, so he’d take it. But he was also going to file that reaction away to think over later.
“Yeah. My sister Fiona and friend Sierra live here, too. They’re out exploring right now,” she replied with a wave of her hand toward the woods.
He nodded, silently thanking the fates that they’d bought a house on the other side of town from where he lived. And since both of them lived on the outskirts of their respective ends of town, that should be enough room.
The woods where he lived sometimes weren’t safe. Not unless a person was given explicit permission to roam.
“So, it’s basically like you’ve already got a tiny town living in your house, huh? With your sister and three friends.”
She laughed, and the light sound danced over his skin, creating a buzz. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. And like you, when it gets to be too much, I’m usually out here, either reading or just gazing at the land. It’s a beautiful spot.”
For a moment, he couldn’t tear his gaze away from her. He wanted to tell her she was far more beautiful than the view, but he bit the words back. Gazing out at the surrounding land, he nodded, unable to deny her statement.
When he was younger—when he thought he still might be able to escape his duty to his people—he’d dreamed of buying this land and making this his home. He knew Rob would never come back after leaving for college, and he wanted to buy it from him.
Then life—and more importantly, his grandfather—had slapped him in the face with reality. Even though he’d still be in town, he couldn’t move here. He had to stay where he was needed, even if it was the last thing he truly wanted.
“It definitely is,” he finally replied. “I’ve always loved it here.”
“Did you spend a lot of time here?”
“Growing up, yeah, I did. Rob lived with his grandparents, so we were always here. I probably know every inch of this property.”
“You were lucky to grow up with all of this in your backyard.”
Not so much, but he nodded anyway. “It could have been worse, that’s for sure.” They finished their walk around, and he checked out the porch, scribbling in his notebook. “The exterior is in pretty good shape. No cracks in the foundation, and the brick on the exterior is holding up well. I need to go check the roof, and then I’ll be done.”
“Sounds good.”
Turning on his heel, he headed for his truck, pulling out the ladder in the back. His mind was still stuck on her words—and the look in her light green eyes when she said them. For a split second, the thought of him leaving soon hadn’t set well with her.
And he’d practically watched her fight the feeling back.
The corner of his mouth tugged up. That was a good sign. Because other than her friends encouraging her not to be afraid and letting her know he’d been checking her out, he’d had no idea if she even returned his interest.
He still might not know for sure, but he was watching closely for signs. He thought he was seeing them, but he was still going to move slowly. He needed to be sure. And he didn’t want to spook her.
She was already spooked enough.
As he climbed up to the roof and began checking out the damage, he thought about why she felt so vital to him, so soon. But no matter what angle he looked at it from, he couldn’t figure it out.
She just did. And that was enough for
him.
Just before he started to climb back down the ladder, he spotted blonde hair glinting in the sun. Squinting, he looked closer at the edge of the forest where he saw it, and found two figures staring back at the house.
The distance was too great to see them clearly, but a blonde and a brunette woman were standing completely still as they gazed at the house. They must be Fiona and Sierra, and he wondered why they weren’t coming back to the house, since they clearly weren’t exploring at the moment.
Something else to add to the mystery surrounding Olivia.
Once he had the ladder back in his truck, he walked to where she was sitting on the porch steps. She stood as he approached, gazing at him with a question in her eyes.
“Unfortunately, the roof isn’t in very good shape. It’s going to need to be completely replaced. I’m actually surprised that it hasn’t leaked yet, but I peeked into the attic while I was upstairs, and I didn’t see any signs of water damage.”
Wrapping her arms around herself, she exhaled lightly as she nodded. “Well, that part’s a relief.”
“The house was in a bit better shape than I expected, but it still needs a lot of work. What I need to know from you is how much you want to repair. Are we talking the roof, plumbing, new floors and paint? Possibly a new porch too, because it’s quickly going the way of the roof. Or do you want everything? Everything I mentioned, plus counters, appliances, whatever it needs to fully update it?”
Biting her lip, she glanced back at the house for a moment before looking at him again. “Can you give me an estimate for both? I’d like to fully repair and update it, but it’s not completely up to me, and if the cost is too high, the others might not agree.”
“Absolutely,” he replied, pulling his phone out of his pocket. “Can I get your contact information? Phone number and email. I’ll work up the estimates and email them, and I’ll call you after so we can discuss it.”
She hesitated the slightest moment before nodding, rattling off her information. He quickly entered it into his phone, satisfaction that had nothing to do with the job filling him. Now, even if she didn’t hire his company, he’d still have a way to contact her.
Finding Faith (Return 0f The Dragons Book 1) Page 5