Stand (Southern Heartbeats Vol. 1)

by Jennifer Rebecca

  “Cody, are you alright?”

  “I don’t know,” I tell her. She stands up from her chair and starts walking towards me. “I feel like I need to apologize for the other night.” Her face falls. Shit this isn’t working out.

  “Okay,” she tells me. “You don’t have to apologize. It’s been a long time. I’m out of practice. And well, Joe cheated with slut Erin so, you know. I’m sure he had his reasons,” she tells me as she breaks my fucking heart. She’s babbling. She thinks she doesn’t do it for me and she couldn’t be more wrong.

  “Angel…” I start but she cuts me off.

  “Please don’t call me that. My name is Angie,” she hurries on. “And it’s ok, really. But I’d like to still be friends.” And I fucking snap. I throw the lock on the door.

  “I don’t want to be friends, Angel,” I growl as I stalk towards her. Her face falls but only for a minute. I back her up against her desk, my hips pinning hers roughly. I grab a fist full of her hair and hold her still for my punishing kiss. Friends? No fucking way. Angel. Is. Mine.

  “Cody?” She asks tentatively when I let her mouth go. Kissing her jaw and that place on her neck that makes her lose her mind. For me.

  “I don’t want to be friends, Angel, because you are mine,” I hear her breath hitch as she grabs onto my shoulders. I take her mouth again as I unbutton her jeans, pushing both her pants and her panties down around her ankles. I run my fingers between her legs and she’s wet. Fucking soaked for me. Angel lets out that little mewl that makes me crazy.

  I turn her around to face away from me and guide her down so that she’s folded over, her beautiful chest mashed against her desk. I make quick work, freeing myself from my pants and shorts. I take her lush hips in both hands and plunge inside her. Deep. She turns her head to the side and I see her bite her lip to keep from screaming out as I pump in and out.

  “You’re mine, Angel.”

  “Yes,” she whispers.

  “Say it,” I thrust in again. This time harder. “Say. It,” I command.

  “Yes,” She tells me. “I’m yours.”

  “Damn right,” I tell her as I pick up my pace. I feel her grip my dick so tight. I know she’s getting close. I slide my left palm over her full ass and up her spine, laying it flat between her shoulder blades over her blouse. My right hand wraps around her hip to where her body takes mine and I feel it on my fingertips. I growl over how hot our connection makes me. When my fingers find that spot on her body, I circle it, hard. Not letting up as I thrust harder, faster. She’s so close and thank God, because I am walking a knife’s edge right now over her body.

  “Cody…” She breathes my name and it is the sexiest thing I have ever heard. My angel claws at her desk as she comes. Her face flushing. I pump my hips once, twice before I come. Hard.

  “Angel,” I tell her as I kiss her shoulder before I stand, slipping from her body has never felt more wrong. I tuck myself back in my pants and look down as she’s sprawled over her desk panting. I pull her panties up her legs and then her jeans, dressing her gently.

  When she catches her breath, Angel stands up on shaky legs. Sitting in her chair before she falls. She looks up at me with those big blue eyes, questioning me, everything, what just happened between us. But it’s more. So much more.

  “Cody?” She asks.

  “I made a mistake, Angel,” I watch as her face falls and quickly tip her chin up to look at me, tears shimmering in her eyes. “Not you, baby. Not us. Never us. I got scared and I left you in the middle of the night. Not because you weren’t everything I expected, but because you were so much more.” And in her eyes, I see hope.

  “Okay,” she tells me and I smile before kissing her lips.

  “Okay,” I tell her. I kiss her one more time. “Tonight. Dinner. My place. Pack a bag,” I tell her as I make my way to the door of her office.

  She smiles at me and nods. She’ll be there. In my house. In my bed. All night. I can’t wait. That hope in her eyes is contagious. I can’t help but hope.

  “Oh, and bring your running shoes. Steve loves to run,” I tell her.

  “Running shoes?” She questions. “Steve?”

  “Steve the Pirate, my dog. Loves to run. Oh, and word to the wise, don’t stare at his eye, he hates that,” I tell her. “Until tonight, Angel.” I tap the door jamb twice, my A&M ring clinking against the wood as I do. And then head out the door. I’ve got a lot to do before tonight. It’s time to make a stand.

  Angellica

  To say the rest of the day passed in a blur would be accurate. Once Cody left my office, I had a lot to think about. Cody is definitely keeping me guessing. One minute he’s in it, the next he bails. Only to come back, and then he’s claiming me, and it was hot, now he’s leaving again but with the promise of a date with him and his dog tonight. All the while, I’m sitting here in my office at my new job with dirty panties. And I’m not really sure how I feel about that.

  I meant it when I said it was a slow day. No more students visited me for any reason the rest of the day. I busied myself by making sure the kids in the incoming ninth grade were up to date on their immunizations. What can I say? My life is glamorous. Then I sent an e-mail to the Principal to see if we could offer to inoculate graduating seniors who were going away to college for a whole host of disgusting things they would be exposed to living in dorms. That reminds me, the football coaches teach health class. I should talk to Cody about their Sex Ed classes. I put a pin in the wrap the banana chat for later. Which also reminds me he did not use one in my office, so that talk is probably more urgent than usual.

  By the time the bell rings, I am ready to blow this Popsicle stand. I grab my purse out of the bottom drawer of my desk and head for the parking lot. Since leaving the city and moving to small town Texas, I had to buy a car. Jim, my boss, told me not to get a girly car or I would regret it come the flooding and possible snow, and his wife, Emily, told me as sad as she was to admit it, he was right, so I took my savings down to the car dealership in town and bought myself a cute little Jeep Grand Cherokee. It’s white with gold trim and has all the bells and whistles including, but not limited to four wheel drive, satellite radio, and a GPS that yells at me more often than not. Unfortunately, Aunt Mable borrowed my car to go to the market before her car got here and she changed it to an Englishman who cusses. She laughed a blue streak about it, so I let her keep it. Really, and if you repeat this, I’ll deny it until the day I die, I cannot figure out how to change it back.

  I head home, thankful for the time to clean up and pack a few things. I pull into the drive way and take off for my room like I’m Usain Bolt. Maybe I can run? Shit. Who am I kidding, I am totally going to embarrass myself. I run into my room and toss my work clothes into the hamper on my way into the shower. I might have just set the land speed record for showers when I step out and towel off.

  I already had my long curly hair piled up in a messy bun on top of my head so I will leave it that way for my run with Cody and Steve the Pirate. I throw on gray marbled yoga capris and a gray yoga tank that’s cut low in the back and sides and shows off the built in aqua sports bra. I round the look out with ankle socks and my running shoes, which is a joke. Does this body look like I run? Hell, no! I do yoga, that’s also why I’m so flexible when I need to be, if you know what I mean.

  I run back to my closet and pull out my purple carryon bag, this should be just the right size. I toss in a short red pleated silk skirt with little white flowers all over it and a white sleeveless collared shirt that buttons up the front. I add a skinny gold belt and nude patent leather flats. Panties and a bra because that would be super embarrassing to forget, and super inappropriate because I work with children. I run to the bathroom and grab my toiletries bag out of the cabinet and toss in my toothbrush deodorant, face wash, and makeup bag. Jesus, I need a lot of shit to look good. Shit. I should probably pack pajamas. It’s probably a little presumptuous to sleep naked and that feels a little weird anyway. I run back to
my dresser and grab my favorite night gown. It’s just a white cotton spaghetti strap number with a lace hem, but it’s comfortable, and I think it’s pretty. I grab two extra pairs of panties because Cody is proving to be a wild card. I zip up my bag and head for the door. Aunt Mable is at her showing, so I don’t have any questions to answer.

  I grab my keys and purse from the table by the door and check my phone. Cody has texted me his address, so I plug it into the GPS in my jeep after I stow my bag in the trunk and my purse on the seat next to me.

  Cody lives just outside of town. And when I say just outside of town I mean his long ass driveway is in town but his house, his property, is not. I see how he runs in town all the time. The white horse fencing is gorgeous and goes on for as long as the eye can see. In the distance there is a large yellow farmhouse that is gorgeous. Another white Victorian sits off to the right of the gate, but in the back, visible from the gate, but about five miles back is a log cabin with wrap around porch. That is my destination. I briefly wonder if my boss lives in one of the houses towards the front of the property, but shake the idea off. It will only serve to make me more uncomfortable and awkward.

  I park my jeep next to Cody’s truck and get out, grabbing my purse and palming my keys. When I look up, Cody is standing on the front porch, scowling at a one eyed German shepherd who is so cute he is positively smiling! But why does Cody look so pissed.

  “Hi,” I say shyly. Steve thumps his tail on the porch and Cody scowl deepens.

  “Hi,” he says absent mindedly.

  “Is everything alright?” I hedge.

  “Maybe?”

  “Ummm…” Did he change his mind? Shit. I should go. At least I didn’t pull my overnight bag out of the trunk yet. Then I’d really look like a tool. “Umm, I’ll just go…” I trail off.

  “What?!” Cody looks up at me for the first time since I arrived looking…upset. Steve looks downright murderous…At Cody! “Why would you leave?”

  “Well, you look unhappy. I thought maybe you changed your mind,” I tell him.

  “No. NOOO! Come on in. Wait, where’s your bag?”

  “In the trunk,” I tell him.

  “Let me get that real quick, why don’t you get to know Steve. Remember what I said,” he warns.

  I walk up the three steps to the porch where Steve is sitting, his tail is wagging so hard we could use it to create wind power. And I swear the dog is smiling at me. I hold my hand out, palm up and let him sniff me, get to know me. Before he leans forward, closing his good eye and tips his nose down so that I can pet him.

  “Well, hello, sweet boy,” I coo. “My name is Angie. Thank you for being nice to me. I’ve never been around dogs before, let alone big, strong handsome boys like you.” He wags his tail some more and pants.

  “Unbelievable,” Cody mumbles and I look up confused. “I swear, he barely tolerates me and here you are and he’s all over you.”

  “He is not,” I argue, but Steve’s chin is resting on my shoulder and I am still crouched down in front of him with my arms wrapped around him. I’m dating Cody and I haven’t even kissed him yet, I guess this could be weird. Cody carries my bag into the house and waits for Steve and me to enter.

  “Come on, buddy, let’s go make the grouch happy,” I tell Steve and he chuffs in agreement. Cody just grumbles.

  Cody drops my bag by the stairs and moves to grab Steve’s leash from the hook by the door. I take a minute to look at him, really look at Cody. He’s in running shorts and a Texas A&M t-shirt that is so old and faded it has to be a favorite. The shirt is stretched tight across his back muscles. He seems to fancy the shorty running shorts, and looking at his long muscular legs and firm backside, I can’t say that I disagree. I hear him clear his throat and look up to see him looking over his shoulder at me from where he’s bent over Steve, hooking his leash to his collar.

  “See something you like, Angel?” He asks me, his voice husky.

  “Maybe,” I say shrugging my shoulders, but Cody just throws his head back and laughs. He is so handsome when he laughs. Like little bits of him from before the accident come out. Oh, and I know about the accident, and I know who he is. I would have recognized him anywhere, but the last thing I want to do is bring up painful memories.

  “Alright, let’s do some stretches to warm up,” he tells me. He starts doing calf and quad stretches while I do a quick run through of my favorite yoga moves.

  “Do you run often?” He asks me.

  “Do I look like I run often?” I glare at him.

  “So what do you do to keep in such fantastic shape?” He asks distractedly. I’ve just risen from a downward dog/ upward facing dog movement.

  “Yoga,” I answer, looking at him like he’s suffering from a head trauma. “Obviously.”

  “Hmm?” He asks. Watching me move through sun salutations.

  “Yoga,” I say again. “I do yoga.”

  “So that’s why you’re so bendy,” he says as he swoops in and lifts me off my feet. I land on my back on the couch with Cody on top of me. I squeal as he tickles my sides but my laughter is cut short when his mouth finds mine and he kisses me soundly.

  “We should go run,” I tell him, breathlessly.

  “We don’t need to run tonight,” Cody tells me with all seriousness. Steve growls from the corner.

  “If you want to live to see tomorrow, I suggest we take Steve for his run,” I tell them both. Steve chuffs his approval, Cody scowls. “You’re a big boy, you’ll survive an hour,” I tell Cody as I pat his cheek. He scowls again, I just laugh.

  As it turns out, Steve really loves to run. We jogged about two miles at my slow pace. I urged Cody to do his real run which was a ten mile killer. I’d be dead before dinner if we did that. It was mutually agreed upon by both Steve and Cody that Steve would stay with me for safety reasons. And also he knew his way home in the dark. Something, I did not.

  Steve was happy to go at my slower pace. He ran the whole time with his tail and nose high in the air, the former wagging the whole time. I kind of wanted to wag my tail too. Steve was great company. Maybe I needed a pet.

  Even though Steve and I had a much shorter run than Cody’s death march, at my much slower pace, we still beat him home. Out of shape and gasping for air as we made the final feet of our run. Up the steps where I dropped to the porch and collapsed on my back, arms open wide, legs spread eagle. I think Steve feels for me as I lay there looking like road kill, my face red and sweat pouring off my body, because he groaned his doggie groan as he too, flopped to the porch and rolled over onto his back with his legs in the air and his tongue lolling out to the side of his mouth. My hand stretched out absent mindedly rubbing his belly. And this is how Cody found us when he returned from his run.

  I could hear his footfalls bringing him closer, but I couldn’t bring myself to care. I was fairly sure I died somewhere on that run and my body just didn’t figure it out until we got back to the house.

  “You need to stretch again,” he tells me with his foot on the railing, stretching his own body.

  “Ungh,” is all I can get out. See? Dead. Cody just laughs.

  I feel his strong fingers wrap around my ankle and lift my leg, straight up in the air, pushing my knee as far towards my face as it can go. I’ve been practicing yoga since I was a teen so there is no push back from my muscles and joint. Add to that the fact that all my muscles have quit on me and I have the consistency of over cooked spaghetti, I am very flexible right now. I grab that ankle from him and pull it all the way over my head. I hear him make a strangled sound in the back of his throat but disregard it.

  I let that leg fall back to the ground and Cody wraps his strong hands around my other ankle, lifting it straight up. Once I can reach it myself, I grab that ankle and pull it over my head. I’m so tired, my eyes remain closed the whole time. Once I lower that leg back to the ground, I continue to relax in corpse pose, I could probably fall asleep right here.

  “Get in the house, Angel,�
� Cody growls. My eyes instantly snap open.

  “What?” I whisper.

  “I said, Get. In. The fucking. House,” he ground out between his teeth. “Now.”

  “Cody…” I start. “Did I do something wrong?”

  “Unless you want me to fuck you on the front porch in front of both my parents and my grandparents. Get. In. The fucking. House. Angel.”

  “Oh,” I say, because well, he really paints a picture.

  “Yeah, oh,” he snaps back. And now that I look at him, I see his control crumbling away. So I hold out my hand for him to help my broken body up off the floor of the porch.

  “Okay,” I say softly. Rolling his eyes skyward, Cody mumbles something that resembles curses and counting. But before I can say anything, he grabs my hand to help me up, but once I’m vertical again, he just keeps lifting and lifting until he tosses me over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and into the house we go. Yippee!

  Cody

  I spent my whole run thinking about Angel. Usually, I use my runs to clear my head, but lately, she is always on my mind. This is as concerning as it is fantastic. She’s beautiful, she’s smart, and she’s funny. Hell, even my dog is crazy about her and I’m still not even sure he likes me. I can’t help but feel like I’m falling for her and that seems crazy. I could easily make her mine tomorrow.

  I’m more protective of Angel than I ever thought I could be towards another person. It was like asking me to tear off my own arm when she said she was going to turn around and head back but that I should continue my normal run at my normal pace. I wouldn’t have agreed if she didn’t take Steve with her. He might only have one eye, but he could be a killer if he needed to.

  And what about how Kimmy treated me? She ripped my heart out when I was at my weakest. I never sold her engagement ring. Not because I hoped she would reconsider, but to have a physical reminder of how much a woman can hurt you. How much damage they can do. Can I let Angel in? To give her the chance to crush me? As much as I want to, I’m not sure I can. And even if I do, what will happen when she finds out about the secret I have been keeping from her, because secrets always have a way of coming out of the dark. How will she feel about me then?