Page 39 of Rescued By Midnight

My shoulders ease. Cody has been perfectly polite since Elevatorgate, but I haven’t been able to relax around him. Not when I know what he really thinks.

I gather our silverware, as well as a couple of beers from the fridge.

Landon raises his eyebrows and nods at the bottles. “I don’t think I’ve seen you drink since before you met Brayden.”

“He didn’t really like it, so I stopped.”

Landon nods, but doesn’t comment. I must seem so pathetic to him, with my blind devotion to Brayden’s likes and dislikes. It’s embarrassing. Miserably, I follow him into the living room.

“What do you want to watch?” he asks, turning on the TV.

I consider the question. “Something funny, maybe? If you pick a release from this year, there’s a very high chance I haven’t seen it.”

He chuckles and selects what looks to be a wacky rom-com. “Unfortunately true.”

We settle into opposite ends of the couch. The turkey and peppers are delicious, served over rice noodles. I sip my beer, but it makes me sleepy.

Next thing I know, I’m waking up with my head in Landon’s lap. The movie must have ended, because scenes from a nature documentary fill the screen. Sea lions arrow through brilliant blue water, chasing schools of fish.

Landon’s hand is resting on my waist. I feel every point of contact of his palm and fingers. I think I could be dead and I’d still feel his hand here, tattooed against my skin for eternity.

And my head is on his leg. Inches from his crotch.

“Crap, I’m sorry—” I start to sit up, mortified.

“Stay.” He runs his hand over my waist and hip. He probably means it to be soothing, but it only turns me on. “You’re comfortable, and so am I.”

On the screen, a fawn stands up for the first time and nurses from its mother. My own belly is full and content, and my eyelids grow heavy despite my arousal, so I allow them to close once more.

CODY - NOW

Charmaine gives me a skeptical look. “So she isn’t staying with her husband?”

“No. He’s an asshole.”

“And she’s living in your apartment.”

“Yes.”

“And you guys aren’t…”

“No, we aren’t fucking her. Goddamn, sis. Not that it’s any of your business.”

“She was held in captivity for thirteen months. I’m worried about her.” She stabs at her baked potato.

“You don’t need to worry. We’re taking care of her.”

She snorts. “I bet you are. Why don’t you send her to my place instead? I have an extra room, and I won’t unwittingly seduce her.”

Ever since our parents died, Charmaine has had this need to protect others, to nurture them. She and her asshole ex never got around to having kids, thank fuck because he was an epic asshole, but Charmaine would be a great mother if she ever took that step.

Currently, she’s getting that need fulfilled by mothering everyone at Midnight Intelligence. She’s either bringing in home-baked muffins loaded with flax seed, or recommending a physical therapist to Sarai for her tweaked ankle, or quietly counseling Alexei on how to ask out Jordan, or stocking the fridge with bottles of vegetable juice.

My sister could probably use a hobby, but the thing is, everyone loves her. She wouldn’t meddle where it isn’t wanted…except with me.

“Honestly.” She finishes chewing her bite, and her blue eyes hit me with a directness I don’t want or need right now. “Honestly, how do you feel about her now? I know she kind of broke you when she married that other guy?—”

“Broke me? She didn’t break me.”