Heart Song Anthology by Carolyn Faulkner (summer reads txt) 📗

wonders, Cody put his arms around me, pulled me close, then he kissed me and it was absolutely perfect. He kissed me again and I actually moaned. His kiss tasted of all things wonderful and good. It was a kiss that I’d waited for so long. I was in Heaven. “Is this really happening?” I asked, my finger tracing his lips as I gazed into his beautiful eyes; I love Cody’s brown eyes.

“Oh yeah! This is really happening.” He pulled me over to the sofa, sat down, and then carefully sat me on his lap. I won’t lie to you; sitting was pretty darn uncomfortable, but snuggling in Cody’s arms was worth a bit of discomfort. He kissed me again, and then gently rested my head on his shoulder. “I had no idea you had feelings for me, Jenn.”

“Why do you think I offered to work so many extra hours?” I asked, giggling. “I do love my job, but didn’t you ever wonder why I didn’t have much of a social life? Being with you at work was the only way I could see you.”

“And I did the opposite; went out with other women to try and keep from making a fool of myself over you,” Cody told me, surprising me by the admission. “None of them were like you, and each and every time I broke it off. This last time was the worst. Alyssa had her own motives for wanting a relationship; it didn’t take me long to figure it out, either. I accused her of using me, and she told me that I was using her too. She said she saw how I looked at you and I should stop trying to find someone else when you were the one I had eyes for.”

“So, why didn’t you let me know how you feel?”

“How would it look if I broke my own rules about relationships at work? And, I didn’t want to make you feel threatened in any way. If I’d known how you felt, I wouldn’t have spent so many sleepless nights,” he told me, patting my back.

“So where do we go from here?” I asked, feeling very safe with his arms wrapped around me.

“We go forward, Jenn, if that is what you want.”

“I want,” I whispered, then kissed him tenderly. He loves me.

Cody and I were both extremely tired the next day at work; he was extra picky with the food, and I was giddy and happy. We sat up talking until five in the morning before he left. We decided to keep our secret for the time being, not sure how the others at work would react to the news. Every time we glanced at each other, which was often, we shared a smile. Reed was planning to work that night, so Cody and I knew we would get out early. I invited him to come and have dinner at my apartment and he couldn’t accept fast enough.

I dressed in something cute – and not white! – and put on a dab of perfume. I made sure to cook something that I knew Cody preferred, and last, but not least, I made sure there was plenty of soft padding on the seat of my chair. It had been painful to sit on my bottom to drive myself to and from work, and I didn’t sit down when I took my break that afternoon. Cody was busy all day and he didn’t notice my predicament. Still, I didn’t want the evening spoiled by squirming on my sore tush. I knew for an absolute fact that I would never ever lie about anything ever again. The price was simply too high.

The doorbell finally rang and I ran to answer the summons, anxious to see Cody. “Come in!” I welcomed him, enjoying the sight of Cody dressed in something besides the clothes we wore to work. I stood on tiptoe to kiss him and smiled when he handed me flowers. “These are lovely, Cody. Thank you!” I couldn’t recall the last time someone had given me flowers, and Cody also had a bottle of wine.

“I hope this goes with dinner, and if my nose is working properly, I would say it will be a perfect match.” His eyes were twinkling and he looked as happy as I felt. “You look great, Jenny. You always look lovely, but it is nice to see you wearing a dress and heels, and green is definitely your color.”

“Thank you, Cody. I love your blue sweater too.”

“Maybe I should buy some different chef coats for work? White is boring after a while,” he admitted.

“Yeah, right! Like that is going to happen, Chef Cody!” I teased him. “White is professional; it gives the appearance of an immaculately clean kitchen. No other color does that.” I mimicked his deep voice, and was rewarded when he chuckled.

“As long as I get to see you after work wearing something pretty, I can live with white at work.” He sniffed again and moved on into the apartment. “What smells so wonderful? Lasagna?” he asked hopefully.

“Yes, sir. One of the advantages of working with my boss is knowing his food preferences.”

“Is there anything I can help you with, Jenn?” he offered.

“I am working on a salad if you’d like to come and keep me company. The corkscrew is in the drawer beside the fridge.”

Cody expertly opened the wine while I put the last touches on the salad dressing. I carried the large bowl to the table, which was already set for two with my nicest dishes. I took the bubbling lasagna out of the oven to cool and then invited Cody to come and have a seat. He carried the bottle of wine to the table and poured wine into our glasses. He then pulled out my seat and started chuckling. “Do you think you have enough pillows on this seat, Jenn?”

“I want to be comfortable, Cody. I bruise easy, and I’m terribly sore.” I was telling