Now to figure out how to stop.
Chapter Thirteen
Brody
Fuck this girl and her preset notions.
I held the door for her before grabbing a beer and walked back out to the patio. Clay and Emily followed me out, and I was grateful to see the door close behind them. While Cora was exactly the type of woman I wanted to press to the bed beneath me, she was quickly turning me off with her pissy, “better than you” attitude.
"Let's get the grill fired up and we can put the brats out here." I glanced over at Emily. "Did you guys want me to put anything else on here will I'm at it?"
"Yeah. I think we got…”
"Corn and hot dogs." Cindy walked out and gave me a warm smile. "I can't believe you got The Notebook. It's my favorite, though I swear I never make it past the first scene."
I laughed and nodded. "Exactly. It's a make-out movie, right?"
"Totally." She moved up beside and helped lay everything out on the grill before glancing over her shoulder. "Hey, I'm sorry about Cora."
"What? What about Cora?" I didn't turn my attention on her. I couldn't.
"She's gone through some rough shit this last semester. Her boyfriend of two years was cheating on her and had been for the whole two years. She's just incredibly sensitive right now." Cindy closed the grill, and I turned as Emily started talking.
"She's a really great girl. The best." Emily smiled and moved into Clay's lap, leaving me needy for someone to reach out and show me a bit of attention. Not someone: Cora.
"I'm sure she is." I shrugged and took the beer that Cindy offered me. "I don't want to cause any trouble, but I am who I am."
"And, we love you that way, buddy." Clay lifted his beer. "You make us feel better about ourselves."
I laughed. "Jerk."
"Only with you can I be myself." Clay wrapped an arm around Emily before pulling her down for a long, passionate kiss. I turned my attention to Cindy and shook my head.
"These kids nowadays." I followed her back into the house, not at all thrilled to see Cora laughing at something Daniel was saying. Maybe he was a better match for her mentally. Physically, it was 100 percent me, but maybe she was too broken to do anything but seek out the weakest link. Cool. I could deal with that.
"You're too funny." Cindy glanced over her shoulder. "Did Derek tell you I made a new dessert for you guys?"
Derek piped up. "For me, girl. For me."
"For all of us." I picked up a pillow on the couch and tossed it across the room to him.
"For all of you." She smiled and turned her attention on Derek. "You want a beer?"
"A pretty redh
ead who can dance, cook, and offers to get me a beer?" Derek let out a long dramatic sigh and let his head fall back. "Marry me, Cindy."
"I need to make sure you're good in bed first, but if so...then yes." She giggled and walked toward the kitchen as a genuine smile lifted my lips. I turned to follow her as Derek continued to sing the girl's praises.
Cora glanced over at me from the kitchen table, but I ignored her. She was damaged goods. Better let Daniel handle her, instead. He was the sensitive type of guy.
I would hang out for a little while and then be on my way. There was no need to stand around in hopes of something that wasn't going to happen.
"You know," Cindy turned from the counter where she was working on uncovering a bowl of dip. "If you work on being friends rather than trying to get her in bed, it might work."
"I don't need it to work, but thanks." I kept my voice soft and friendly, even though I felt the exact opposite. I wasn't a lovesick fool with my eyes on one woman. I was interested in the sexy brunette at the kitchen table for a few hours of sweaty fun. Nothing else. Obviously, I was giving off the wrong vibe to everyone, seeing that they were all handing out advice or teasing the hell out of me over her.
"I'm sure you don't, but we have the rest of the summer, and if I was going to go after anyone on this whole lake, it would be Cora." Cindy shrugged. "She's the full deal. Smart, beautiful, sexy, funny, daring, strong, and the best friend we all have."