Chapter 36

The late afternoon sun streams through the library windows casting the space in a warm, golden hue. Tables are packed with students busy cramming for finals. That's exactly what I'm doing here. I've been living on a Red Bull and Twizzler diet all week as I try to cram any last-minute information into my brain. The baseball team has had two back-to-back away series, which hasn't allowed much time for final exam preparation.

Do I feel overwhelmed? Yes.

Am I panicking? A little.

Do I want this week to be over? Hell, yes.

It's been a week since Cody and I reunited. Well, we weren't really separated. Both of us just needed space to work our shit out. I knew deep down I was being a child by not giving him a chance to explain, but I needed to work out my childhood trauma.

Dad drove up one evening, and I told him everything about Camilla. It was hard for him to hear that she moved on and found a family of her own. Both of us have the overwhelming feeling of not being good enough. But he reassured me that there was nothing wrong with me. That Camilla's issues are solely on her. She decided to ignore the best person in the world—his words, not mine—and that's something she's going to have to live with for the rest of her life. With a big parting hug, my dad told me he'd see me soon as he departed for three months in Arizona where he'll be overseeing the completion of his new restaurant while getting it up and running.

While I was sorting through my trauma, Cody was busy working on his. He's officially cut ties with his dad. It wasn't an easy decision, but after a long conversation with his sister, one in which Leah assured Cody she could handle whatever came her way. Cody decided to block his dad's number.

It's like a weight was lifted from his shoulders. He's walking around with a lighter air. I think he's grown to love the game again. No longer does he carry the weight of waiting for the other shoe to drop. Now baseball can be his only focus.

Grabbing my planner from my book bag, a piece of paper falls out. Reaching down, I pick it up and flip it over. I smile at the words on the page.

There's no doubt in my mind that my favorite florist helped spruce up his words. And her little note on the bottom of the card was the perfect touch.

Wildflower,

The sun shines brighter with you in my life. I'm lost without you. Since the day I met you, I knew you were it for me. My world is trapped in your orbit, and it spins in chaos when you're not around. You're more than enough for me. You're my everything. I love you.

-Cody

PS-Put the boy out of his misery. Life's too short. Don't let love pass you by, sweet girl.

"Hey, Wildflower," Cody whispers in my ear, kissing my forehead.

I lean into him for a second, savoring his warmth. "Hey, babe. How was your exam?"

"Not bad," he says, dropping down into the empty chair next to me. "What time is your final?"

Hitting my phone screen, I check the time. "In an hour. I think I'm ready."

"I'd say." He laughs, reaching his arm around my shoulders. "You've been here for days, and you're starting to shake from all the energy drinks."

"Lattes weren't cutting it." My body involuntarily twitches. Maybe I've had too much caffeine. "I want to sleep for a week straight."

"You're lucky we're off all weekend. And we'll have the townhouse to ourselves since Brynn will be in Kansas City with Quinton."

This weekend is the NFL draft, the biggest weekend for college football players looking to play at the next level. Brynn finished her finals early so she could be with Quinton. We're all excited for Q as experts have predicted he'll go in the top five of the first round.

"Speaking of Q," Cody says, leaning in closer and kissing my neck. I blush because we aren't alone in the library, and I am still not one for PDA. "He needs me to do him a solid. Can I borrow your keys?"

I eye him skeptically. "Um, yeah, that's fine."

Pulling out my keys from my bag, I hand them over. Q must have some kind of surprise planned for Brynn, but I can't figure out why he wouldn't have asked me himself. Whatever.

"Thanks, babe. Good luck with your final." Cody stands, planting another kiss on my lips before he walks away.

"Hey," I hiss, trying not to disturb others. "How will I get back in?"

"I'll just wait for you." He smiles, making a heart gesture with his hands, and my heart melts.

I love him.

Three hours later I'm finally climbing the stairs to the front door. I'm exhausted. My brain feels like mush. I think my kidneys are failing from all of the caffeine. I just want to climb into the biggest pair of sweatpants I have and watch a movie.

I can tell from the windows that the lights are off, and I'm hoping Cody remembered he has my keys, and there's no way I can get in if he locked up and left. Pushing open the front door, I'm greeted with candles lit on the entryway table.

"Cody!" I call out, putting my bag on the hook and taking off my shoes.

I start toward the kitchen but catch movement out of the corner of my eyes. Cody walks into the front entryway from the living room. Athletic shorts hang off his slender hips, a CTU shirt stretches tight across his chest, and his CTU hat is on backward. But it's what he's holding that has me pausing.

"What's that?" I ask, closing the gap between us.

His famous smirk quirks the corner of his lips. "A DVD player. I thought we could watch a movie together."

Tilting my head to the side, I gaze up at him. "You know I have Netflix, right?"

"I know." He shrugs, stepping even closer until there's barely enough space for him to hold the DVD player between us. He peers down at me, a boyish grin appearing almost as if he's nervous for my response. "But I thought we could watch it on this. It reminds me of the time I came over and almost kissed you."

"During the ice storm," I whisper. "I knew you were going to kiss me."

"Well of course I was going to kiss you. Seriously, Chloe, you read romance books as a hobby. It was the perfect opportunity."

Leaning up on my toes, I wrap an arm around his neck, pulling him down to me. Our lips meet as I gently nip his bottom lip before pulling away. "Brynn said the same thing. I think her words were more like we should use each other to keep warm."

"I knew she was a good wingwoman." His laugh vibrates his chest as the two of us separate. He takes my hand and leads me into the kitchen, which only has candles lighting the room.

On the counter sits a pizza box, a bowl of salad, what looks like lemon bars, and paper plates. Dropping my hand, he heads to the fridge. Popping the door open, he reaches inside and pulls out a can of hard seltzer. "You've really made yourself at home while I was gone."

"Only the best for my girl." Setting the cans of hard seltzer down, he gestures for me to step around the island. "Fill your plate, babe."

Lifting the pizza lid, I smile down at the pepperoni and pineapple pie. Cody Jacobs left nothing out of his plans for tonight. If I didn't love him already, I would now.

"Thank you for doing this."

Wrapping his arms around my waist, he slides his chest against my back before trailing kisses up my neck. "I love you."

"I love you too," I say, tilting my neck so he can get a better angle. With one last hard nip, he backs away, leaving me a wet, needy mess. "Forget the pizza, let's go make out."

He chuckles. "There'll be plenty of time for that."

"Oops, I didn't mean to say that out loud."

Cody spins me until my back is pressed against the counter as his front presses into me. I can feel his hard length against my stomach. I'm glad I'm not the only one who's worked up.

"I think you did mean to say it. I think my sweet, shy, quiet girl wants to be loud and demanding about what she wants."

I hum at his words because yes, yes I do. Cody Jacobs turns me into a sexual deviant. Years I've gone without sex, but he makes me never want to go without it again.

Placing my plate on the counter, I look up at him. His darkened eyes find mine as I lower to the ground, taking his pants down with me.

"Fuck. I'll never get tired of seeing you on your knees."

Releasing his hard length from his boxers, I watch as it bobs in front of my face. Licking my lips, I take in all of him. And I mean all of him. I've never been one to think dicks look good, but Cody's cock is gorgeous. It's long and thick, veiny in all the right places.

Leaning forward, I flatten my tongue, running it from root to tip. Cody lets out a groan of approval, which only fuels me. Licking around the tip like it's my favorite flavor of lollipop, I lap at the bead of moisture on his tip before I swallow him whole. He hits the back of my throat, and I let out a small gag. I get in a rhythm of working him with my hand as I bob my head.

"Fuck, Wildflower. I love the way you suck my cock. Such a good girl. So needy for me." I hum around his shaft at his praise. Never would have guessed I was such a ho for the praise, but damn does it light up my insides. My mouth moves higher up his cock until my lips are wrapped around his tip while my hand circles his thick shaft.

Cody groans deep in his chest, and I feel the vibration run through his body. My head bobs faster to keep up with the pace of my hand that is working him. "Damn, baby. Keep sucking me like that, and I'm going to come quick."

Sitting backward, I let his dick slide out of my mouth with a pop. Looking up at him with a devilish smirk, I tell him what I want him to do. "So, fuck my face, and then you can fuck me."

"Who are you, and what have you done with my sweet Wildflower?" he says as I suck him deeper, swallowing around his tip. I feel the sharp tug as his grip tightens around my hair causing tears to form in my eyes.

His hips thrust harder, faster, as he uses my mouth to seek out his release. With one deep-throated suck, Cody is spilling his hot cum, and it slides down my throat. I moan as the saltiness hits my tongue, and my head continues bobbing until I've milked every last drop.

"Fuck." His words drawl out in a raspy tone as I let his cock slide out from between my lips. Leaning back on my knees, I wipe the corner of my lips with my thumb.

"Mmm, my favorite appetizer."

Reaching down, Cody helps me to my feet before his hand cups the nape of my neck as he pulls my mouth to him. His tongue plunges inside my mouth as he flicks my tongue. Within minutes, his dick is hard again and pressing against me.

His hands slide down my back as he trails kissing down my neck. Grabbing the backs of my thighs, he lifts me in the air before he's moving. Gently, he lays me down on the counter.

I'm so worked up, he could blow on my clit, and I'd come from that alone.

His fingers grab a hold of the waistband of my leggings as he peels them down my legs, taking my panties with him.

"Damn, baby, I can see how wet you are from here." A sly grin spreads across his face before he reaches behind him and pulls his shirt over his head as he drops to his knees. A soft sigh escapes me as I look down at my favorite set of hazel eyes. "I plan on being a messy eater."

Oh for fuck's sake.

He blows on my throbbing clit, and I let out a deep moan. A fire sets off at the base of my spine. "Greedy, girl."

"Cody, I'm so close."

As if those were the words he was waiting for, his mouth closes over my pussy as a full-body shiver erupts over me. Cody laps up my arousal like I'm his favorite meal. He's starving for me. A man obsessed who's stumbled across his favorite feast. With his hands behind my knees, he pulls me closer to the edge before he's pushing my legs further apart.

He shifts his mouth to my clit, sucking the swollen bud between his lips. His teeth bite down on the sensitive button as his fingers dive into my throbbing pussy. I can feel my orgasm coil in the pit of my stomach.

"I'm so close. God, Cody," I scream out his name.

His fingers work me as he pushes them in and out. "That's it, baby, scream out my name. Let the neighbors know who's tongue fucking you tonight."

I moan deeper, feeling it vibrate through my body as I curl my toes. "That's it, baby. Let go. Drown me in your pussy, like a good girl."

My legs close around his ears, trapping him where I want him, as my fingers pull his dark hair. In mere seconds, I am screaming through my orgasm.

Cody never lets up. He keeps pumping his fingers rough and hard through my throbbing pussy before biting down on my already sensitive clit as I ride out the waves of my orgasm.

Chest heaving, I watch as he pops to his feet, bending down to grab his wallet from his abandoned shorts. Pulling out a foil packet, he rips it open with his teeth before sliding the rubber down his thick, hard cock. The sight alone had my orgasm building again.

"Hop down and turn over." His voice demands, and I do exactly that. I rest my shirt-covered chest against the counter where I am bent over, legs spread, exposing my wet and needy pussy.

I feel his heat from behind as his dick notches at my sensitive entrance. His hands skim up my thighs, over my ass where he kneads my cheeks in his hands, before climbing higher up my back. He takes my shirt with him before he's lifting it over my head. His fingers flick the clasp of my bra where I slump forward, letting the lace material slide down my arms.

"That's better. You had too many clothes on," Cody says, as he's pushing my back down. The coolness from the counter bites into my skin causing goose bumps to break free. Leaning forward, I feel his lips graze my skin. "I love you."

"I love yo—" My words are cut off as Cody thrusts inside of me, causing me to lose my breath before a loud moan ricochets off the walls. He slams inside of me without giving me a chance to adjust to his size. But the slight burning sensation only helps build the pleasure. "Cody!"

"That's it, baby." He begins pounding into me from behind. His hips hit my ass as my hips hit the edge of the counter. I whimper at the first contact, and Cody's hands immediately rest on my hip bones, protecting me from the counter. I arch my back as I try to get him deeper. Cody understands the assignment and starts fucking me without abandon. He pumps into me faster and faster, both of us on the brink of another orgasm.

"Be a good girl and touch yourself for me."

Sliding my hand down my stomach, I find the sensitive flesh swollen and throbbing. I rub in tight circles as Cody fucks me from behind. "I'm so close."

"Me too," he grits the words between his teeth. One of his hands leaves my hips and finds my nipple. Pulling and tweaking with the mixture of everything else happening, my senses overwhelm. My vision starts to darken with every tug on my nipple and circle of my clit.

Another orgasm rips through me, and I feel my pussy grip his cock as he pulsates inside of me, spilling his cum in the condom.

When I come back down, it's with Cody's forehead resting against my back. Chest heaving as both of us are completely spent.

"That's one way to work off post-finals stress," I say, spinning around and trying to catch my breath.

He slides out of me and walks over to the trash can where he discards the used condom. Erasing the gap between us, he grabs my face in both of his hands before stealing another kiss. "I fucking love you."

"I love you, too. Now can we eat? I'm starving." Bending down, I grab my discarded panties and pull them up my legs before tossing on his shirt. I grab us both plates of cold pizza while Cody swaps out the room-temperature seltzers.

We make our way into the living room where Cody has more candles lit. He quickly hooks up the DVD player while I settle into the couch.

The opening credit of Neighbors fills the screen. I smile over at Cody as he takes a large bite of pizza. His eyes find mine as a smile spreads across his face.

I love how he can make the simplest things feel like the most romantic. Neither one of us needs glitz and glamour. We just need each other.

In the midst of all the chaos this semester has brought up, one thing is for certain, I never would have gotten to this point without the change up that I thought was ruining my life.

Cody Jacobs is the change up I never saw coming.