Free Questing Heart: Fighting Heart Erotic Bad Boy Romance Series Book 2 by Nicole Hamilton

decided his best strategy was to make her laugh.
    “So, you like what you see?” said Cody.
    Ashley turned around and squinted as the sun lit her eyes and gave her blonde hair an aura.
    “Tell me what I’m seeing…”
    “The countryside panorama. And me of course.”
    Ashley laughed at that, but Cody saw her restraint.
    “Yeah,” she said moderately. “I like what I see. But I also like who you are, Cody. Not for your writing or your publisher or whatever. I’m glad you’re getting success. That’s cool, but I couldn’t give two shits about that in terms of why I like you.”
    Wow , Cody nodded, taking it in.
    “I like you because you tried to help me for no good reason. You didn’t have a vested interest. You helped me because you saw I needed help with my studies. And you’ve always been honest with me, unlike a few other people I know.”
    Cody smiled, wondering where to go with this, but he went with his feelings in spite of his doubts.
    “So, maybe I did have a secret special interest…” He let the words hang.
    She looked around again and made an indignant face. He saw the smile through it. “Cody Barnes, whatever could you mean?”
    Man, she was good looking when she did the serious face, but with the sparkle of jest in her eyes, she looked stunning. Cody was hooked.
    “Ummm. Maybe you could take a guess.”
    Ashley walked on, picking a stalk of lavender that was pressing though the picket fence of a country garden.
    “Maybe I did take a little guess.”
    “And what did you guess, Ashley?”
    She looked over at Cody, her smile fading. “I guess I was wrong.”
    He took the hit without complaint. “Are you sure you were so wrong Ashley? Look at us. Look where we are. It’s autumn but for us here it’s like we’re walking in golden summer sun in some of the best countryside I’ve ever seen. Doesn’t that tell you anything? I think our surroundings say it all.”
    “Maybe,” she smiled thoughtfully. “Tell me… your book.”
    Cody’s heart rate picked up.
    “How long did it take you to write?”
    “The truth? About ten days. I wrote it like there was no tomorrow. I just couldn’t put my notepad down.”
    “When did you start work on it, Cody?” His heart was going a little faster all the time. She was like a detective pressing on at the moment of truth.
    “Soon after the start of college.”
    She looked at him and flicked her hair back out of her face, tucking it behind her ear. Her sweet face was in profile, looking coy.
    “Do you remember the day you started on it?”
    He nodded and gulped.
    “What prompted you, Cody? What inspired you to write this thing?”
    “You do know what you’re asking me, right Ashley?”
    She tilted her head in a shy little ‘maybe’ gesture. Cody touched her forearm and drew their country walk to a halt. She looked at him.
    “It’s all about you, Ashley. You’re my Seismic Girl.”
    Ashley’s eyes widened. Her lips moved and Cody hoped he saw joy in her eyes, as well as a furrow appear on her brow. She smiled.
    “That’s amazing…” there was a mix of emotions in her voice, and Cody waited, his heart thudding in his ribcage as they started walking again.
    She reached for his hand hand, and her fingers nestled through his, squeezing with gentle pressure. It was as if warm liquid joy was bleeding up his arm from her touch.
    “I’m glad we’re friends, Cody. You don’t know how much it means.”
     
    Not long after a familiar face pulled up in her black Toyota Aygo. Cody recognised the little black car immediately though he tried to make nothing of it.
    “Oh, look, it’s Joanna, my agent.”
    Ashley’s hand let go of Cody in an instant. They walked up to the car as Joanna got out and locked it. Today, Joanna was dressed in a floral summer dress with a wide white belt in the middle. It narrowed her waist and flattered her immensely.
    “I can’t believe how hot it is today! Not for October!” She smiled. She looked at Cody and Ashley