Read Online Vengeful Heart: Fighting Heart Erotic Bad Boy Romance Series Book 3 by Nicole Hamilton - Free Book Online

speak to someone a moment.” They stepped with him. “ In private.”
    He stopped waiting and looked around at the girls.
    “Okay,” said one.
    “Sure,” said another and they stayed where they were while Cody moved beyond them.
    Amanda stayed put, but as Cody moved closer I looked around. I saw the curiosity on her face.
    “Wait over there, my protector. Rest assured, if there is gossip I will share it with you.”
    “You get all the fun. Not fair,” said Amanda, then she walked away.
     
    Cody joined me and took a long deep sighing breath of relief. Up close he looked stressed.
    “What are you drinking?” he said.
    “Latte. You?”
    “Cappuccino.”
    “Nice.”
    “Yeah. How come you’re hanging with the ice queen?” said Cody.
    “Really? Well I don’t know if you’ve tuned into Gossip FM lately but it turns out that actually I am the ice queen. The whole student body is talking about it. Apparently I grabbed hold of Brandon and took him to the cleaners for my college fees, and as soon as I had my wicked way with him I dumped him for you because you look a better bet.”
    “Seriously?”
    “Absolutely. And you want to know what the worst part is?”
    “What?”
    “The next part. They say I dumped you. I left you hanging in York and went back to Brandon.”
    Cody looked away. “They got one part right then.”
    “Hey!” I said. Cody didn’t give me a chance to complain.
    “I’m sorry to break it to you, Ashley,” he said “but the gossips have struck again. So, is it true?”
    I looked at him, reading his eyes. Gossip FM had been on overdrive.
    “Just you hang on, Cody. I’ve got to ask you the same question.”
    The three puppy dogs lingered behind Cody. I peered around his shoulder and looked at them each in turn. “Mr Barnes, can you please ask your fan club to congregate elsewhere.”
    Cody turned to face his adoring public. “Can you please give me a minute? Please?”
    The girls moved away, the oldest one tutting like a teenager.
    “Stardom treating you well, Cody?”
    “I’m not a star. These girls are just early adopters. Some people love celebrity, but they don’t give a shit what people are famous for. That’s the culture these days.”
    “Fame is making you cynical.”
    “No. Life is making me cynical, getting published is making me realistic, Ash. What was your question?”
    I looked at him, sad that we were so close to arguing, when all I really wanted to do was embrace Cody and kiss him and get embraced right back. I missed this guy so much, his touch, and his naked body next to mine. But it seemed there was a wall of fire between us and I couldn’t put it out. I asked my question.
    “Are you getting married to Joanna Laws?”
    Cody made a screwy face and looked skyward. “Are you crazy? Now who has been listening to the rumour mill? No way. That was a just a left field guess posted in some goofy tweet by a book review blogger chick who was in York. She could have just as easily said that you and I were getting married…” His last words hung between us like a big lazy helium balloon. I didn’t want it to float away. And then it did.
    “But after you came back here, I couldn’t let you hurt me any further Ashley. My face is still a mess from that psychopath. I was there for you, Ashley, but you walked away.”
    “Cody…” I searched for the heat seeking missile, the right combination of true words which would hit home and make him see that I had no choice. “Cody… please, you’ve got to hear me. He said he was going to break you unless I went with him. He said he was going to go after my family too. My family, Cody.”
    Cody slapped a hand across his forehead and pulled it down his face. “And you went back with him after he said that?! ”
    “I wasn’t thinking straight, Cody. I just wanted to play for time until I knew what to do. I wanted to spare you and my family more pain. Honestly.  He thinks I’m still his prisoner, Cody. But I promise you,