With her rigid back to him, Cody was able to observe her at his leisure. Her snug, faded jeans fit her cute little butt like a glove. That much hadn’t changed, he noted with satisfaction. With every stretch, the cropped T-shirt she wore kept riding up to bare an intriguing inch or so of a midriff so perfect that it could make a man weep. Her long dark hair with its shimmering red highlights had been scooped up in a saucy ponytail that made her look a dozen years younger than the twenty-seven he knew she was.

And, to his very sincere regret, she made him every bit as hard now as she had as a teenager. He squirmed in a wasted effort to get more comfortable on the vinyl-covered stool.

When she finally turned back, she plunked his milk shake onto the counter with such force half of it sloshed out of the tall glass. Apparently she wasn’t entirely immune to him, either, and she wasn’t one bit happier about the discovery.

She grabbed up a dishrag and began scrubbing the opposite side of the counter, her back to him. Given the energy she devoted to the task, the surface was either very dirty or she was avoiding him.

“So, how’ve you been?” Cody inquired, managing the nonchalant tone with supreme effort.

“Fine,” she said tersely, not even glancing around.

He frowned. Why the hell was she acting like the injured party here? She was the one who’d cheated on him. Getting her to meet him halfway became an irresistible challenge.

“How are you, Cody? It’s been a long time,” he coached.

She turned and glared. “Why are you here?” she demanded instead.

He could have shot back a glib retort, but he didn’t. He actually gave the question some thought. He considered the teasing he’d gotten from Jordan and Luke. He considered his own undeniable curiosity. He even considered the size of his ego, which had found being cheated on damned hard to take. The bottom line was, he had no idea what had drawn him across the street and into the drugstore.

“I don’t know,” he finally admitted.

Apparently it was the right answer because her lush, kissable mouth curved into a smile for the first time since she’d spotted him at the counter.

“You mean to tell me that there’s something that actually stymies the brilliant, confident Cody Adams?”

He nodded slowly. “It surprises the dickens out of me, too.”

She leaned back against the counter, her elbows propped behind her. It was a stance that drew attention to her figure, though Cody doubted she was aware of it.

“You planning on sticking around?” she asked.