Chapter Seven
T he soft smell of flowers teased his senses and his hand drifted over something soft and smooth. Curving. Corey’s eyes snapped open and he froze. Dark blonde hair tickled his nose and his brain registered his palm resting on a woman’s bare hip.
He must still be dreaming. Squeezing his eyes shut, he opened them again and blinked a few times, but the sleeping woman didn’t disappear.
What the fuck? He didn’t bring women home.
Ever. And he didn’t remember going anywhere other than Old Glory, but he’d only sat with his friends.
Other than Lottie, he hadn’t talked to a woman.
So where had she come from?
Slowly easing back, he took a moment to study the lovely anomaly in his bed.
She was fully dressed, slumbering peacefully and facing the other direction, so he couldn’t see her face.
He seemed to have slightly less clothing on, though, and he lifted the sheet to confirm he was only wearing his boxer briefs.
He was pretty sure they hadn’t had sex, but who was she? And how had she wound up in his bed?
God, why couldn’t he remember her? Frowning, he reached back in his memories. Forcing himself to leave the cabin…stopping at Old Glory and giving the guys baked goods…not feeling well and falling asleep on the couch…
Easing closer, he breathed deeply. She smelled so good, so feminine.
Like raindrops on roses. God, it had been so long since he’d had a woman.
Other than a handful of hookups over the years, he’d been celibate for a very long time.
When he had gone home with a woman, it was to her place, never his, and simply for sexual release.
Nothing else. It didn’t take him long to realize it was easier to take care of himself and not involve anyone else.
Women expected things. They called, texted, wanted to go out again.
Corey wasn’t in a place where he could give those things to anyone.
Hell, sometimes he couldn’t even get out of bed.
There was no way he could nurture a healthy romantic relationship.
Besides, his desire had lessened because of the guilt and getting older. Or maybe he was just punishing himself.
A soft whine. Corey turned and saw Storm sitting on his side of the bed, staring at him with amber eyes that screamed, “I need to pee, Dad. Right now.”
“Yeah, okay.” He tossed the blankets back and rolled into a sitting position. The room swam a little, but not too badly. Nothing like before, he realized, as everything came rushing back. He’d been sick as a dog.
Moving slowly, he eased out of bed and grabbed a pair of gray sweatpants off a chair. Just as he was sliding them over his hips, the woman rolled onto her back and sighed.
Her eyes fluttered open and, for a moment, she seemed to be trying to figure out where she was. Then she bolted upright, wide-eyed gaze swinging over to him. “You’re up. And, I’m, ah, still in your bed.” Scrambling out from under the covers, she mumbled an awkward apology.
No need to be sorry, sweetheart. Waking up beside her had been a nice change of pace. Even though he had no idea who she was or how she’d wound up in his bed, he was pretty sure it was a highlight he wouldn’t forget any time soon.
“Who are you?” Corey asked, gaze moving down her body, over her light blue top with matching pajama bottoms. The memory of how soft her bare skin had been beneath his hand hit him.
He guessed she was about five foot six, maybe in her late thirties, and she had a killer set of legs. He’d always been a legs man.
Her small bare toes covered in dark blue polish curled into the carpet and she cleared her throat. “I’m Sera.” She hesitated, twisting her fingers together. “I found you lying out in the snow and helped you inside. You were burning up with a fever and were delusional most of the night.”
Great. He could only imagine what his ramblings might’ve been about. It’s a wonder she was still there and hadn’t run off. Although he didn’t remember having any nightmares, which was pretty unusual. He touched his head and squinted. “It’s all a blur. How long was I out?” he wondered.
“About twenty-four hours,” she said. “You were pretty out of it. And your heat is broken, so I built a fire and stayed to, ah, make sure you were alright.”
Storm whined again.
“I have to let him out.” They stared at each other for a moment too long, and he was suddenly scared that if he left and came back, she’d be gone. Like an illusion his lonely mind created.
“Okay,” she whispered.
“Can I at least make you breakfast as a thanks for helping me?”
The prettiest smile curved her lips. “That would be nice. Thank you.”
“Great.” He began to turn then stopped. “I’m Corydon, by the way.”
God, his social skills were practically non-existent. Other than going to Old Glory and hanging with a bunch of grumpy old men, he didn’t get out much. He really had turned into an antisocial mountain man.
“Corydon?” she echoed.
“Yeah, but just call me Corey. And this is Storm.” She nodded, casting the wolf an uneasy look. “Don’t worry, he won’t hurt you.”
“Good to know.”
“I’m going to hop in the shower after I let him out and then see what we’ve got for breakfast.”
“My cat is upstairs in your guest room,” she blurted out. “I have to feed him and wash up, too.”
“Cat?”
“Yeah, I hope that’s okay.”
He glanced at Storm. “It’s fine. Just don’t let him out. I’m not sure how Storm is with cats.”
“Okay, thanks.”
Storm gave a yip and Corey had to drag himself away from her. Something about her intrigued him, and he had a lot of questions running through his mind. Like why the hell had she been out walking in a blizzard with her cat?
◆◆◆
After feeding Loki and spending a little too much time in front of the mirror primping, Sera pulled on a pair of leggings and an oversized sweatshirt. She’d left her wet tennis shoes on the hearth to dry, so she donned a pair of socks.
He was awake. Corey is awake, she corrected herself.
Or, to be more precise, Corydon. She liked his name.
It fit him well. Thinking about those intense, ice-blue eyes of his made her belly tumble.
They were mesmerizing, and she couldn’t stop thinking about how good he looked in nothing but his boxer briefs. Total silver fox.
The smell of coffee and frying bacon made her stomach growl.
From their brief time together, he seemed like a genuinely nice guy.
He woke up to a stranger in his house—in his bed—and took it all in stride.
For all he knew, she could be a thief or up to no good. And he’d offered to make her breakfast.
The last thing she wanted to do was drag him into her mess.
After eating, she probably should leave, even though she had no idea what to do about her car, which was now probably covered in a foot or more of snow.
Maybe he could help her get it out or point her to the nearest garage or tow truck service.
“Be good, little man,” she told Loki and closed the door behind her. Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, she started down the steps.
Corey was in the kitchen cooking away. As she approached, he turned, spatula in hand. Leaning a hip against the counter, he motioned to the island. “Have a seat. I poured you some coffee. Do you want milk or sugar?”
“No, thank you. Black is good.” Climbing onto the stool, she gave him a grateful smile then wrapped her hands around the mug and took a sip. A fire crackled, and the warmth in the room, combined with the delicious smells of breakfast, gave her a cozy feeling.
Don’t get too comfortable, Sera, she warned herself. You’re just passing through.
“So how did you stumble onto my property in the middle of a blizzard?” Corey asked, sounding curious as he scooped scrambled eggs onto two plates. He ambled over and set one down in front of her.
Sera chewed her lower lip, trying to figure out the best way to answer. “Car trouble?” she finally said. It sounded more like a question, and she tried to deflect by picking up her fork and digging in. She took a bite and moaned in delight. “Oh, this is delicious.”
“One of my specialties. Scrambled eggs with bacon and cheese.”
“You like to cook?”
“I do.”
When he didn’t offer any further information, she sent him a smile. “Well, this is divine and you should seriously consider becoming a chef. If you aren’t one already.”
“It’s just a way to pass the time,” he murmured, sounding almost shy. “Back to your car. What kind of trouble? Where is it and how’d you end up here?”
“Oh, I hit a patch of ice and ran off the road. I decided to look for help, got lost and stumbled onto your doorstep.” She tried to keep it vague and, hopefully, believable. Because it was all true, just missing a couple of key details.
“So, it’s currently stuck in the snow somewhere? How far away?”
She nodded, then tilted her head, thinking. “Maybe a fifteen-minute walk?”
“I can help you get it out,” he immediately offered.
“That would be amazing. Thank you. But there’s also the other problem.”
“What other problem?”
“Um, well, I had to keep the heat on and used most of the gas up overnight.” She gave him a sheepish look and reached for her coffee. “And, on top of that, it’s a piece of junk and might not start.”
He was studying her intently and she shifted on the stool. “Then I’ll help you get it to a nearby garage.”
“Thank you. Where am I exactly, anyway?” she asked. “I’ve been driving since San Diego and, at a certain point, the states all start blending together.”
“Cielo Springs, Montana,” he answered. “Smalltown, USA.”
She nodded and took a bite of buttered toast.
“Where are you heading?” he asked, eyeing her closely.
“Canada. To visit my sister,” she quickly added, and he arched a brow. It was the truth, albeit not the entire truth.
“That’s a long drive.”
“Yeah, well, it was a…a spur of the moment decision.” God, she was a terrible actress. Her life had fallen apart, and she was doing her best to act like everything was normal and two bad dudes weren’t trying to hunt her down.
“You said you have a cat upstairs?”
Her cheeks heated up, and she’d never felt like the proverbial cat lady more than she did at that moment. “Loki. I couldn’t—I mean, I didn’t want to leave him… Soooo, yes, I brought him. He’s a good boy. I promise he won’t scratch up your furniture or mark anywhere.”
“No need to explain,” Corey said in a low voice. “I love animals, so I get it.”
They both looked over at the wolf.
“Storm is one of my best friends,” he added quietly.
“Storm is a great name.”
“I found him in the river a few summers ago. He was still a pup and almost drowned, but I got to him just in time. Once he was better, I tried releasing him back into the wild, but he didn’t want to leave.”
Can’t say I blame him. Sera looked from the wolf’s golden gaze to Corey’s electric blue one. Good thing she was already sitting or her legs would’ve given out.
“So, that’s it?” he asked, his tone conversational.
“What do you mean?”
“Just a spur of the moment decision to visit your sister and then your car slid off the road?”
She looked away from his piercing gaze and forked another spoonful of eggs into her mouth. God, it’s like he could see straight into her head and knew she wasn’t telling the full story. “Mmm-hmm.”
He didn’t seem entirely convinced, but she didn’t want to tell him about the men chasing her. It wasn’t his problem. And, besides, she wasn’t used to relying on anyone else for help, especially a man. She was a strong, single woman who figured things out on her own.
Yeah, and look where that got you.
If he helped her get her car to a garage, it would be more than enough. He had a life and she didn’t want to disrupt it. Well, at least not any more than she already had.
Even though he was somewhat older—not that she was any kind of spring chicken herself—he did seem quite competent and strong. Like he could defend her, if it came to that. But why would he? It’d be easier to hand her over, especially if the bad guys came with guns.
Don’t think about that, she chastised herself.
His phone beeped with an alert, and she used the distraction to take their dirty dishes to the sink and start washing them.
“Sera?”
“Yeah?” She glanced over her shoulder to look at him.
“If you tell me the truth, I can try to help you.”
Her brow scrunched. “I told you, I was going to my sister’s and then hit some black ice.”
He slid off the stool and stalked over to her. Turning his phone, he showed her the screen. Two men holding rifles walked through the snowy woods.
She sucked in a sharp breath, her heart pounding harder.
“My perimeter cams picked them up. We’re going to have company in about two minutes, and they don’t look friendly.” He pinned her with glacial eyes. “Are you sure there isn’t anything else I should know?”
She swallowed hard, instantly recognizing the man she’d pepper sprayed in the face at the rest stop. Shitshitshit.