Chapter Twelve
I f she didn’t know better, Sera would say Corey was hitting on her. It had been a long time since anyone had bothered to flirt with her, but he was saying all the right things, and her heart was beating madly in her chest.
At some point, he’d moved closer. She pushed off the counter, and they stood so close, and all he had to do was lean down. When his attention dropped to her lips, she parted them slightly, inviting him to kiss her. But then the damn oven buzzer went off and they jumped apart.
Disappointment flooded her until he turned, bent over and pulled the bread out of the oven. She couldn’t help but stare at his absolutely delectable-looking ass again. Wow. Talk about droolworthy.
“Looks like the spaghetti is done, too,” he announced, moving over to the stove, and flipping the burner off.
Sera took a long sip of her wine. “Salad, too.”
They carried everything over to the table, sat down and dug in.
“This is delicious,” she said between bites.
“And you said you couldn’t cook,” he teased.
“You did most of it.”
He smiled. “It’s a delicious salad. Best I’ve ever had.”
She laughed. “Well, I’m glad you like how I washed the lettuce and artfully cut the tomatoes.”
“Don’t forget the croutons. It gives it that little extra something.”
“The best part is your homemade vinaigrette.”
“I think the best part is your company, Sera.”
She froze, the glass of wine halfway to her lips. “That might be one of the nicest things anyone’s ever said to me,” she admitted in a soft voice. “I don’t really date a lot or go out much anymore. Or, at all really.”
“Me neither,” he said in a gruff voice.
For a moment, neither of them said anything more. As though they understood each other on a deeper level. A strangely comfortable feeling was developing between them, and she didn’t want to ruin the moment with more words.
They ate with a sprinkling of conversation, but it was natural, and she enjoyed learning more about him.
“How did you end up living on a mountain in Cielo Springs?” she asked, finishing up her wine.
“After separating from the military, I wanted somewhere quiet,” he began carefully. “I was dealing with some bad things and I wanted to hide away, if that makes sense.”
“Perfect sense.” If only he knew how much his words resonated.
He pushed his plate to the side and toyed with the edge of his napkin. “Wes followed me because he thought I might do something stupid.”
“Stupid?” She didn’t like the sound of that.
“PTSD is a bitch, but I never wanted to hurt myself—physically, at least. I figured the best way to punish myself was to keep living with the guilt. Hiding away up here, forging blades, chopping wood, doing puzzles and cooking helped keep my mind sharp and occupied. Murph would drag me out to Old Glory and that’s how we met the other guys. ”
She wondered why he would want to punish himself, but she didn’t feel comfortable asking. “They seem like a good group.”
“I love them like brothers, but sometimes the guilt becomes too much, and I pull away. I know they worry, but when things get bad, it’s best to just let me work through my shit on my own terms. When I found Storm a couple of years ago, he gave me a reason to keep pushing through.”
“Your bond with him is incredible.”
“He’s the only thing that seems to give me a bit of peace when nothing else does.”
Her heart clenched as his words hit home. Hard. “Same with Loki,” she whispered. “He makes things better. More manageable.”
For a moment, neither said a word. They were so in tune with each other. It felt weird…and right.
“What about your family?” she asked quietly.
“My parents passed years ago.”
Another connection. “Mine, too. Mom died from cancer and then Dad passed a few months later. He missed her so much, and I think he wanted to be with her. Now it’s just me and my sister, Melanie. But ever since she moved with her husband to Canada, it isn’t the same.”
“I’m sorry.” He studied her intently. “So, nothing tying you to San Diego?” he asked casually.
“Well, I think it’s safe to say I won’t be working at J&J Shipping any longer. No big loss.”
“You didn’t like your job there?”
“Not compared to what I used to do.” He raised a questioning brow. “Before returning home when my mom got sick, I used to be a travel blogger.”
“Really?”
She nodded. “I went all over the world in my twenties and thirties and wrote about my adventures—from the Gold Coast of Australia to the jungles of Cambodia. I had a pretty decent presence on social media and some very dedicated followers. I figured if the Millennials could do it then so could I.”
“That’s amazing. If you don’t mind my asking, how did you afford to do that?”
“Mostly from advertising. My biggest income streams were affiliate marketing, ads and sponsored posts.”
“Sounds like you were living the dream.”
“For a while, I suppose. But—” Her voice trailed off.
“But what?”
“Looking back, I think it would’ve been nice to have someone to share all those moments with.”
“There’s no one special waiting for you back in San Diego?” he asked carefully.
“It’s just me and Loki.”
“Your cat,” he murmured, looking slightly relieved. “I still need to meet him.”
“He’ll appreciate all the treats you bought him.” He’d bought three bags of kitty treats at the store for Loki which, of course, scored him major points in her book.
“I hope so.” He sat back in his chair, setting his napkin aside. “Did you save room for that dessert?”
Truthfully, she was stuffed, but she wanted him to teach her how to make it. “Let’s do it.”
They stood up, cleared the table and put the dirty dishes in the sink.
Corey started gathering ingredients, setting them on the island.
He pulled two large mugs from the cupboard then walked her through the steps.
They measured out and dumped the handful of ingredients—flour, sugar, milk, cocoa, baking powder and vegetable oil—into the mugs.
At the last moment, he also added a dash of vanilla extract.
After a good mixing, they microwaved them for two minutes.
“Now for the best part,” he said, grabbing a butter knife from the drawer.
Opening a jar of hazelnut spread he slathered it on the warm cake tops, followed by a sprinkle of powdered sugar.
“Voila! A perfect dessert to eat in front of the fireplace,” he declared, and she couldn’t help but clap.
Sera cradled the warm mug in her hands and followed Corey into the living room where they sat down on the couch.
She pulled her stockinged feet up onto the cushion, sitting cross-legged, her knee brushing his thigh.
They dipped their spoons into the gooey dessert, and she took a bite then let out a moan.
“This is too good,” she crooned.
“And very easy to make.”
“It really is.”
As they ate the dessert, she enjoyed the feel of his hard thigh pressing against her.
Sitting there in front of the crackling fire with him, she could almost imagine he was her boyfriend and they were hanging out.
That her life wasn’t in complete chaos and she didn’t have bad guys chasing after her.
Pushing those worrying thoughts away, she decided to enjoy the limited time she had with Corey, a man who intrigued her on every level.
Her gaze drifted over the cozy cabin and, in that moment, if she had one wish, it would be for time to stop.
She wanted to savor this moment and his presence.
To memorize it, tattoo it on her heart. Then when she was alone again, she could pull up the perfect memory and relive it all over again.
“It’s starting to snow again,” he murmured, and she looked out the window where snowflakes danced. The sun had finished its descent and a bright moon now hung in the dark sky. From her warm and comfy place on the couch, it looked so peaceful.
And peace was something she desperately wanted.
Corey pushed up off the couch and reached down to take her mug.
As she handed it to him, she realized she’d eaten every last drop.
He headed for the kitchen and started doing the dishes.
She followed him, found a dish towel and began drying them.
They worked in companionable silence, and after everything had been put back in its place, he turned to face her.
“Thank you. You didn’t have to help.” He searched her face. “You’re my guest.”
Her backside pressed against the counter, and she clutched the dish towel. He was so close she could smell his woody, cinnamon-laced scent. A shaky breath escaped her lungs as he stepped forward, his hands settling on the counter on either side of her, those large arms of his caging her in.
“I’m really fucking rusty, Sera,” he murmured in a low voice.
“Me, too,” she managed to say before his head dipped and his lips captured hers.
◆◆◆
Sera tasted like hazelnuts and chocolate and a whole lotta sin.
Decadent and desirable. Keeping his palms flat on the counter, Corey slid his tongue against hers, enjoying the way she kissed him back without reserve.
Latent desire sparked as he explored her mouth, deepening the kiss.
Ah, hell, she tasted good—like a piece of heaven—and he didn’t want to mess this up.
Although he’d always considered himself a fairly good lover—he’d certainly never gotten any complaints—his nerves kicked up a bit.
Something about Sera made her different from the other women he’d slept with, and he hadn’t slept with anyone in far too long.
Yet everything seemed to be in working order, his body reacting to her in ways that made him desperate for more.
But throwing her down on the kitchen floor and fucking her hard wasn’t an option. Not at the moment, anyway.
Seriously, Emerson? This isn’t your first rodeo. Get a grip.
Doubts began to ricochet around in his head, but then she wrapped her arms around his neck, and his hands slid from the countertop to her hips.
She was medium height with a slim build, and she had to go up on her toes for her lips to reach his.
Corey gripped her sides and lifted her up onto the counter.
Her legs spread wide when he dragged her forward, allowing him to step closer, and she wrapped those long limbs around his waist, pressing her sex to his.
Fuck. He went hard as steel, unable to control his body’s primal reaction.
Breaking his mouth away, he began kissing down the side of her soft neck.
Her pulse beat frantically in the small hollow between her collarbones, and he licked it before following the delicate line with his tongue.
As he began sucking on the sensitive spot where her neck and shoulder met, biting down on the tendon, a whimper escaped her throat and her hips ground against his, snapping his senses and consciousness back into the moment.
You’re taking advantage of her.
Corey tore his mouth away, his breathing erratic, and met her questioning gaze. Her storm-tossed eyes were a pretty shade of blue-gray that reminded him of the Pacific Ocean, and her cheeks turned rosy as she dropped her legs from around his waist, glancing away.
“Sorry,” he mumbled. “I had no right to do that. You don’t owe me anything, Sera.”
Her brow wrinkled. “I kissed you because I wanted to. Not as any kind of payment.”
That made him feel a little better, but a part of him was scared he’d just ruined the easygoing rapport they’d had going. Getting physical always seemed to complicate things.
His mind went back to when he was active duty.
When after a night of too much drinking, he and a female friend crossed a line and everything changed.
How seeing her became awkward and uncomfortable, and how he’d started avoiding the places they used to frequent.
So did she, so apparently, it had been mutual.
After that, he’d learned some people were meant to only be friends, and that was absolutely okay.
But when he looked at Sera, he didn’t want to only be friends with her. At the same time, he didn’t want to drag her down to his hell. Making her deal with his demons wasn’t a fair thing to ask her or anyone else. It’s why he’d avoided relationships and women for so damn long.
“Even so, it’s probably not a good idea for us to…” His voice trailed off, sounding lame to his own ears.
She forced a nod, sliding off the counter. Avoiding his gaze, she turned, heading for the stairs. “I’m going to feed Loki and take a shower.”
Feeling like an asshole, Corey watched her walk away. His attention dropped to Storm, and he could’ve sworn the wolf was looking at him like he was a complete idiot.
“It’s not a good idea,” he repeated to Storm. “Quit looking at me like that.”
Storm tilted his head, amber eyes bright, and Corey swore the creature was judging him.
Am I an idiot? he belatedly wondered, picking up the dish towel Sera had dropped when she’d wrapped herself around him.
It had felt too good. Heaving out a sigh, he squeezed his eyes shut and gritted his teeth, trying to ignore his poor, neglected dick.
Palming himself, he grumbled, “This is the only relief you’re getting, pal, so forget about her. ”
Snowflakes danced against the window, and he nodded to the door. “Better get out there and do your thing, Storm, because it looks like we’re getting more snow tonight.”
And Corey knew that was all he’d be getting. Because sex with Sera was definitely off the table. No way, no how. He just had to keep telling himself that.