Chapter Twenty-Six
T he moment they walked through the door, Storm appeared. The wolf bounded over and launched himself against Corey. Corey went down on his knees and hugged him hard.
“How’s my best boy?” he asked. “Give me a kiss and tell me you love me.”
As Storm licked his master profusely, Corey looked up at Sera. Because of her, his furry, soulful, best friend was still alive. He’d never be able to repay her for protecting the wolf. “Thank you.”
She gave a small nod, watching their interaction. “He means so much to you. I never would’ve let them hurt him.”
He placed a big kiss on the wolf’s head. She was right—Storm meant the world to him. Their bond was unlike anything he’d ever experienced with an animal. Or person, for that matter. Well, until Sera.
Ruffling the wolf’s coat, he stood up and was about to feed Storm some steak when the wolf walked over to Sera and gently licked her hand.
“He wants you to pet him,” Corey murmured. “And I think he’s saying thank you.”
She reached down and gingerly stroked a hand over Storm’s shiny coat. It was the first time Storm had shown trust in another human other than Corey.
“He’s so soft,” she murmured.
“He likes getting scratched behind the ear.”
She reached behind his closest ear and began scratching. When his hind leg started thumping against the floor, she and Corey chuckled.
“Do you think he and Loki would get along?”
“I don’t know,” he answered honestly. “As domesticated as he is, he still has a fierce prey drive.”
Sera nodded. “I’m going to run up, check on him and change.”
“I have to change, too. Then feed Storm and get a fire going. Would you like some hot chocolate?”
“That sounds good, thanks.”
He watched her turn and head up the stairs to the guest room.
Pulling his attention off her ass, he considered what came next.
He had every intention of convincing her to sleep downstairs with him.
Though not much sleep would be involved.
All he knew was he needed her in his arms. Sera didn’t just chase away the demons—she fucking slayed them.
Only she was able to fill his heart and soul with a beautiful peace, and he wanted her to know exactly how much she meant to him.
Whether she knew it or not, she’d saved him in every sense of the word. Emotion bubbled up within him, and he did his best not to dwell on what happened with Xander. If he allowed himself to go down that dark road…
Not tonight. For now, they had no definitive answers, and he planned to cling to the small thread of hope that Xander had somehow escaped.
Until Mitch received a full report from the team he’d sent, no one could be sure what happened.
Because if anyone could’ve made it out of there, it would’ve been Xander fucking Hawke.
After throwing on flannel pajama bottoms and a long-sleeved T-shirt, Corey started a fire and fed Storm. Then he whipped up two mugs of hot chocolate. He added a shot of butterscotch schnapps to each one, a dollop of homemade whipped cream and a sprinkle of sea salt.
When Sera appeared in a sweatshirt and leggings, he handed her a mug. “Careful, it’s hot,” he warned her.
“This smells delicious,” she murmured.
“It’s kind of like a Werthers candy.”
“Oh, I love those.”
They wandered over to the couch and sat down, side by side, their legs brushing. She blew lightly on the drink then took a sip.
“Oh, wow. This is so good.”
Studying her profile, he couldn’t take his eyes off her. Everything about her captivated him, and she radiated a light that reached his darkest corners. Although he knew he had feelings for her, the truth suddenly hit him hard.
I’m in love with her.
“Sera—”
“Corey—”
They both spoke at the same time then let out nervous laughs.
“You first,” he encouraged her.
“Oh, um, no, please go ahead.”
She looked so shy all of a sudden. Reaching for her mug, he took it from her hands and set it on the coffee table with his. Turning toward her, he cupped her precious face in his hands, dragging his thumb over her lips. Crazy, uncontrollable emotion pummeled through him.
“In such a short time, you’ve come to mean so much to me.” Dammit, his voice cracked. He released a breath. Breathed in. Shake it off, Cor. “I don’t completely understand it, but one thing is crystal clear…”
She waited so patiently, blue-gray eyes swirling, as he found the courage to admit the depth of his feelings.
“There’s no way in hell I’m letting you go. At some point between being deliriously sick to scaling down the side of a burning house, I fell in love with you.”
Her lips parted and tears brimmed in her eyes.
“I want you here with me. In my life, in my bed. You’re already in my heart, sweetheart, so why not make it absolutely permanent?”
“You want me to…to live with you?” she asked breathlessly.
“I want everything with you,” he corrected. “Starting with today and ending with forever.”
Lifting her left hand, he pressed a kiss to her ring finger.
Gathering his courage, he met her questioning gaze and asked, “Will you marry me, Sera Darling?”
◆◆◆
Corydon Emerson just proposed to her, and Sera’s heart took off like it had wings. Tears spilled down her cheeks. “Oh, my God, Corey, yes. Yes! So much yes! ”
She threw herself into his arms and their mouths crashed together.
Her happiness was off the charts, and when she thought about being Corey’s wife, she didn’t think she’d ever come down from the high.
How she’d gone from confiding in Julia, Ellie and Lottie that she didn’t think marriage was in the cards for her, to now being engaged to the most incredible man, blew her mind.
It also made her giddy because she was bursting with love.
Straddling his lap, she plunged her hands through his silver-touched hair and kissed him deeply. Their tongues danced, and a powerful need to be as close to him as possible swept through her.
In such a short, yet crucial period of time, she’d run for her life and fate had led her to the one man who was helping her heal from a trauma she hadn’t been able to let go. Until him. God, she loved him so very much.
And she hadn’t even said the words back yet.
“Corey,” she gasped, pulling back so she could look into his ice-blue eyes. “I love you, too.”
He smiled. “Good to know.”
“I’ve never loved anyone the way I love you.” Her eyes filled with tears again.
“Sweetheart, please don’t cry.”
“You showed me—” Her voice caught and he began raining kisses all over her face. “That it’s okay to not be okay.”
He lifted his head. “I think together,” he said, voice low, “we’re stronger.”
“I think so, too.”
“And when I’m inside you,” he continued, voice guttural, “when our bodies fuse and become one, something incredibly powerful happens. I think it’s when…when the healing happens.”
“Yes,” she whispered.
“I also think if I don’t make love to my fiancée in front of the fire within the next few minutes, I’m going to die.”
“We certainly can’t have that,” she teased, sliding off his lap.
He grabbed the blanket from the back of the couch and carefully spread it out in front of the fireplace.
Then they pounced, tearing each other’s clothes off.
Shirts flying, Corey tripping as he yanked his pajama bottoms off, Sera’s bra sailing through the air and landing on Storm’s head.
They laughed when he shook and made a quick getaway.
She took a moment to admire the way the firelight made Corey’s skin glow, the way his thick cock stood proudly, and the almost feral look in his stunningly clear eyes as they raked over her nakedness. He had a wildness about him that made her shiver. My big, strong mountain man.
“I need you,” he rasped, reaching for her.
She went into his arms, and he lowered her down onto her back, settled himself between her legs, and kissed her into sweet, sweet oblivion.
The feel of his warm body covering hers, of being skin to skin with the man she craved more than her next breath, had her melting beneath him.
His cock pressed between her slick folds, but he didn’t surge inside of her. Instead, he kissed her thoroughly, all tongue and delicious desperation, as his fingers found her clit and worked her into a frenzy.
In no time, she was arching against his hand. Her aching pussy was weeping for him, and if he didn’t slide inside her soon, she was going to shove him onto his back and take over. Take his pulsing cock deeper than ever before. God, she felt half feral herself.
“Condom,” he hissed.
“No,” she moaned softly. “I need to feel you. Nothing between us.”
His eyes glittered like shards of ice as he began to sink into her wet heat. The way his cock stretched her to her absolute limits made her eyes roll back in her head. Nothing felt more right. She would be sore tomorrow, but that delicious kind of sore that made her feel sexy and wanted.
“Sera, eyes on me.” His rough voice made her eyes open. Lacing their fingers together, gazes locked, he began to move his hips. Long, deep, dragging thrusts. She almost wept. It was too good, their connection too profound.
Whatever was happening between them defied words. All she knew was Corey had the power to shatter her and then rebuild her into something stronger.
“Oh, God.” Her inner walls began to spasm, tightening around his cock, and the building pressure released in waves of pure ecstasy. Crying out his name, her hips bucked and her nails scratched down his back.
As she shuddered beneath him, riding out her orgasm, he began to move faster. Thrusting harder, hitting her deepest, most secret spots no one ever had the power to reach before. He climaxed with a roar, emptying inside her, then took her mouth in a long, passionate, possessive kiss.
They stayed connected for several long moments, letting their heartbeats and breathing slow down as they held each other. Eventually, he released her and rolled away.