Page 17 of Corey
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 shewas 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?
