Page 32 of Corey
“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.”
