Page 34 of Corey
After tossing and turning, he finally fell into a light sleep. It seemed like he’d just drifted off when something woke him up. But instead of a nightmare, it was a sound.
Outside? Inside? He wasn’t sure yet, but he immediately thought the men from earlier might be back.
Sliding out of bed, he opened the nightstand drawer and pulled out the Glock he kept within reach. Then he cocked his head and listened closely. The wind whipped around furiously outside and the cabin emitted its normal creaks and groans as it settled. But that’s not what had pulled him from sleep. He glanced down at Storm, who still laid on his bed, but he was ramrod straight, golden eyes alert.
Corey snagged his phone and checked the exterior cams. No perimeter alarms had been tripped, so it wasn’t intruders. Maybe a large animal? Or, perhaps, he’d merely heard Sera wander down to get a drink or something to eat. Pushing the bedroom door all the way open, he stepped into the dark hallway and walked down to the great room. Storm followed, but didn’t react, so Corey relaxed as his gaze scanned the great room and kitchen. Empty.
A cry split the air, and his attention jerked to the staircase.Sera.He raced to the stairs and took the steps up two at a time. Hurrying down to the guestroom where she was staying, he burst through the door.
The scent of roses enveloped him and a black blob on the bed hissed angrily.Shit, her cat.Turning, he saw Storm eyeing the feline, and he quickly shut the door. Striding over to the bed, he looked down to see Sera, illuminated by the small lamp on the nightstand. And he knew distress when he saw it. She moaned pitifully, thrashing beneath the covers, then let out another sharp cry.
In that moment, Corey saw a reflection of himself.
“Please…nooo…” A gasp tore from her throat and he knew whatever nightmares plagued her were bad. Really bad. So bad that she slept with the light on.
Dropping down on the edge of the mattress, he gave her a gentle but firm shake. “Sera, wake up. You’re okay. It’s just a dream.”
Her eyes popped open, darting back and forth as though she didn’t quite remember where she was, and then her gaze landed on him.
“It’s me… Corey. You’re safe, sweetheart. No one is going to hurt you.”
A sob broke from her mouth, and he didn’t think twice, just pulled her into his arms. She curled against him, clutching his forearm, her entire body shaking. He stroked a hand up and down her back.
“Shh, I’ve got you.”
After several long minutes of him whispering reassuring words and rubbing her back, her body relaxed and she looked up at him. The lamplight allowed him to see the tear tracks on her face and the palpable terror in the depths of her eyes. A lingering tremble shook her frame.
And he knew. Without a doubt, he knew she had demons that came in the dark of the night. Just like he did. Demons that still terrorized, eating away at her soul and leaving her in a cold sweat.
“You, too?” he asked in a slightly rough voice, recognizing himself in her.
“I have to keep a light on,” she whispered forlornly. “Because the ghosts still come.”
“Not on my watch, sweetheart,” he said. Then he settled against the pillows, gathered her close and held her the rest of the night.
Someone was holding her, and Sera’s first instinct was to break free—until the scent of cedarwood and cinnamon reminded her she was in Corey’s arms. They lay on their sides and his large body was wrapped around hers. Warm, secure, strong. Relaxing into his embrace, she released a soft sigh as everything came back to her.
He’d woken her up from a nightmare, a particularly vivid one, and had held her, whispering softly in her ear that everything was alright. Surprisingly, it hadn’t taken long for her to fall back asleep. Probably because she’d never felt so incredibly safe as she did cocooned in the comfort of his arms. And he’d kept the light on for her.
She wasn’t sure if he was awake or still sleeping, and she wriggled against him. When she felt his rigid length prod against her backside in answer, she couldn’t help but smile. With a low, needy sound, he shifted back, uttering a low curse. Suppressing the grin, she rolled over to face him.
“You’re awake,” he murmured in a sleep-roughened voice. His beautiful, sleepy eyes locked onto hers and something inside of her blossomed at the way he was looking at her. Julia and Ellie’s words came back, echoing in her head.“He looks at you… Like you could hang the stars in his sky.”
“I’m awake.” Nearby, Loki meowed. “Corey, this is Loki. He’s my kitty of chaos.”
The edge of Corey’s mouth lifted. “He’s a pretty good sleeping buddy, too.”
“He is.”
They just continued to stare at each other, something she’d never been able to do with a man for longer than a second or two.Looking into someone else’s eyes for a prolonged period of time was like looking into his very soul. And she really liked what she saw swirling in Corey’s blue, blue depths.
Corydon Emerson had a kind, gentle, sweet soul that belonged to a knight in shining armor. And, as she’d witnessed, he could be fierce, too.
“You had a bad nightmare, so I came to check on you. Guess I never left.”
“Thank you,” she whispered.
Last night, she’d lost her shit—again—and he’d stayed with her. Despite falling apart, caught in the throes of the horrific nightmare, he’d comforted her and chased the demons away. He’d put a roof over her head. Involved his team to help protect her.
