Chapter Fifteen

Sarah woke in the warm cocoon of Corey’s arms. She blinked a few times and snuggled deeper into the big spoon of his body. The plush sheet and soft mattress cradled around them, giving a sense of another world surrounding them. The scents of the two of them mingled in the air. A contented sigh left her lungs as she relived last night in her mind. Their chemistry together was incendiary. It had always been that way, but now that they were adults with more life experience, the results were mind-altering, body-consuming, earth-shaking pleasure that scorched through both of them. She turned over in his embrace and cuddled into his chest. Inhaling, she savored the woodsy, earthy scent that was Corey. Everything about him appealed to all her senses. His smell, the way he touched her, his deep voice, the taste of his lips and skin and pleasure…not to mention he was hot as hell.

As she focused her vision on his chest, a low hum vibrated in her throat. The tattoos he had now were super sexy. She’d spent time last night worshiping them with her hands and mouth…among other areas of his body. Even now when her body was tender and sore from being well-loved last night she still wanted more. Wanted him.

Corey made a soft grunting noise and rolled onto his back. Sarah took advantage and claimed her place in the nook of his shoulder. She drifted her fingertips along the contours of his muscles and a satisfied smile overtook her expression. The ink over his heart caught her attention and a pang went through her. He’d tattooed her on his heart…after their break-up. She swallowed the lump of fear in her throat. What would he think if he found out her reason for ending things years ago? Would he forgive her? Could he?

“I can hear you overthinking. Stop it.” He nuzzled the top of her head. “Whatever you’re thinking about, let it go. It isn’t important.”

“What if it is? What if it changes this…thing between us?”

Eyes open, he shifted to peer down at her. Corey brushed her hair away from her cheek. “This thing between us? You mean a relationship? A real one? Being boyfriend and girlfriend again?”

Through the gap in his arm and the bed, she reached out and grabbed his glasses, settling them on his face.

With a small smile, he pressed his lips to hers. “Thanks, baby. Now quit avoiding the conversation.”

With fake irritation, she narrowed her eyes at him. “Fine. Yes, us together. As a couple. Satisfied?”

His grin grew wider. “For now. Sort of.” Corey chuckled and nudged one heavily muscled thigh through hers to press his hard erection against her hip.

Her insides turned liquid. God, she desired him like she’d never wanted anyone else. Everything he did turned her on. Giving into her body’s demands, Sarah adjusted so that Corey was over her and nestled in the cradle of her hips. Arching up, she let him feel her wetness.

“Fuck,” he moaned and dropped his forehead to hers, then kissed her so her toes curled.

She hitched a leg on his waist, opening herself to him, but he tore his mouth from hers.

“Not yet.” His voice was gruff and dark.

Sarah whined as she shivered at the feel of him. “Corey…”

“In a minute, princess. We have more to this conversation. No distracting me.” He rocked over her, their bodies rubbing together in delicious ways.

“You started it.” She pouted, but lost her breath as he ground into her.

“Whatever you were thinking about, it doesn’t matter.” He nibbled and kissed and licked from her cheek down her neck. “You and me, right here and right now, is what’s important. Being together again. Starting fresh.”

“But—”

Corey kissed her again. “No buts. Just us. Yes?”

Worry edged at her consciousness, but he made it so hard to concentrate when he teased her into a frenzy like this. Her whole body was one pulsing mess of need. Lust was a drug in her veins and she wanted to drown in it.

“Sarie?” Corey bit the spot where her neck and shoulder met, sucking at the tender skin. At the same time, he notched his cock at her entrance.

“Yes,” she keened and lifted her hips to welcome him inside. “Just us.”

Then there was no more conversation, just whispered words designed to drive each other to heightened ecstasy.

 

* * * *

 

When she resurfaced again, Sarah took stock of his bedroom for the first time. He’d moved into the primary suite and his king-sized bed gave plenty of space for the two of them and their eagerness for one another. The walls were a pale, soothing mint that complemented his light wood furniture and dark green bedding. Light glinted off a small aquarium on a low table by the large window overlooking his backyard and the forest behind them. Sarah squinted at the tank. “Is that a fish tank?” She didn’t see any movement of swimming.

Corey sat up with bright eyes and threw back the covers. “That’s Lollihop and Jellygreen. I forgot you haven’t met them.”

“Lollihop and Jellygreen?” She blinked at him as he crossed to the side table. She snagged her lip between her teeth. Damn, he had a great butt. And given his comfort with walking around naked, he knew how good he looked, too.

“Come here.” He held out a hand, beckoning her closer. With minimal self-consciousness, she slipped from the sheets and joined him.

Corey pointed to two small frogs about three inches in length. One was an olive green with small black spots and the other was a browner color with similar black spots. They had webbed feet and the brown one, Lollihop, swam around while the green frog, Jellygreen, splayed out toward the top of the shallow water. There was gravel along the bottom with a few fake plants and several large uneven-shaped rocks with nooks in them. The tank was small, but longer than it was tall.

“You have frogs?” She stared back and forth from him to the amphibians.

His smile was luminous. “Yep. These are my girls, Lolli and Jelly. Jelly’s doing the zen pose. They like to splay out like this when resting. They’re African Dwarf frogs and I got them about five years ago. If I’m lucky and take excellent care of them, they should live another five more.” He shifted the perforated lid and dipped one finger in. Both creatures swirled around him then darted off again. “They aren’t frogs you can touch and hold much, but they keep me company.”

Sarah reached over and squeezed his free hand. “This is amazing. How do you know they’re girls?”

“The males are a little smaller and have glands behind their front legs, plus tiny nubby tails. And they make this buzzing noise to attract females.”

“Typical men. Gotta show off for the ladies.” She snorted, then gentled her expression. “This is so cool, Corey.”

“Thanks.” He wrapped an arm around her and dropped a kiss to the top of her head. “There’s a teenager down the road who takes care of them when I go visit my parents. He’s into reptiles.”

She glanced up at him. “Can you teach me, too?”

“I’d like that, Sarie.”

 

* * * *

 

Much later, once Sarah and Corey had been satisfied in bed and at breakfast, Sarah slipped home in the hopes that her arrival would go undetected. Tiptoeing inside and closing the door as quietly as she could, Sarah turned to sneak off to her room and catch up on her local marketing jobs.

“Hey there, big sis.”

Sarah jumped at Bridget’s voice. Damn! So much for not getting caught.

Pasting on a smile, Sarah found Bridget curled on the couch, petting Candle in her lap. “Hi, Bridge. What are you doing here? I thought you’d be at the shop.”

Bridget flashed the most devious smile Sarah had ever seen on her little sister. Yeah, her sibling was enjoying tormenting her. Turnabout was fair play, Sarah guessed. Given how much teasing Sarah had done about Jack, this was karma coming back to kick her in the ass.

“Gran and Arianna are opening Three Sisters this morning. Did you have a good night?”

“Mmhmm.”

Bridget arched one dark brow. “You abandoned me and my wedding flowers. You’re my maid of honor. You better have more to say than ‘mmhmm.’”

With a roll of her eyes, Sarah crossed her arms. “Yes. My night was fantastic. As was my morning.”

“With Cornelius?”

Heat simmered along her nerves at the mere mention of his name. “Yes, with Corey.”

Becca popped her head around the corner from the kitchen. “Halle-freaking-lujah!”

Sarah screeched in surprise.

“About time you two pulled your heads out of your asses and got back together. Are we making this wedding a double?” Her cousin waggled her brows at the two sisters.

“Hey,” both Sarah and Bridget protested.

“I’m not sharing my wedding.”

“We’ve been a couple again for less than twenty-four hours.”

Becca laughed. “You two are way too easy to rile up.” She focused those blue eyes on Sarah. “Spill the tea. What happened last night?”

Sarah flopped down on the couch, giving into their demands. “All right, twist my arm.” She grinned and allowed the happiness bubbling inside her to be seen. “It started at the bachelorette weekend.”

“I knew it,” Bridget exclaimed. “You were acting all weird and jumpy.”

Becca waved a hand as she sat on the floor across from them. “Old news. You told Gran and me that last night. Get to the good parts.”

Her little sister pouted at being left out of the loop.

“We did some stuff that weekend and then made out again when he cornered me outside the dress shop yesterday,” Sarah said to placate Bridget. “Then last night when he came over we talked and one thing led to another and we ended up back at his house.”

“All. Night. Long.” Becca cackled with glee. “Is he still as good in bed as he was when we were young ‘uns?”

Sarah fanned a hand at her face. “Even better. Jesus, the man is a god in bed. I lost count of how many times he made me come.”

“Hell yeah! Nothing like a night of great sex.” Becca fistbumped her.

“But does this mean you two are back together? For real?”

Leave it to her cousin to focus on the physical aspects and her sibling on the feelings side. “Yes, we’re in a relationship again.” Sarah’s voice was softer now. Inside, she was still a mess of emotions and trying to keep the negative ones at bay. Worry and anxiety gnawed at her, but her happiness and love for Corey were winning the battle…not that she was ready to proclaim her love to him. That wouldn’t happen anytime soon. She was struggling with her past, but Corey was a weakness she never could get over. To be honest, Sarah didn’t want to. If soulmates were real, he was hers without a doubt.

Bridget leaned forward with wide, eager eyes. “What now? Are you staying in Fallbank?”

“I don’t know.” Sarah shrugged. “We haven’t gotten that far. This is new.”

“No, it isn’t,” Becca interjected. “You two have a major history. You know what it’s like to be with one another.”

“Old-new, then. Or new-old. Whichever.” She shook her head. “It’s been over ten years since we broke up. We have to learn about one another again. Figure out if this—we—still work. I can’t make huge life decisions because I got back with my ex-boyfriend.”

“You got back with Cornelius?” Jack asked as he strolled out of the hallway.

“Jesus! Where did he come from?” Sarah glared at her sister. “Is there anyone else listening in I should know about?”

Bridget laughed. “It is Saturday. Jack isn’t working, so he’s here at home.” She lifted her face for him to kiss her. Then she looked back at Sarah with a cocky grin. “Not my fault you can’t remember what day it is and that Jack lives here. Must be your muddled sex brain.”

Sarah rolled her eyes as Jack perked up. “You and Cornelius did the deed last night? I mean, I assumed so after my honeybee came to bed in a huff over your abandonment, but you never know.”

Sarah buried her face in her hands as heat radiated from her cheeks. She did not need her almost brother-in-law having intimate details about her sex life. “Yes, if you must know,” she mumbled.

Jack’s smile was devilish. “I think I’ll swing by my partner’s house. Business to discuss.”

Becca snorted. “Yeah, right. The business of him and Sarah getting it on.”

He pretend-tipped an imaginary hat at them as he said goodbye, then headed out the door.

Sarah turned back to the girls. “Did you know Corey has two pet frogs?”

 

* * * *

 

“So, you and Sarah, huh?”

Jack’s jovial voice boomed in the garage where Cornelius whittled away at his piece of woodworking. His mood was buoyant. He had his sweet Sarah back and his soul felt lighter than it had in years. He’d expected his friend to swing by when the news spread. Cornelius chuckled. “Hello to you, too.”

Jack took up a perch on a bench and threw him an exasperated look. “Hi. Now—you and Sarah. Tell me what’s up.”

Cornelius focused on the repetitive motions of snicking the knife along the broadside of the block of wood he held. A wide grin spread across his face. “We’re back together.”

“And?”

“And what?” Cornelius side-eyed his friend. What else did he think needed explaining?

“Don’t play dumb. I want to know what happened. What does it mean? Start talking.”

Cornelius refused to look up. Inspiration had hit and he wanted to strike while the iron was hot, so to speak, on this project he’d been tinkering with over the past two months. “We’ve had a couple of interludes over the last week or so and as of yesterday we are back in a relationship.” It felt outstanding to say that about him and Sarah. A giddy wave of excitement rushed over his skin. It was like he was twelve years old after his first kiss with Sarah all over again. This time he wouldn’t mess it up. Not that he knew how he’d mucked it all up last time, but he knew it must’ve been him. He had to make sure he kept Sarah happy.

Jack clapped a hand on one of Cornelius’ shoulders. “I’m ecstatic for you, man. About time the two of you stopped dancing around one another and started dancing with one another.”

Cornelius beamed at his best friend. “Thanks. I’m still a little stunned, I think. I mean, last night and this morning were…mind-blowing. I can’t say I don’t have a few concerns. Worries. Whatever you want to call them. But I’m going into this with the goal of taking this one day at a time and not putting pressure on Sarah.”

“How do you mean?”

“Well, we haven’t talked about Sarah’s plans for the future. She could get a job back in Seattle. She could stay here. Nothing clear yet. That’s the kind of thing that drove me crazy last time around and I let Sarah feel my anxiety. It’s what drove her away.” He paused and considered for a moment. “I think.”

“You don’t know why she broke up with you before?” Jack’s voice went up an octave. “You’ve never had the conversation about her reasons?”

Why was his best friend raining all over his parade? Couldn’t he enjoy being back with the love of his life without analyzing and overthinking the whole thing? An echoing ding reverberated through the garage. Yes, saved by the phone.

He fished the device out of his pocket and saw a text from Hop. Sliding it open, he read the message.

 

Hop: Just got the word. Army leave secured. I’ll be there for Bridget’s wedding.

 

Cornelius: Awesome! How long will you be back in town? Hope we can grab some time to catch up in person.

 

Clicking the app shut, Cornelius lifted one corner of his mouth up. “Looks like Hop will make it back for the wedding.”

“Hop?” Jack furrowed his brow.

“Oh yeah. I forget you’ve never met him. Seems like you’ve been around town for way longer than reality. Hop is Becca’s older brother. Bridget and Sarah’s cousin. He’s in the Army and has been gone for a while. Good guy. Stoic, but dependable.”

“Cool. Glad I’ll get to meet him. Now stop stalling. You and Sarah still haven’t talked out your shit?”

“I don’t want to spook her. We’ll talk about it when she’s ready.” Cornelius gave up on the woodworking project and stood with his arms crossed and facing Jack. “It’s fine.” His mood was destroyed and his creative motivation dried up.

Jack eyed Cornelius and cocked one brow. “Yeah, sure seems like it.” He heaved a heavy sigh. “Look, all I’m saying is that honesty is the best policy. Take it from me, keeping secrets—or whatever you want to call this—between two people is never a good thing. It almost destroyed my chance with Bridget.”

“Well, I’m not Bridget and I don’t care. Whatever Sarah’s reasons, I’m sure they were valid. I’m not going to force her to confess everything when she’s skittish enough already. And whenever she does—because one day she will—I’ll be okay with whatever she tells me. What matters to me is her and being with her. That’s all.” Cornelius glared at his partner and hoped Jack got the message to drop it.

“Strong words from someone who has no idea what happened. Has she ever given any indication?”

Cornelius ran a hand through his hair and tugged at the ends. If he had a dime for every time someone in this nosy town snooped for gossip on him and Sarah… But no, that wasn’t what Jack was doing. He wasn’t looking for scandalous details to spread around. His friend was coming from a place of love and loyalty, protecting him.

Cornelius shook his head. “No. She feels guilty, but hasn’t ever given me an explanation. And I don’t care. I’m taking this day by day because I know that’s what Sarah needs. The point is that we’re back together and that’s what I want. All I’ve wanted for years now. I’m going to enjoy it and I’ll be damned if I let something come between us now. I lived for over a decade without her. I’ve learned the meaning of gratitude and I’m so damn grateful to have Sarah back in my life again.”

Jack pressed his lips into a thin line, but nodded. “Then I’m happy for you. I wish you both nothing but joy.”

For some odd reason though, Cornelius didn’t feel the same thrilling euphoria he’d had buzzing through him before Jack had come over. No matter. He’d meant the words he’d told Jack. Whatever the reason, he wouldn’t let the past get in the way of his and Sarah’s future. Picking up his project again, he focused on bringing the art out of the wood and taking his brain off the lingering doubts the conversation dredged up.