Seth settled down behind Cori on the couch and eased her back against him. He gently placed the necklace he had purchased around her neck and moved her hair aside to fasten it. “This is not as beautiful as you are, but it is close. You can open your eyes now.”
Cori picked up the necklace and saw it was the one from earlier today. “It’s beautiful and how did you get it?”
“I bought it when you moved on to another booth. You were distracted a million miles away so you didn’t see me.”
“You shouldn’t have but thank you. It is beautiful.”
“I want to spoil you, Cori. You deserve it and I want to do it.”
“Why?” Cori questioned sitting up and turning to look at him.
“I just told you, because I want too and you deserve it.” Seth kissed her quickly before she turned back around and settled down against him.
“Thank you” Cori said quietly around the lump in her throat. No one, outside of her family, had ever thought that about her before or acted on it.
“Hey, hey” Seth began when he heard her sniff “what’s wrong?” Cori shook her head but didn’t speak because she was so emotional. “Beautiful, tell me” Seth encouraged. It was a few minutes before Cori could speak. She wiped the tears from her cheeks with her hands then wiped her hands on her sweat pants.
She cleared her throat in order to speak “That caught me off guard. Sorry”
“What caught you off guard?”
“You being nice to me and giving me a present.”
Seth was stunned “Oh Cori….”
“No, don’t” she said gently “just hold onto me and keep me close.”
Seth held her gently but as close as possible. He thought I would keep you close forever if you were ready. I’m ready to marry you, Cori Lewis. I’m ready to spoil you for the rest of our lives. I’m ready to love you and have babies with you.
“Do you want children?” he asked after a few minutes of quiet.
“Yes” she blushed. “I’ve always liked children. Do you?”
“I do like children and I do want children. I’m thinking a couple dozen.”
Cori laughed “Good luck with that plan, Seth. I was thinking more like two.”
“Dozen?”
“No, two” she laughed again. “I do not want to be pregnant twenty-four times.”
“There’s adoption, foster children and pregnancies.”
“I’m still thinking just two. Maybe three or four but I am getting old.”
“We are not old.”
“I’m also not married yet so I wouldn’t be conceiving these imaginary children tonight.”
“We could” he whispered in her ear. Cori gasped and spun around to look at him.
“Whoa, fella, where did that come from?”
“I was almost teasing.” Seth soothed.
“Almost?”
“I know in my head that it is too soon for us but I’d make love to you tonight if I could.”
Cori rose slowly from the couch and paced. She rubbed her forehead, wrung her hands and kept walking back and forth.
“Is there a problem?” Seth questioned when she had paced for over five minutes and not said anything.
“Maybe.” She paused “Sort of” she paused “Yes. No. I don’t know. I don’t know what to say to you. I don’t know anything about….” She said waving her hands.
Seth rose from the couch and when to Cori to stop her pacing. He gently cupped her face and kissed her before leading her back to the couch. He sat her on his lap and tipped her head up to look at him.
“I said I would make love to you if I could. That means, if we were married so relax that it won’t be tonight. Secondly, you can always tell me anything or ask me anything. Okay?” Cori nodded “And what do you mean, you don’t know anything about…? What?”
Cori blushed again and hid her face. He heard her whisper “making love”
Seth tipped her head up and questioned her with his eyes. She shook her head in silent communication. His jaw dropped “You were married.” He said quietly.
“He couldn’t with me. We never….”
“Holy cow, Cori. You never had sex with him?” Cori shook her head. “But at the lake, you said he took you to the doctor because you gave into him in bed. Tell me what that meant.”
“It wasn’t sex. It was other things but not sex.”
“So you never had sex with Roger Morgan.”
“Never with anyone, actually.”
“Oh heavens” he said astonished. “I ….”
“Is that bad?” she questioned
“No, NO!” he said firmly. “I just had let my imagination run rampant on how he might have treated you and I’m thrilled to know that he never raped you.”
“No, he never did. I slept in one room and if he was home, he slept in another room. I was his punching bag but not in bed. Honestly, he had many mistresses or girlfriends and then traveling with the team or endorsements. I was around for one reason only.”
“I won’t say I’m sorry that you never had sex with him. I’m sorry about how he treated you but not about the fact that you never slept with him.”
“Even on our honeymoon, he didn’t sleep with me. I found out a few months after our honeymoon that he had at least two women that he slept with on our honeymoon.”
Seth said captured her mouth with his. He devoured her mouth, he tasted her long and hard. Cori held on and enjoyed his passion. She was not scared of him and was so glad that he was showing her about physical passions between a man and woman. They were both breathless when he released her. “Rest assured that on our honeymoon, I will be making love with you.”
“Our honeymoon? Are you teasing me?”
“No!” he answered firmly but didn’t elaborate. “Come on gorgeous, we have a long day tomorrow and we need sleep. And you are sleeping with me tonight.”
“Yes sir” she saluted teasing him. Seth playfully growled at her before kissing her hard and long again.
That night as they settled in bed together, Seth held her very close but very gently and when he heard her deep breathing whispered I love you then fell asleep himself.
Chapter 13
“Seth, I need to go on home to Catesville.” Cori argued as they pulled into his driveway. They were home from New York and it had been very successful. She had so many orders that her team was going to be busy making animals and also making the clothes for Beaches’ bear.
“You are tired and I don’t want you driving tonight. It would be very late when you arrived home. You can leave sometime tomorrow.” He said gently “Or not” he said under his breath.
“What was that?” she questioned. “I didn’t hear that last part.”
“I said or not.” Seth answered.
“Or not? What does that mean?”
“You don’t have to leave tomorrow or at all.”
The garage door closing almost masked his statement but Cori heard it anyway and was stunned. “I am….I have a business to run too. I have…..” Cori defended
“I know but I can still miss you.” Seth interrupted.
“Seth, don’t make me feel guilty. I ….”
“I’m so sorry” he said quickly but without anger “that was not my intent. I just wanted you to know I will miss you and you don’t have to leave Houston.”
“I’m going to miss you too and I need to go home.”
“Tomorrow” he pleaded. Cori relented and exited the car. They met at the trunk to unload their baggage and Seth pulled her close and kissed her.
“Well, this is an interesting turn of events. My little brother kissing the woman he couldn’t stand.” Seth and Cori turned to the voice that interrupted their kiss.
“Micah!” Cori cried and rushed to hug him. Seth hung his head knowing that this was just the start of the teasing he could expect.
“Hi Micah” Seth greete
d as the two men embraced. “I’m thrilled and not so thrilled to see you. When did you arrive?”
Micah helped Seth carry the bags inside as he answered. “Let’s talk about that later, I want to hear how you came to be kissing this woman.”
“That would be your fault.” Seth grumbled. “All your fault.” Cori laughed at Seth’s grumbling.
“I hear it has something to do with a stuffed bear.” Micah teased.
“Yeah, something like that.” Seth grumbled again. The trio had reached the living room and Mindy rushed her Uncle Seth. He leaned down and picked her up. “Hi munchkin. I missed you.”
Mindy laid her head on Seth’s shoulder quickly. “I miss you. Daddy home.”
“Did he surprise you?” Seth asked Mindy who nodded then reached for her Daddy. Micah gathered her close and she hugged him hard. Seth patted her back and walked to his mother who was resting on the couch.
“Hi Mom. I missed you too.” Seth said hugging his mother after Cori hugged her. “When did he get here?”
“This morning.” Millie answered. “He surprised us.” Cori sat down next to Millie and Seth sat next to her.
Micah sat down on an overstuffed chair and held Mindy in his lap. She picked up the bear that her father had given her and played with it on his lap. Seth groaned and shook his head.
“I don’t know why you are blaming such a cute little bear.” Micah teased.
“Keep it up.” Seth growled. Cori leaned over and kissed his cheek as she promised she would if Micah teased him.
“How’s business, Cori?” Micah asked.
“Hannah’s house is full. Warm Comforts is doing well.”
“She was a hit at the toy show.” Seth interjected proudly. “And my bear that she designed had a huge beginning.”
“And what about you two?”
“Doing well” Seth answered. Cori blushed and glanced at Millie who was beaming.
“Knock it off, friend” Cori whispered to Millie. “I won’t make you cookies again.”
“Oh, I bet you will.” Millie laughed. Seth hugged Cori and kissed the side of her head.
The living room occupants talked until Beth called them all to dinner. After dinner, Seth was called away to the phone and Cori went to freshen up. She found Seth waiting for her outside the upstairs bathroom. He pulled her into his room. “I need to head home, Seth” she stated before he could talk. “Micah is here and needs your guest room.”
“Personally, I’d sleep with you in the guestroom but I won’t. Micah will stay in here since Mindy knows to come in here in the night if she needs me. You can stay in the guest room and I’ll stay in the basement. I have that other bedroom down there next to the whirlpool tub.”
“Then let me stay down there and you stay where Mindy can find you.”
“Micah’s here, she won’t need me.”
“You are being stubborn, but okay.”
“Good” Seth agreed. “I am exhausted and I’m going to shower and go to bed. Stay here and wait for me. Or come in and talk to me.”
“I’ll wait out here.” She said sitting on the chair in his seating area.
Seth leaned down and got really close to her ear that still worked. “Someday my beautiful girl, I’m going to make love to you in that shower. I wouldn’t even mind if our first child was conceived in there.”
“Seth!” she said astonished. Before she could speak again, Seth kissed her quickly then left to go shower. When she heard the shower go on, she hesitated a moment then surprising both of them, she entered the bathroom with him.
“Welcome” he said enthusiastically. “What brings you in?”
“You and your outrageous comment.” Cori grumbled. “Are you trying to embarrass me?”
“No” he answered “I’m introducing you to some facts of our life to come.”
“You don’t know that we are going to get married.”
“I hope we are going to get married.”
“Are you serious? We’ve been a couple for since Tuesday. That’s hardly a long courtship.”
“I didn’t say we were getting married this week. I can wait patiently for the most part.”
“Seth Reynolds, you are crazy. You need sleep and to have your head examined.”
“Yes, definitely on the sleep and maybe on the other but it doesn’t change the fact that I’d like for you to be Mrs. Seth Reynolds someday.”
“We have so much to talk about before you go making those plans. You may change your mind.”
“I really doubt it. But I’ll agree that we have much to discuss. But not tonight, my brain is shutting down fast.” Seth shut the water off and reached out for his towel. He wrapped it around his waist after drying off and stepped out of the shower. Cori stared speechless at him.
“What?” he questioned at her stunned look.
“You are so well built. I, uhhh, never mind.”
“Come here, sweetheart” Seth beckoned. Cori numbly approached him. Seth captured her hand and placed it on his chest. She wouldn’t look at him but gently caressed his skin and the muscles on his chest. “Touch me all you want, gorgeous.”
“You are the gorgeous one.” She said in awe. Seth chuckled and kissed her longingly.
“I’m crashing fast.” Seth said when they stopped kissing and Cori stepped back.
“Then I won’t keep you. Good night, handsome.”
“Good night beautiful.” Seth kissed her quickly one more time then she left the bathroom and walked on to the guest room. Seth gathered up his clothes after getting into his sweats. He wished his brother, Mom and Mindy and good night then headed down to the basement. He laid down on the bed and fell asleep almost immediately.
Cori was drawing in the guestroom when she heard a quiet knock on the door. Assuming it was Seth, she quietly called out “Come in”. The door opened and Micah entered.
“Why aren’t you sleeping?” she questioned him
“My body is on a different time zone. Why aren’t you sleeping?”
“Bad dreams.” She answered.
“So, you and Seth, huh? Tell me about that.”
Cori sat her drawing aside and wrapped her arms around her knees that she drew up. She rested her head on them and answered Micah.
“You’ll have to ask him mostly. He just one day became interested in me. I didn’t do anything. I wasn’t even talking to him yet and then all of a sudden he told me that he was thinking about me and wanted to see if we could work things out. I told him no but he didn’t like that answer and wrote me some letters. I said I’d try but then we went to have a talk and we crashed and burned before we even started. I told him about my hand and he turned away from me so I figured that it was over. Monday, he threatened me and we fought again. Monday night I arrived here and we talked and now here we are.”
“I’m glad that he finally woke up to what he was missing.”
“Thanks, I think. I’m scared, Micah. I’m not good enough for him. I….”
“Hold it right there my friend. Take that thought out of your mind. Good enough is too hard to live up too. You are very special Cori, and Seth finally sees that. Explore this and see where it goes.”
Cori looked down “He says marriage and two dozen kids.”
“Two dozen? That’s ambitious. I have one and she can run me ragged.”
“Micah, focus….marriage to me.”
“Yeah, Cori, I figured that out for myself.”
“Micah, he wants to marry me and we….. just since Monday night.”
“So, I wanted to marry Tish after one evening. We Reynolds men know when we have found a good thing.”
“You are not helping. Talk to him.”
“I will.” Micah stated. “Tish isn’t scheduled to be home for two more months so you can’t get married until after that.”
“Micah!” Cori exclaimed.
“Shhh” Micah so
othed. “Don’t wake Mindy and Mom.”
“It’s your fault. Go away.” Cori grumbled pointing at the door.
“Welcome to the family” Micah said kissing the top of her head. “You’ll be a good wife to someone who loves you and not someone who wants to hurt you.”
“Thanks Micah.” Micah left Cori’s room and Cori lay down to sleep.
Seth was dressed for work when Cori found him and Mindy and Millie in the dining room the next morning. He rose from his chair and kissed Cori. She went to the buffet that was set up and helped herself to breakfast before sitting down next to Seth. She greeted Millie and Mindy and began to eat.
“The sports page is very interesting this morning, Cori.” Seth said handing the section of the paper to her. “Very interesting news out of New York” he added when she started to refuse it. Cori took the paper and read the headline out loud.
“New York Beavers Player Arrested” She smiled to Seth. “isn’t that interesting? Spousal and child abuse it says.” Cori continued to read. “Spouse could not be reached for comment. I hope she’s okay.”
“Me too” Seth answered with a wink.
“What are you two up too?” Millie questioned.
“Seth can tell you later. I have to eat and rush out. I have a meeting at noon.”
“Stay” Seth pleaded.
“No, I can’t and we talked about this.” Cori answered firmly. After eating she went to gather up her things. Seth followed her.
“I’ll miss you.”
“We have phone and email.”
“Come back this weekend.”
“Seth, let me get organized for this week and I’ll let you know.”
“I’ll beg.” He stated with said puppy dog eyes
“Kiss me goodbye, goofball.” Cori was wrapped in his arms before she finished the sentence. After a long kiss, he released her. Cori hugged Millie goodbye and told Mindy to give her Daddy a hug for her then Seth walked her to her car. One more long kiss, then Cori backed out of the garage and headed home to Catesville.
“Cori” began Pearl through the intercom. “There is a DJ Fremont on the phone, he says you know him.”
“I do” answered Cori “put him through”
“Here he is” Pearl answered.
“Hi DJ.” greeted Cori. “How are you?”
“I’m good. How are you?”
“I’m good” answered Cori. “Did you get the email with the recipes?” Cori had emailed him some recipes on Tuesday when the reminder came up on her schedule.