by Imani King
“Graeme.” Her voice was a whispered… plea? Prayer? Warning? He wasn’t sure and for an instant he froze, scared he’d gone too far. He had just one more thing he wanted to do with her. To her. Seizing the moment as it whizzed by, he sucked her bottom lip between his teeth and suckled hard. With tiny nips he teased her flesh, turning her lips ruddy with the flush of blood. As he let go, he noticed how well-kissed she looked. How utterly seductive and supremely lovable she truly was.
He wanted to do so much more, but Graeme pulled away.
This wasn’t the time to push her right over the edge. He had pushed the chance for their first kiss far enough—perhaps too far—already. If he wanted to do this right, he needed to give time to her, to himself. He wanted a relationship, not a one-night stand. Neither of them deserved that. And considering that look in her eyes, he was afraid of just how close to a rough and tumble round in the sack was. Damn, he’d never known he was such a good kisser. Perhaps it was her.
“I want to apologize…but I’m not sorry.”
She put a finger on her lips. “We shouldn’t have…”
“Why not? Is it because I’m working for you?”
She took a careful step back. Her dark eyes were filled with confusion, trepidation. “Don’t be silly. I just—like to keep my distance.”
Graeme couldn’t help the smile that lifted his lips. “You’ve got to admit, Cullen. In our case, that’s not going to work. Every time I look at you, it’s instantaneous combustion.”
“It does boggle the mind.”
“And heart,” he admitted. “So, what are we going to do?”
“Forget this happened?” she suggested.
He reached out, pulled a lock of her dark hair and watched it spring back. He was drowning in the depth of her eyes. The way she gazed at him felt as if she could see right into his heart. He didn’t have any defense against her. Graeme felt vulnerable, scared even. This wasn’t going to be one tumble in the hay. No way. She was trouble. Not because she was prone to hurt him, but because she mattered.
He hadn’t met a woman who mattered this much. “Can you forget that this happened?” he said.
After a brief moment of hesitation, she shook her head. “I don’t think so.”
“Neither can I.” Graeme took a deep breath. Third time lucky, perhaps? There was no harm in taking the plunge. If she said no, he wouldn’t be better than what he was, but he wouldn’t be worse off either. “Blaze, one of the bars in town, is holding a barn dance on Thursday night. Would you like to go with me?”
“A barn dance?”
His heart skipped a beat. Would she refuse him yet again? “I could shake a leg or two. What about you?”
Cullen kept opening and closing her mouth as if she was struggling to find the right words to respond to his question.
He could almost see the wheels turn in her mind. For a moment, he thought that she would say no.
Then, much to his delight, she nodded. “Why not?”
“Why not, indeed.” Even though he longed to kiss her again, Graeme took a step back. It was time to give her some space. At least, for now. “I’ve got work to do…guess I’ll see you around.” He strode out before he would be too compelled to draw her into his arms again. He chuckled softly to himself. This was good. He’d won his first date, and as far as Graeme was concerned, things could only move forward.
Chapter Five
Temporary insanity was her only defense.
Cullen wasn’t sure why she agreed to go out with him. Damn it! She wasn’t some high school girl who was embarking on her first date, but it felt like it. As she checked her reflection in the mirror and ran her hands over the maroon, full skirt that flounced around her legs, she wasn’t sure what made her agree to this date.
Was it the kiss?
As sure as the sun rose in the east, it had been dynamite.
Her toes had actually curled as his tongue danced with hers. The man had some great moves up his sleeve. If he could do this to her with one kiss, what would happen if they actually made love? She shook her head. No way. She wasn’t going to let her mind wander in that direction. It wasn’t fair. Why couldn’t he just be another person who worked with her?
Why did he have to be so special?
She didn’t like it.
Truth be told, Cullen felt scared. Graeme held some kind of power over her, and it wasn’t just sexual. He was a man one could depend on, lean on, and that was exactly what she didn’t want to do. Even if she started going out with him, sooner or later, the relationship would come to an end. She would get hurt, and on top of that, she would lose a hardworking foreman.
Better to stop things in their tracks right now, than allow things to go too far. She needed to go down and tell him that she’d changed her mind. Yes, that was the right decision. Nothing good could come out of this. She strode out her bedroom. Halfway down the stairs, Cullen stopped.
Max was waiting for her in the foyer.
Once she’d thought he was handsome, but now she could see he was all appearance and no substance. “What are you doing here?”
His eyes narrowed as he took in her clothes. “Going out?”
“Actually, yes.” She planted her palms on her hips. “Not that it’s any of your business.”
“I just heard there is a county barn dance and wanted to see if you were up for it.”
Man! Wouldn’t he ever give up? “That’s where I’m going.”
“With whom?”
It was none of his business, but this was a small town, and news traveled fast. Once more, she regretted saying yes to Graeme. He was, of course, a much better option than Max. What the hell was going on? From no man in her life she’d moved straight on to two men, hot on her heels. Was Max reacting to Graeme’s presence in her life? Was that why he was asking her out? He didn’t show much interest in her for two years, and now when someone else was showing her more than a little interest, he seemed bent on having her again.
“With Graeme,” she informed him.
He wrinkled his brow. “The foreman?”
“Yes.”
“Blow him off.”
She lifted an eyebrow. Cullen strode down the rest of the stairs and faced him. “What?”
“Come on. He’s a substitute. You know you’ve got a thing for me, and I still got it bad for you. It was a mistake to break up.”
Cullen folded her arms across her chest. “The mistake was that we dated in the first place. The mistake was allowing you to make a fool of me with that…with that…blonde.”
“It was an error in judgment.”
“You were with her for more than a month. That’s not an error. That’s a habit. In any case, I’ve moved on now.”
“With Graeme?”
She nodded. “With him, yes. Thank you for asking me out, Max, but I already have a date. Take care.”
He bit his lip so hard, judging by the tension she saw in his jaw, that she thought he might draw blood. The man could get angry without warning. Was he about to explode? Although he never raised his hand on her, she was never sure with him. Much to her relief, he turned around and stomped out.
She’d been so sure she would say no to Graeme but now Cullen changed her mind. It wasn’t a good idea to give Max so much power over her. If she didn’t go to the dance, he would learn about it and think it was because of him. She allowed him to alter the course of her life for years, but it was time to put the past behind her and make a fresh start. And frankly, Graeme was the perfect man for the job. He couldn’t be more different from Max in personality. Not that it was her reason for choosing him. She felt attracted to the guy on a primal level that was hard to understand and difficult to explain.
Almost as if on cue, he strolled out from the kitchen with Jackie in tow. Had they been there for a long time? Did they overhear her conversation with Max? Cullen realized she didn’t care. Max wasn’t a part of her life anymore, and she wasn’t about to give him more attention than he deserved. No way,
no how was she going to give him the leeway to become involved with her decision-making process.
“Ready?” Graeme asked.
“Yes.” Much to her surprise, he lifted her hand to his mouth. The lingering feel of his lips against her skin sent a lance of desire careening through her nerves. She exchanged a glance with Jackie and was amused to see a gleam of approval in her eyes. Her mother never liked Max, but she appeared to have accepted Graeme wholeheartedly.
It said something about the man’s character. He was a hit with the ladies, including her.
“You look lovely,” he said.
Cullen laughed. “Hardly words I’d used to describe myself, but thank you.” She glanced at the older woman. “Good night, Mom.” She felt like a high school kid who was going out on her first date under her mother’s watchful eyes. It’d been quite a long time since she’d gone out with a man. She felt nervous, sure, but also excited.
After they strolled out, Graeme opened the door of his car. “It would’ve been more appropriate if we’d gone to the barn dance on horses,” he joked.
She laughed. “Funny. That’s exactly what I was thinking, but I doubt we would get parking for horses over there.”
“For sure,” he agreed as he reversed the car and drove out of the farm.
They drove in silence for a while, but it wasn’t awkward. She felt more than comfortable with Graeme, as comfortable as she could be with a man to whom she was attracted beyond measure.
“Have you always loved horses?” He broke the silence.
“I guess I inherited the love for them from my father. He longed to see me on horseback, and put me on one as soon as I was old enough to sit. I was junior equestrian in many races and won many ribbons, but then I realized that I liked working with horses. Sure, I enjoyed riding with them for races and stuff, but it wasn’t as delightful as being hands on in a ranch.”
“Your father was disappointed?” he asked.
She could see the lights of the pub that was hosting the barn dance. Many cars were already parked in the lot. Although it was a week night, people enjoyed a good event every chance they got. Now that they were here, she felt glad that they came. It would be a fun outing and a good break from their hectic pace at work. Ever since she started the expansion, Cullen hardly took time out to do anything personal for herself.
Nothing was more personal than a date.
“On the contrary; he was quite happy I was willing to take over farm work.”
Graeme smiled. “You have siblings?”
“Shayne and Paige, my two sisters. Shayne, always a city girl at heart, lives in New York and works in a fancy public relations office. And then there’s the youngest, Paige, who’s in college.”
“She also wants to take up work in a big city?”
“No, she wants to come back home and be at the ranch, but my mother insisted we all get college degrees, so she’s studying. She’ll be back soon enough.”
He parked the car and he helped her out. “It would be nice for you to have family support in the ranch.”
“Oh yes, and now that we’re expanding, we can do with a lot of help.” While they walked towards the pub, Cullen felt nervous. It was a long time since she showed her face in town with a date. What would people say? Everyone knew her. Gossip would spread like wild fire, but then she straightened her shoulders. She’d never been one to cower away from the truth. This was her life, and she chose to live it her way.
Graeme held her hand as they strolled inside. It felt strange to leave her fingers in his grasp. Every nerve in her body ignited at the contact, but Cullen didn’t pull away.
It’s only a date.
It’s only a date.
“Hey, Cullen, good to see you,” Bernard, the bar owner greeted her. She’d briefly dated him back in high school. They were good friends, although she hadn’t seen him in a long time. With regret, Cullen realized that ever since her break up with Max, she’d shunned quite a few people…a fact that she was willing to change now.
“Glad you could make it. How’s Jackie?”
“Doing good,” she answered as her gaze flitted over the bar which looked jammed pack. “Is there any space for us to sit?”
“We’re hopping today, but there’s always a space for one of my favorite ladies.” He led her to a corner table that was tucked against a wall. “One day, I’m hoping to entice Jackie here with a date.” Bernard flashed a gapped-toothed grin. “So, do you guys want to order?”
Cullen shook away the image of her mother with another man. No way did she want to think about it. Of course, Jackie was an attractive woman, but she hadn’t looked at a man quite that way since her husband died, and that was just the way Cullen liked it. “Yes, we’ll order. Bernard, this is Graeme.”
“We’ve met before.” Bernard extended his hand to Graeme. “He comes over now and then.”
Cullen was disconcerted for a moment. She hadn’t realized that Graeme spent some time getting to know the locals. Of course, it was a good idea to do so. He was a friendly guy and it was nice to get to know people in a town where one lived. “I’ll have salmon,” she said.
Graeme also ordered and Bernard disappeared. “Would you like a beer? Or wine, perhaps,” he asked.
“Beer’s good.” He went off to get their drinks.
Cullen sat and studied the people. She knew most of them. Seeing her, some of them came over. She talked and waved at most. When Graeme returned, she felt relieved to drop back in her seat. “Wow! Didn’t realize I would meet so many old friends.”
“You’re an introvert, aren’t you?”
She drank from her glass. The cold beer felt good as it rushed down her throat. “Yeah, I suppose. I’m more at ease with animals, especially horses. Also, when you’ve lived in the same place all your life, the excitement of meeting new people vanishes. I know pretty much everyone, and it can get kind of boring.”
“So, do you ever have the urge to move away, to start afresh?”
“No way.” She drank some more, feeling the beer hit her empty stomach. “I love it here. This is my home.”
“Well said.” He toasted her. “So, tell me something about yourself, Cullen, something that no one knows.”
She cocked her head and smiled. “I’m an open book.”
“A woman like you, with all those layers and emotions? I very much doubt it.”
“You’re giving me too much credit,” she said. “I’m a simple girl at heart.”
“So, what’s your idea of a perfect date?”
Her lips lifted in a smile. He was really making an effort to get to know her, to find out things about her. She could do the same. “Well, this is pretty close, but if I had to describe a perfect date…a picnic outdoors, wine, cheese, and good conversation.”
He nodded. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
Their dinner arrived and they dug in. Even though she was used to Jackie’s gourmet cooking, Cullen enjoyed the meal, more so because Graeme was a good conversationalist.
Most guys who grew up on a ranch couldn’t talk about anything else but horses and cattle, but he read avidly and was well versed in politics and current affairs.
She was pleasantly surprised.
Later, he pulled her on the floor for a dance. Barn dances were generally a group affair, and this wasn’t an exception. Soon they were swaying, hopping, and jumping in tune with other people. A lot of laughs. Not romantic, but nice. Not sexual, but sensual. She loved it. In the end, he held her as they swayed to the music. Her curves fit perfectly against his rock-hard body as she rested her head on his shoulder.
When the music stopped, she raised her head. Their lips were close together and if he bent his head, he could kiss her—but this was a public space. She stepped away and he allowed her to slide out of his arms. The heat that crackled between them became unbearable, and the passion that skidded along her skin was a wild fire. She couldn’t control it any longer. To hell with the consequences, to hell with her rules, she
wanted what she wanted—and Cullen wasn’t willing to wait any longer.
Graeme’s hand clasped on her arm as if he understood her thoughts. “Let’s just get out of here.” He paid the bill and they hurried out.
Both of them didn’t exchange a word. There wasn’t any need to do so. She felt as if he could decipher the rhythm of her heartbeat and the thoughts that congealed in her mind. The car ride back to the farm was silent, quick. Rather than drop her at the farmhouse, he drove the car to his cottage.
She didn’t protest.
How could she when her entire body was engulfed in flames?
There was only one way to quench this fire.
“Coffee?”
“Sure,” she managed to say.
Both of them knew exactly what was going on, but neither of them seemed to have courage to say it. They stumbled inside the door and he held her. They couldn’t remain apart any longer. His mouth clamped on her and the kiss was explosive, like dynamite. She’d thought their first kiss was mind-altering, but this was on another level. His arms banded around her waist and drew her closer. She didn’t know which one of them made the first move, but soon they were tearing each other’s clothes off. Her skirt was thrown in one corner while his trousers pooled around his ankles. He stepped away from them and carried her towards the living room. The couch wasn’t big enough, his bedroom was too far, and the rug was soft and plush.
It would have to do.
No words sprang to her lips as she feasted her eyes on his washboard abs, the smooth skin that was baked to a perfect glow in the sun, and the long line of hair that led to his erection that jutted out proudly.
His hands settled on her shoulders, skimmed down, and then he snapped off her bra. Her breasts spilled in his hands, firm and heavy, and he muttered a groan.
