5
Cullen didn’t knowwhat to expect the next morning, but it wasn’t Sarah’s shy smile as she handed him a mug of coffee when he entered the kitchen. Relieved she didn’t demand to leave, he nodded politely.
“Good morning,” she said with a blush on her face.
He stared from the coffee to her then took a slow, deliberate sip. She really made the best coffee. “Yeah.”
She met his eyes and glanced away. “Would you like me to make you something to eat?”
“No.” He put his coffee down and prodded her to sit. “Sit down.” He winced when the words came out sounding like a command. To his relief, Sarah sat, with a pleasant smile on her face. He poured her a cup of coffee and added sugar and a hint of milk.
“Thanks.” She took a sip. “Perfect. You know just how I like it.”
He turned, suddenly embarrassed, and mumbled, “You want an omelet?”
“Whatever you’re having. You’re such a great cook, Cullen. I don’t know why you bother coming into the diner so often. You put Mac to shame.”
“I love your coffee,” he admitted while foraging for ingredients. “Cheese and ham okay?”
“Sure.” Sarah stared hard at him. He could feel her gaze on his back. “About last night…”
He busied himself at the stove and tensed when he felt her behind him.Here it comes. A discussion of why she has to leave, why it can never happen again…She stunned him by wrapping her arms around his waist.
“You’re incredible.”
She kissed his back, and his entire body turned to stone. His dick throbbed, and he had to focus on his breathing. “So are you,” he managed, well enough that she sat back down and began chattering about the weather and his work in the barn while he cooked their breakfast.
“What are you making now, in your workshop, I mean?” she asked.
Cullen took a deep breath and willed his erection to fade sometime before the end of the year. “I’m finishing up one of Micah’s projects, a crib for Rachel Chastell. Burke wants to surprise her with it.”
“She’s pregnant?” Something in Sarah’s voice made him turn around.
“I didn’t ask. Why?”
Sarah sighed. “You’ll think I’m an idiot. I like Rachel a lot. She’s always been so nice to me. I even forgave her for marrying Burke last year.” Sarah laughed.
“Forgave her?”
“I had a crush on Burke for the longest time, but he was never interested in me. Then I met Will… Anyway, after the rumors started, most of the town just avoided me.”
The way Cullen had, only he’d avoided her because he was half in love with her and didn’t know how to tell her.
“Burke used to be nice to me and then he was distant. He must have believed Mike’s rumors, which hurt. I thought he was better than that.”
“So you have a thing for him, hmm?” Cullen wanted to rip Chastell’s throat out.
“No. Ihada thing for him. Trust me, it faded a while ago, even before he met Rachel. I only used to flirt with him at the diner because it annoyed him.” Her eyes twinkled, and the tension in Cullen eased. “That cat is so easy to rile. Invade his space and he snarls.” She snickered. “He deserved it. Sanctimonious cat. Guys can have sex all the time and no one cares. But if you’re a woman and you make a mistake, you’re a slut. Gimme a break.” She stopped her tirade and concentrated on her coffee.
“Sorry for going off. It’s one of my favorite rants,” she mumbled. When he said nothing, she lifted her head and stared at him. “You’re easy to talk to, you know? You don’t say much, but I don’t mind. I feel like I can fill the silence or not, but that you’ll listen. Or am I just being stupid? I’ll shut up now.”
“You’re not stupid, Sarah,” he said quietly, falling even deeper under her spell. Her openness was just one of the things he loved about her.
“I have a bad habit of saying too much. I probably shouldn’t have told everyone about raptor business in the diner the other day, but I’m sick of Mike’s comments.”
“Don’t be sorry.” Cullen grabbed the skillet off the stove and slid the omelet onto a plate for Sarah. He knew it wasn’t his business, but he wanted to know. “Why the hell would you fall for Will Shaw in the first place?”You could have any guy you wanted. Why him?
She shrugged. “I was young and lonely. It felt like all the guys wanted me for one thing and one thing only. I wanted to fit in with the raptors as more than just Mimi’s orphaned girl. Will didn’t seem like the others. He talked to me and made me feel special. I had never been with a guy before him.”
