“Kiss your ass, huh?” Sheila laughed so hard she fell back on the seat behind her. “Girl, you’ve got a fire in there. No wonder my Cullen’s fallen hard for you.”
“Jesus, Momma.” Cullen slapped a hand over his face.
“Quiet, boy. Can’t you see, this is what you’ve been missing for way too long.”
“He knows,” Micah said. “She’s the wallet chick.”
“Oh-ho. So this is the one.” Sheila stood and approached Sarah, who looked as if she didn’t know whether to stay or to go. “She’s pretty, built for breeding, and has a strong animal spirit. How’s her bird?”
“Her eagle’s as big as mine,” Cullen announced with pride. He just hoped to hell Sarah would forget about the wallet chick comment. His crush was embarrassing.
“Golden?” Golden eagle, his mother meant.
“Yeah.” Cullen pulled Sarah against him and hugged her tense frame. “Fierce thing. She stood strong against five raptors until I got to her. Survived a mauling.”
“Nice.” Ian whistled and turned to Sarah. “So, you breeding yet?”
“What?” Sarah coughed for several moments until she wheezed, “Breeding? Cullen and I have known each other for a while, but I just started… I mean, we haven’t really known each other that well for that long.”
“Uh-huh.” Sheila grinned, then pulled Sarah out of Cullen’s grasp. “So, when’s the wedding?”
Thoroughly disgusted with his family, Cullen tugged Sarah out of his mother’s clutches, wishing this didn’t seem so much like a tug-of-war gone crazy. He nudged her ahead of him toward the stairs. “Good night,” he yelled over his shoulder. “And good riddance.”
Ignoring the hoots and guffaws behind him, he pushed Sarah up the stairs and down the hall into her bedroom, then locked the door behind him. He turned to see her staring at him in shock.
He sighed. “I’m sorry, honey. I warned you my family was tough. Please don’t leave on account of them.”
He held his breath, praying she’d stay another day.
“I, ah, I don’t know what to say, Cullen. I’m sorry, I guess.” She flopped down onto his bed and lay back, covering her face with her hand. “Oh, God. I told your mother I was the town whore. I told her to kiss my ass!”
Cullen grinned. “Yeah, you did. Nice. She liked that.”
“She did?” Sarah moved her hand to gawk at him.
“My mother respects strength. And you’re stronger than any woman I’ve ever known, save my mother.” Just another reason he knew they’d suit. “Hell, any woman who can tolerate my family for more than three minutes at a time should be canonized.”
Sarah chuckled. “They’re that bad, aren’t they?”
Relieved she saw the humor in it, he lay down with her. “‘I told you so’ seems a little late, hmm?”
She started laughing, and he joined her. When they finally settled down, he pulled her into his arms.
“Stay for a few more days, okay, Sarah? I know you still want to leave, but would you humor me?”
She turned in his arms and traced his face with her gaze. “Why?” she asked softly. “Why do you want me to stay?”
It was on the tip of his tongue to confess his love, but Cullen suddenly grew tongue-tied. God, she was so beautiful. So out of his league. Micah or Sean would have had her reduced to nothing but “yes” by now, and Cullen could barely breathe for want of loving her.
“Cullen?” she asked. “Are you okay?”
Unable to answer with words, he embraced her and showed her how much he loved her, hoping once more that his seed took root. Because no matter what tomorrow brought, he couldn’t let Sarah go.
Sarah wokethe next morning feeling out of sorts. Cullen lay beside her, one large arm trapping her to the bed. She scooted out from under him, amused by his mumbled protest, and took a quick shower. Unfortunately, she’d forgotten to lock the side door.
“Well, well, what little birdie flew into my shower?” Sean’s voice sounded way too near. Though most Ac-taw felt little modesty, Sarah had been taught long ago that circumspection was key.
“Sorry. Um, could you wait outside while I finish?”
