10
Later that night,as Cullen and Sarah spent their first time alone that evening, Sarah found herself unable to speak. She was so in love with Cullen, and she knew this was more than she’d ever had with Will. Cullen had faults. He was domineering, not very social, and he’d done something to annoy most of the raptors in town before they’d left.
She still had a hard time believing he really loved her. What if he’d said what he had to give her confidence, so that she’d take Jenny down?
“What’s the problem?” he growled and sank to the couch next to her. He looked exhausted. As if he had a right to be more tired than she was.
Sarah had put Jenny on her ass, but it hadn’t been easy. Not used to combat, Sarah had more experience in hunting. She’d used that hunting ability, envisioning Jenny as the rabbit she wanted to sink her claws into. After several minutes of grueling air dives, she’d feinted, then struck Jenny hard. The taste for revenge seethed inside her, but Sarah knew what it was like to make a mistake. Time for Jenny to learn from hers.
Jenny and Dennis had been kicked out of the clan and out of the town. The investigation into Will Shaw grew more interesting when his wife stepped forward to offer her testimony. The poor harrier had been sorely treated by the man who showed the public one face and his mate another. Gemma Shaw advocated for Will’s removal from clan leader office and offered up a new alternative with a nomination for Will’s replacement.
Micah, once a leader in the eagle clan, would become a new clan leader for the raptors after the votes were officially tallied. Apparently, the raptors as a whole didn’t care for their leaders any more than Sarah had. But none of them had stepped up to make a difference, not until Sheila Whitefeather planted that bug in Sarah’s ear.
Sarah studied Cullen, wondering if he meant what he’d said earlier. “Would you really have left town if I’d lost to Jenny?”
He swore. “Are you serious?”
“I want to know.” She felt defensive, as if she was the one in the wrong for asking.
“Thank God Linda convinced my family to stay in town while you and I sort this out.” Cullen ran his hands through his hair and sat up straight. “You are the most oblivious woman I’ve ever met.” He shot to his feet.
“What?” Growing more than a little angry, Sarah hurled a couch pillow at his head. “Just answer the question. Did you mean it?”
“Shit, woman. I’ve been coming into your damned diner for months. My pot roast is a helluva lot better than Mac’s.”
“But—”
“I can’t go to sleep without seeing you at least once a day. You’re screwing with my sexual fantasies, because every woman I dream about has your face.”
“Oh.”
“And I’ve been doing my damnedest to get you pregnant since you’ve been here, in case you haven’t noticed,” he said, swearing again. He stood over her with a menacing glare, but the joy spreading through her took away any threat of danger. “You like me well enough when I’m deep inside you. What? You having second thoughts now? Well, fuck that. You’re staying. You’re mine, and I’m keeping you.”
“Cullen, shut up.” They both froze at the vehemence in her tone. Sarah stood with a grin. “I never thought I’d say this, but you talk too much.” She threaded her hands through his hair and brought his head down to meet hers. “I love you. I’m going to marry you. And we’re going to convince Micah to take that role as clan leader. That way they can never make us leave.”
Cullen stared at her, his eagle peering out at her with golden eyes filled with love. “You can’t take it back.”
“I know.” She kissed him again, her love flowing into him with every caress of her lips and tongue.
“Oh, baby. I want you so much.” Cullen sat her on top of him as he kissed her until she was dizzy. He slowly removed her clothing, piece by piece.
“This won’t work. You have too many clothes on.”
“Trust me,” he whispered as he took her nipple into his mouth.
“I do. I really do.”
He made love to her with his mouth, lifting her to straddle his face while he tongued her until she cried out in ecstasy. He continued to lick her, foraging deep with his tongue, but it wasn’t enough.
“I need you, Cullen.”
“Forever,” he said.
“Forever,” she agreed on a sigh. As she unwrapped her body from Cullen’s, she watched him undress. But then he did something that surprised her. He handed her his wallet.
“Um, I’m sure this is a symbolic gesture. But Cullen, I don’t need your money. I make a decent enough living working for Mac. I’ll find a better job someday, when I figure out what I really want to do.”
“Open it.” He looked tense. She stopped rambling enough to take the wallet from him. “Look inside the inner flap.”
