Chapter Four
Graeme was settled into a good routine. He liked his life at the Westbury Ranch. It was a good place to make a home. The ranch hands were cooperative and happy. Cullen, as an employer, was fair and respectful. She gave him plenty of leeway when it came to making professional decisions, and she trusted his judgment.
What more could he want?
Yet, his heart desired more. He showered and got dressed. As he picked up his hat, his thoughts were dominated by images of Cullen. She was beautiful, of course. But also, she was strong, independent, and kind. He detected some story in her past, something that made her wary of men in general. He didn’t think she had anything personal against him; it was just that she didn’t want to risk her heart.
Neither did he.
On the other hand, Graeme felt that with Cullen, he didn’t have a choice. It was impossible to ignore her. Even if he somehow convinced his mind to let go of thoughts of her, his heart wouldn’t allow him to do so. Every time she was in his vicinity, his heartbeat accelerated and sweat dampened his palms. He longed to get his hands on her sweet, gorgeous body, but more than that, he wanted to spend time getting to know her, to become more aware of the various layers of her heart and mind.
She was a complex woman—and Graeme couldn’t let go of a mystery.
He made his way to the farmhouse. There was definitely another reason for his decision to stick to Westbury Ranch, and that was Jackie. Her cooking was divine, and like her daughter, her personality was riveting. They got along well, and he was grateful for her company. When he knocked on the back door, opened it and strode in, Cullen was talking to her.
He was so attuned to her that he even noticed her fingers tightening around the mug as he took off his hat. “Good morning, ladies.”
“Hi.” Jackie’s smile was friendly, warm. She was a shade shorter than her daughter, but had the same haunting features and the deep, dark eyes. “Nice weather, isn’t it?”
“Sure is. Do you need any help?”
“In my kitchen, the only help you can give me is to sit and eat whatever I put in front of you,” she said in a firm voice.
Graeme smiled. “Great, then. I’m ready for that.” He took a seat and his gaze traveled to Cullen who nodded. “The vet’s coming in to see Tate today, and I’m going to stay with him until he leaves.”
“Has he improved since yesterday?”
“He seems a little better to me, but we’ve got to cover all possibilities.” Tate was one of their breeding stallions. He’d limped yesterday and Graeme called the vet out of concern.
“Did you talk to the cattle suppliers?”
“We’ve made the arrangements. We’ll go two Saturdays from today. Does that suit you?”
“Yeah, that’s fine.” She finished her coffee and rose. “I’ll see you at the barn.”
“Cool.” He watched her leave. She was friendly, professional, but not very forthcoming as far as other things were concerned. Maybe he shouldn’t have pushed her too hard, but Graeme was ready to admit that he lost his head a bit. Seeing her, he got a punch in his heart. There was an air of vulnerability about her, a lost look in her eyes that he wanted to see disappear.
Jackie put a heaping plate in front of him.
“Thanks.”
She took a seat opposite him. “Don’t mind my daughter, Graeme. She doesn’t like to talk that much.”
He met her gaze. Something made him decide to open up. “Is she always like this?”
Jackie sighed as she leaned back, her hand firm on the cup of coffee she held. “Once, she was carefree, happy but after her…last breakup, she has closed herself off from pain.”
“No pain, no gain,” he said. “May I guess? Last breakup…Max?” he continued eating.
She took a sip and gazed at him. “You’re a perceptive man.”
“It wasn’t hard to guess.” He polished off his food. “I won’t beat around the bush, Jackie. I like your daughter…hell, I more than like her. Asked her out—twice, and she turned me down. I can take rejection as well as another man, but in her case, I don’t think it’s personal.” He shrugged his shoulders. “Any man who asks her out would get the same answer.”
Jackie put the cup down. “You’re probably right. I suppose she doesn’t want to suffer through another heartbreak.”
“That Max must’ve done a real number on her.”
“That’s her story to tell, and if, perhaps she trusts you, she might tell you herself,” Jackie muttered.
He nodded. Graeme stood, picked up his plate, and rinsed it in the sink. He put it in the dishwasher. Walking over to a cabinet, he took down a cup and poured himself a cup of coffee. “I’m not ready to give up.”
“Lord knows, I would like my daughter to find a good man, but he has to be worthy. She’s very special. Took on too much when her father got sick, and then on top of it, she suffered that setback…”
“I won’t hurt her,” he assured her.
Jackie sighed. “I hope so. I like you too, Graeme. If you’re the one who wins my daughter’s heart, believe me, I would be more than happy to accept you in the family. Well, as far as I am concerned, you’ve chosen to make this your home and you’re already a part of our household.”
Graeme walked over and hugged her. “You’re a blessing, Jackie.”
After he left, Graeme strolled over to the stables. He inspected the horse that didn’t look that bad. The vet came, examined the animal, and gave his prescription. “I’m not worried. Just make him rest today and he should be fine. Nothing much to worry about.”
“Thanks.” As he walked the vet out, Cullen came into the stable.
“Hey, Cullen, how are you?”
“Fine, Doc. And you? Keeping busy?”
“A man’s got to do what he can do for as long as he can.” Since the guy was well over seventy, Graeme understood what he was saying. “Nothing is wrong with my mind, but the legs don’t work like they used to.”
“In that case, I hope you won’t be taking part in the county fair races.”
He laughed. “I’ll try not to. Have you met the new vet who set up practice?”
“I haven’t called him, Doc. You’re our man, and everyone in the farm knows it.”
“Thanks for your vote of confidence. Not that the new guy is bad…but you know I’d like to keep going for as long as I can.”
After he left, Cullen went to see Tate. “He’s going to be alright.”
Graeme wasn’t sure if she talking about the horse or the vet. She told him to call the doctor, and he did so, but it seemed that the vet shared a history with the family. “Was he your father’s friend?”
She nodded. “Doc spent a lot of time with my dad when he was sick. Used to come and sit. Played cards. It was nice of him. Also, he is an excellent vet.” Cullen chuckled. “Yeah, we’ve got a new guy, but I like holding on to people I trust.”
“No harm in that,” he said. “My mother was a vet.”
Her eyes widened. “Oh, she was?”
“Although my dad was foreman, she was the one who instilled a love for animals in me. I assisted her on a lot of occasions and she was always happy to explain things. She had hoped I would become a vet.” He shrugged his shoulders. “But I guess I wanted to be more hands-on. She died in a fire. A barn caught fire while she was assisting a mare with birth. She could’ve run out, but she wasted too much time trying to get the animal on her feet.” He took a deep breath as the memory of her flashed across his mind. “I was eighteen.”
“Oh, Graeme, I’m so sorry.”
“It was a long time ago, but yeah, I miss her.”
“It’s hard to let go of a parent. I miss my dad, too.”
While he stared into her eyes, Graeme knew that she could understand his pain. Not having any parent alive in the world made one feel like an orphan, and it didn’t matter that he was a grown man who didn’t need an elder influence. She got that. So many people didn’t.
As he gazed into her thoughtful, kind eyes, Graeme acted on impulse. His arms encircled on her waist, his hand resting in the shallow of her lower back, and although her body tensed, she didn’t pull away. Instead, her lips parted as if on a sigh, and that was enough to make his blood boil. His heart raced, his palms tingled, and he forgot to breathe. His head bent and his lips touched her. The kiss started soft and slow.
He wanted to take it easy.
He wanted to devour her.
But those intentions went by the wayside as soon as his brain registered the moment. He was a goner and he was going to take Cullen with him. He pulled back a bit, lifting his gaze to look deep into her eyes. Her long lashes hid her pupils, but her irises had darkened and as her tongue darted out to lick her lips, Graeme could tell that Cullen was still reeling from their contact. He took full advantage.
Mirroring her action, he licked across her full, bottom lip with the tip of his tongue. He felt more than heard the moan reverberating from her chest. He caressed back across the tender skin and rejoiced as her body quaked and shivered in his clasp. Then, once again pressing his lips firmly to hers, he stroked up the length of her back and cupped the back of her head in his palm. He tilted her head back and seized her mouth in a new-found intensity.
No matter his original thought to move slowly, he couldn’t now.
Graeme drew her closer. Her soft curves fit against his hard muscles perfectly. Her skin was warm, smooth, and her breath hot against his mouth. He silently hoped that he’d ignited her long-buried passion and chased away the fears for her heart, as he rubbed his lips back and forth in a sensual slide along her own. Cullen fell against him, as if her knees had suddenly weakened, and rested her full weight upon his chest. Her arms lifted and wrapped around his neck, her fingers tangling in his hair. His hand at her lower back settled lower and pulled her even closer.
Graeme opened his mouth and he swept his tongue within the heat of her, tasting her and memorizing every single nuance he discovered. Somewhere in the back of his mind he feared this might be his only chance with her—this was a huge risk—and he wasn’t going to waste this time in a hurry, forgetful series of actions. He was in a savoring mood. And he savored her. She was delicious, sweet where it counted, and full of the fire he knew dwelled deep within her soul. The bits and pieces of what had kept her going after all she’d been through. Like vanilla and cinnamon, that’s what she tasted like. Unique. Her. All her.
She responded viciously, her own tongue licking along his. She wasn’t an idle participant anymore. She gave as much as she took. Returning his desire, his attack, with her own, she took the opportunity he offered and savored him as well. Her whimpering sigh spoke volumes.
His breath was stilted, harsh and pounding in his ears. He needed oxygen, but his body begged to differ. What he really needed was Cullen. Under him, moving around him. The sudden image of their entwined bodies struck him hard and he got dizzy with the implications. Or maybe he really did need to more air. Pulling back, gasping, he caressed the soft skin of her cheek, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. Her lids raised and he saw them glisten. His heart caught and skipped.
“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.