Chapter Eight
Cullen couldn’t believe that Graeme went to such great lengths to organize the perfect date. Everything was exactly as she envisioned in her dreams: the food lovingly prepared by him, the effort he made to find the best spot, and even the weather was cooperating. Of course, the best thing of all was the man who sat beside her. Even if she had placed an order for the right man, she wouldn’t have found one who was just so right.
He shared her love and enthusiasm for the ranch and was fascinated with this work. Unlike other men, he didn’t have preconceived notions about a woman. When she made a decision, he was happy to defer to her better judgment, but when she was wrong, he didn’t hesitate to put forth his opinion. Definitely, an alpha man, but he didn’t need to shove it in her face to prove it. Graeme was supremely confident of his work and his abilities. If he didn’t know something, he admitted readily enough. Best thing of all; he wasn’t threatened by the fact that she was the owner and he was the manager. She believed he didn’t bother too much about that fine distinction. She needed him on the ranch, and he accepted that fact and reveled in it while saluting her authority.
As the picnic progressed, Cullen began to feel the familiar desire careen through her senses. Looking at Graeme, she felt an overwhelming need to put her hands on his hot, sexy body, to run her fingers over his smooth, warm skin, and to sample every part of him. Passion and need exploded in her stomach and ran in fast waves through her senses but she kept a firm hold of her feelings as they talked.
They both rested their glasses on the mat at the same time. She wasn’t sure which one of them made the first move. Perhaps she put a hand on his cheek, or maybe he touched her lips with his fingers. Her memory got hazy because all she could think about was the way his lips clung to hers. Her hands fisted through his shirt and she opened his buttons while he took off her clothes. Soon, they were naked and in each other’s arms. It didn’t matter they were out in the open and anyone could walk in and witness the scene. It made no difference to her that she’d never done this kind of thing before. All she cared about was being with him.
His tongue dove in to taste her mouth and she allowed him to devour her. A fire burnt inside her. “Hurry, hurry,” she urged.
Rather than give him an opportunity to respond, she flipped over so she was on top. Her lips trailed a line of kisses down his throat where she inhaled the sweet scent of the cologne he wore. She flicked her tongue over his nipples, and that was enough to make him groan. His arms banded around her as he attempted to wrest back the control, but she wasn’t having any of it. With an agility of an eel, she slipped out of his grasp and slid right down to the juncture between his thighs. His fingers fisted her hair a moment after she flicked her tongue over his cock.
He gasped, and she took that as a positive sign. Cullen nibbled her way up and down and then finally took the organ deep inside her throat. She felt alive, powerful. Her tongue twisted around his throbbing length and caressed it until his breath came out in short, desperate pants. She thought he was going to come, but in a surprise move, he slipped away.
“Hey!” she complained.
No other words escaped her lips because he pounced on her. In a fit of giggles, she fell on the mat and heard the glasses clank. But neither of them cared.
Instead, his attention was focused on her breasts. He caught one nipple between his lips and sucked greedily.
The moisture leaking down her thighs was an indication of her instant arousal. She felt desperate for more. Her hands roamed over his back and her nails raked down along his skin.
He didn’t protest, and she didn't care.
They were too far gone to bother with niceties.
The desire that rushed through her veins became hot, unrelenting. Her skin hummed as he lavished his attention on her. He turned his mouth to pay homage to her other breast and a loud squeal escaped her lips as a fresh wave of pleasure undulated inside her body. He buried his face between her breasts as his knee nudged her legs apart. She was ready and ripe for the next step, and yet when his tip hovered over her satiny center, she felt a flicker of panic.
What the hell was she doing?
How could this man reduce her to such a state within a matter of minutes?
Yet, this was the last thought that crossed her mind before he speared inside her in one sharp thrust. The muscles of her sheath opened to accept his offering and she took him in. Cullen wrapped her legs around his hips and prepared for the ride of her life. Desire pulsated deep inside her at a breakneck speed. He bore down, hard, and then harder. They were joined together, hip to hip, and then mouth to mouth as he kissed her yet again.
Passion and heat exploded inside her in a hot cocktail, and the craving for blessed release became a fire that skimmed through her veins. He rode her hard and good, and she enjoyed each moment of the glorious ride as he stroked in and out. He spiraled her higher and higher on the steep rollercoaster until she was nothing more than a shuddering, quivering mass of muscles. She couldn’t speak or think. All her attention focused on the need that consumed every fiber of her body.
The orgasm that ripped through her stunned her to a delirious state of breathlessness. She shuddered uncontrollably.
Almost as if he’d been waiting for her release, he exploded inside her. Although he could’ve fallen on top of her, he put his hands on the mat and broke the fall. Graeme stared into her eyes while she heaved under him. “Goddamn it! What the hell was that?”
Cullen couldn’t stop the laughter that spluttered out of her. She put her hand on his cheek and caressed his silky, hot skin. “I’ve no idea.”
He rolled away and rested for a moment.
She sat and gathered her clothes. For a few seconds, she allowed the air to touch and caress her naked skin and then she began to put on her clothes. “We’re in deep shit, Graeme.”
“I agree.”
“If anyone had seen…”
He sighed. “I know.” He sat up, grabbed his clothes and put them on.
“I’ve never done it like this ever before. I mean…sure, I’ve done it outside but never during broad daylight. My God! If someone came and saw us…” Fresh giggles escaped her lips.
“You find this funny?” Graeme eyes danced with mirth. He was obviously teasing her.
Cullen felt astounded to discover that she did. If someone had seen her, she wouldn’t have lived it down. After all, she was the boss at the ranch and needed to protect her authority, but right now she felt like a young school girl who just had her first, daylight sex encounter and she loved it. “We shouldn’t do it again.”
“You’re right,” he vowed with passion.
They both knew that they would wind up in such circumstances again. Their passion for each other was so strong that sometimes, it became hard to deny it. Rather than talk, Cullen began to pick up the stuff. They dumped the garbage in the basket. There were no more words left to say. She was desperately aware that she was fast falling in love with Graeme. The only man who stirred so much need inside her, and more than that, she also found his presence comforting and the help he gave her at the farm was invaluable.
And damn it! I’m already in love.
She wanted to shout out her feelings, but she was scared. What if he didn’t feel the same way? What if it was nothing more to him than a pleasant interlude? She’d trusted a man once, and it led her to heartbreak. She knew what she felt for Max wasn’t even a fraction of what she felt for Graeme. The two men were as different as chalk and cheese, and it wasn’t fair for her to lump them together.
After they gathered the mat and the basket, they mounted the horses again. Cullen held the mat while Graeme put the basket in front of him. Before they rode back to the farm, Cullen felt the urge to say something. “Graeme, this was the nicest thing anyone ever did for me in a long time. Thank you. I had a great time.”
“Me too.”
His smile was like a punch to her heart.
They rode back to the farm. Cullen knew the ranch hands were aware that she and Graeme were involved, but so far, she hadn’t heard anything. He wasn’t talking to any of them about his relationship, and this quiet respect he bestowed on her melted her heart. He sure knew how to treat a lady. After they led the horses to the stable, Graeme went away with the basket and the mat, to put them in his cottage, while she busied herself with some paperwork.
Her cell phone rang and she picked it up. “Hey, Shayne. How is it going?”
Shayne cleared her throat. “Not too good.”
Cullen straightened. Shayne was having trouble in her marriage. Nothing as drastic as cheating, but Shayne and her husband, Nick, appeared to have drifted apart. Shayne had a demanding job, and so did he, and in the endless meetings and work schedules, they managed to lose each other. They were seeing a marriage counselor, and Cullen was aware that it wasn’t going as well as they both hoped.
“What happened?”
“We’ve decided to call it quits.”
“Oh, Shayne.” She put a hand on her head. “Are you sure? You’ve been married for four years now. That’s not a short time.”
“The spark is gone; the love is gone; and now before the affection also goes, it’s time to put this behind us. Both Nick and I agree that we don’t want to end up like those couples who can’t even stand to be in the same room after the divorce.” Shayne sighed. “We want to remain, if not friends, then at least well-wishers, and this is the best way to do it.”
“Shit! Have you told mom?”
“No. I’m going to call her next.”
Cullen didn’t quite know what to say. She could sense Shayne’s pain, especially because there was a time when she had loved Nick a lot. Was this how each relationship was destined to end? She’d seen her parents who remained devoted to each other until her father’s last dying breath, but now in this day and age, people didn’t seem to share the same commitment.
She didn’t have words to express the grief she felt at her sister’s loss. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. It’s a mutual decision, so we’re going to go ahead quickly. The assets, the money, and everything else will be divided. Thank God, we don’t have—children,” Shayne said. There was a break in her voice almost as if she wished it were different. “It would’ve been a nightmare to share custody and to deal with a child’s emotions at a time like this.”
“Yes, that’s true.” Perhaps they might’ve stayed together if there was a child. But for whatever reasons, her sister made the decision and Cullen was now committed to helping her get through this. “Why don’t you come down here for a while? Or maybe if you want, I could fly to New York. It would be just us girls, and we would have a hell of a good time.”
It would be a nightmare to leave the farm at this point, but her sister was more important. She would take the time out. Since Graeme was here, he could handle most of the work, and she would have to push back the cattle buying project for a while. But that could wait. Her sister couldn’t.
“Thank you for the offer,” Shayne replied. “Actually, I was thinking…it’s a big decision but…”
“What?”
“I’ve been thinking about quitting my job.”
If her sister had just declared that she was having a sex-change operation, she wouldn’t have been more surprised. Shayne’s job was what anchored her. She loved it. It kept her sane, excited, and motivated. “But you love your work.”
“Love my work, yes, but I feel burnt out now. It’s time to take things slow, to reflect back on life, you know?”
Cullen ran her hand over the desk as she tried to guess her sister’s thoughts. “What did you have in mind?”
Shayne cleared her throat as if she was about to declare something momentous.
What could it be?
“I wondered if I could come back home and be a part of the farm’s management team. Maybe work as the marketing manager or something that suits my abilities.”
Cullen was at a loss for words. That, she hadn’t seen coming. Such a pleasant idea. She would be happy to have her sister here and sure as hell, Shayne could give them a lot of support. But would her sister like it here? “We’d love to have you,” she said with honesty. “But you’re so successful. Why do you want to come back to the farm? Sure, we’re doing a lot of good work, but the pace is nothing like what you’re used to.”
“I just want to come home and do something that’s worthwhile. Of course, you’re the boss. Dad wanted you to handle the farm, and you’re best suited out of all of us because you love it so much, but I could work as a salaried employee. God knows, I’ve worked my butt off and have a decent savings, so you could pay me a basic wage.”
“Of course, you’re welcome to come here,” Cullen piped in. “Nothing would delight mom and me more than to have you with us, but it’s a big change. We run a small operation compared to what you’re used to. Are you sure that you would be happy doing this kind of work?”
Shayne sighed heavily.
Cullen could picture her sister in her air-conditioned office, wearing a five hundred dollar suit and four inch high heels. How would she settle back into the slow life?
“I want to give it a try, and frankly…more than anything, I just want to be back home with you and mom.”
“Then we’d be happy to have you.”
They sure could use her sister’s expertise to boost their marketing. It wasn’t something Cullen gave much time to because she didn’t have the drive or the knowledge, but it would be nice to have a dedicated person who increased their customer base. There were a lot of things going on the farm, but it was all word of mouth. With Shayne’s expertise, she felt sure they could increase the number of clients who came here to learn riding, maybe even have some steady contracts for selling or breeding horses, and they could use some help with the new cattle breeding project. She could also pass on some administrative duties to her sister, and that would free her to take on more work around the farm.
The more she thought about it, the greater she liked the idea, but of course, Cullen felt sad that it took the end of a marriage for Shayne to come back home. It would take her sister months, if not years, to recover from such a blow.
Shayne sighed again. “I’ll let you know when I’m ready to come back. It will take us a while to sort out this—mess. Thanks, Cullen. I always knew that I could count on you.”
“Bye, sis. I love you.” After she hung up, Cullen dropped her head on the table. She always thought Shayne’s marriage was happy. If her sister couldn’t make it, what was the hope for Cullen? Were most marriages these days doomed to fail? Was it silly for her to get into a relationship and then assume everything would fall into place?
Perhaps she was being too pessimistic.
Maybe she should just quit this while she was ahead. Right now, her relationship with Graeme was good, and if they stopped seeing each other at this stage, they could remain friends and not hurt one another unnecessarily. Yeah, it was a plan, and something she needed to give careful consideration to.