ALONE IN THE apartment, Monica undressed and crawled into bed. She stared up at the dark ceiling, tired but sleep was evasive. Although the sheets were clean she could still smell Cull in the space. His robust scent of leather, soap and sandalwood teased her senses. She liked the smell and found it comforting, and a turn on at the same time. Knowing that he’d slept right here in the same bed, his head resting on the same pillow, wrapped her in a desire that left her yearning for more from him.
Did he sleep in boxers? Or in the nude?
Her nipples tingled and the warm sensation traveled to her pink parts. Her inner thighs moistened and she needed relief from the overwhelming desire threading through her veins.
Slipping her hand inside of the hem of her panties, she touched the warm, throbbing mound covered by soft hair. The heat radiating from her center warmed her knuckles. Dragging the lace material down her hips she didn’t remove them all the way, only enough that she could part her legs.
Monica touched the moist slit and found her swollen clit, swirling the bead under the pad of her finger. She moved slowly at first, adjusting to the touch, then she built up the rhythm as her body ached for more. Her hips naturally bucked, and soon warm tingly sensations ambushed her lower body and curled her toes. Her juices turned thicker, coating her fingers and the scent of pleasure reached her nostrils. Her mind drifted to Cull—beautiful, large, commanding Cull—imagining that his hands were on her most sensitive parts, coaxing her toward a release she needed. Slipping a finger inside her channel, she felt her vaginal walls clench. Butterflies fluttered in her belly and her heart skipped a beat.
A vision of him kissing her neck, her chest, and suckling her erect nipples bombarded her. His tongue would roll along the puffy pillows, following the line of her body to where his fingers would be buried in her. Her inner thighs quivered, her back arched and she spread her legs wider, sipping sweet oxygen. Her narrow passage spasmed. Pressing two fingers into her wet body, she pressed the heel of her hand against her clit. “Cull,” she cried out. She was so close…so, so close.
His whiskered jaw would scrape nicely against her sensitive flesh while his tongue would work magic between her legs, lapping up her flowing juices, relishing in her taste. The fantasy seemed so real that she swore she could feel his warmth, the heaviness of his body pressing against her as he prepared to enter her.
Tremors took hold of her body as she bucked her hips. Her cries echoed off the walls as release came like a crashing of waves. Breathless and spent, she removed her hand and sucked in deep breaths until the shudders faded and her release calmed. Adjusting her panties, she dragged the blanket up to her chin.
Tomorrow she would be better. She would keep her hands, and thoughts, to herself.
****
Cull couldn’t sleep so he reached for the book on the nightstand. His feet were pressed against the footboard of the too short bed, but he guessed it was better than sleeping on the couch. The words on the page started to swirl. He couldn’t concentrate. Since Monica had gone back to her apartment he hadn’t thought of anything but her beautiful smile. Her amazing eyes. And that she wasn’t the sweet, innocent woman he saw her as. He was a smart man who’d been in law long enough to know he couldn’t trust everyone. So then, why did he keep allowing Monica to coax him down a road where he didn’t belong? He knew women well enough to know when they used their bodies to snag a man, or manipulate, and he didn’t see that in her. In fact, she seemed almost shy.
Shy? An escort shy?
He chuckled. He was losing his mind and his instincts.
The door opened and Cull darted a glance up. Could it be Monica? His sister, Kiersten, peeked in and his heart dropped. “For goodness sakes, Cull. What the hell are you doing?”
“What does it look like I’m doing? Don’t you knock?” He dragged the comforter over his boxers.
“Don’t you live in the garage apartment now? I saw the light on so I just assumed you were over there.”
“Long story,” he grumbled. Did he really want to get into it with his sister at midnight?
“Good thing I have all the time in the world.” She crossed his bedroom.
“Whoa! Where are you going?”
“To use your bathroom. My toilet isn’t working. I’ve had to pee a hundred miles ago.” She hurried inside the bathroom and closed the door. “Ma and Pa are asleep and I didn’t want to disturb them. How are they doing?” He heard the toilet flush and the water in the sink.
“They’re good. Why?”
The door to the bathroom came open. “Because Ma said she needed to speak to all of us kids.” She wiped her wet hands down the thighs of her jeans. His sister was the feminine version of the Cade boys. She was fairly tall, slender, and always had a dozen men or so vying for her attention. Growing up, he and his brothers were all the time fighting boys who disrespected her or thought they’d take advantage. When she got older and started complaining that they were inhibiting her chances of ever settling down, they’d backed off some and had to start vetting the male population more subtly. As far as Cull knew, she wasn’t ready to settle down, but he wondered if men were intimidated because growing up with five brothers Kiersten had learned to be as tough as nails.
“Mom didn’t say a word to me.”
Kiersten plopped down on the end of the bed and propped her chin on her clasped hands. “Ma did mention something about a guest. I guess I assumed she was already gone.”
“She’ll be here a bit longer.” He closed his book and set it on the nightstand.
“Oh…one of those guests, huh? So then why are you here in bed with your Ninja Turtle friends and not sharing the bed over at your place?”
He looked down at the twin sheets with the popular characters that he loved when he was a kid. Not so much now. “I didn’t put these sheets on the bed. These must have been the only ones Ma could find.”
“Yeah, right.” She pointed a short, black polished nail at him.
“And don’t start that stuff,” he warned.
“What stuff?” The area between her brows scrunched.
“Playing cupid. It’s not like that.”
“Trust me, I don’t plan to ever play fix-up with you. After you broke Renee’s heart I learned a valuable lesson to never try and find a date for any of you Cade boys. I lost a good friendship over your shenanigans.” Her mouth twisted into a frown.
“First, it’s not my fault that she turned out to be a female octopus when the lights turned off. Second, I specifically remember you saying that you were glad I turned her down and walked away.”
“That’s not the point, bro. You and the rest of the Cade crew have always rained on my parades. I could never bring my friends around because you all thought you were God’s gift to women.” She sniffed loudly and gave her long hair a flip.
“Fine. I’ll never flirt with another female friend of yours again.” He held two fingers against his chest. “Scouts honor.”
She rolled her eyes. “About fifteen years too late, bro. So, tell me who the guest is. Prepare me for meeting her.” She plucked at a loose thread on the blanket.
“Her name is Monica.”
She blinked. “That’s all I get?”
“Yes. Stop snooping. You’ll find nothing.” She smiled widely and he realized his mistake. “Ma isn’t trying to play matchmaker either. I’ve already explained to her that Monica is a client.”
“Sure.” Kiersten winked. “We know Ma though.”
“How about we stop talking about me and figure out why Ma asked for you to come home.”
“She didn’t give me any clues. Has she been feeling okay?”
Cull’s heart lurched. “Why? Has she told you she hasn’t been?”
“No, but you’re the one who’s around most of the time.”
“I don’t keep tabs on her,” he said feeling a stab of guilt.
“You should. That’s what being unemployed gets you. Your Ma and Pa’s babysitter.”
He growled. “I’m not unemployed.”
“Oh, you call that bounty hunter thing a job?” She laughed and sat up, crossing her legs.
“Fugitive Recovery Agent. Don’t give me shit because you hate your job at the FBI.”
“Wait! That’s not fair. I don’t hate my job. I just sometimes disagree with what my supervisor says.”
“Yeah, sis, that’s called the Cade gene. How long you staying here?”
“A few days. Unless…”
Cull’s stomach sank. “Are you thinking Ma wants to speak to us about something important? Like there could be something wrong?”
Kiersten cocked her head. “She’s been acting different here lately.”
“How would you know? When was the last time you visited?”
“I’ve been busy. And thinking about having a baby,” she blurted.
He blinked three times. “You’re pregnant?”
“No…not yet.” All humor left her face. That told him she wasn’t joking.
“Whoa! Where did this come from?”
She gave a slight shrug. “I’m not getting any younger, Cull. And neither are you, although a man’s expiration date for having children doesn’t reach a ceiling. For women, our eggs start to dry up in our thirties.”
He laughed. “Honey, you’re thirty-four. You talk like you’ll be searching for a nursing home next year. Who’s the lucky guy?”
There was a long hesitation. “Well…”
“Don’t tell me you’re thinking of doing one of those invertigo baby things,” he sighed.
“It’s called invitro fertilization, and no, I’m not thinking of IVF.” She worked her bottom lip.
“So, adoption?” If he didn’t have to think about his sister having sex only made the idea better.
“Not exactly.”
He scrubbed his jaw. “Okay. I’m lost.” Several expressions flitted across her face. The sinking feeling dipped further south.
“I want to do things a more traditional way.”
Okay, there went the safety net that he wouldn’t have to discuss her sex life. She’d always be his baby sister and he was protective. “Good, get married and have a couple kids.”
“Not quite that traditional, brother.”
“If you don’t stop playing vague I’m going to blow my top.” It was after midnight and he hated word games. He didn’t know much about her personal life and he knew even less about all the ways a baby could be made except for the one he liked to practice…minus the baby.
“Fine! Don’t get your boxers in a bunch. I’m accepting applications.”
He laughed but quickly sobered when she didn’t show any signs of joking. “What the fuck?”
“Shh. You’ll wake up the parents and I definitely don’t want them to know.”
“I can see why. You’re going to send them to their graves. Applications? There’s such a thing?” His mind couldn’t absorb the thought.
“Many single women who want children are going this route. I’m working with an agency that sets up the process. They do a thorough screening, test for everything, you know like diseases and criminal behavior, and the couples work together to…reproduce. It’s that simple.”
“This all sounds so—”
“Wonderful?”
“No,” he snapped.
“Modern?”
“Hell no. I was searching for a word like crazy. Ridiculous. Not natural.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “No, you’re being close minded.”
“I’m being a big brother who loves you. Go to bed and sleep this crazy idea off. Or better yet, stop searching for a baby daddy and think more along the lines of a partner and let things progress naturally.” Once the words were out, he realized he’d pushed her too far.
She jumped off the bed, her chin tight and her eyes shining. “I should have never told you, Cull. If I’d known you’d be so narrow-minded, I would have kept my mouth shut.”
“Come on, sis. I have a right to my opinion.” He softened his voice some.
“Sure, I did ask, but when it comes down to it, I’m an adult and can do what I want. Don’t you dare tell Ma and Pa because if you do, I’ll throttle you. You hear?”
He made a zipping motion over his lips and pretended to toss the key. “I wouldn’t want to be the one that sends them into an early grave.”
“I’m tired.” She yawned. “Good night. I do still love you.” She bent and kissed his cheek.
He watched her leave and stared at the closed door. His sister wants a baby? He blamed it on his other siblings who were reproducing like rabbits. They made Kiersten feel like there was a clock ticking. Not Cull. As far as he was concerned he’d be fine staying…what exactly? Sleeping in his twin sized bed in his childhood home? Lusting after a woman he couldn’t have?
Shit! He was a fucked-up case.
He shut off the light and bounced deeper into the mattress, trying to find his happy spot. Once he found it, he closed his eyes, hoping sleep would come because he was damn tired…but it wasn’t his lucky night.
His mind wandered to the apartment. Was Monica asleep? She’d gone over hours ago, but Kiersten had said that the light was still on. So, was she awake too? Thinking about him?
Cull groaned. He was acting like a teenager. No, she wasn’t thinking of him and he shouldn’t be thinking of her. He bounced to the right and then to the left, and the springs to his bed squeaked loudly. Good thing he never snuck any of his girlfriends into his childhood room. He’d have alerted a five-mile radius to his sexual activity.
The bed was uncomfortable. Too short. Too narrow. And the security light seemed to shine right into his bedroom window.
Growling, he got up, grabbed a blanket from the chair and hung it over the window. That should help!
The room was in complete darkness.
Great! Now maybe he’d get some sleep.
Nope. Wasn’t happening.
He rolled over, clicked on his phone and read the time. 1:10 A.M. He had to be up in less than four hours. What had he locked himself into? Monica wanted to learn the ropes of the ranch and so be it. He’d show her. They could always use another hand.
What had he been thinking? There was no logic with her around. Plain and simple. When she was near he lost oxygen to his brain cells and all the blood rushed to a place on his body that was hard, even now.
The screen to his phone shut off and he was left in the darkness again.
What the hell was his sister thinking?
She wasn’t.
Well, she better stay clear of his friends. There was once upon a time when she’d had a crush on a few of his buddies. He’d once thought she’d be settled down by now, but she’d had a few bad relationships with jerks.
His mind jetted to Monica again.
Oh fuckity fuck!
Tomorrow was going to be a long-ass day. He’d have to make sure he kept a wall erected because if he didn’t, he might convince himself to kiss her. Why did she have to do this to him? He’d never allowed anyone to persuade him against doing his job. After all, he could use one hundred grand more than a kiss.
He couldn’t turn his brain off.
Cull tossed and turned a good two more hours and when his alarm sounded, he begrudgingly dragged his body out of bed, took a cold shower and was out the door with two thermoses of coffee by five. The lights weren’t on in the apartment and he decided he’d give her a few more hours to wake up before he allowed his libido to awaken.
A few minutes later he stomped into the barn and stopped dead still.
Damn! His plan was thwarted.