Chapter 14
Fourteen
NARDI
Josiah won’t shut up about Dr. Ko and his presentation and, while I’m thrilled to see him this happy, it’s also difficult to give him my full attention.
My eyes continuously stray to the door.
“Harnessing nuclear energy will transform the way we fly, the way we produce electricity. Everything. ”
“Isn’t the radiation from those nuclear thingies really bad for you?” I mumble, glancing at my phone again.
A stifling silence fills the air.
I look up and meet Josiah’s narrowed eyes. My brother isn’t saying a word but every inch of his face screams ‘are you an idiot’? “What kind of radiation are you talking about, Nardi? Photons? Particles? Be specific.”
“The heck should I know?” I grumble, pulling my leg under me in the chair.
“If you’re talking about photons, then what’s the frequency?”
“Frequency?”
“Or the wave length?” He waves a hand as if he’s intentionally dumbing down the question for me, but I still have no idea what he’s talking about.
“That lightbulb up there is radiating. These laminated floors. This cell phone is radiating.” Josiah grabs my cell phone.
“Yeah, I know.” I swipe it back. “That’s why you shouldn’t sleep next to a cell phone at night or keep it in your pocket. It can make you sick.”
Josiah gives me another ‘you’re dumber than a box of rocks’ look.
He really should learn to hide that expression. I’m his sister and I find it annoying. Josiah will be in high school soon. Those kids will have a field day teaching the little boy genius that they don’t appreciate feeling like idiots.
“ Everything’s radiating,” Josiah continues in a ‘you should already know this’ tone. “All the time. Photons are being emitted and have been emitting since the dawn of time.”
I check my phone again.
No messages from Cullen.
“What do photons have to do with nuclear energy?” I mutter, grabbing a pillow and squeezing it tight. “We were talking about how dangerous it is to mess with nuclear energy. Why are you changing the subject?”
Josiah springs to his feet with a sound of utter frustration. “Go outside tomorrow. You’ll be standing in front of a literal nuclear reactor that produces electromagnetic radiation through nuclear fusion.”
“I didn’t understand any of those words.”
He grunts and stalks off mumbling, “This is why I don’t talk to you.”
“Hey! Don’t be rude!”
Josiah’s door shuts firmly and I’m left alone to the restless quiet.
Pulling my phone to my face, I open my messages app and scroll down, refreshing the page. There are no new messages.
I check if my network is stable.
It is.
Wait for me tonight.
I’m not crazy. I heard what Cullen said. He looked me in my eyes and told me that he’d visit tonight. Did he change his mind because of what happened in the office?
“What a waste of a razor,” I mumble, smoothing my hand over my glossy, cocoa-buttered legs.
Not that I shaved for Cullen.
Or cleaned up other areas of my body for Cullen.
Or used my expensive perfume that I won during an office holiday party… for Cullen.
It’s because I deserve to treat myself with care. No one else is going to do it.
Suddenly, I hear footsteps coming down the hallway.
I sit up straight and look at the door again.
But the footsteps fade and keys jangle in the unit next to ours.
Big T is home. He’s been avoiding me since I called Cullen my fiancé. I’m not exactly mad at that. I just wish Cullen would show up when he said he would.
I miss him.
The thought is absolutely bonkers.
Lifting the pillow to my face, I groan loudly.
I do not miss Cullen. It’s just that if Cullen doesn’t show, I’ll have no chance to redeem myself for what happened between us.
Regret is biting me hard in the butt.
Just thinking about how I acted today…
I screech and throw myself facedown into the sofa, beating on the pillow and kicking my legs in horror.
I was a total blithering idiot.
The moment Cullen ordered me to wait in his office, I should have punched him in the nose, grabbed my brother and ran upstairs. At the very least, I shouldn’t have gone to that stupid office. Was that even an office?
It was decorated like a furniture store. White walls, computer table with not a hint of dust, air purifier sending tuffs of bacteria killing spray and fabric freshener, no frames on the walls, nothing but shiny floors.
It didn’t look like anyone had ever worked in there. Not a human anyway.
That uncanny office should have been my first clue to get the heck out of dodge.
But I stayed.
I waited.
And it only got worse from there.
Honestly, I won’t be able to sleep well until I fix this.
I need to hash it out with Cullen and have him apologize.
The way he grabbed my face, the way he made me feel fireworks, that was absolutely unacceptable.
Instructing me to say I hate him over and over until I moaned, that was diabolical.
And the way he sucked my mouth at the very end, disturbing.
I can still feel the tingle of Cullen’s kiss. Can still feel the indent of his desk digging into my back. Can still feel the swipe of his large hand over my stomach…
Heat engulfs me and I can’t tell if it’s from anger or something else. Something that can only be sated with more of him.
Shooting to my feet, I stomp to the bathroom, fill my hands with water and splash my face. The droplets slide down my chin and plop into the sink. Digging my fingers into the counter space around the faucet, I breathe in deeply.
Emotional regulation.
I can handle this like an adult. There’s no need to throw a tantrum.
For what?
Because Cullen said he’d be here and he isn’t? It’s not like I don’t know where he works. Even if he wanted to escape me, he can’t. Cullen Tech is…
I stomp. Right .
I stomp again. Beneath .
One more for good measure. My feet.
“The hell is wrong with you!” My downstairs neighbor curses me out and slams a broomstick against his ceiling threateningly.
Oops . I hunch my shoulders and slink out of the bathroom to go to bed.
My dreams that night are all of me valiantly reclaiming my pride. I wake up rejuvenated, ready to tell Ronan Cullen exactly where he can stuff it.
And it won’t be in me. That’s for sure.
Vengeance on my mind, I shower with the fancy gel that came along with my perfume. I spray a few perfume drops in my hair since I haven’t been able to properly wash it since my wrist sprained.
Next, I wear a button down blouse with a low neckline and a short skirt that I bought on a whim but never had an occasion to wear.
Doing makeup with one hand is a total no-go. However, I work carefully to smear my mouth with a pigmented lipstick that flatters my dark complexion.
You can look but you can’t touch . That’s what my outfit says today.
The only problem is my hair but, with one hand, this loose ponytail is the best I can do.
Determined to go to Cullen if he won’t come to me, I pack my purse. “Josiah, let’s go! We’ll be late for school!”
My brother lumbers wearily into sight, still rubbing his eyes.
I give him a suspicious look. “Why do I still see pillow creases in your cheek. Did you shower correctly?”
“Yeah.”
“Josiah did you even shower at all?”
“Yeah.”
I narrow my eyes. “I don’t believe you, but we don’t have time. Let’s go.”
“Why do we have to leave so early?” My brother yawns and I hear his jaw pop.
“Because I’m driving with one hand. I want to move carefully and not rush in traffic. Come on. Grab your lunch box and let’s get moving.” I nudge my brother out of the apartment and down the flights of stairs.
The sun is out and the birds are already singing as we make our way across the parking lot. Most of my neighbors’ cars are still parked. It looks like we’re the first to head out for the day.
As I draw closer, I see a man in a pressed white shirt and trousers waiting in front of my vehicle. He’s unfamiliar to me and I’m immediately on high alert.
The man sees me. He checks his phone as if to verify something and then advances in my direction.
I throw a protective hand across Josiah’s chest, moving my brother backward. “Who are you?”
“Ms. Davis, I’m Roger Lionel.”
Josiah puts his phone down and stands beside me, his chin tipped up. I admire his bravery, but this isn’t something I need him to handle.
“How do you know my name?” I accuse, keeping my distance. Yet, some part of me already knows what he’s going to say.
“Mr. Cullen sent me,” Roger says.
I internally groan. “Of course he did.” Then I shake my head because I am not getting into a stranger’s car just because he claims to know Cullen. “Look, I don’t know what your arrangement is with Cullen, but it has nothing to do with me. Please move aside.”
“I’m the driver Mr. Cullen hired for you and the heir of Cullen Tech.”
I squeeze my eyes shut and huff out a breath. Cullen is starting to double down on this ‘heir of my empire thing’ with Josiah. Great .
“My car is right this way.” Roger points to a fancy, limited-edition electric vehicle waiting on the curb.
Josiah’s eyes brighten. “Cool.”
“No, not cool.” I drag my brother back as he eagerly starts skipping toward the stranger.
Roger extends a packet. “This is my card, a copy of my driver’s license, and my job letter from the Cherotia Limousine Company.”
Cherotia is a high-end car rental service. I’ve only heard of them through the grapevine, but I never thought I’d actually get to meet a driver.
Josiah elbows me. “He looks legit.”
My brother still believed in Santa until last year so, I don’t know if his approval is enough for me.
I thumb through the documentation.
“Mr. Cullen said to tell you that if you allow me to drive you, he’ll talk to the Hastings about catering this weekend. He said you would know what that means.”
I arch a brow. “Oh, that’s low.”
Josiah looks up. “Convinced now?”
“This way, Miss Davis. Mr. Davis.”
“Can we, Nardi?” Josiah begs.
Since Josiah’s excited about the ride, I decide to go along with it. “Only this once.”
Josiah flounces ahead, eager to get in the luxury vehicle. I trail a bit more slowly, my eyes on my cell phone.
There are no new messages.
He’s ignoring me and yet he’s sending fancy drivers? I don’t get it.
The vehicle looks as luxurious inside as it does on the outside. Leather seats and imbedded tablets are just a few of the amenities.
Roger explains while driving, “Mr. Cullen subscribed to a few programming podcasts for you, Mr. Davis. You can tap on the screen to listen to the app. The ear buds in the seat rest are new. Ms. Davis, for you, he subscribed to your favorite business podcasts.”
My eyebrows lurch to the top of my head. “How does he know I like listening to business podcasts?”
“I’m not sure, ma’am. I’m only following instructions.”
With a few swipes of the tablet, it’s confirmed. Cullen upgraded to the ‘paid’ tiers of my favorite podcasts and now I’ve got access to episodes and content that I never did before.
I pin my lips together, my annoyance growing by the minute. This is way too over the top and very Cullen. And yet, I can’t shake the feeling that something is wrong.
My uneasiness multiplies after Josiah gets dropped off at school—where he reluctantly tore himself away from the vehicle—and Roger points the car back to my apartment.
“Miss Davis, there are some documents in the back pocket of the chair,” the driver says.
“What kind of documents?” I wonder.
“I don’t know. But I was told to let you open it only when young Mr. Davis had arrived safely at school.”
Bewildered, I open the envelope and several documents slide out.
“They’re all names and contacts,” I mumble.
“What was that?” Roger asks.
“Nothing.” I scale my finger down the page. Bass, Stravinsky and Coth Law Firm? Neurodivergent Foundation. December Reading Publishers?
I faintly remember that Cullen’s book was published with that company.
There’s also Richard Sullivan the Second’s personal phone number. Is that real? I run my nail over the numbers. The only way to check would be to test it.
The very thought is ludicrous.
Me? Call Richard Sullivan? Someone like me would never get this phone number in a million years.
Why is Cullen giving this to me now?
My heart starts beating fast.
The uneasy feeling gets stronger.
I call Cullen.
It goes straight to voicemail.
I shuffle through the other items. They’re three credit cards. And contracts. I skim the contents of the contracts and my entire body goes cold. I’m no lawyer but I know a share transfer agreement when I see one. Cullen is trying to hand over Cullen Tech.
Alarmed, I thumb through the other pages and, at the very bottom, is a marriage license.
The groom’s side is already filled out.
Only my information is empty.
The documents crumple in my sweaty fists. “Roger, I need you to get me back to Cullen Tech as fast as you can.”
“Yes ma’am.”
My phone rings as the world outside blurs.
It’s Cullen.
I slam my thumb so hard against the ‘answer’ icon that my joint almost snaps in half. “Cullen, what the hell is this?”
He sounds amused. “You’re going to have to be a bit more specific.”
“Where are you?”
“I’m not at the office.”
I frown. How did he know I was heading to the office? “That didn’t answer my question.”
“I’m on a business trip. I’m not sure when I’ll be back.”
“When did you leave?”
“Early this morning. Why? Do you miss me?”
“Screw off.”
He laughs softly. “Thank you for getting in the car, Nardi.”
“Don’t thank me. I didn’t do it for you.”
“I bet Josiah was excited.”
“Of course he was.” I pause. “How did you know Josiah’s obsessed with this brand of electric cars? And how did you know about my podcasts?”
“There’s this thing called social media where people share their favorite things with the entire world.”
“So you intentionally rented this car knowing I’d have to get in.”
“All is fair in love and war.”
My eyes narrow. “I won’t be surprised if you turn out to be a supervillain someday.”
He laughs again. “I’d rather be the hero. Supervillains don’t get the girl.”
“Not unless the girl is a supervillain herself.”
“Are you saying you’re willing to be bad for me, Nardi?” His voice is low and sultry.
Prickles of heat run up my arm. I change the subject. “Why are you giving me all this today?”
“You know why. I haven’t lied about my intentions for you and Josiah.”
“Yes, but why today? ”
“Why not today?”
“Don’t answer my question with a question, Cullen.” I notice our apartment building up ahead. “What changed?”
“Nothing.”
I don’t buy it for a second. “Yesterday, you were standing in front of your entire team, smiling and talking about the future. Now you’re handing Cullen Tech over?”
“Technically, I’m handing majority shares back to Sullivan. You’ll be a silent partner until Josiah is of age. Sullivan has a contract of his own. I trust that he won’t destroy Cullen Tech and will hold it safely until Josiah is ready to take it back.”
“That’s a lot of trust in another human being.”
“Sullivan has a lot of money. It’s that I trust. Not him. Cullen Tech isn’t important enough for him to want it, but it’s got enough potential for him to nurture it.”
“Forget Cullen Tech. Why is there a marriage certificate?” I lift the paper and shake it in the air. Roger’s eyes dart to me for a second and return to the road.
“There are some things I want you and Josiah to have access to now and a trust fund won’t suffice.”
I pull my hand down and hiss into the phone, “If you’re so concerned with Josiah getting the rights of an heir, why don’t you marry my mother instead? She’s available and I bet she likes younger guys.”
“You knew my intention was to marry you, Nardi. I don’t understand why you seem so astounded. This is not our first time having this discussion.”
“And it’s not my first time telling you ‘never in a million years’.”
“Things change.”
“Not us,” I mutter. “I have no intentions of having a relationship with you.”
“Remind me of the reason again?”
“You are not my type.”
He pauses.
“Hello?”
“The scratches on my back tell a very different story, Miss Davis,” he says dryly.
I try to swallow past the lump in my throat, but it’s impossible. Water . I know I saw a bottle somewhere. I locate one below the air conditioning vent, undo the clasp and chug.
Cullen continues talking, “But this marriage is a completely separate matter. I’d like to give you, and by extension, Josiah my last name as protection.”
“Why do we need your last name? It’s not like we’re in the witness protection program. No one is coming after us. We’re just regular people.”
“No, you’re not. Your brother is my legacy and you?—”
“I’m what?”
“You are my lover.”
I snort. “One kiss doesn’t make me your lover.”
“You were my lover before I kissed you and you were my wife before I saw you. The order doesn’t matter. Only the documents do. Sign the marriage certificate, Nardi.”
“You’re insane.”
He talks as if he doesn’t hear me. “Money can only open so many doors. The rest relies on name. I don’t have a reputation of being friendly, but my work makes up for my lack of social aptitude. You and Josiah will need that for the future.”
Again, there’s something about the way he’s talking that sounds… off.
Roger stops the car in front of Cullen Tech. I stare at the fancy glass door that leads to Cullen’s empire.
I ask again, “The timing doesn’t make sense. Why today?”
“I wanted you to marry me weeks ago.”
“You know what I mean, Cullen.”
He pauses and, for a brief moment, it feels like he’ll tell me the truth. But then he says, “Maybe I shouldn’t have gotten a taste of you, Nardi. Perhaps that’s what drove me completely over the edge and into insanity.”
“If you’re going to talk nonsense, I’m hanging up.”
He chuckles. “I have a lot of meetings to get to. I probably won’t be able to answer your phone calls. If you need anything, call Sara or Roger. Their names and numbers are both on the sheet. If you have any questions about the inheritance for Josiah or about the assets that will specifically be for you, you can contact my lawyers?—”
“Cullen, don’t insult me. I don’t want anything from you.”
“Then I’ll call your mother directly. As you pointed out, she’s Josiah’s mom and should have a say in this too.”
“Absolutely not,” I blurt. Mom is a simple woman. I can hear her now: ‘ For that much money, gyal? I’d put on my old wedding dress and marry him myself!’
“Oh, before I forget, there’s a wedding planner on the list as well. Given your lack of enthusiasm for our union, a courthouse ceremony is probably more your speed but just in case, I left a downpayment with a very prestigious wedding planning company.”
I stiffen. “You can’t just?—”
“If it’s for you, Nardi, I can,” he says firmly. There’s a low buzzing in the background and then he says, “I really have to go. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Wait, but…”
The dial tone sounds.
He hung up.
I tilt my head back and exhale angrily. What just happened? How did I end up here? Everything is happening so fast and none of it makes sense.
A marriage certificate?
Share transfers?
What the heck is going on?
“Are you okay back there, Miss Davis?” Roger asks.
“Please call me Nardi.”
“I’m afraid I can’t.” He smiles politely. “It’s part of the service.”
I groan. Great. Now not even Roger will treat me like a normal human being.
“Roger?”
“Hm?”
“When did Cullen contact your company?”
“I believe he reserved us a while ago.”
“A while ago?”
“Yes. He reserved a year’s worth of transportation services.”
“Do you know why he called you to start working now?”
“Unfortunately, I don’t,” Roger answers.
My chest squeezes tight. Maybe that’s where the unease comes from. I’m just as lost as the hired help. What happened to Cullen between last night and this morning?
A business trip? It doesn’t ring true. Cullen never mentioned having to go on a business trip before. If that were the case, why did Dr. Ko come to him? Why are all his employees coming to the office? How is he surviving on an airplane when he hates germs?
You’re overthinking it, Nardi .
With a deep breath, I slip out of the car, bid Roger goodbye and head back to my apartment where the contracts are deposited on my dining room table and I begin a thorough investigation.
The dates check out. These documents are proof Cullen has never wavered from his decision to make Josiah his legacy and to make me his wife.
The only one who’s changed… is me.
But what exactly are these changes? What exactly do I want from him?
Why do I, even now, care more about why Cullen is suddenly transferring shares than I care about all the money he wants to leave behind?
Roger continues to drive me and Josiah around. I still don’t trust the chauffeur with Josiah alone, but that’s nothing against him. I’m as overprotective of my brother as Cullen is over us.
The day after we meet Roger, Ashley comes by with a stack of containers filled with pre-cooked meals. I invite her inside and we watch a show together while eating oatmeal raisin cookies.
As the credits roll, I try to pump her for information about Cullen’s whereabouts, but she knows as much as Roger did. So that’s a dead end.
Next, I sit in Josiah’s after-school Python Club. The tutor Cullen hired to mentor my brother is a genius in his own right, but my brother keeps up with him, grasping things quickly.
After the class, I do some digging about Cullen’s whereabouts, but it leads nowhere. The only information I pry out of the tutor is how respected Cullen is in the programming community.
After hitting a wall in my investigation, I head to Cullen Tech to look for Asad but, unfortunately, the cheerful programmer is out sick.
With nowhere to turn, I tuck my tail between my legs and ask for Jenna.
“Jenna turned in her resignation earlier this week.”
“She quit?” I gasp at the receptionist’s grave nod. “Are you sure?”
Jenna had seemed hell-bent on getting together with Cullen. I could see the obsession and hero worship in her eyes.
The receptionist confirms the news.
My throat tightens and the uneasy feeling I’ve been having for a while haunts me. “Do you know when he’ll be back from his business trip?”
“Business trip?” The receptionist’s eyebrows fly up, but she recovers quickly. “Oh, right. The business trip. No, I don’t have any updates. Is there anything else?”
Her twitchy smile sends alarm bells ringing in my head. She seems nervous. Does she know something about Cullen?
“Where exactly did he go for his trip?”
She blinks rapidly. “I’m not sure.”
“Don’t you work here?”
“Yes.” She pins her lips together.
“What’s your name?” I ask.
“Glennice.”
“Glennice, where is Cullen?”
“I don’t know.”
“What happened last week? Why is he suddenly on a business trip?”
Her eyes fly to the ceiling. She trembles slightly. “Please, I don’t know.”
I consider pressing her to tell me, but I hold back. Harassing her will only make her more uncomfortable and, if Cullen told her not to tell me anything, she might lose her job. But what is so big of a secret that it’s got this woman shaking in her boots?
“Thanks for your help.”
She smiles tightly.
I slink back up the stairs, at a total loss. Should I call Sara or Richard Sullivan? No, that’s crossing a line. Cullen and I aren’t together. What right do I have to interrogate his personal assistant or his business partner?
Besides, if even the receptionist has been sworn to secrecy, his most trusted colleagues won’t tell me anything.
Is Cullen in the hospital?
The thought fills me with dread. It would explain why he’s suddenly transferring shares. Did he disappear to die?
Panic swells in my heart. He wouldn’t be that cruel, would he?
Unable to stop myself, I find the contact sheet Cullen left with me and dial Sara’s number.
“Hello?” she says.
“Sara, hey. This is Nardi.” I wipe my sweaty hands on my jeans. “I’ve been trying to reach Cullen, but he hasn’t been answering my texts.”
Sara’s tone remains upbeat. “Yeah, he’s been busy.”
“Where,” I rub my forehead, feeling like an idiot and yet I push the words out, “where is he?”
“He’s at Adam Harrison’s research lab in the mountains. Cell service is really spotty out there, but I’ll be sure to pass on the message that you’re waiting for a call from him.”
“No, no.” I blurt. “It’s fine. As long as he’s alright.”
“Yeah, he’s great.”
“Oh. Okay. Yeah, that’s okay. Thank you for letting me know.” I hang up.
Sara confirmed that Cullen’s okay. I don’t have to worry anymore.
And still…
No, it’s fine. Cullen’s fine. I’m fine. Everything’s fine.
I try to go about my day forgetting about Cullen, but I can’t. Every drive with Roger, every food delivery from Ashley, every thud of the hammer as the construction guys prepare to build the elevator—I see Cullen.
He’s still here. Haunting me. Staring at me from the shadows like a ghost.
Maybe that’s why I feel like I’m in limbo, waiting for him to come back. Even if Sara assured me, I won’t feel one hundred percent at ease until I see Cullen with my own eyes.
The days fly quickly.
Today’s Friday.
I have a PTA meeting at Josiah’s school to attend.
Sunday, I have Sunny’s party. She called yesterday asking if I was going to attend as a guest. I couldn’t tell her I wasn’t. I doubt anyone can tell Sunny Hastings ‘no’.
With all these outings on my schedule, I have to do something about my hair.
I’m in the shower, trying to figure out how I’ll tackle this task with one hand, when the doorbell rings. I assume it’s Ashley again with another batch of her amazing pre-cooked meals. Excitedly, I throw on a bathrobe.
“I’m coming!” I say. Maybe, if I beg, Ashley will help me out. Throwing the door open, I call, “Ashley, thank goodness. Could you help me with my hair for a… sec.”
“I’d love to,” a deep, male voice says.
I tilt my head back to meet Cullen’s silver eyes. He smirks at me, his gaze sliding down my face to my bathrobe and bare feet. On instinct, I clip my fingers over the bathrobe, but that only makes the bottom half pucker open.
Cullen steps in, his overwhelming presence forcing me back a step.
“Hello, Nardi,” he says.
“C-Cullen, what are you doing here? I thought you were on a business trip?”
“Just came back,” he says, his gaze lingering on my robe.
My pulse jumps and I move back another step. “Wait out here a sec.”
To my surprise, Cullen hooks his long, pale finger in the pucker of my robe and drags me toward him. “Where are you going?”
Heat explodes from the tiny patch of skin his knuckle is brushing. He can’t see anything beneath the robe, but the fact we’re both aware that I’m naked right now is making me burn like I’m stepping on an active volcano.
“I… I’m going to put on clothes.”
“Don’t bother,” Cullen says, his voice huskier than usual.
Desire stirs in the pit of my stomach.
It fights with my sense of self-respect.
This is your moment, Nardi. Prove to him that he doesn’t control you. Show him that what happened last time was a complete fluke.
A warm sensation slides up my neck and I glance up to watch Cullen. He’s cupping my chin in both hands.
“Didn’t you say you needed help with your hair?” he asks.
My eyelids bounce up and down.
Now, Nardi. Tell him now .
But his hand is so warm and his voice is edged with velvet and I haven’t seen him in so long.
No, don’t let him win. You’ve got to stand your ground now or he’ll never take you seriously.
I wrench my chin away. “I don’t need your help. I’ve been doing fine on my own.”
“I’m sure you have,” he smiles. The bags under his eyes deepen. Is it just me or does Cullen look more tired than usual?
No, don’t be distracted.
“But I haven’t been fine on my own,” he admits.
My breath escapes shakily.
Cullen’s eyes trace to my wrist brace. “I missed you. I was worried about you.”
My fingers curl into fists.
I need to shut him down. If he keeps talking like that, I fear I won’t be able to hold out for much longer. Especially when he seems so… defeated. There’s a layer of cockiness that’s gone from Cullen. I can’t explain it.
He shakes his head. His eyes trace past my wrist brace to the tie of my robe. “I was worried that someone was flirting with you while I was gone. That maybe your neighbor made another move.”
“Big T thinks we’re engaged.”
“It’d be better if he thought we were married,” Cullen teases.
“If you’re so obsessed with what Big T thinks, you can marry him instead,” I snap.
Cullen smiles.
I can resist many, many things but Ronan Cullen’s boyish smile that brings laugh lines to bracket around his mouth is not one of them.
I shake my head, struggling to keep my control.
Distance. That’s my only weapon now.
I move back. “We need to talk, but not like this. Let’s meet in your office—” My cheeks go up in flames at the mention of where we last kissed. “I mean,” I stammer, “go downstairs. I’ll meet you in five minutes.”
Cullen’s strong hands slide over my back and under my knees. In the blink of an eye, I’m being lifted into his arms before I’ve finished my sentence.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t come over that night. I hope you weren’t waiting for me.” He moves steadfastly forward and carries me into my bathroom.
“I wasn’t. Put me down,” I insist.
Cullen sets me on the corner of the sink and steps in between my legs, forcing them wider apart. The robe peels back, revealing more of my thighs. The sink tiles are cool against my bare skin, but the rest of me is fire-hot.
Please take off my robe. Put your mouth on me. Let me feel you .
I block out those thoughts, but they hiss and swirl at my feet like black smoke.
Bracketing his hand on either side of me, Cullen places his face right in front of mine.
My heart slams against my ribs, aching to get out. His eyes look tired, but they’re still that vivid, moonlight silver. I’m so distracted by them that I miss the sight of his fingers tugging at my ponytail holder. I stop him with a gasp and secure the clip again.
“Take it off, Nardi,” Cullen says calmly, sending the heat in my blood to a bubbling lava level.
My breath escapes thick and heavy. Take what off? My robe?
Cullen suddenly straightens up and folds the sleeves of his crisp white shirt. “Your clip. Take it off. I’m going to wash your hair.”