The Winner Takes It All. Alison Roberts
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don’t want to argue,” he said.
“We’re not arguing,” she countered. “We’re having a discussion.”
He took a sip of his coffee. “Let’s take a short walk outside instead.”
She drummed her fingers on the sofa arm. “You’re doing it again.”
“Doing what?”
“Running away.”
“I invited you on a walk.”
“You’re trying to change the subject because you don’t want to talk.”
“All you want to do is talk, even when there’s nothing to discuss.”
Ouch. His words stung. “I’ll shut up, then.”
“That’s not…” He dragged his hand through his hair. “Let’s go for a walk. I don’t want us to fight.”
“This isn’t anywhere close to fighting,” she explained. “Sometimes when my parents fought, the police got involved. One of my stepfathers burned our clothes in the front yard. And my ex-fiancé…”
“Did he hurt you?”
“Not physically. But Dylan’s words could be as powerful as a fist.”
Cullen reached for her.
She moved away from him. His compassion and tenderness were not what she needed right now. “I’m not proud I allowed it to happen for as long as it did or wasn’t the one to break up, but at least I knew where I stood with him.”
“You know how I feel…felt about you. There’s no reason to bring this up now.” He stood. “I’m going for a walk. If you’d rather stay inside…”
“No.” The word spewed from her mouth like lava out of Mount Etna. “I want to go outside.”
“Then let’s go.”
Five minutes later she found herself standing on Cullen’s driveway in her boots and wearing a jacket. The sharp scent of pine wafted on the breeze. Sunlight kissed her cheeks. She breathed in, filling her lungs with the crisp mountain air.
“Isn’t this better than arguing inside?” Cullen asked.
“It’s nice, but the inside wasn’t so bad,” she said. “The best part of disagreeing is making up.”
“I don’t think so.”
“That’s because you never stuck around for the make-up sex.”
Cullen started to speak, then pressed his lips together.
Humming a little tune, Sarah walked away from him. For the first time in a long while, she had the upper hand. She wanted to savor the moment.
Leaves and twigs crunched under her feet. She walked along the edge of the road.
He caught up to her. “So, is there a statute of limitation on make-up sex?”
Sarah froze. That was…unexpected. She looked over at him.
Wicked laughter lit his eyes. “Seems I missed out.”
She raised her chin. “Your loss.”
His charming smile unleashed a colony of bats in her stomach. “Yours, too.”
Darn him. This was what he always did. Turn off the serious side. Get all sexy and fun and flirty. Make her insides hot and gooey. He hadn’t changed one bit.
She casually lifted one shoulder, but her heart pounded like a jackhammer. “You win some. You lose some.”
He stepped closer to her. Too close for anything other than kissing her.
He wouldn’t, would he? She gulped, not sure what she wanted the answer to be. Okay, she knew. But yes wasn’t the correct response if she wanted to play it safe.
He cocked a brow. “So the statute…”
It was up to her. Temptation flared, only to be tempered by common sense. What she wanted warred with what she needed, but self-preservation reigned supreme.
Her fingernails dug into her palms. “Expired.”
Sarah marched down the road as if her life depended on putting distance between them. Her abdomen ached. She kept going. She didn’t know where she was going. She didn’t care.
Cullen grabbed her hand. “Slow down. You’ll hurt yourself.”
“I’m fine.”
“No, you’re not. You’re mad at me. Even madder than you were inside.”
She pursed her lips. She wasn’t about to give him the satisfaction of being right.
“I know this because you have a crease between your eyebrows.”
Sarah touched the spot.
He moved her finger. “Right here.”
She felt the line, but still wasn’t going to admit it.
Cullen glanced to his right. His eyes widened. “Look.”
Sarah had no idea what he wanted her to see. “What?”
“Shhh.” Cullen touched her lips with his finger, then positioned himself behind her. His chest pressed against her back. He brought his left arm around her and pointed. “A doe and two fawns.”
Awareness hummed through Sarah. He emanated heat and strength. Her pulse raced.
She couldn’t focus. Bigfoot could have been standing in front of her and she wouldn’t have noticed him.
Her reaction made zero sense. She was still angry, resentful and hurt over their breakup. Their marriage was over. Yet her body didn’t seem to understand that.
“See them?” he whispered.
The warmth of his breath against her neck gave her chills. Her gaze followed the length of his arm until she saw the deer. A momma and her two babies, munching on a bush. Her breath stilled. “So cute.”
“I’ve seen these three around the cabin,” he said quietly.
The deer ate without glancing at them. The fawns were more interested in keeping an eye on their mother, who paid close attention to both of them.
Sarah wished her mom had cared as much for her. Wished Cullen had, too. She shoved her left hand into her jacket pocket. “I haven’t noticed them or any others.”
“You will. You haven’t been here long.”
It felt as if she’d been here forever. “I’ll be on the lookout.”
The doe stiffened. She looked in their direction, then past them, as if she sensed something.
A car drove down the road. The sound of the engine splintered the silence.
The deer bounded into the trees, her two fawns following.
If only Sarah could go back to Bellingham. She wanted to pretend none of this had happened—her accident and her injuries and her reaction to Cullen. She wanted it to all go away.
He faced her. “They’ll be back.”
What she and Cullen had shared once would never return. A sigh welled up inside her. She parted her lips.
He lowered his head to hers and kissed her.
Sarah’s heart stalled.
His kiss was gentle and sweet. He didn’t touch her except with his lips. But that was enough.
Her nerve endings stirred to life as if awakened from a deep slumber. Pleasurable sensations pulsed through her. She’d forgotten how wonderful his kiss was.
He backed away from her.
Sarah took