The Winner Takes It All: Winning Back His Wife / In Her Rival's Arms / Royally Seduced

His gaze met hers. “No need for you to worry. I stayed at a friend’s place near the hospital so I could sleep more between shifts.”

“Makes sense to stay with a friend.”

But she didn’t know if his “friend” was male or a buxom blonde named Bambi. And she wanted to know. Badly.

Cullen strode toward the couch. “I’m learning how important it is to have friends. I realize I’ve been taking them for granted.”

The way he’d taken her for granted. But he’d never considered her a friend. Her throat tightened.

She should say something, but she hadn’t a clue what. “You shouldn’t get a pet if you’re gone so much.”

His eyes widened. “I don’t always work this many shifts. A cat might work. As you said, they’re independent.”

“Even cats need to feel wanted and loved.”

Not that he wanted and loved her, but once he had. At least, that was what he’d told her.

Cullen stood next to her.

Sarah’s pulse skittered. Tension simmered between them. She shouldn’t want him to kiss her. But she did. Badly.

Look away. Move away. But she couldn’t—okay, didn’t want to. Instead she was mesmerized by his blue eyes and full lips.

Once again she was reminded of magma rising. Only this time moving closer to the surface, where the gas pressure increased, accelerating faster and faster until erupting.

She wet her lips.

“In case you’re still worried, the friend I stayed with—he’s an anesthesiologist from the hospital,” he said.

The surge of relief did nothing to douse the flame building inside her, threatening to explode. “Thanks.”

The blue of his eyes deepened. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“This.” Cullen lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her. Hard.

Heaven. His kiss made Sarah feel like she had died and gone to heaven. Best to enjoy every second, every minute if she was that lucky. She had a feeling this might be as close as she ever got to the pearly gates while her heart still beat. And beating it was.

In triple time.

His lips moved over hers with skill and familiarity. The kiss brought her home, back to where she’d longed to be for months now…in his arms. She’d thought about him, dreamed about him, missed him, even though she should have been getting over him. And now she realized why she was having so much trouble getting over him. He tasted warm and inviting. This was a yummy, comfy place she never wanted to leave. Each touch of his mouth, of his hands, made her tingle inside.

Forget pain medication—this was all she needed to feel better. Her blood simmered, rushing through her veins. It had been so long, too long, since she’d felt wanted. She didn’t want the feeling to end.

His hand ran up her back, caressing her, until her hair was running through his fingers.

More. She wanted more.

Sarah parted her lips. He accepted the invitation and deepened the kiss, pressing harder against her mouth.

He’d followed her lead. It was time to follow his.

Her tongue reacquainted itself with him, exploring the recesses of his mouth. She remembered all the times they’d kissed before. Remembered the good times in their marriage when she had believed it would last forever. Maybe her memories were hazy because of the concussion, but this kiss felt different. Better, somehow.

She didn’t want to analyze it too deeply. She wanted to…enjoy.

Heat pooled deep inside her. Need ached. Grew.

A moan escaped her lips.

More. Please.

Cullen drew her closer. She arched into him, only to come to an abrupt stop. She crashed into something hard, sending a jagged pain through her sore and healing abdomen. Her lips slipped off his. Spots appeared before her eyes.

Pain weakened her knees. It hurt, almost burned, so badly, but she didn’t fall. Cullen held on to her.

He groaned, but didn’t let go.

Sarah forced herself to breathe. A knife seemed to be slicing through her midsection. She straightened, intensifying the pain more. She looked down.

Stupid cast.

With the permanent bend in her elbow, her arm was stuck in position, a barrier between them.

In spite of her stomach hurting, she couldn’t deny her reaction to Cullen’s kisses. Her swollen and bruised lips throbbed. Her heart beat wildly. Her pulse hadn’t settled.

She wanted to rewind time and relieve each second of his kisses.

Stupid. Dumb.

Forget about the cast getting in the way—she should have known better than to kiss him back the way she had. “I’m so sorry.”

Cullen bent over, gasping for air. “Give me a sec.”

The rasp in his voice made Sarah look at her cast. “More dangerous than I imagined.”

He glanced up at her. “You have no idea.”

Sarah reached toward him, then thought better of it. If she touched him, she would kiss him again. She pressed her left hand against her side. Pain made her want to sit. She leaned against the couch. “You okay?”

He straightened. “I can breathe now. How about you?”

Her senses reeled. Her heart screamed for more kisses. Her incisions hurt. “I’ve been better. But the pain’s subsiding quicker than it usually does.”

Cullen’s mouth twisted. He looked so serious. As if the fate of the world rested on his shoulders and he’d screwed things up. “This was…”

“A mistake.” Better for her to admit it before him. She should never have kissed him back. “If you’re worried I’m thinking this changes things between us, don’t be. The other kiss didn’t. This one won’t, either.”