Chapter 1
Mj
“You ever kill anyone?” I steal a glance at Cullen as we make our way to the local bar down from my place. The man is too handsome for his own good. Is being too handsome even a thing? It should be. A man can’t be so attractive that it makes your chest do funny crap. That definitely should be against the law. Too bad he is a cop and isn’t going to arrest himself.
I have to give him a point for arresting the woman who tried to attack my sister Luna’s fiancé, Maddox. My sister would have probably been attacked next if it weren’t for Cullen. He is winning my favor even if I don’t want him to be. I could reason he only did it because he wanted to protect his brother and it’s his job.
“Not today.” He smirks over at me. One perfect dimple pops out. Of course he has a dimple to go with his sandy blond hair and blue eyes. It makes him look hotter than he already is. Damn it. Yep, there should really be a law against this. His looks are in stark contrast to his brother’s. While Maddox is handsome with black hair and green eyes, I prefer the light hair and blue eyes of my man. I catch myself mid-thought. I must have lost my mind for a second because Cullen is certainly not mine. Luna and Maddox’s crazy love fest must be contagious.
The shiny badge he has hooked to the top of his slacks wasn’t how I determined he was a cop. Not a cop but a detective. I’d gotten every piece of information about my sister Luna’s fiancé the moment she’d started stalking him. Or investigating him. Same shit, if you ask me. I knew he had a cop brother and socialite sister. Once she stopped, her fiancé Maddox and his brother Cullen started stalking our house. Pretty sure Cullen was trying to talk Maddox out of it but I enjoyed peeking out my window seeing him outside. My sister failed to mention that Maddox had a super-hot older brother. I only received basic information about Cullen. My informants like to gossip so it didn’t take much for me to get the goods from them. It was a perk of cooking for the rich and famous.
“Oh, you’re one of those kinds of guys. You like to keep a girl in suspense.” I roll my eyes, faking annoyance. Now I really want to know.
What I learned about him was he was a good old boy. Follows the letter of the law above everything. It would never work between us. Not that I am thinking about an us. I don’t do those unless you count Luna, my little sister, who I raised. We’ve always been an us. Now I think she’s going to be an us with someone else.
The thought has me both happy and sad. I am overjoyed at the fact that she has found someone who fits her but I am struggling with the realization that it means I am going to be alone. I bet this is what empty nest syndrome is like. I try not to think of it negatively because I want the best for Luna, and Maddox is that. He gets her quirks.
“With you I think it might be the only way to keep your attention at all.”
I pause as he opens the door to the bar close to my and Luna’s place. It’s going to be awkward when I’m no longer calling it that. I know if it’s up to Maddox he’ll have her moved in with him by the end of today. I’m just hoping I get a little more time with her. Maybe I’ll get lucky and be stuck with handsome Cullen for the rest of my life. A girl can dream. But I know that won’t happen. We are night and day.
“After you.” Cullen motions for me to head inside. I must have been standing there lost in my own thoughts. Way to go MJ, you’re already making a fool of yourself. I get myself together and walk over to one of the high-top tables that seats two. I’m not going to turn myself into a mess over a man. I don’t chase or stalk.
Cullen follows behind me, making sure to pull my stool out for me. He’s being such a gentleman but I’d expect nothing less from him. I can feel his presence behind me as he inches my stool closer to the table. He lingers there for a moment. I catch the scent of him, causing my body to heat up. They must have upped the thermostat in here. I don’t remember it being this hot.
I feel something brush my hair softly. I freeze. Did he just smell my hair? No, that would be weird. Right? At what point is this weird? My sister is marrying his brother Saturday and they didn’t even date. Maybe strange behavior runs in the Castile family. Rich people do weird shit and the Castiles are about as rich as they come. I find it intriguing Cullen ended up a cop, though.