by Becca Van
Tears of emotion pricked the back of her eyes and she had to blink rapidly so they wouldn’t fall. She turned her head, dislodging Giles hand, and looked down at the table. The air around her was fraught with tension and Molly began to wonder why the hell they weren’t trying to take her back home already. No one other than her mum or Deanne had seen what was beneath her frizzy hair and busy mind, but it seemed these two men were able to see beneath her scattered, dreamy mind to the woman beneath. That was so rare, she didn’t know how to handle it.
“I’m not…”
Steven covered the hands she had clenched in her lap and slowly pulled them apart. He laced his fingers with hers and then squeezed lightly. “Yes, you are very beautiful, Molly. Now what would you like to eat?”
The change in subject nearly had her head spinning but she was glad for the redirection in conversation. She’d never had compliments from anyone but Deanne and her mum and again was at a loss for words. Molly reached out and picked up the menu, glad to have a distraction and something to hide behind. Her cheeks felt like they were as red as beetroot and she hoped they cooled off quickly.
Molly knew she wasn’t fat but she wasn’t thin and always tried to watch her weight so she automatically ordered the salad. When she put the menu down it was to find Steven and Giles frowning at her, again, but she was determined to get to know them better and enjoy their company so she pushed her self-doubt aside and began to ask about them.
“How long have you lived in Passion?”
“We grew up here.” Giles took a swig of his beer and Molly took a sip of her wine. Whatever Steven had chosen for her was perfect. It was cool and had a light trace of passion fruit but wasn’t too sweet or dry.
“Does your family live here?”
“No.” Steven ran a finger down her forearm eliciting more goose bumps on her skin. “Our parents divorced when we were in our early twenties and went their separate ways. Our mum has remarried and is living in Byron Bay, near the Queensland, New South Wales border and our dad lives in Sydney.”
“That must have been hard for you.”
“Yeah, it wasn’t easy, but at least we were adults. It would have hit harder if we’d still been kids.”
“Yes, it would.” Molly answered knowledgably. She should have known that they would pick up on her emotion.
“How old were you when your parents divorced?” Giles asked.
“Six.”
“Shit, that must have been horrid.”
“It wasn’t a picnic that’s for sure.”
“Are you close to your mum?”
Molly looked at Steve as she tried to think how to answer that question but decided honesty was the best policy. “Yes and no.”
“What do you mean by that, cutie?”
“We have our moments. I guess like all families do, but when my dad took off with a younger woman, my mum was devastated. She clung to me and even as I grew up and tried to live my own life she still clung to me. I think I was her way of filling a void in her life and I felt smothered. Just after I turned nineteen we had this huge fight and I left. It was the best decision I made because I had to learn to stand on my own, but I don’t think my mother has ever forgiven me for that. Although she is much happier and has made new friends and has a very active social life, sometimes I feel like I can still see accusation in her eyes.
“Making a stand and grabbing onto my own independence was great for me but I think I hurt my mother really badly and I don’t think we’ll ever be as close as we once were.”
“It takes two people to make a relationship, cutie. It sounds to me like you did the best for you at the time and your mum just wasn’t ready to let go yet. I’m sure she understands you need to be on your own. Maybe she loved your father too much and still has anger and guilt over their breakup.”
Molly pondered over what Steven had just said and hoped he was right. The only way she would ever know what her mother thought of her taking a stand six years ago was to ask her outright. Maybe the next time she saw her she would do just that.
The waitress arrived with their food. The men had ordered steak and vegetables as well as some herb and garlic bread topped with melted cheese. Molly nearly groaned when she saw the side dish. She looked at her chicken salad and tried to ignore the aroma of the warm bread.
They talked more about their families as they ate and it wasn’t even until she was halfway through her meal that Molly realized Giles and Steven had placed a piece of each bread on her plate. She had eaten most of the small piece of herb bread before she even registered what she was doing. It would be petty of her to put the rest of it on her plate and ignore it so she finished it off and then the rest of her salad. By the time she was done the men had been sitting watching her eat, since they’d already completed their meals.
“Have you had enough?” Steven asked. “Do you want desert?”
“No, thanks. That was great but I’m full.”
Just as Molly finished answering, the local band started playing their music.
Chapter Three
“Come dance with me, precious.” Giles stood up and held his hand out to Molly.
He loved the way her cheeks flushed and she looked down shyly, but then she smiled at him, took his hand and scooted across the seat. If this was the only way he could get to hold her in his arms, then he wasn’t about to pass up the opportunity.
He led her over to the small dance floor and with a gentle tug pulled her close. Giles wrapped an arm around her waist and started swaying to the music. He wasn’t normally one to get up and dance but he had been craving having Molly closer so he decided to break one of his rules. The song the band played was more than appropriate for how he felt about Molly. They played John Farnham’s “Burn For You.”
At first Molly held herself a little stiffly but as the song progressed, she began to relax. The more they swayed in unison, the harder his dick got. She was so warm, soft, and sweet smelling he wanted to eat her up right there on the dance floor. All too soon the song was over and although he wanted to keep on holding her through the rest of the night, Molly stepped back, so he could do nothing but let her go.
Steven was waiting for them and didn’t let Molly sit down, instead his brother quickly got to his feet, took her hand in his and led her straight back out to dance. This time the band played Tina Arena’s cover of “I Want to Know What Love Is.”
Giles couldn’t help watching the way Molly’s hips swayed and he couldn’t miss how damn sexy she was. Even though she wasn’t looking at him, he got a glimpse of her beautiful face and couldn’t miss the excitement in her eyes. She was such a sweet woman and Giles hoped that she would give them the chance to court her. Between him and his brother, they kept her out on the dance floor for the next hour, but when she started to look tired he decided it was time to take her home. He didn’t want the night to end but Molly’s welfare was important to him and Steve and since she had been so busy setting her shop up and still had more work to do in that regard, he didn’t want to tire her out too much.
So after she finished her drink, he and Steve led her back out to the truck. The drive back to her place wasn’t very long but when he parked in the parking lot behind her store and upstairs apartment, it looked like she was struggling to keep her eyes open. They escorted her up to her door and after unlocking it, she turned to face them.
“Thank you for taking me out. I had a great time.”
Giles needed to touch her again so he cupped her warm, silky cheek. “You’re welcome, precious.” He leaned down and placed a light kiss on her soft lips. The frisson of awareness that shot through him nearly brought him to his knees. If that had happened he wasn’t sure he would have been able to control himself. Giles wanted to pull her into his arms and ravish that beautiful mouth. He hoped he was able to keep the heat out of his eyes, but he wasn’t too sure he had managed that when he saw Molly’s shocked face. He silently cursed when she took a step back and bumped into the door behind her.<
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Steven took advantage of her distraction and placed a chaste kiss on her mouth, too. “Go inside and lock up, Molly. We’ll be seeing you soon.”
Molly fumbled with the door handle and stepped inside. She frowned at them as if trying to work out what they were up to but then her expression cleared. “Good night.” She closed the door and neither of them moved since she didn’t engage the lock.
“Lock the door, Molly,” Giles reminded her. He smiled when he heard her say, “Oh God,” and hoped that was a sign of things to come. They had rattled Molly and Giles hoped it was in a good way.
He took off down the stairs with Steven following behind, got into the truck and headed for home. Things seemed to be definitely looking up. At least he hoped so.
* * * *
The next four weeks flew past at a rapid pace. Molly had been so busy with the shop she’d barely had time to scratch herself. Steven and Giles popped in now and then but she didn’t really have time to talk to them for long. Her shop had opened two weeks ahead of schedule and she was pleased to be inundated with customers. The men of Passion cared for their women and often bought flowers for their wives, girlfriends, and fiancés.
She couldn’t get the night Giles and Steven had taken her to dinner out of her head or the kisses afterward. But she did realize they’d never once introduced her to anyone that night and began to wonder if they were playing games with her. If she’d been sure of their answer she would have asked them what they were up to, but Molly wasn’t that brave.
She was looking forward to the weekend because she felt like she’d been running for weeks on end. It was now Friday afternoon and would only open her shop for half the day tomorrow. She planned to spend the rest of her weekend exploring the surrounding rural community and maybe even going out for a good long walk in the forest. As long as she remembered to pack some snacks, bottled water, and a compass as well as her mobile phone, she would be fine. Molly was directionally challenged and wasn’t about to go traipsing off into the bush without taking some form of communication or direction pointing device. She wanted to be able to get back to where she started from so if she had her phone with its GPS and the compass, she should be safe enough. She loved to see the native flowers in bloom and identifying them as she walked and was looking forward to convening with nature.
Molly had always thought she was a country girl at heart but had never had the chance to indulge that compulsion. Now that she was far away from the city and so much closer to where she’d always wanted to be, she didn’t want to waste a minute of her spare time.
As she positioned the carnations, roses, and greenery into an arrangement she thought back over the times Steven and Giles had popped into her shop. She got aroused every time she thought about them but that desire was nothing compared to when she was actually looking at those two sexy men. Steve and Giles came into her shop at least twice a week each and over the last week they had started bringing her lunch. As much as she appreciated their gestures Molly was beginning think they were trying to soften her up for something as if they had a hidden agenda.
She frowned as she twined some greenery around the bunch of flowers to hold them in place and then put them in the bucket of water and took it across to sit in front of shop window.
Beth Beech was walking past and gave Molly a smile and wave. Molly waved back. She’d met so many people through her business and was intrigued by the polyandrous relationships and how happy the people involved in those relationships seemed to be. An image of Steven and Giles sandwiching her between them popped into her head and she had to push it away. Molly knew those two blonde-haired blue-eyed Adonises wouldn’t see her in a sexually attractive way. She was just too plain and if she got her hopes up at going out with them again and they had only taken her out to be friendly, she was going to be very disappointed. When she realized where her thoughts were going she quickly pushed them away. She was far too busy with her new business to even think about a relationship and even though the Blaze brothers came to see her every now and then, she figured they were only trying to make her transition to the country a friendly one.
By the time she closed the doors to her shop on Saturday at lunchtime, Molly was exhausted but in a good way. She planned to head out and explore the countryside after showering and changing into more casual clothes. The shower had done wonders in refreshing her and after making sure she had her backpack of supplies, she headed out to her car.
Molly had been driving for half an hour on the narrow country road heading north from Passion when she spied the perfect spot to stop. After parking in a wayside stop and locking her car, she tried to decide which track to walk. One trail was wider and looked well used and the other was narrower and looked like it had seen less traffic. Since Molly felt the need to be alone after serving people all week, she decided to take the narrower track. After a quick look at her compass, she started walking.
She inhaled deeply, taking in the scents of eucalyptus and gum trees. She looked at all the tree ferns and kept an eye open for any flowering native plants. She spied Proteas and Grevilleas of every size shape and color and stood quietly as the honey birds hovered over them. After a while she moved on and picked a piece of vibrant yellow wattle. She even caught a glimpse of a spider orchid but didn’t want to go off the beaten path and end up getting lost or damaging the ecology.
Molly walked slowly for over an hour and finally decided it was time to turn back, but as she turned, she spied a crop of tall plants that would be great to use as greenery in her arrangements. Luckily she always kept a pocket knife in her back pack and she set about cutting some small greenery. After she had what she deemed to be enough she removed the rolled up plastic bag in her back pack and put the cuttings in it. Deciding she had more than enough for now and with plans to cultivate some new ones from a couple of cuttings, she turned back onto the track and decided that if the plants didn’t take she would come back for some more. She loved the way the leaves had nine separate sprigs and the small cone shaped green flower at the top. They would be great to use in her arrangements.
Just as she turned around, she thought she heard people talking. She stood still and listened intently. No, she wasn’t imagining things. It sounded like two men were heading her way. She only then realized how vulnerable she was since she was a woman and all alone, never mind the fact that she hadn’t let anyone know where she was going. Molly knew she had been irresponsible. If she fell and hurt herself, no one would know where to look for her.
As the deep voices drew nearer, the hair on Molly’s nape stood on end. Without conscious thought, she ducked around the large trunk of a gum tree and hid from view. She was just in time because the men came around the corner and the voices got louder.
“Do you think whoever is out here has found our stuff?”
“I doubt it. Probably some nature lover out for a walk.”
Molly sighed with relief when their voices faded away. She hadn’t dared peek out to see who it was in case they spotted her. After another ten minutes of hiding, she deemed it safe to come out of her hiding spot and hurried back along the track toward her car.
Molly spent Sunday cleaning her apartment and washing clothes, and then she took some time out to plant a couple of her off-cuttings from the day before. After that was done, she spent the rest of the afternoon and night reading one of her romance novels.
Monday came around way too fast but Molly was enthusiastic about getting to work. She had about twenty floral arrangements done before she opened her doors at 9:00 a.m. and already set out in buckets in the shop window. By the time eleven o’clock rocked around, she was starting to get hungry and planned to make herself an early lunch. Just as she was about to hurry in the back and rummage in the small fridge to make herself a sandwich, the beeper sounded. She looked up and smiled when she saw the local police sergeant and one of Beth’s husbands Tom Beech enter her shop. The smile left her face when he frowned at her and then he stood in front of the counter
staring at her.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Tom asked in a cold voice.
“Uh, working?” Molly cursed the nervous squeak in her voice and how her answer had come out as a question but she didn’t like the look in Tom’s eyes and began to feel very nervous.
“You need to lock up and come with me.” Tom continued to glare at her.
“What? Why?” Molly frowned with confusion.
Tom moved around her counter, reaching for something on his belt as he moved. He took her wrists in his hands and held them still in front of her. “You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say…”
The rest of what Tom said was drowned out by the pounding of her heartbeat drumming in her ears. She looked down and stared uncomprehendingly when cold metal handcuffs secured her wrists together. Fear skittered up her spine and dread lodged in her heart. She was being arrested and had no idea why.
The roaring in her ears intensified and didn’t resist when Tom began to lead her from her store. He stopped just inside her door and nudged her chin up with a finger.
“Where are your keys, Molly?”
Molly understood his question but for the life of her she couldn’t speak. She was afraid if she opened her mouth she would start crying. With a tilt of her chin, she pointed toward the hook on the doorjamb. Tom led her out to his patrol car and put her in the backseat. The noise of the door slamming closed was like a death knoll and no matter how hard she tried to keep the tears pricking the back of her eyes from falling, fall they did.
She watched with confusion as Tom took five of her floral arrangements, buckets and all, to the back of her shop and then he carried them out to his police car and put them in the boot. After going back to lock her shop, he got into the driver’s seat and started the car.