At the click of the bathroom door opening, Sam shut the album and wiped his forearm across his eyes. Molly padded into the living room, wearing a large t-shirt and soft fleece shorts. It was hardly lingerie, but he knew what was concealed beneath the baggy shirt, and the shorts clung to her curves invitingly. Her face appeared damp, her eyelashes spiky but he attributed it to washing until he noticed a slight red puffiness on her eyelids. She gripped the hem of her shirt, repeatedly twisting it and untwisting it as her gaze darted to the photo album, but other than a slight lift of her eyebrows, she didn’t react to it. Instead, she sat on the edge of the recliner opposite him.
“I’ve decided that Kelsie and I need to go home tomorrow.”
Sam gave a shake of his head. “What? You can’t. We’ve already discussed this. As long as your brother is in their radar, they’ll stop at nothing to get what they want. If it means using you and Kelsie as bait to get Johnny to cough up the money he owes them, they won’t hesitate.”
Molly dipped a shoulder and avoided meeting his eyes. “I don’t think they will. Why would they come now when they could have done something before?”
“Because they planned on him getting the message when they shot up the bar. Except Johnny didn’t have a clue that the message they sent was aimed at him.”
Her eyes narrowed. “I know you think Johnny’s an idiot, but don’t worry, we’ll deal with the situation ourselves. We don’t need your help.”
Setting the album on the coffee table, Sam regarded Molly, unable to hide his surprise at her sudden change of mood. He knew it had something to do with Howard, but since she had denied knowing him, he didn’t want to push. He could be wrong about her knowing the man. Molly was just too pure to ever be tarnished by the likes of Howard. He supposed her abrupt change in demeanor had to do with his plan of getting revenge, but she didn’t have anything to do with that. Being a paramedic, her job was to save people, not kill them, so it was natural for her to reject Sam’s plan, no matter that Howard deserved it. He could certainly respect that view. He used to hold a similar one.
She and Kelsie just needed to stay here so they would be safe from Howard until Sam managed to exact his retribution. Once he had accomplished that, Molly, Kelsie and even Johnny would be safe. Sam would make sure of that even if he had to wrangle them into the Witness Protection program. He had friends in the U.S. Marshals. Sam had no delusions that their problems would magically disappear if Howard was behind bars or dead, but the difficulties would be greatly reduced as the Ravens’ organization would probably fall apart without Howard—he was the key. “Talk to me, Molly. Did I say something that bothered you?”
Her shoulders slumped for a moment, but she shook her head. “No, it’s just that I have to get back to work. We’ll be fine.”
Sam rose and crossed to her. She watched him, her eyes unreadable, but she broke contact and bit her lip. He reached out, touching a finger to her chin, and with a little pressure, urged her to raise her gaze to his. “Look, I understand that you don’t want to have a relationship with me. I can’t blame you, but don’t put yourself and your daughter in jeopardy because of…of your dislike of me.” He tried to stifle the hurt he felt that she didn’t like him, but he nudged it aside. No matter what she felt for him, he couldn’t let her go home and be in harm’s way.
He had an idea and reached behind him, pulling the coffee table close so he could sit on it. “I can arrange for you to go somewhere else safe if I have to. I would rather you were here because nobody else knows Howard like I do, but I have a friend, Dave in the Bureau. He and his wife Cynthia live in Chicago, so it’s not too far away. I know they would welcome you and Kelsie. It wouldn’t be permanent, but just until things blow over.”
“Oh, Sam…” Molly worked the hem again, watching her hands and not him. “It’s not you, and believe me, Kelsie was foremost in my mind when I made my decision. I would like for Johnny to remain here though, if that’s okay?” She finally looked at him again. “I’d feel better knowing he was safe with you until his problem is resolved.”
He nodded. “Of course.” At least she wasn’t completely rejecting him. “I hope you’ll re-think your decision though. I promise to keep my distance from you, if that’s the issue.”
A tear escaped from the corner of her eye and she dashed it away, shaking her head. “It isn’t. It’s a Friday anyway, so we might as well stay one more day, then go home on Sunday. It’ll give Kelsie one more day on the beach.”
Sighing, Sam stood. “Fine.” He wandered into the kitchen, opened the fridge and stared into the interior for a minute before he remembered what he was looking for. A beer. He snagged one off the shelf and started to close the door, when Molly came up behind him.
“I’ll have one too.”
Sam shrugged and removed another, handing it to her. “Here.”
She unscrewed the cap and took a long draught. Righting the bottle, she smiled. “Ah. That’s good.” With that, she turned and left the kitchen, pausing in the threshold, her eyebrow raised as she tipped her head towards the front of the house. “Want to join me on the porch? No talk of Johnny or the Ravens though. I just want to relax in the time we have left here.”
Surprised, he hesitated; as much as he wanted to spend time with her, would it be wise? There wasn’t much hope for them, but the night was perfect and they had been so comfortable for a few minutes out there before he had said something that had upset her. “Sure.” He took another beer to save a trip back inside. He knew it still wouldn’t be enough to numb his feelings, but it was a good start.
Instead of sharing the swing, they ambled around the side of the house to the beach. The moon was almost full and cast a silver path that danced across the lake.
Molly stopped and he caught his breath at how the moonlight seemed to kiss her face, highlighting her cheekbones and perfect skin. She had pulled a light long sleeved blouse over her t-shirt, and it fluttered in a faint breeze. She tilted the bottle and took a sip, letting her head fall back. “Look at the sky, Sam. All those stars! It’s amazing!”
He tore his gaze from her, turning it heavenwards. It was gorgeous. Thousands of stars, like diamonds on velvet, dotted the sky. He glanced at her, enjoying her amazement as he took a swallow from his beer. “Beautiful.” He looked at her rather than the sky, and she did a double take. He finally tore his eyes away and smiled. “Victoria’s brother and I used to camp out here when we were kids. We would drag our sleeping bags out of the tent and lie on our backs looking for shooting stars. One time, we fell asleep like that, and it’s kind of a good thing because we had brought a ton of junk food outside with us.” He chuckled. “It was like we thought we were going to die of starvation in the 12 hours we’d be out here. We’d have bags of chips, soda, candy bars, cookies. You name it. Anyway, that night, we had gorged and came out to watch for shooting stars. It was a hot night and it was cooler than inside the tent. We woke up to snorting and scuffling, only to find a black bear in our tent ransacking our food.”
Molly’s teeth flashed as she grinned. “You’re lucky it didn’t attack you.”
“Aw hell, with that much junk in her belly, she had no interest in two skinny boys, but we high-tailed it screaming our heads off back to the house.”
Giggling, she slogged through the sand to the lounge chairs, and sat on the end of one, kicking off her sandals and digging her toes into the sand. “What did your folks say?”
Sam sat on the chair beside her own chair, and shrugged. “My dad said,” Sam lowered his voice in an imitation of his father, “’Why the hell do you think I told you boys to eat in the house? So you wouldn’t attract bears! Now the tent’s ruined!’” He chuckled. “I had to work at a resort across the lake for the rest of the summer, gutting and cleaning fish for the vacationers in order to earn enough money to replace the tent. Worst job ever.”
He finished his beer and set the bottle beneath the foot of the lounger, making a note to take it back to the house. “I got to be
an expert at it though. I could clean a fish in about five minutes and earn five bucks doing it. It was just all those damn scales. And the smell…” Sam shuddered at the memory of the fishy smell. “One or two that I catch myself isn’t a big deal, but dozens a week is something else entirely. No matter how many showers I took, the smell of fish lingered on me. I even caught a couple of cute girls making a face and wrinkling their noses at me when I walked past them. Talk about a blow to my adolescent ego.”
Molly burst out laughing, curling forward with her hand to her mouth as if to stifle the sound but she lost that battle as a belly laugh escaped and she flopped back on the chair.
Watching her, Sam grinned and he couldn’t remember the last time he had smiled so wide and that made his grin even stretch just a little more. “You’re enjoying my sad tales of woe just a bit too much.”
Propping herself on her elbows, she tried to catch her breath, but the pose made her shirt drop away from her body and her t-shirt pulled against her breasts. “I can assure you that you no longer smell like fish.”
“Good to know.” Sam chuckled, then cracked open the second beer he had brought with him. On one hand, he wanted to be out with her all night, but he didn’t know if he could take being in her presence and not being able to take her in his arms. Maybe it was better to just go to bed. After a cold shower. A really long, really cold, shower. He guzzled half the beer.
* * *
Molly caught her breath, as she straightened to take the last drink from her beer. She wasn’t much of a beer drinker, but it tasted good out here on the beach. The scent of the air, tinged with smoke from someone’s bonfire, the mosquito spray she had used and the damp marshy smell of the lake and sand was like a balm, easing her stress. She glanced at Sam when he tilted his head back and downed the rest of the bottle. Why couldn’t things be different? She had never felt this way for anyone before, and it figured the one man she fell for was the one she couldn’t have. She tipped her beer, but lowered it in frustration when nothing came out. “Shoot.”
Sam handed her the fresh one he’d just opened. “Share mine.”
Their hands touched when she accepted it, and she watched as he followed her movements as she took a swig. A little beer escaped her mouth and trickled down her neck before she could stop it. Sam’s gaze scorched a trail down her neck, his eyes fixed on the progress of the drop. She pretended not to notice and took another sip, this time letting some drip out intentionally.
It followed the path of the other drop down her neck and across her chest, but it didn’t make it to safety beneath her t-shirt. Sam interrupted its path with a finger. He skimmed his finger back up, retracing the drop’s path, before burying his hand in the thick hair at the nape of her neck, drawing her closer. Although his touch was light and encouraging, it was as if he had pulled her to him with superhuman strength, making her feel light as a feather as she melted against him, as he licked the beer off her throat.
“Sam…” she breathed. His lips were hot as his breath warmed her skin, and she shivered at the sensation. The instant she had let the beer trickle down her neck she knew she’d made up her mind. She let her head drop back, allowing him free access. His lips traveled up the column of her throat, kissing, licking and nibbling. His hand burned against her stomach, and when it slipped under the hem of her shirt, and skimmed up, she moaned and turned her face to his, seeking his lips.
He groaned as she captured his mouth, her tongue darting in his, flavored with the beer he’d just captured from her throat. The taste mingled with him, and she wanted more. When his hand found her breast, she couldn’t stop the mewl of pleasure. Molly found the edge of his t-shirt, sliding her hands beneath, loving the feel of his skin, so warm and soft but stretched over rock hard muscles. The contrast was intoxicating.
“Molly?” Sam pulled away, his eyes reflected the moonlight and shone with questions.
She licked her lips and tucked a few wayward strands of hair out of her face. Her emotions warred. On one hand, she knew she was opening herself up to heartache. As soon as Sam found out who Kelsie’s dad was, he’d want nothing to do with Molly. That knowledge, instead of discouraging her from wanting more, fueled her desires. This night would probably be the last chance she had to be with him. Her whole life, she had sacrificed for everyone else. She had been surrogate mother to Johnny, raised Kelsie alone, went to school, worked, and never once had she asked for anything in return. Howard had no role in their life, and maybe there was a slight chance that Sam would never find out that Howard had fathered Kelsie. But if he did find out, Molly wanted at least one more night to remember. Was that asking too much? One night of happiness?
“Let’s go to your room, Sam.” She thanked god she had put Kelsie to sleep in Sean’s room. She had intended on sleeping on the narrow bed with her, knowing she couldn’t sleep in Sam’s bed and not want to be with him.
“I don’t want you to regret this in the morning. I know you don’t want Kelsie hurt, and I’ll promise right now—I swear on all the stars in the heavens,” he swept a hand towards the sky, “that I will never hurt her. I’d rather die than hurt her.”
Searching his face, she saw only honesty and vulnerability. He was a man of his word. “I’m sure, Sam.”
He pulled her close, burying his face against her throat. “I promise no matter what, Molly. Even if you change your mind right now and don’t want to go to bed with me. Even if you end up hating me, I’ll never hate Kelsie, because I think your daughter has already wrapped my heart around her little finger.” He laughed against her skin, and Molly blinked back tears. Sam was making promises without knowing the full story. Would he be able to keep them?
“You’re a good man, Sam.”
He made a sound low in his throat. It could have been a groan or a growl, but when his whiskers scraped against her skin, she made her own indecipherable sound.
* * *
In a rush, they gathered their empty bottles and raced for the house, hastily brushing sand off their feet as they hit the porch.
The instant the door shut behind them, Sam drew Molly into his arms, wanting to slow down, but at the same time, he needed her right now. He kissed her softly, smiling against her mouth when her hand wrapped around his neck and she rose up, thwarting his efforts to savor the moment by branding his mouth with a fiery kiss.
“You're not going to let me take my time with this, are you?”
Molly gave a half moan, half chuckle. “Nope.”
Eager to accommodate her desires, he reached for the hem of her shirt and pulled it up, breaking the kiss only when the material passed between them. She returned the favor, her hands scorching down his shoulders to his chest as she slid his shirt off him.
Never losing contact, they found the bed and took a brief moment to remove the rest of their clothes before lying down.
Molly lay on her side and her curves called to him.
Sam skimmed his hand down her ribs, to the indent of her waist and up to her hip. So soft and tempting. He found her mouth again, but lingered only briefly, as he swept her hair out of the way so he could find the silky, sensitive spot behind her ear. She shivered. Her breasts brushed his chest and it was all he could do to hold back, but her moan of pleasure made it worth the wait.
He kissed, tasted and teased his way down her throat, chest, abdomen and finally her most intimate places. Molly whimpered and clutched the back of his head, holding him even closer as her thighs clamped against his head. Unable to hold off any longer, Sam rose to his knees, holding her legs over his arms as he entered her with a groan. Her heat surrounded him, and he felt her muscles clench, drawing him in even further. All control vanished and he found her eyes as he sought his own release. Her lips were puffy from kissing, her hair tousled, and she held her arms over her head, bracing against the headboard. It was the sexiest thing he'd ever experienced. The sight of her tongue darting out to lick her lips sent him over the edge, and he threw his head back, tensing as wave after wa
ve of ecstasy swept him.
* * *
Sam sat on the edge of the bed the next morning. He’d pulled a pair of khaki shorts on, but that was all. “We could be rushing into a relationship that neither of us is ready for—”
“But what if we end up throwing away something that could be good?” Molly felt a lump come to her throat. This wasn't going the way she wanted. After making love, she had lain awake fantasizing about a life with Sam. Why couldn’t they could live right here? Her license was good in the whole state and she could transfer to a school in this part of the state.
There was still Sam’s job, but maybe he could do something else. He seemed to love it up here and mentioned how he had felt disenchanted with his job even before Sean’s death. The north woods would be good for him, and he said he had money put away so it wasn’t like he had to decide on a job right away. She’d fallen asleep dreaming of the three of them living as a family. In the dream, Sam had never found out the truth of who was really Kelsie’s father.
When she’d awakened and stretched, the glow from the dream still surrounded her, basking her in a blanket of peace and contentment, so when Sam rose from the bed and pulled on his shorts, she’d smiled and teased him about how he was going commando.
He’d looked at her blankly, then launched into the ‘we’re rushing things’ speech. Somewhere deep down, she'd thought he would jump at her unspoken invitation to renew the relationship. Before he could answer her question, she rushed on, sitting up with the covers gathered beneath her chin. “The thing that scared me the most, was that the first time, we might have made love for the wrong reasons. I was there taking care of you. You might have confused gratitude for attraction.” It embarrassed her to voice her fear, but she had to let him know. It wasn't like men typically drooled over her. Her hair was too curly and she was too short to be considered beautiful. “But last night—that felt real.”
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