“What about my ticket?” Molly’s head raced.
“Have you got a pen handy?”
“Yes.”
“Here’s your confirmation number, just hand it in at the kiosk.”
Molly wrote down the number as the nerves began to swarm inside her. She had known the hearing would be coming soon, but she hadn’t anticipated having to be in the same room as Eugene. That thought alone made her skin crawl. No matter how much she tried to be brave, having to revisit that day was going to cause some serious problems.
“Just breathe,” she whispered to herself.
Molly checked in on Adelaide before she went up to her room. She packed her case and got ready for what was going to be something she would never want to talk about again.
* * * *
Flying was something Molly hated. The confined space, the close contact of strangers, the thought of crashing, and not to mention the thought of having a panic attack in front of a bunch of strangers.
The entire four-hour flight was uncomfortable. The guy beside her made idle conversation, talking about his wife and four kids, how he still had a two-hour drive ahead of him after landing. The stench of stale alcohol fermented through the air as he spoke to her.
“Man, it’s been a long week. I hate working these long weeks, but I guess I have a few days off, so I get to make it up to the little ones,” the man said as he opened a pack of pretzels.
Molly didn’t want to be rude, but damn, she felt like asking him if he wanted a mint, maybe even a hammer to knock himself out. She was already too wound up and the poor man’s attempts at banter made the journey all the more unbearable.
Finally they landed, and it took a lot of composure for Molly not to clap for joy. Disembarking the aircraft was her main priority—and hand sanitizer.
The gent waved goodbye to her as she made her way to the bathroom. She washed her hands a good few times before applying some sanitizer. If there was one thing Molly couldn’t stand, it was the thought of germs, which also happened to be a newfound dislike, given her past of working in the shelter.
As she walked toward baggage claim, Molly looked at her phone, checking for missed calls—nothing. Standing in the line around the turnstile, she absentmindedly began people watching. Observing an elderly couple who were warm and affectionate with each other, Molly smiled. Even the grumpiest of fools would have found it hard not to.
The turnstile buzzed and began moving. This was the part she agonized over. Having to bend down and try to remove her case without falling over and looking like an ass in the process.
Determined to remain standing, she stepped up close, and eyed the bags as they began moving past her, then low and behold, she saw hers. Come on, she thought to herself. Let me get the hell out of here.
Grabbing her case, she pulled up the handle to make maneuvering through the crowd easier. Molly walked toward arrivals, her phone vibrated in her hand, and as she looked down she bumped into someone, nearly falling over from the impact.
A hand shot out, grabbing her arm, steadying her before she landed on the ground.
“I’m so sorry,” the man said as he lifted her case upright.
As Molly glanced up, her eyes nearly popped out of her head. Molly brushed the hair back from her face, her cheeks blushed, and so did his.
“Molly!” Connor muttered in shock.
“Oh my God… I’ve… I’ve got to go.” Molly didn’t waste a second longer. She all but ran from him, looking back at the man she had loved, the one who had let her go.
If this was fate’s way of playing games with her, she certainly didn’t appreciate it.
Chapter Forty-Three
Connor’s heart all but stopped beating. Out of all the people to meet, he had never once thought it would be her. How their stars had aligned and they were both in the airport at the same time was unbelievable. It had to mean something. There had to be some reasoning other than stupid facts. They were destined to be together, he could feel it in his bones.
The ache in his heart was now pressing into his throat as he called after her. “Molly!”
Molly kept running, not once looking back at him, and who could have blamed her? He certainly didn’t, not after how he had spoken to her the last time they had seen each other.
A whole new feeling came over him. The fight he’d thought he’d lost was suddenly restored. Everything reversing itself, and with it came the sudden realization that this was the moment he’d been waiting for, and by God he wasn’t allowing it to pass him by.
Connor ran after her, out into the arrivals lounge, searching for her. So many different faces, people moving to and fro, greeting loved ones, businessmen, not to mention the face of his father’s trusted chauffeur, Martin.
Then he saw her again, looking back toward the crowd as she walked out of the building, Barry by her side.
Connor knew she was glancing back to see him. He could tell. There was something in the way she gazed at him when they’d walked into each other. He’d seen that look in her eyes before and knew that he’d never get another chance.
Connor ran out of the door after them, calling her. “Molly, please wait.”
Barry turned around, getting in between the two of them. Connor put up his hands. His jaw tightened as his fists clenched into tight balls.
“Connor, I think you need to leave her alone,” Barry warned.
“I just want to talk to her.”
Molly stepped back, sneaking a look in his direction before averting her gaze.
Barry’s fist had made contact with Connor’s face before he had the chance to plead. Connor’s eyes watered as the taste of blood filled his mouth. Spitting out a mouthful on the sidewalk, Connor wiped his mouth. His head spun in a daze as he said, “Okay, I deserve that.”
“Connor, just go about your business. She doesn’t need you fucking with her head,” Barry snapped. His eyes were wild with anger.
“I want to hear that from her, not you,” Connor demanded as blood dripped down his chin. “Tell me now, and I swear I won’t ever annoy you again.”
“Fuck you!” Molly shouted as she turned her back on them both and walked away, then she stopped, spun around and glared him. “What gives you the right to come to me, expecting me to forgive you for breaking my heart? Are you on something? Because you are out of your mind.”
“Molly, please, just listen to me.”
“Why?”
“Because I’ve never stopped loving you. All that shit I said, it was just that—shit. I said what I thought you wanted to hear. Those words cut me to the bone. I thought I was doing you a favor.”
“By breaking me? By destroying me? By taking everything I had given you and ripping my heart out? I was in pieces because you didn’t want me. You were over us and you stood there, in front of everyone, telling me you didn’t love me… Do you even know what that did to me? Have you any idea of how much I loved you, even after all the crap with that bitch?”
Barry tried to intervene, but Molly wasn’t having any of it.
“For over a year I’ve been rebuilding my life, getting over you, recovering from the accident, and suddenly this… You telling me you love me.” Tears burned her eyes. “What am I meant to say? What do you want from me?”
“I want you,” Connor said as he stepped close to her. “It’s always been you. I was such a fool to let you go.”
“No!” Molly stormed. “You can’t just expect me to accept this.”
“Then what do I have to do?” Connor held his hands against his chest. His eyes ached. His heart pounded as he silently willed her to forgive him.
“Nothing, Connor. Absolutely nothing.”
Molly gripped the handle of her case and stormed off. Barry followed her, looking back at Connor, his glare serving as a warning.
Connor stood still, watching Molly as she walked away. This time there was something in her voice that told him that things weren’t over, not by a mile, but he knew she was hurting.
Giving h
er a little time and space was acceptable, he knew that. He was a reasonable guy, and now that this new turn of events had presented itself, he wasn’t letting her go—just yet.
* * * *
It was shortly after ten by the time he got back to his apartment. He had made sure that things had been kept clean and tidy in his absence, having all mail forwarded to his address in Hong Kong. But there was no denying it, it felt good to be home.
A small hamper sat on the kitchen counter full of cheese, crackers, wine, chocolate and a small note. Love, Mom.
Unimpressed by his mother’s attempts at welcoming him home, Connor opened the wine, drinking straight from the bottle, not giving her a second thought.
Turning on the TV, he flipped through the channels then decided a shower was needed. His body ached and he craved a hot shower. He still hadn’t got over the hangover from Friday night’s bender and wanted nothing more than the soothing sensation of water.
The water was like heaven as it washed over him, easing his sore body. His jaw ached from the impact of Barry’s fist. There was no denying it, the man knew how to throw a punch. Not bothering to shave his stubble, he dried off as his hunger pangs made their presence known. He wrapped the towel around his waist and went to the kitchen. He rummaged through the basket, taking out the cheese and crackers, and swigged from the bottle.
As he ate, he didn’t pay any attention to the TV. He scoffed down the crackers, drank his wine and looked out at the San Francisco skyline, feeling weird considering it had been a year since he last enjoyed the view. He’d never thought he’d come back. He had been getting pretty comfortable being a train wreck and doing it all away from the prying eyes of his parents.
Screwing up his face at the aftertaste of the wine, he dumped the rest of it down the drain and brushed his teeth. His mother’s tastes weren’t his own. Fucking typical, he thought as the doorbell rang.
“Who the fuck?” he mumbled as he looked at the clock.
It was well after midnight and he wasn’t in the mood for a late-night booty call from Marissa. God, he thought, that’s all I need.
Taking his time, he swallowed hard before opening the door.
Molly stood, gazing at him. He couldn’t believe she was actually there, at his door, looking sexy as hell and angry.
A hard slap across the face left his ears ringing. The heat from the force stung like hell. Just as he was about to say something, Molly pushed him inside, resting her hand on his bare chest, reaching up. Her lips brushed against his, then she pulled back.
Once she was clear of the doorway, she closed the door behind her.
Was he dreaming this?
Surprise and delight filled him as he looked down at her. Her gorgeous blue eyes glistened as they looked up into his.
Connor didn’t need any coaxing. Pushing her back against the door, he kissed her. He didn’t care about how sore his jaw was, he just needed to taste her and drink her in. Running his hands down her back, he pulled up the hem of her skirt and pushed her panties over her knees, letting them fall to the floor.
Molly ran her fingers through his hair as their breath danced together. Connor slid a finger down over her clit. Molly let out a moan as Connor teasingly rubbed her, before slipping a finger inside, drawing her onto her toes.
Gasping, Molly’s mouth searched for his. Their kiss, long, passionate and hungry. A world away from anything he’d experienced before.
His arousal was visible from under the towel. Letting it fall to the floor, Connor grasped her bottom, lifted her up, wrapping her legs around his waist and smoothly walking them to his bedroom.
Laying Molly down on his bed, Connor had no control over his desire. He tugged at her dress. Molly raised her arms, letting him remove it. He unhooked her bra, dropping it to the floor, leaving her firm, round breasts begging for his touch. Connor leaned over her, rolling his tongue teasingly across her nipples, licking, kissing and massaging them. He savored the scent of her sweet aroma as his lips traced little kisses on her chest.
Molly moaned, arching her back to his mouth as little electrifying currents tingled through her body. Groaning against her flesh, Connor kissed down over her abdomen. There wasn’t a part of her body he left untouched.
Lightly sliding his tongue down over her wetness, he drank her creamy moisture. His fingers found their way to her lips, pulling them apart as he ran his tongue up, finding her swollen core, flicking his tongue against it, making Molly moan. Connor glanced up at Molly, seeing the want and need in her eyes. It immediately made him lay his mouth on her clitoris, sucking hungrily, twisting his tongue on it as Molly bucked her hips against his mouth.
Connor slipped a finger inside her soaking wetness. The feeling of her tightness grasping at his finger hungrily made his hardness throb. Not able to take any more, he pulled away from her, keeping his fingers deep within her, pressing against the little spot that began to drive her wild. Kneeling, he used his other hand as he rubbed her clit, working it in circles while moving his fingers in and out of her with more urgency.
Molly’s body tensed as the orgasm began to grip her from deep inside. Her walls tightened around his fingers. Her cries of pleasure filled the air as wave after wave of intense tingles shot through her body.
He kissed and licked his way up her body, pressing his lips down on hers, needing to feel her against him with ravenous desire.
Breaking the kiss, Connor looked down at her, rubbing his nose against her. “God, I love you.”
“I love you too,” she replied as she trailed her nails up his back.
Connor, wild with lust, smiled before grabbing her hips, quickly turning her over, forcing her face down on the bed.
Kneeling behind her, Connor massaged her ass before pulling her cheeks apart with his fingers, resting the tip of his cock against her. Molly pushed against him, enticing him to fuck her.
Connor pulled her back onto him and thrust deep inside her, filling her to the hilt. The feeling of the hot tension surrounding his cock, her insides contracting around him left him moaning, needing more… Craving more.
God, she felt so good. The way her body molded against his—she was the perfect fit. A fine sculpture and she was his.
Molly gasped every time he slammed into her, his cock hitting all the right spots. Her little moans drove Connor into a wild hunger. Pulling out completely, only to thrust inside her again, this time harder.
Reaching up, Connor entwined his fingers through her hair and pulled back gently, making Molly gasp in a mixture of pain and pleasure. An urgency took over once he heard the giggle that accompanied the moan, and he began ramming into her, his balls slapping against her ass as his thrusts became harder.
The warmth of pleasure seemed to begin in her stomach. Connor could feel the pressure. The need to fuck her, to have her climax, to have that complete sensation of being one with her.
Connor dug his nails into her hips, unable to hold back a second longer. The tightness in his balls became an all-consuming pleasure and when he began to moan, Molly let out a series of guttural whimpers as her orgasm swept through her.
With one last thrust, Connor exploded deep inside her, his seed intensifying her climax. The mixture of his bodily juice with hers made the sensation the most intense feeling he’d ever experienced. The two of them were breathless as their hearts pounded.
Connor couldn’t believe it. After everything they’d been through. The year-long silence, the pain, the anguish, the acceptance that they were done and this happened.
Holding her in his arms, Connor vowed never to risk losing her again. They had been destined to be together, and after all the heartache, they’d found each other again.
“Molly?” he asked.
“Yes?”
The sound of her voice made his heart pump a bit faster as her warm face rested in the crook of his arm.
“Marry me?”
The words were out before he knew what he was saying, but as he said them, nothing had ever f
elt more right.
Chapter Forty-Four
“Marry me.” The words echoed in her head. “Marry me.”
Oh my God, Molly thought. Is this happening?
“Are you serious?” Molly asked as she sat up, pulling the sheet around her.
This was not what she had expected. None of it was. She hadn’t even known where she was going when she had decided on a late-night drive. Somehow she ended up here, and well, there was no going back.
“Yes, I am very serious,” Connor said as he rested back on the bed. “If I’ve learned anything over the past year, it’s that the heart certainly does grow fonder. I’ve missed you, missed seeing your beautiful face and regretted the day I told you I didn’t love you.” Sitting up, he took her hand in his. “I can’t live without you… Not a day goes by when I don’t think of you and if I could go back to that day, I’d have run after you. I’d never have said the things I did.”
Molly’s mind was working overtime. Gazing into his face, seeing the sincerity behind the proposal was enough to convince her that he was serious. But so much information was trying to filter through. She wanted nothing more than to say yes, to fall into his arms and be his, but a brick wall full of fear stepped in.
“I…” She tried to find the words.
“I know this is a sudden request, but you’re my future,” Connor said, cupping her face. “You’re my eternity.”
Molly couldn’t hold it in any longer. The tears fell as the lump swelled in her throat.
“Yes.” She cried.
Connor pulled her into his arms, kissing her softly. The love they both felt at that exact moment was the promise of hope. A future where the splendor of their love would blossom and grow. A mutual understanding of their burning desire, the craving, the need, the completeness.
The future was theirs.
Lying down, they slept entwined in each other’s arms, the happiest either of them had been in a long while.
Molly felt as if she had finally come home and her heart was at peace.
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