Breathless Secrets (Rose Garden Apartments Book 3)

by Elizabeth Lennox

  Senator Von Deuch had come by a few weeks ago to do the same thing. In fact, the bastard had the temerity to ask her to endorse his campaign! Right! As if she would! That disgusting man was a bastard to the core. Von Deuch didn’t know that Molly was a close friend of his daughter’s. Lilly Von Deuch had married Drako Gataki last year, but the Von Deuch family had done everything within their power to get Lilly to marry someone else. Lilly had ignored their efforts and was now happily married, with an adorable little boy named Marcus. But the senator didn’t even know his grandchild’s name. So no, she wasn’t going to endorse the bastard’s campaign!

  “All of it,” James replied. “I’ve heard so much about what this community center has been able to accomplish. I’d like to see it in action.” He stepped closer now that there weren’t any kids rushing around them. “If you have the time, that is. If you’re busy…?”

  Molly laughed despite her nervousness. “It’s always busy around here, Mr. Morgan. But I can take a minute to show you around,” she replied. Molly wasn’t an idiot. Last week, she hadn’t insulted Von Deuch by telling him to go away, because he might throw her a bit of funding. The center could always use more funds. And this guy? He looked rich! Rich people had money, which the community center always needed! It was a constant battle to raise enough funding for all of the projects Molly wanted to do.

  So instead of telling this handsome, charming…um…opportunist…to leave, she smiled politely up at him, clasping her hands together.

  “Thank you,” he said, bending slightly, almost bowing. “I appreciate your time.”

  Startled, she pulled back. His teasing tone indicated…was he flirting with her? Molly knew what she looked like, knew what her clothes looked like! She wasn’t in this guy’s league! Good grief, Molly wasn’t even playing the game! Why would he even bother flirting?

  Molly sighed, determined to set the man straight. “Mr. Morgan, I don’t know what your agenda is, but I’ll play along. I’ll show you around the center and explain the programs. But please… you don’t need to turn on the charm.” With that clearly stated, Molly turned and headed towards the kitchen. “This way.”

  “I don’t really have an agenda,” he replied. “And please, call me James.”

  She glanced at him over her shoulder and…was he staring at her butt? She had to restrain herself from covering her bottom with her hands. When he realized that he’d been caught, instead of giving her an apologetic glance, those sexy lips curled up into a cheeky smile. Did those sharp, blue eyes light up with…mischief?

  Pretending that she hadn’t seen the devilish glint in his eyes, she headed into the kitchen. “We have several volunteers that work pretty much all year round.” She gestured towards the teenagers wearing protective gloves. “This is Leticia, Megan, and Julia,” she explained, smiling at the three girls who were making sandwiches. “They are the lunch team, making the sandwiches for tomorrow.”

  “Wheat bread?” he asked, obviously surprised.

  Molly beamed with pride. “We also have two retired bakers, Louise and Nora, who refuse to make white bread because it isn’t healthy for the kids. We get the whole wheat flour cheaper and they bake that into healthy bread. So, the kids get a nutritious lunch without all of the chemicals that are in manufactured bread.” Molly’s eyes twinkled as she added, “They make cookies for the afternoon snack too.”

  He laughed. “Sounds like an ideal situation. Not many community centers have in-house bakers that are willing to do that much work for free.”

  Molly shrugged. “Everyone in the neighborhood helps out in some way. It’s the only way that everything can work. When we have the funding, then we will offer salaries. But right now, we are barely scrimping by with the summer camp expenses.”

  “So, if you had more donations, who would be paid first?” he asked as Molly led him out of the kitchen towards the various craft stations set up around the open area of the center.

  “I guess I’d start with more supplies,” she said, waving towards the tables and kids around each table. “The kids love the crafts during the summer months. The crafts give them a sense of freedom and creativity, lets them think about learning things outside of reading, math, and science.” She thought about the next step. “And then I’d pay the teenagers. They need money pretty desperately. Right now, they’re getting paid in school credit and volunteer hours. Their jobs here are also something that they can put on their resumes. I am a great reference, but…” she turned and found him standing incredibly close. Normally, this wouldn’t bother her, but with this guy, this James Morgan, he was…disturbing. And his proximity sent off…well, not warning bells exactly. But some kind of bell. Her body was tingling. As if his mere presence was a threat.

  No, threat wasn’t the right word. Living here in this neighborhood, she’d run into plenty of dangerous situations over the years. What she felt now wasn’t the same. It was…strangely different. But definitely a threat.

  “So after the supplies and the teens?” he prompted.

  Was he closer? Molly opened her mouth, but the words wouldn’t come out. He was closer. And she could smell him. Goodness, he smelled…clean. With a slight tinge of citrus. Oh my! He’d shaved earlier today, obviously, but she could see the slight scruff off his beard coming through. She wondered if he shaved again before going out at night. Probably.

  What did that mean? Probably nothing.

  “Molly?” He spoke her name as if it were a caress. This man, this tall, powerfully built man was so completely out of her league! What in the world was she doing? Standing here, looking silly, she wondered if he wore blue contacts. Surely, his eyes couldn’t really be that blue, could they?

  “Would you have dinner with me tonight?”

  Molly blinked. “I’m sorry?” she asked. Surely, he hadn’t just asked her out. Had he?

  “Dinner?” he repeated, stepping closer. “I know a great restaurant in Alexandria. It’s right on the river. It serves the best crab cakes I’ve ever tasted!”

  She stared up into those impossibly blue eyes. “Dinner? With you?”

  He laughed softly. “Yes. With me.”

  She tilted her head, still trying to process his words. “You want to have dinner with me?”

  Another chuckle. “Is this a foreign concept, Molly?” he asked.

  She licked her lips, her eyes moving from his gaze down to his mouth. His lips weren’t full, but she suspected that he knew how to kiss! “Um…dinner. Uh…why?”

  He shifted slightly, so his broad shoulders shielded her from the rest of the room. He was so darn tall!

  “Because I think that you’re beautiful and I’d like to get to know you better.”

  Molly’s heart thudded. Disappointment tore through her. Beautiful? She almost made a rude sound. “I’m not beautiful, Mr. Morgan. So…”

  The moment was shattered as two kids started yelling, facing off as if they were ready to do battle.

  Molly stepped into view so she could confront the fractious pair, feeling better now that she was on safer, more familiar turf. “Jeff!” she snapped. “Marius! What in the world is going on?”

  Both boys turned around, immediately contrite. “We were just…messing around,” Marius muttered, fully aware of the consequences of fighting on center property. Fighting was a bannable offense. None of the kids wanted that. The Center was the heart of the neighborhood. All of the summer activities happened here. There was even a teen dance coming up on Friday night, everyone would dress up and come here with their dates for a fun evening.

  “That’s what I thought. Don’t make me get Janet involved!” Molly warned the boys.

  Both sets of eyes widened in horror at the idea of “Janet” being called into the argument.

  “We’re fine,” Jeff explained, even going so far as to throw his arm over Marius’ shoulders. Marius nodded vigorously, not moving away from Jeff’s arm for fear of “Janet”.

  “Good. Keep it that way,” Molly ordered, and turned
back to James Morgan as the boys raced away.

  “Who is Janet?” he asked curiously.

  Molly’s lips quirked, still trying to hide her amusement. “Janet is the social worker. When the kids start arguing or fighting, Janet sits them down and asks about their feelings. They hate discussing their feelings.”

  James stared at this gorgeous woman, astonishment in his eyes. A moment later, he threw back his head, laughing with delight. “So, you threaten them with therapy if their communication breaks down.” He shook his head. “That’s perfect!”

  Molly smiled uncertainly.

  “So, back to dinner. I promise that I’m excellent company. And I’m an extremely interesting conversationalist.” He waited, his blue eyes twinkling with challenge. “So, what about it? Will you allow me take you out to dinner? Or is that an odd concept?”

  She looked around, noting that the kids were laughing and enjoying themselves as they worked at the various craft stations. When she turned back to him, she nodded slowly. “Yes. That’s a completely foreign concept.”

  A dark eyebrow lifted. “No one ever asked you out to dinner before?”

  She shrugged slightly, shifting on her feet ever so slightly. “Well, no one like you.”

  “Like me?” he prompted, his other eyebrow rising as well.

  She sighed impatiently, annoyed that she couldn’t stop the blush that crept up from her neck to her eyebrows. “Yes. You’re…different.” She’d looked away as she’d said it.

  His hands rested lightly on his hips. “Well, do you ever go to dinner with your female friends?”

  “Yes.”

  “So, why not think of tonight like you would if you were going to dinner with a female friend?”

  She laughed. “You’re nothing like the women I would normally eat dinner with, Mr. Morgan.”

  “Call me James,” he countered. “And there isn’t much difference. It’s just two people having a conversation over some food.”

  Molly shook her head. “No, I don’t think I’d feel comfortable in the places where you normally dine.”

  He shifted slightly, and somehow, the small movement made this conversation oddly intimate. How did he do that?

  “Are you making assumptions about my dining preferences even before you get to know me?”

  “Yes,” she replied, grinning without remorse.

  He grinned right back at her. And had he moved closer? She couldn’t look away from those dazzling blue depths.

  “What kinds of restaurants do you think I prefer?” he asked, reaching out to capture a lock of her hair, twirling the curl around his finger.

  “Fancy,” she replied. “Definitely not a place where jeans would be welcomed.”

  “Does your entire wardrobe consist of jeans?”

  Molly hesitated, mostly because she couldn’t immediately remember anything in her closet that wasn’t denim or a tee shirt. “Well, I might have something along the lines of a dress in the back somewhere. But I doubt it still fits.”

  His eyes moved over her features resting on her lips. “Well, how about this,” he offered. “Why don’t you dig out that dress and I’ll pick you up for dinner tonight. Six o’clock. I’ll take you to my favorite restaurant. And then tomorrow night, I’ll pick you up again, and we’ll both wear jeans, and you can take me to your favorite restaurant. Then we’ll compare them, rate their pros and cons, and decide which one is better.”

  “That’s two dates,” she pointed out, her breath catching in her throat as his finger “accidentally” grazed her throat. His touch was hot! Scorching! And she wanted him to do it again!

  “You’re excellent at math. See?” he teased. “We’re getting to know one another already!”

  She laughed and pulled back, surprised to find that they were so close. “You’re incorrigible, Mr. Morgan.”

  “You’re going to call me James, remember?” he reminded.

  “I doubt it,” she replied. “And what happens if we go out to dinner tonight and we can’t stand each other? Or we argue all evening? Then you’ve already committed yourself to another date tomorrow night. That’s not a good strategy, Mr. Morgan.”

  He leaned closer again and Molly forgot to pull away. “How about a bet?”

  Molly immediately shook her head. “I don’t gamble.”

  He grinned. “If I can get you to say my name by the end of tonight’s dinner, then you go out with me tomorrow night and introduce me to your favorite restaurant?”

  “No deal,” she laughed.

  He pulled back this time. Then he shook his head, clicking his tongue. “You’re afraid that you’ll fall in love with me tonight. I get it.” He smiled smugly.

  Molly choked on her outrage…and laughter. “I will not!”

  He glanced around at the bustling activity of the craft room, crossing his arms over his chest. “Of course you would. I understand. You wouldn’t dare go out with me tonight, because you’ll be heartbroken by the end of the evening.”

  Molly couldn’t believe how outrageous he was! “I will not fall in love with you by the end of tonight.”

  He straightened, his eyes alight with triumph. “Good! We’ll put it to the test. I’ll pick you up at six.”

  He walked away and Molly stood there, sputtering with…outrage? Hilarity? Stunned surprise that he really was as charming and arrogant as she’d anticipated?

  Yep! All of the above!

  “You don’t even know where I live!” she called after him.

  He waved her comment away. “Six o’clock, Ms. Bradford!” he called back without turning around.

  Molly laughed, shaking her head. “He’s crazy!” she muttered, turning around and heading into her office. “As if I’d fall in love with a guy I’d just met! Love doesn’t work that way!”

  For the next hour, Molly shuffled files around, but didn’t really get anything done. She kept replaying the conversation over in her mind, wondering how she’d lost control. She worked with belligerent teenagers every day and never lost control! She finagled toddlers into getting their vaccination shots and eating broccoli– without losing control! How could one man with glittering blue eyes and an arrogant smile turn her into mush?!

  And yet, at four thirty that afternoon, she turned off her computer and locked up her office.

  “Leaving early?” Louise asked, patting one of the steaming loaves of fresh bread she’d just pulled out of the oven.

  “Yeah. I’m going to…” Molly trailed off, suddenly aware that she didn’t want it widely known that she was leaving early for a date. She’d have to dig her old sundresses out of…wherever the heck they were.

  “You go on now,” Nora called to Molly, pulling out a tray of cookies. “We’ve got things under control here. No need for you to stay here until ten o’clock like you normally do, honey.”

  Louise was in her late seventies, as was Nora. But those two kept busy cooking and doing whatever was needed around the center. They loved hanging out in the nursery during the day time hours, snuggling with the babies and playing with the toddlers. They insisted that the babies kept them young, but Molly suspected it was the conversations with the teenagers that kept Louise and Nora up to date on the latest trends.

  Feeling silly for leaving so early, she looked around, assuring herself there wasn’t an emergency, or even an urgent crisis, that would keep her here. “Maybe I should just…”

  Nora shook her head, turning Molly by the shoulders and giving her a gentle shove toward the door. “No, you shouldn’t, dear. Just head on home and put on a bit of makeup for that man!” she ordered cheekily.

  Makeup? Molly stared at the kind, elderly woman as if she’d lost her mind. Makeup? Oh good grief. “I’m not…!”

  “Oh yes, you are!” Louise interrupted as she set the timer for the next few loaves of bread, then turned to frown at Molly. “And it’s about time too!”

  Molly looked at the two ladies, then shook her head. “Is anything a secret around here?” she muttered, as she
headed out the door.

  Molly was already in the hallway, but she thought she heard, “Nothing is a secret around here!” and a few chuckles.

  They were right. This neighborhood might be right on the outer edge of Washington, D.C. and surrounded by urban areas. But they were a “bubble” neighborhood. Everyone within this eight block neighborhood knew each other. They knew everyone’s business, and they kept an eye out for each other.

  Molly slung her backpack over her shoulder and headed home, bracing herself for the miserable walk home in the heat. She had a car, but it was unreliable at best, and since she only lived two blocks away, at the Rose Gardens Apartments, she didn’t mind the walk most nights.

  This just wasn’t one of those nights.

  Molly hurried across the street, waving to the construction workers who were packing up for the night at the previously run-down apartment complex next door to her precious Rose Garden home. Maggie, the property manager, was married to a property developer who had secretly bought almost all of the properties around this neighborhood. Oliver had originally planned to tear down most of the buildings and put up multi-use sky rise edifices, charging millions of dollars for retail and commercial sites, as well as condominiums that no one in this neighborhood could have been able to afford. The changes would have forced the property values higher, increasing the tax burden and pushing out most of the current residents.

  But Oliver was a good man. Instead of pulling everything down and building new, he’d come up with a plan that would rejuvenate the area. Now there were new retail and residential sites coming up all over the area, which included plants and trees, better irrigation systems, and more efficient traffic patterns. The changes had drawn in a different set of customers, people with more cash and who were ready to explore the “trendy” new place that was slowly evolving. The progress was gradual, but it was exciting to see so many changes emerging. Plus, the changes gave a new sense of purpose to the residents. It was really nice to see hope blooming within the community.

  Molly hurried to her apartment, waving to Maggie, who was heading out for the night. She and Oliver had moved into a larger apartment in the next building over, which had previously been an abandoned warehouse. Oliver had renovated the building into a hip, stylish residence, complete with a rooftop garden. He’d given up his massive, but cold and uninviting, penthouse, and created a warm, cozy living space for them. Molly expected Maggie to get pregnant any time now, but in the meantime, those two were ridiculously happy together.