Breathless Secrets (Rose Garden Apartments Book 3)

by Elizabeth Lennox

  Lilly was the third friend in their trio, and had married her former boss. Well, her current boss. Drako Gataki had been in love with Lilly, and she in love with him, since the moment that Lilly had interviewed for her job, more than six years ago. It had taken them five years to realize that they were madly in love. They’d married more than a year ago, and Lilly was still crazy in love. They lived about two miles from here, which enabled Lilly to come back and visit often enough.

  Thankfully, Maggie looked as if she were eager to be with her husband, and Lilly wouldn’t be here tonight either. Which meant that Molly could sneak into her apartment and get cleaned up without her friends being nosy. In fact, Molly wasn’t even sure why she was going out with this guy. She didn’t understand why he’d even come by the Center earlier today.

  A guy like James Morgan…he didn’t really fit with the crowds in this neighborhood. He looked like the kind of guy who would hang out with the other powerful men at the country club golf course or feel completely at home in one of those ritzy, wood paneled bars downtown that charged fifty dollars for a glass of thousand year old scotch.

  So, if that were true, what in the world was she doing running home to get all gussied up for a guy that didn’t make sense?

  Molly closed the door of her apartment and leaned back against it, closing her eyes. “What are you doing?” she whispered to herself.

  The empty apartment didn’t respond. She should call him and tell him she couldn’t make it tonight.

  So, why was she heading towards her shower instead? And, while the water warmed up, why did she dig into the back of her closet and pull out a pretty, yellow sundress? She shook it out, surveying it carefully. “Definitely needs an iron,” she muttered, tossing it onto her bed as she headed into the shower.

  An hour later, Molly paced the confines of her apartment, wringing her hands. “This is silly,” she told herself. She’d put on makeup and dried her hair, trying to smooth out the blond ends into something softer and more flattering than her normally chaotic mane that hadn’t seen a pair of scissors in…well, a long time. Unfortunately, this August humidity, which was reaching into the ninety percent range, meant the ends simply weren’t going to be smooth and sophisticated.

  “He doesn’t even know where I live!” she yelped, throwing her hands up with exasperation. “Good grief, I got all dressed up and he doesn’t know where I live, doesn’t know my phone number, and…”

  Her mutterings were halted when the doorbell rang. Molly spun around, eyeing the door as if it were the only barrier between herself and disaster. And in an odd way, that wasn’t far from the truth!

  Chapter 2

  It was James. She knew it was, but she didn’t move towards the door. “I’m not afraid of him!” she whispered, clenching her fists. And yet, her heart pounded against her ribs.

  The doorbell rang again and Molly knew that she’d have to answer it. She was being a coward and Molly absolutely hated cowardice in any form.

  So, she lifted her head, pulled her shoulders back, and took a slow, deep breath. She relaxed slightly, then stepped forward and opened the door.

  As soon as she took in James’ tall form, the air whooshed out of her lungs. Good grief, the man looked good in a pair of dark slacks!

  “You look nice,” James said from the other side of the doorway.

  Molly glanced down at herself, astonished to realize she’d already forgotten what she’d pulled on. “Right,” she whispered, noting the yellow sundress. She’d actually found the tan wedge espadrilles that she’d bought way back in college. She almost never wore heels, so these babies looked almost new!

  “Thank you,” she replied, smiling shyly.

  “Are you ready to go?” he asked.

  Molly wanted to tell him this was a mistake. That she wasn’t the right type for him. But that hatred of cowardice reared its ugly head and, instead, she nodded. “Let me grab my purse,” she’d told him. She opened the leather clutch, checking to make sure that she’d put her phone and wallet in. Normally, she simply stuffed her wallet into a pocket and her phone onto a clip on her waist. She rarely carried a purse, needing both of her hands free at her job.

  “Yes. I’m ready,” she told him, tucking the purse under her arm.

  He laughed softly, shaking his head. “Molly, we’re just grabbing dinner.”

  “I know,” she said, shifting nervously on her feet.

  “So, why do you look as if you’ve just been sentenced to years of hard labor?”

  The surprise on her features was momentary, and then she sighed, her shoulders drooping. “I just…I guess I don’t understand why a man like you would want to spend an evening with me.”

  His amusement left and he stepped forward. “You really don’t know?” he asked softly, his voice gentle and slightly awed.

  “No!” she replied, exasperation dripping from the word.

  In response, he tucked an errant lock of blond hair behind her ear. “Because you fascinate me, Molly,” he replied.

  “Fascinate, as in, I’m some sort of oddity that you need to figure out?”

  He grinned at her quip, but shook his head. “No, fascinate, as in I think you’re a stunningly beautiful woman with an interesting perspective on life.”

  “But…!” she stopped, huffing impatiently. “We don’t run in the same circles, James. We don’t have the same values.”

  “How do you know?”

  She barely refrained from rolling her eyes. “Because you’re a disgustingly wealthy man who has plenty of power.”

  He took her hand and tugged her gently out the door, pulling her apartment door closed behind them. “Perhaps you’re looking at this from the wrong angle,” he pointed out.

  “Oh?” she replied, a tinge of cynicism in her tone. “And what’s the perspective you are viewing this potential relationship from?” she demanded. “Because I’m not an easy lay.”

  He laughed again, shaking his head. “I just want to have dinner with you, Molly.”

  “No sex?”

  He shrugged. “You’re a beautiful woman,” he replied smoothly. “If sex happens, I’ll be thrilled. But tonight,” he said as he opened the back door to a beautiful, black Mercedes sedan, “I just want to have dinner. And I promised that you could choose the restaurant.”

  “And you’re not thinking about sex?”

  He leaned forward. “Molly, I’m a red-blooded male with a healthy and active libido. You’re a beautiful woman with a body I’d love to get to know better. So yes, I’m thinking about sex. I’d love to make love to you. And yes, I’m hoping that this will eventually head in that direction. And trust me, it is heading in that direction, if the sparks flying between us are any indication.” He moved closer but his movement wasn’t threatening. In fact, it was somehow comforting, as if he were protective of her. “But right now, tonight, I’d like to take you out to dinner and get to know you better. That’s it. I’ll even promise not to kiss you good night, if that will reassure you that my motives are pure.”

  “Fine!” she grumbled. “But don’t blame me if you’re bored to death!” she warned as she slipped into the soft leather seat. She watched, fascinated by the man and the way he moved as he walked around the front of the car to the driver’s seat. He moved with an elegant grace that she wouldn’t have thought was normal in a man of his size. Weren’t tall, muscle bound men supposed to be arrogant and irritating? And didn’t they slouch?

  James didn’t slouch! He was tall and completely aware of the world around him. She doubted he even knew how to slouch.

  Which was an absolutely ridiculous train of thought. She was attracted to the guy, partly because of his confidence. Why would she want him to slouch? It was such a horrible habit. In fact, she encouraged every kid who came through the center to stand up tall and proud! James was a perfect role model in that direction.

  James slipped into the driver’s seat and, as he pressed the button to start the engine, Molly couldn’t help noticing
his hands. Long fingers, tapered nails and just a sprinkle of dark hair on the back. She couldn’t seem to look away. As his hands moved to the steering wheel, backing out of the parking space, she watched his hands in fascination. Everything about him was smooth and confident. Did he ever have doubts?

  She didn’t think so. What would it be like to go through life with absolute confidence that the world would hand you what you wanted?

  “I can nearly hear the gears grinding in your head. Care to share?” he asked.

  Molly smiled ruefully as he exited off of Route Fifty, heading into the Alexandria, Virginia area. “I doubt it would make sense to you,” she admitted.

  He pulled into the parking lot of a restaurant and Molly blinked at the old building in surprise. “How in the world do you know about this place?” she asked, stunned as he parked.

  “What?” he laughed. “You think you’re the only person who’s heard of Billy’s?” he asked, as he stepped out of the car, coming around to her side of the Mercedes again. But by the time he reached the hood, Molly was already out of the car, glaring up at him.

  “Okay, tell me. How did you discover this place?”

  James laughed, putting a hand to the small of her back. “Billy is a great guy. He catered several events that I attended. I was so impressed by the food that I went to the kitchen to talk to the chef. Billy and I struck up a conversation and, well, now we’re friends.”

  She knew all about Billy’s great cooking. “Billy used to live in the neighborhood,” she said as they stepped into the small restaurant, which was already filled with patrons, with more standing in the small lobby, waiting for a table. “He still comes around occasionally to give cooking lessons when he has time.”

  James nodded to the hostess. She whispered into someone’s ear next to her, then disappeared through the double doors. A fraction of a second later, the woman poked her head back out and gestured to James.

  “Let’s go,” he said, putting that hand to the small of her back, guiding her through the crowd. Molly smiled politely as she passed and received glares in return.

  The hostess smiled politely and said, “Billy says to go to the back patio and he’ll bring you something special.” The hostess pointed down the short, narrow hallway. There weren’t many tables, but a bus boy was quickly clearing one.

  “Thanks,” James said to the hostess. The young woman smiled, blushed, and spun away when James smiled in return. Molly refrained from rolling her eyes, but only because she knew the feeling. James was pretty lethal.

  The waiter arrived immediately, a man in his twenties with a hippie vibe and three piercings in one ear. Molly wondered if he constantly tilted his head to the heavier side, but again, refrained from reacting. Was she getting better at this hiding-of-feelings thing? She glanced over at James, felt that startling zing of awareness when he looked back at her, then mentally scoffed. No. She definitely was NOT getting better at hiding her reactions.

  “The specials today are…” and the man listed several options that sounded intriguing, but they went right over of her head. It didn’t help that James was watching her intently. Shouldn’t he be looking at the waiter?

  “We’ll have a bottle of the merlot,” James told the waiter and named a vintage. Molly chose her wine by the cuteness of the label and title, not by the vintage and year.

  “I’ll get that right out to you,” the waiter promised, bowing as he hurried away.

  James waited until the waiter was out of earshot before speaking. “You didn’t absorb any of tonight’s specials, did you?”

  Molly leaned back in the surprisingly comfortable chair and sighed. “How did you know? What did I do to give myself away?”

  He chuckled, mirroring her pose. “I don’t know what it was that you did or didn’t do. Perhaps it was the confusion in your eyes. But I’m right, aren’t I?”

  She shrugged slightly. “Maybe.”

  “Want me to tell you the specials again?”

  Molly’s shoulders tightened. “No. I’ll order off of the menu.”

  “You mean, you don’t want the braised rabbit?” he teased.

  “Ugh! Was that one of the specials?” She shook her head, not waiting for his response. “No. I don’t want to eat Peter Rabbit. No way!”

  He laughed, which caused her body to tighten with a strange tingling. And that was doubly irritating! Before, he had only to look at her and she’d feel a zing of awareness. This…this was completely unacceptable!

  She picked up her glass of ice water gratefully, and took a long, steadying sip.

  “Fair enough,” he said, nodding to the menu in front of her. “How about if we figure out what we want to eat, then we’ll start the getting-to-know-each-other process?”

  Molly was in perfect agreement with at least the first half of that plan. Looking at the menu meant she didn’t have to look at him. Which, in turn, meant that she wouldn’t start drooling. His blue shirt made his eyes seem to glow somehow. And the color seemed to make his skin look even more tan.

  She glanced at the menu, relieved that the prices weren’t as bad as she’d feared and mentally counted the cash she’d brought with her. She decided on a pasta meal with chicken in a cream sauce with some sort of brandy something-something. It sounded tasty, plus she figured that the heavy meal would make her sleepy and, hopefully, less painfully aware of the man sitting across the table.

  The waiter arrived with the wine, poured for them both, and then took their orders.

  “Now, tell me about yourself,” James said, leaning forward so that his elbows rested on the table, those startlingly blue eyes boring into her soul.

  Tucking her hair behind her ears, she searched her thoughts for a starting place. “Well, I’m twenty-seven years old, went to George Mason University and got my undergraduate degree in psychology, followed by my master’s degree in social work. I love coming up with new ways to help the neighborhood and,” she shrugged, lifting her hands in the air. “That’s about it. I’m a pretty boring person.”

  He grinned and she noticed his straight, white teeth. Someone had been to a very good orthodontist at some point.

  “I’m pretty sure that you’re a more complicated person than that. What hobbies do you have?”

  She shook her head. “I don’t have time for hobbies. I generally work twelve hour days, sometimes longer.”

  “Okay, so what do you do when you take a vacation?”

  Molly blinked, trying to remember her last vacation. Tilting her head slightly, she realized she hadn’t taken a vacation in the past year. Or the year before! Her eyes widened as she thought further back. “I haven’t taken a vacation in…too long!” she gasped.

  “Don’t you go home for the holidays?”

  She shook her head. “Nope! Actually, my family comes here to help me serve the Thanksgiving and Christmas meals. They live in Virginia, so it isn’t much of a drive. And they’re a huge help with the cooking and serving.”

  “That sounds so nice. But you don’t take time off?”

  She sighed, feeling even more boring than ever. “Well…no. But I probably should.”

  “Yes, vacations help a mind reenergize. It gives a person perspective on what’s happening in their lives. Not to mention, it helps you relax.”

  “Where did you go on your last vacation?” she asked, thinking that she could shift the focus away from herself.

  “I went to Belize for a diving trip last year. It was pretty amazing.”

  Diving? That sounded fascinating! “What did you see?” she asked eagerly.

  While they conversed, the waiter arrived with their food and she ate more than she’d anticipated, listening to James talk about diving and snorkeling, the beaches in the Caribbean, and the other places he’d visited. By the time the Crème Brule arrived, Molly was laughing at his college antics.

  Driving home afterward, she leaned back into the soft leather of his Mercedes. Goodness, she could get used to this kind of luxury!

 
; He pulled into the parking lot of her building and she blinked, startled to find they had arrived. Instantly, her nerves started jangling.

  “Don’t,” he said, turning toward her slightly.

  “Don’t what?” she asked, pressing her lips together as she nervously contemplated kissing him goodnight.

  “Don’t get nervous,” he said, his voice soft and soothing.

  “I’m not…” she sighed, dropping her chin to her chest for a moment before looking up. “Okay, you’re right. I’m nervous. But,” she looked at him, dimly lit by the streetlights. “You’re pretty terrifying.”

  “I’m ordinary, really, I am,” he said, not touching her. “But I’m not going to kiss you tonight. I made you a promise and I always follow through.”

  She opened her mouth, but she wasn’t sure what to say. There were two emotions running through her mind at the moment, relief and disappointment.

  Before Molly had a chance to figure out which emotion would win, James was already walking around to her side of the Mercedes and opening the door.

  “Thank you,” she whispered. Was she thanking him for the “no kissing” promise, or for opening the passenger side door?

  Molly wasn’t sure as she walked beside him to her apartment. When she reached the door, she unlocked it and turned. This was getting really awkward.

  “What time should I pick you up tomorrow night?”

  Molly laughed, relaxing slightly. He stood several feet away from her, his hands in his pockets, almost as if he was struggling to keep himself from touching her. A small, feminine part of her really enjoyed the idea that James Morgan, lawyer and politician extraordinaire, was struggling around her.