It was one of the most exciting moments of her life!
“Say it!” he snapped when he realized his hands distracted her.
Molly gasped when she felt his finger slide into her heat. She opened her mouth to say the words that he needed to hear, but the way he teased her with his thumb on that nub was too much. She couldn’t seem to say anything, much less what he wanted to hear.
“Damn it, Molly, I love you so much!” he growled a moment before he slid into her, filling her up then holding very still.
Molly stared up at him, her eyes pleading with him as she wiggled against him. “James?” she cried, almost sobbing when his strong hands held her hips still.
“Marry me, Molly,” he commanded.
Ah, this seemed vaguely familiar! Molly shook her head, her body on fire for him. “Can we talk about that later?” she pleaded, tilting back slightly more and tightening her legs around his waist, desperate to find that release that her body craved so desperately. “Stop teasing me, James.”
He shook his head, but Molly wasn’t sure if the gesture was to deny her or because he needed to clear his head.
“Answer me. Give me what I want and I’ll give you what you want,” he promised.
Molly bit her lip, refusing to give in. “You tried that before, James! That’s blackmail!”
He laughed, throwing his head back for a moment, then he kissed her, his fingers moving in time with his tongue, driving her wild because he knew how to touch her, how to make her body sing with need. And right now, he was pulling out all the stops!
When he lifted his mouth this time, both of them could barely catch their breath. “Actually, love, its extortion. Not blackmail. If you really want to, I could introduce you to a judge that will hear the case.” He grinned, then nipped at her earlobe as he flicked that throbbing nub again. “I’ll even file the lawsuit for you. I’m an excellent lawyer you know!”
“Yes!”
“Yes what?”
She whimpered, pressing against his hand in a last ditch effort to avoid answering his question while still hoping for that glorious release. When he took his hands away, she gritted her teeth. In the end, she knew she’d give him what he wanted. Since it was exactly what she wanted as well, what was the point in holding back?
“Fine! Yes, I’ll marry you!” she yelled, her words echoing around the garage. Molly hoped that no one else heard her. It would be difficult to explain what was going on.
“That’s my love!” he sighed, pulling his hands away. “And you’re not getting out of it this time!”
“You said…!”
“Shhh…” James soothed as he pressed himself into her body.
Molly’s mouth fell open as her head fell backwards. She was perched precariously on the hood of his sedan, his body holding her in place. She was literally at his mercy, dependent on him to keep her from falling. And she loved it! Molly loved it when he started thrusting. She loved it when he moved faster, one of his hands holding her dress out of the way so that he could play with her breast, pinching her nipple as he thrust faster, harder! And she loved it even more when, a moment later, he muttered, “This isn’t right,” and he paused, to pull a ring out of his pocket. He slid it down onto her ring finger. “There,” and he began to thrust faster and harder, pressing into her heat until she was screaming out his name, her body trembling as she tumbled over to a climax that was so joyous, so incredibly beautiful, she could barely breathe.
She felt him climax a moment later, his arms tightening around her as he buried his face against her breasts.
For long moments, they remained like that, breathing heavily as they held onto each other.
Slowly, James pulled back, looking down at her with a strange look in his eyes. “I didn’t mean to propose like that again,” he admitted. “But you aren’t allowed to take it back this time. We’re not avoiding the subject anymore, Molly.”
She giggled, feeling light headed. “Isn’t there something in the law about duress?”
In response, he kissed her again. When he lifted his mouth this time, he grinned as he said, “Prove it.” Molly cringed when he pulled out of her, feeling a bit bereft. She scooted carefully down until her feet touched the ground, then pulled her dress back into place and looked around for her underwear.
“You tore my underwear!” she gasped, picking up the scrap of lace that she’d bought specifically for him. “I can’t believe you did that,” she yelped accusingly. The effect was ruined though because she was laughing.
“I didn’t hear you complain when it happened,” he countered, taking her hand and leading her into the elevator.
“Yeah, well, you didn’t give me a chance.”
James turned around and pinned her against the wall, his hands immediately moving to the back of her dress so he could slide the dress zipper back down. “I don’t intend to give you a chance to complain now either.”
Molly grinned, but her smile disappeared when she saw the diamond on her finger sparkling in the overhead lights. “James, we need to talk about this engagement thing.”
“What’s there to talk about? You love me. I love you. We’re getting married. You agreed.” He kissed her neck as he said, “Twice, in fact.”
She laughed, thinking, not for the first time, that he was incredibly charming, even when he was bulldozing her into a rash decision. “Yes, but you’re not thinking clearly about this.” The elevator doors opened up and they stepped out into his penthouse.
Still, he kept her close. “What’s unreasonable about marrying the woman who makes me happy?”
She pushed against his shoulders until she could look into his eyes. “I’m not a political wife.”
“I don’t want a political wife, Molly. I want you. And I think that I would make a wonderful husband to a woman who wants to save the world.”
She grinned, loving the way he wanted to support her. “Yes, well, that’s all well and good. But your mother explained quite plainly that I am not an appropriate wife for you.”
He immediately pulled back, horror passing over his face. “My mother?” he demanded. “When did you meet my mother?”
Molly blinked, feeling chilly now that his arms were no longer around her. “She came to visit me several weeks ago. She said that she’d seen a picture of the two of us in the news. She’s such an elegant woman, James. She must know what she’s talking about.”
James stepped back further, running a hand through his hair. “Let me get this straight. My mother came to visit you?’
“Yes.”
His hands fisted on his hips as he frowned at her. “And she told you that you weren’t an appropriate wife for me?”
“Yes.” Molly inched past him, needing a little more space for this discussion. She reached behind her and pulled the zipper on her dress back up. She was slightly uncomfortable about the lack of panties, but there wasn’t anything she could do about that just now.
James followed her. “Because you weren’t political enough?” he demanded, his rage increasing with every word.
Molly turned to face him again, folding her arms protectively over her stomach. “Yes, but she’s right.”
He paced in front of her, shaking his head. “So all these weeks, every time I’ve tried to bring up a future with you, to explain that I love you, and that I want to spend the rest of my life with you…and you’ve shut me down…that was all because of my mother?”
“Yes.” She sighed, rubbing her forehead. “But you make it sound much less…savory.” It had been a long day after a long week.
“There’s nothing savory about my mother, who I haven’t seen in several years, I might add, coming to tell my girlfriend that she’s an inappropriate choice for my future wife!” he snapped. “And why didn’t you tell me about this?” he demanded.
Molly was starting to feel a bit defensive. “Well, I didn’t mention it at the time, because you were in Roanoke. Or maybe in Richmond? I can’t remember exactly. But the visit was sho
rt. She was with me for perhaps ten minutes and then was gone.”
He glared at her, his temper rising. “It must have been a pretty powerful ten minutes! I can’t believe this! She’s why you’ve insisted on keeping our relationship quiet for so long? I thought you were doing it because you didn’t want the kids at the center to know that you were with me. But now…!”
“No, I kept our relationship a secret because I didn’t want to be the woman that the world pities when you move on to someone else!” Molly snapped, tiring of his rage.
“And you assumed that I’d move on because my mother deemed it to be so?”
“Well, no,” she replied, confused now. “I mean, yes! But no.” She stopped and closed her eyes. “My point is, that you’re a very handsome, charming, and intelligent man who is going to be very politically powerful,” she said, trying to calm her temper.
“And?” he prompted her when she paused.
“And…!” she replied, a bite to her tone now, “I don’t want to be the Kate Middleton in your life, James!”
He stared at her, shaking his head after a moment. “What the hell does that mean?”
“It means that Kate Middleton was the woman everyone thought that Prince William would marry. But then he dumped her and the reporters followed her around, pitying her. They had pictures of her walking down the street, looking sad and desolate after William dumped her.” She crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at him. “They eventually married, but it was a nightmare for her during that year!”
He blinked and shook his head. “And you thought that I would dump you?”
All of Molly’s fight drained out of her. “Yes. What your mother said…well, she’s right. You need a wife who can network. Who can organize dinner parties and luncheons, and do all the things that I can’t do. I don’t have time to do those things, James.”
James stared at her, really seeing the anxiety in her eyes now. In an instant, his anger vanished and his voice softened. He got it. He finally understood.
“Molly, I don’t want a wife who can do all of those things. I have an excellent assistant who organizes my social events for me. I call her up and tell her what I need. If she feels that I’ve been out of the public eye for too long, she calls me up and tells me she’s organizing something. She organizes breakfast, lunch, and dinner meetings with all of the right people. She ensures that I’m invited to all the right parties and events. She’s amazing…” he sighed and moved closer to her. “And she’s not the woman I want to marry, Molly.” He reached for her.
“You have a social manager?” Molly chirped, a spark of jealousy coming to life. Okay, not a spark. It was a flame. Well, an inferno. “What is her name?” Molly demanded.
James chuckled. “Her name is Deni. She’s in her late forties and is extremely efficient.” When Molly’s eyes narrowed suspiciously, he continued. “She’s also madly in love with a woman named Bella. Maybe Arabella, I’m not sure. I’ve never met her. But Deni is great. And I don’t want a wife who organizes my life, Molly. I want a wife who does her own thing. Who has something to talk about when we meet at the end of the day.” He kissed her forehead. “I want someone who smiles at me when I walk through the door.” He kissed her cheek. “Who hungers for my touch.” He kissed her lips, lingering there for a long moment. “I want you.”
Mollified, Molly smiled up at him, her lips tingling, wanting a deeper kiss. “Well, when you put it that way,” she teased.
“Good!” he groaned, pulling her into his arms. “Then it’s settled,” he stated firmly. “And next time my mother comes to visit, please let me know immediately. There’s no reason why you should even try to cope with her on your own.”
Molly tilted her head back, needing to see his eyes. “What will you do?”
“Probably tell her to get the hell away from you. And me.” He shook his head in disgust. “My mother and I don’t get along very well. She’s a rabid social climber. The only reason she even acknowledges me is because I make more money than her current husband.”
Molly’s nose scrunched up with revulsion. “Ick. That sounds very…mercenary.”
“You can’t even imagine!” he groaned. “Now, about that kiss…”
Molly laughed, throwing her arms around his neck. “What about it?”
He laughed, then bent down and lifted her into his arms. “Don’t even go there, woman!”
Chapter 16
The following morning, a sick feeling filled her stomach as Molly read the article. Someone with the email address of “WatchingYou368” had sent a link to her this morning. James was still asleep and Molly had come downstairs to make coffee and sift through the day’s news. But she’d checked her e-mail on her phone first.
“What is going on?!” she whispered, her hand shaking so hard that she dumped coffee grounds all over the counter top.
She skimmed the article and that horrible feeling in her stomach intensified. All of the beauty of last night, making love in James’ arms and feeling the intense warmth of his love, completely dissipated as she realized what this article meant!
“Dear god!” she whispered, her eyes skimming over the words. Closing her eyes, she tried to calm her breathing, tried to stop the panic from choking her. But it was pointless. The words, the insinuations! They dammed without coming right out and saying the accusations!
When she opened her eyes and looked around, Molly didn’t see the horrible décor of James’ penthouse. She didn’t see the sun shining in through the beautiful windows. All she saw was James’ laughing features from last night.
There was just one thing to do, she thought. Molly hurried into the kitchen and put the beautiful diamond ring in the sunshine right in the middle of his kitchen table. It was the only place she was sure that he would see it when he came downstairs.
Quickly, she dialed a number, but couldn’t hold still to wait for the taxi. Instead, she grabbed her clothes, pulling them on with shaking fingers as she stepped into the elevator. James was still asleep, please let him stay asleep, she prayed as she made her way down to the lobby. The cab turned the corner onto his street and Molly had to wipe the tears from her cheeks in order to see.
“Thank you,” she said as she stepped into the backseat of the taxi. “I need to go to fifty-one twelve Roshand Avenue.” Once she’d given the driver her address, Molly leaned back against the vinyl seat and stared blankly out the window, not really seeing anything. Her mind was a blur of pain and anger, the vicious, hateful words of the article stabbing at her heart.
But what could she do about those lies? She hadn’t stolen anything! She hadn’t taken money from anyone! Good grief, she hadn’t even had a salary increase in years! She still earned the same, paltry amount that she’d been offered the first year she’d started working at the Center!
“Not true!” Molly muttered, her hands fisting in her lap.
“Are you okay, ma’am?” the driver asked as he pulled into the parking lot of the Rose Gardens Apartments.
Molly blinked as she turned to look at the man. “I’m sorry?”
The man tried to smile, a mixture of awkwardness and concern. “Are you okay? You look as if you’re about to shatter into a million pieces.”
Molly stared at the man, afraid that if she spoke, then his premonition might actually come true. It was ridiculous, though. Molly knew that she wouldn’t shatter. So, she forced her lips into a polite smile. “I’m fine. And thank you,” she said, then swiped her credit card through the payment machine, adding a large tip. “Have a great day,” she told him when she stepped out of the vehicle.
Molly bowed her head as she hurried down the sidewalk, not wanting to speak with anyone. Unfortunately, luck wasn’t on her side. Jimmy was coming out of his apartment as she passed by.
“Molly,” he called, his voice stronger now than it had been in years. The man looked good too. Caring for Lilly’s baby, Marcus, was healing him faster than anything else he’d tried.
That didn’t mean t
hat she wanted Jimmy to see her pain. No, this was a personal hell that she’d have to deal with by herself.
“Good morning, Jimmy,” Molly replied, trying to appear normal. Jimmy might have gone through hell in an alcohol-induced haze for several years. But he was getting better. He went to AA meetings almost every day and had started exercising, becoming addicted to the endorphin rush as a replacement for the alcohol addiction. He still struggled, but there was a determined look on his face now. And those sharp eyes of his were seeing things that Molly would rather he not witness.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, his voice soft with concern.
Molly blinked back the tears. His kind voice and those sharp, but gentle, eyes could see straight through her. “I’m fine,” she lied. “Just tired.”
“Molly,” he said again as she tried to walk by. He didn’t touch her, he didn’t say anything other than her name. But that one word stopped her. For a long moment, she just stood there on the sidewalk, trembling with pain. That article! The accusations…! They could destroy her center as well as James’ campaign!
Unfortunately, Molly couldn’t stop the rush of emotion. Jimmy was such a good man. So kind hearted and tender for such a rough man. A tear slipped down her cheek. She wiped it away impatiently, but Jimmy was already there, pulling her into a big hug.
“Tell me,” he ordered, his voice gruff.
Yes, this man felt too much, she thought. For a moment, she allowed herself to feel his support and his gentle concern as he held her closely. But after a moment, she pulled back, smiling awkwardly up at him. “It’s nothing you can fix,” she sighed. “But thank you, Jimmy.”
With that, she hurried along the sidewalk to her apartment. She knew Jimmy lingered and watched her go, but she kept her eyes on the goal. Once she was inside and away from Jimmy’s too-knowing eyes, she let the tears fall. Wiping them away, she pulled out her phone and read the article again, searching for clues. She didn’t recognize the news outlet that had published the article, but the words, the innuendoes were vicious. And effective!
“I don’t have a secret account!” she muttered, pacing back and forth. “I’m not even sure how to go about opening one!” She stomped into her bedroom and stripped off her clothes. In the bathroom, she flipped the water on, then continued to pace as she waited for the water to heat up, too wound up to hold still.
Breathless Secrets (Rose Garden Apartments Book 3) Page 15