Chapter 5

When Molly had stuff going on—heavy-on-the-brain stuff—there were a number of people she could turn to. Sean, Brody, Sarah, Emily…and her go-to girl for the stuff she didn’t need the entire group to know about within five seconds flat.

Janice.

“Molly, what are you doing here?” Jase asked, walking out of his office with a perplexed expression on his face. “Everything okay?”

She opened her mouth to answer when Janice took care of it for her. “She’s fine, everything’s fine, Jase. Just keep walking. They’re waiting for you up on twenty-three, and those updated reports are on the shared drive.” When he didn’t seem to move fast enough, she let out an exasperated breath. “Do you need something else, Jase?”

His brows shot high, his mouth dropping open. “You’re here for Janice?”

The guy had the weirdest thing about his assistant. Like no one was allowed to have her but him. Okay, it was the middle of the workday, and they were sitting five feet from his office, but for crying out loud, the guy needed to learn to share. “Girl talk,” Molly announced, expecting one of those hands-up, backing-away-slowly retreats.

Janice hissed out a breath, looking away as Jase’s face lit up. “Yeah? What’s going on?” he asked, a little too much excitement in his hushed tone as he hauled one of the reception chairs over next to Molly. “We could go in my office. I have some water and raisins in my drawer.”

“Very generous.” Molly knew what this was about and gave his hand a comforting pat. “It’s not dishy gossip, Jase.” Fine, it was, but she needed someone to talk to…not someone she was going to have to explain every subtle nuance to. And Janice knew things.

Janice had less patience and waved him away irritably. “And even if it was, we wouldn’t share it with you. Go to your meeting.”

He huffed and grudgingly got up. “Fine. See you around, Moll.”

He looked like he was about to say something to Janice too but then wisely thought better of it and left without another word.

Janice reached into her drawer and offered Molly a Hershey’s Miniature. “Okay, so let me get this straight. He caught you staring…like tongue-hanging-out, a-little-bit-of-drool-going-on staring…and thought you were just trying to scare him out of the apartment?”

Molly unfolded the foil wrapper and nodded.

“So by some miracle, he bought this, and now you’re planning on just going with it…coming on to him over and over…because you think it’s going to drive him away.” At Molly’s nod, Janice let out a lengthy sigh and picked up a framed picture of her year-old son, speaking to it. “I know. Crazy.”

“Come on. It’s not crazy,” Molly countered around a melty bite of heaven. “He thinks of me as a little sister, Janice. If you’d seen how uncomfortable he was, you’d know this is a solid plan.”

“Mmm-hmm. I’m just wondering how you think waving around all those feelings you’ve been ignoring in hopes they’d go away for the past dozen years is going to help you. I mean, the reason you wanted him out in the first place was because you were worried spending that kind of time with him might stir them up.”

Okay, so Janice was pretty wise about stuff like this. And Molly saw her point. Except… “That’s the beauty of it, Janice. This is the perfect opportunity to vent some steam. And it’s total BS that he thinks he gets to decide how things are with my apartment.”

Pursing her lips, Janice drew a slow breath. “Agreed. But that Gary guy had to go, and you weren’t doing anything about it.”

Molly slumped back in her chair. “I know.”

“So what’s next?” Janice folded her arms neatly on her desk. “You going to put on something slinky for when he walks in the door?”

Molly laughed. “Sean’s seen me in everything from my sexiest bra and panties—don’t ask—to a one-piece snowsuit, and the reaction has never varied. He doesn’t see me as sexy. No matter what.” At Janice’s skeptical look, she shrugged. “It is what it is. So I think I’m going to have to rely on words and possibly actions.”

One dark brow arched high. “Come again?”

Heat infused her cheeks. “I mean, it probably won’t come to that. But if the flirt alone isn’t enough to freak Sean out the door, then I may have to up my game…a little…maybe.”

“Molly.”

“Cripes, Janice, I’m not going to grab his junk,” Molly whispered indignantly. “But some handsy stuff with his arms. Or shoulders.” She thought of that moment when he’d whipped off his T-shirt that morning and swallowed. “His stomach.” Leaning forward so she was gripping the edge of the desk in front of her, sitting on the edge of her seat, she blurted out, “Janice, I know you don’t have a lot of love to spare for Sean, but if you’d seen his stomach when he leaned back into the counter—”

“Uh-uh-uh.” Janice cut her off with a wave of her hands and flipped the picture of her son so he was facing the desk. “I don’t want to hear about his washboard abs or happy trail or the magic V that makes smart women stupid on that guy.”

Molly closed her eyes with a sigh. “The magic V, Janice.”

Fingers snapped in front of her, and then Janice was waving her away. “Congratulations, Molly, I just threw up in my mouth.”

Gathering her bag, Molly leaned around the desk and tossed her candy wrapper. Looked like Janice had met her quota of sweetness for the day. “Okay, I’m going.”

“How’s the website stuff going? Did Dave ever call you?”

Molly grinned. “He did, and we just signed a contract Monday. Thanks for putting him in touch. I’ve got a lot of ideas for the site.”

“I bet you do. Loved what you did for Lorie with the salon. It was so original, clean, and simple. You’ve got a nice eye.”

Molly could feel the heat in her cheeks again, the praise—while she was right there!—making her squirm. “Thank you.”

Janice laughed and adjusted her keyboard, obviously ready to get back to work. “Have fun getting Sean out of your space, hon, but be careful. You’ve got a tender heart, and it makes me sad to think how much of it you’ve given to this man already, whether he knows it or not.”

Molly nodded and dropped a kiss on Janice’s cheek before heading out.

* * *

This was stupid.

Sean hesitated outside the apartment door, his key in the lock. Molly had the night off from Belfast, and it was after eight. He was pretty sure she didn’t do cleaning this late. So she might be home. Who was he kidding? The gauntlet had been thrown that morning. She was going to be there. Waiting.

Waiting for him to cry uncle and move out.

She was probably armed with an arsenal of innuendo and the kind of feigned advances that, if he were a better man, wouldn’t get to him at all.

Time to sac up, Wyse.

Letting himself into the apartment, he braced—for what, he didn’t even know.

“Evening, lover,” Molly purred from the couch, her laptop balanced on her long, outstretched legs, a spiral notebook open on the couch beside her. “Here to get your things…or am I getting lucky?”

“Molly,” he acknowledged with a tight smile, ignoring her question. “You have dinner yet?”

He normally would have had something sent up from the restaurant to his office, but his head had been full of this shit with Molly all day, and he’d barely been able to focus on work, let alone remembering to eat. So now he was ravenous.

“Uh…actually no. I was kind of caught up with this site and…no.” She set the laptop aside and swung her legs over the edge of the couch to stand.

Great, and she was wearing those cutoff jean shorts that showed exactly how toned and strong her thighs were. White tank top. Pink bra that matched her hair. Pink was his fucking favorite. She had to be wearing it today.

Padding back to the kitchen in her bare feet, she opened the cabinet and pulled out a box of mac and cheese. “I’ve only got one. Think that will be enough?”

He crossed to the kitchen and took the box out of her hand, leaning over her to put it back on the shelf. “You don’t have any butter, and I threw away whatever unholy thing your milk had become this morning.”

“Oh yeah?” she said quietly…too quietly, bringing Sean’s focus down to where he’d inadvertently pinned her between the counter and his body. Shit, she was blinking up at him with those big, blue eyes that were wide and soft and—Jesus, the way she was looking at him.

The lover talk and sexy outfit were nothing compared to that look.

He stepped back a couple paces, pissed with himself for giving her another opening to screw with him, and pissed with her for taking a crowbar to the easy physical comfort that had been a part of their relationship for as long as he could remember. He didn’t want to watch his step with Molly or have to think about where his hands were or anything else with her. It hadn’t ever been like that between them. He didn’t want it to start now.

“Grab a sweatshirt or something. I’m taking you out for dinner,” he snapped more harshly than he should have.

Putting as much distance as he could between them, he walked to his room and shrugged out of his jacket before tossing it on his bed. Jerking his tie loose, he looked through the open door to find Molly in the middle of the apartment, one blond brow, a few shades darker than her hair, arched. “You really want to go out?” she said, pulling her lip through her teeth in a scary way that made him want to reach for some lip balm for her. “Pretty sure we could find something here.”

She was working some kind of swivel thing with her hips while she stood, her arms going to her stomach and then behind her, as if she wasn’t sure where to put them. A wave of relief washed over him as he realized that look from the counter had been an anomaly. Something Molly had stumbled on by accident. Hell, it was probably a trick of the light. Whatever, the important thing was that she wasn’t going to nail it every time.

More comfortable, he grinned at her. “You ready to risk the quarter box of chicken-flavored crackers that have been open in your cabinet for the last two years? ’Cause I’m not. How about Italian?”

Tossing his tie on top of his jacket, he rolled his sleeves and then grabbed his keys. “Let’s go.”

After a beat, the pretense fell away, and Molly shrugged. “Fine.” She followed him to the door and stopped, her nose scrunching up as she pulled a bit of stretchy fabric from her tank top away from her belly. “This okay for where we’re going?”

His jaw firmed, and he gave her a curt nod before looking away. Because yeah, score one for Molly. She’d gotten to him again. “You’re fine.”

* * *

Dinner was fantastic. Not surprising, considering Sean picked the place. Any cuisine, price range, or vibe, he always knew the best places around the city and the little hole in the wall with rustic decor, low lighting, and Puccini playing in the background was no exception. Molly had a heaping plate of the best lasagna this side of the Atlantic, and Sean had gotten the cioppino—because he hadn’t tried theirs before—and based on the low, guttural moan after the first bite, followed by one of those deep meaningful looks over the top of his spoon, she was pretty sure he liked it.

“One of these days, I’m going to get you to try a scallop,” he stated, folding his napkin next to his plate. Sean had relaxed about halfway to the restaurant when she’d caught him eyeing her suspiciously and told him to knock it off. She had rules. A strategy. Any time they were out of her apartment—which was her end goal, after all—Sean didn’t need to worry about the flirt. He was safe.

From that moment on, they’d just been them. Easy and relaxed. Sean giving her crap about her psychological allergy to all things fishy and generally just catching up on each other’s days. Which, she had to admit, she kind of needed.

Crossing her arms over her too-full belly, she eyed the last piece of crusty bread in the basket and wondered just how bad it would be if she finished it.

“Jesus, Moll. I’m going to be sick if you eat anything more.” Then claiming it was for her own good, Sean flagged a passing waitress. “Any chance we could get the check and the rest of this bread and another loaf wrapped up to go?”

A flutter kicked up in Molly’s heart, because that was the kind of sweet Sean was all about. “Thank you,” she murmured, checking her phone to keep him from seeing anything in her eyes he shouldn’t. She was having trouble regulating what she was putting out there, only hitting her mark about half the time, and she couldn’t for the life of her figure out why.

Sean had looked ready to bolt when they’d been in the kitchen, and that had been an accident. He’d been so close, stretching up over her so his chest was right there and she could smell his cologne. It affected her, and he’d noticed. And freaked. But then when she’d tossed out that line about finding something to eat at home, offering up what she’d thought was a pretty good go at sexy? Nada.

Maybe she’d been too subtle, and he just hadn’t noticed.

Outside the restaurant, Sean slung his arm around Molly’s shoulders as they started down the sidewalk.

She smiled, that contented feeling filling her chest. Because this was the good stuff.

“You working Belfast this weekend?”

“Yeah, but I’ve got days, so I’ll be out by seven.” She pulled up her phone and scrolled through her texts until she found what she was looking for. “Suzanna’s having that party Friday night, and Gib’s band is playing Saturday. What are you thinking?”

Sean wagged his head back and forth in indecision. “I like hearing Gib, but the last two times we saw him, it got awkward after the show.”

Letting out a short laugh, Molly shook her head. “You slept with his sister, Sean. What did you think…that she’d stop going to his shows?”

Sean was about to launch into some defense when she heard her name, and she drew up short, a sinking feeling settling in her belly. It might only have been a few days, but she’d gotten used to not having to brace for the interactions with Gary.

“Shit,” Sean muttered from beside her.

Yeah, that was right.

“Be nice,” she hissed as Gary jogged a few steps to greet her.

“Hey, Molly, long time,” Gary joked. He had one of those creepy smiles that was probably totally genuine but still managed to make everyone a little uncomfortable.

“Yeah, sorry about the way everything worked out, Gary. I didn’t…” She cut off uneasily. If she said kicking him out wasn’t something she supported, there was a good chance he’d be back. And man, she didn’t want him back. Still, she had to ask, “How’s it going?”

“Good,” he said, leaning into his answer with an eager nod. “I’m moving into my new place on Monday. The job is going great too.”

Molly’s heart lifted, and she relaxed a little. “Really? That’s fantastic, Gary. See, it’s all turning around.”

Gary shook his head, a woe-is-me look threatening as he sighed. Oh no.

“Mostly. It’s just now there’s this—”

Sean’s sharp whistle cut through the air just as her old roommate was about to launch into some story that would leave Molly feeling battered and bruised.

Sean was already firming his hold around her shoulders and propelling them toward the curb where a cab had pulled up. “Glad to hear it’s all working out for you, Gary. A positive attitude can make all the difference.”

The ride was quick, and Molly was still thinking about Gary when they climbed out of the cab at her building. She turned to Sean with a sigh. “Okay, I admit it. I’m grateful you handled the situation. Really grateful, especially with all the stuff you did to make sure he had a soft place to land and the means to go forward and…that was big, Sean. Thank you.”

She was met with that half-cocked grin she’d fallen so hard for that first year.

“So you’re okay with me staying now?” he asked, all confidence. All Sean.

Patting the center of his chest, she gave him a pitying look. “No. You still need to move out.”

She only made it halfway up the stairs before he was cutting in front of her, that same smacked look on his face. “Whoa, Molly. What gives?”

She wouldn’t expect him to totally get it. Using the back of her hand to nudge him aside, she started up again. “You didn’t respect my boundaries, moving in the way you did. I’m firm on this, Sean.”

At her door, she let herself into the apartment and then, before Sean could follow her in, turned in the doorway so he had to stop on the other side or mow her over. Arms outstretched so she was holding the frame with each hand, she gave him a level look.

“Your parents’ place is open. You sure you want to cross this line again?” She hoped the answer was no, because she didn’t know what her next move was going to be…but whatever it was, it was going to have to be good.

Those big shoulders sagged with his head. “Are we really going there again, Moll? Even after I bought you dinner and saved you with a quick escape from Gary?”

She checked her nails. Short and chipped to the point where there was more naked nail showing than deep-maroon polish. And she had a hangnail. “Up to you, Wyse. Are we?”

He sighed, and for a fraction of a breath, she thought he might relent and realized she was going to be a little disappointed to see him go. But then, his hands were on her hips, and she wasn’t in the doorway anymore, having been bodily shifted out of the way. Sean scowled at her and walked into the apartment. Stalking into his room, he didn’t bother to turn around as he muttered, “Fine, Moll. Whatever you’ve got. Bring it.”