Breathless Secrets by Elizabeth Lennox
Chapter 9
“What’s wrong?” Lilly demanded as soon as Molly stepped out of the wood-paneled elevator.
Molly jumped since Lilly was lying in wait in front of the elevator doors on the executive floor. “Were you waiting for me?”
“Yep,” Lilly grabbed Molly’s elbow and guided her down the hallway.
“Where is your son?” Molly asked, referring to Lilly’s son, Marcus.
“He’s at home with Jimmy, being spoiled rotten.”
Molly grinned, thinking of the ex-Navy SEAL. Jimmy had come out of the Navy and hit rock bottom. He’d become addicted to drugs and alcohol in an effort to ease the nightmares caused by the memories burned into his brain. Nothing had helped until Lilly, Molly, and Maggie had stepped in, helping him get back on his feet. Now, Jimmy was one of the best nannies in the area. He protected that household better than anyone else could hope to, using his SEAL training to protect his tiny charge.
Once they were safely in her husband’s huge office, Lilly closed the door, then turned and frowned at Molly. “Okay, we’re alone. So, spill it.”
Molly dropped her backpack and crossed her arms protectively over her chest, walking towards the floor to ceiling windows. “Your mother…” she started off, but the lump in her throat stopped her. She cleared her throat and tried again. “Your mother has been a political wife for decades now.” Molly turned and looked at her friend. “Could you tell me what her life is like?”
Lilly scoffed, perching on the arm of a nearby sofa. “She lives for my father’s career,” she replied. “My mother is kind of crazy, especially now that my father’s career is in shambles.” She eyed her friend carefully. “This new guy running against my father, James Morgan,” she continued, “he’s one of the first candidates to seriously challenge my father in more than thirty years.” Lilly looked at Molly. “My mother is working her networks furiously to try to find dirt on him, even calling me to demand that I help out.”
That lump in her throat grew larger and she stared at Lilly with huge, limpid eyes. “Are you going to?” Molly asked, feeling pulled in two directions. “I mean, I know that you’re very loyal. Are you…?”
“I’m not voting for my father,” Lilly stated clearly and firmly. She grinned. “To tell you the truth, I’ve never voted for my father. I don’t believe in him. I know what happens behind the scenes and I don’t agree with my father’s politics.”
That was startling news. “And your mother? Does she know that you’ve never voted for your dad?”
Lilly laughed harshly. “My mother would never consider that I could rebel in such a way. I’ve never stood up on stage with my father for his campaign events, and yet, my mother is still pressuring me to do so, even now.”
Molly’s lips pressed tightly together as she contemplated her next question. When she lifted her eyes to her friend, Molly wasn’t aware of the pain in her gaze. “Would you?”
“No!” Lilly replied vehemently. “I’m voting for James Morgan. I agree with his campaign points more than anything else I’ve heard in a long time. I like most his other ideas as well.” She paused, then tilted her head as she asked, “Why are you asking?”
Molly sighed, her head bowing slightly. “I’m in love with him.”
Lilly was quiet for a long moment, then asked, “Love as in, some sort of weird, fan-like adoration? Or love as in, you’ve been seeing him for a while now, and somehow failed to mention this to me and Maggie because…?”
Molly cringed. She should have told her friends as soon as things became serious. “Because I didn’t think it would go anywhere,” Molly admitted. “I thought it would be just a dinner or two.” She bowed her head, ashamed that she hadn’t even spoken much to her friends over the past two weeks. “I thought he’d get bored with someone like me, and move on with his campaign.”
“But that’s not what happened, is it?”
Molly laughed bitterly, shaking her head as she looked out the windows of Drako’s beautiful office. “No. We’ve…well, whenever he is in town, we see each other.”
Lilly’s perceptive gaze watched Molly carefully. “And you love him.”
Molly sighed. “Yes. Although, I don’t know how he feels about me.”
Lilly nodded silently.
Molly looked at Lilly, her eyes pleading for her friend to understand. “But you say that your mother–”
“I doubt my mother loves my father,” Lilly teased.
Molly laughed, despite the horrible sinking feeling. “Right. Okay but…”
Lilly stood up and walked over sit next to Molly on the sofa. “My mother considers my father’s political aspirations to be her career. She does everything for him socially. My father works his connections inside the Senate. My mother works her connections outside.” She paused. “But that’s not the way all political marriages are, Molly. There are other marriages that are sincere love matches. And they work well.”
Molly blinked back the tears. “But not as well, right?”
Lilly shrugged dismissively. “I don’t know about every politician’s love life. I’m not privy to their bedroom conversations,” she laughed, “as much as I’d love to be. So, I don’t know how many political marriages are sincere.”
Molly shuddered. “That sounds horrible.”
“I agree. That’s one of the reasons I fought so hard against marrying someone of my mother’s choosing. She wanted a legacy. She even tried to blackmail me into marrying some jerk who was running for a House seat.”
Molly loved her friend and knew the story. “But Drako stepped in and stopped her, didn’t he?”
Lilly beamed and the love she felt for her husband glowed in her eyes. “Yes. Drako was more powerful than both of my parents combined. They were no match for him, and I love him even more for fighting for me.”
Molly sniffled, nodding her head. “I understand.” She leaned over and hugged her friend tightly. “Thank you!” she whispered, then pulled away and grabbed her backpack. “I have to go.”
Lilly called out to her. “Don’t do it, Molly!”
“I might have to,” Molly replied back, tugging the handle of the door open. “You loved Drako enough to give him up to protect him. I love James that much too.”
Before she could dissolve into a puddle of misery and tears, she hurried out of the office. The elevator swooped her down to the lobby and she rushed out, back into the sunshine.
Her phone beeped and she checked the message. It was James. He was back in town, asking if she’d have dinner with him tonight.
Molly closed her eyes, stuffing the phone back into her pack as she tried to figure out what to do. Probably the right thing to do was to break things off with James and allow him to find a woman who could give up her career to help him with his own.
But Molly absolutely loved her Center. She had so many plans, things she wanted to accomplish! The medical clinic was just getting up and running now. The summer camps were winding down, but the afterschool programs would be starting over the next few weeks. The kids needed tutoring. In fact, even as she thought about it, she wondered if she could get the kids into math and reading groups, to energize their skills before they headed back into the classroom. Kids tended to lose a lot of knowledge over the summer months. The younger kids would also need their vaccinations before the start of the school. She’d need to coordinate with the schools to get that done. The garden in the field behind the center needed a few more harvests, the apple trees were finally starting to ripen, the AA meetings were still going strong, but…there was so much more that could be done!
She rushed over to her car and backed out of the parking spot, pulling into traffic while debating what to do.
When she arrived at the community center, she shut off the engine and just sat in her car, ignoring the heat as the late August sunshine poured in through the windows.
Something was wrong. James had only been gone for four days, but as he watched Molly sit in her car, he knew that she was upset about something. Besides, she hadn’t responded to the text messages he’d sent over the past couple of hours. Usually, Molly responded almost immediately, even if it was just to say that she was busy and would respond soon.
He was determined to find out what was wrong.
Unwilling to wait until she came inside, he pushed out through the glass doors and walked towards her. It was very obvious that something, or someone, had upset her. The look in her eyes, the way she stared blindly out the windshield, told him that she was deeply wounded.
He was five feet away from her when her eyes snapped into focus, widening when she spotted him.
James didn’t give her a chance to run away. He pulled open her car door and lifted her right into his arms.
“Damn, I missed you, woman!” he groaned before he kissed her deeply. There was a brief moment when she didn’t respond, but as soon as his lips brushed against hers, he felt her melt into his arms. This was a vastly different experience than the other times they’d met after a long separation. But the only thing that mattered was that she was kissing him back. His mind blanked for several blissful moments as he kissed her deeply, his body reacting to the way her soft curves fit against his.
“Come with me,” he growled, not bothering to wait for an answer. He simply took her hand and led her to his own car. He put her into the passenger seat, then rushed around to the driver’s side, slipping inside.
“James, we need to…” he didn’t want to hear it, so he kissed her again. James didn’t stop until she returned his kiss with the same desire that was inside of him. Only then, did he pull back and put the car in gear.
“I know that you have something to tell me, but hold off until we’re alone, okay?” he offered, not bothering to wait. He turned the steering wheel and pulled out of the parking lot, zipping down the two blocks to her apartment complex.
“Let’s go,” he snapped, shutting off the engine and coming around to her side.
“James, I really…!”
He put a finger on her mouth, stopping her words. “I know, love. Just…wait until we’re alone, okay?” he asked, nodding towards the kids at the corner who were watching them with interest. “Just wait.”
Molly nodded, then waved to the boys, all of whom she knew by name. She stayed in step with him, casually holding his hand as they made their way along the sidewalk towards the interior courtyard. This time, she didn’t see the beautiful landscaping that Maggie tended so carefully. She ignored the yellow roses that were in full bloom now. Instead, she hurried down the walkway towards her apartment, already pulling the key out of her pocket to unlock the door.
When they were safely inside, she turned and took a breath, intending to speak with James, let him know that…!
Nothing. He was kissing her and nothing was in her head. He lifted her up and Molly immediately wrapped her legs around his waist as he pressed her back against the door. “James!” she groaned, kissing him back with all of the love she felt in her heart.
“Did you miss me?” he demanded, grinding his hips against her own as he stripped off her tee shirt.
“Yes!” she gasped, as his hands slid down over her jeans-clad bottom. A moment later, he let her feet drop to the floor, but only so that he could strip her jeans off. While he was down there, he yanked her sneakers off, tossing them behind him. Her jeans and panties vanished, then his mouth was there!
“James!” she screamed, her head thudding against the door as he lifted one of her legs, draping it over his shoulder as his mouth teased her body right to the edge of a climactic precipice!
“Tell me that you missed me,” he commanded, pulling away a split second before Molly was about to collapse into that blissful climax.
“James, I’m going to…”
“Tell me that you love me,” he interrupted. He stood up and kissed her and Molly could taste herself on his lips, which drove her wild. All she cared about was that hand moving against her body, closer and closer. Her body was so primed, so ready for release that she could barely stand it.
“James, I…!”
“Tell me that you love me, Molly.” He nibbled the side of her neck. “Because I love you. More than I ever thought possible.”
That devious finger inched closer. She bit her lip, trying to hold back on saying the words, even while his fingers came nearer. Just one touch, she thought. One touch of his fingers against that nub and she’d be fine! She’d splinter apart and all of this would be over!
“Tell me,” he whispered in her ear, then he did that thing with his fingers, circling around that sensitive nub. He knew her body too well now. She whimpered as he teased her, but he didn’t come close to touching that spot.
“I love you!” she cried out, tears rolling down her cheeks. “I love you and I missed you so damned much!” she finally admitted.
“That’s my woman!” he replied, triumph ringing through his tone. But did he give her what she really needed? Nope! He lifted her into his arms and Molly realized that, while she was naked, he was still completely clothed. Molly didn’t have a chance to worry about it though because he placed her in the middle of her bed, then started stripping off his clothing.
She watched, trembling with need and hope and the breathtaking anticipation of a climax just a touch away. Every piece of clothing that he tossed to the side built her desire higher, until she was shaking with it.
“Now, we’re going to finish this,” he declared, grabbing a condom and rolling it down his shaft. She wanted to do that herself, but knew that he wanted to be in control. Spreading her legs, she waited for him, tempting him by caressing her inner thighs. His eyes shot up from his efforts to roll the condom over himself to stare at her luscious pink folds. As she spread her legs wider, Molly’s hands moved over her stomach. He licked his lips as he watched her hands, his eyes never leaving her fingers as she moved lower and lower across her stomach.
“No!” he growled, pushing her hands away. Molly laughed, feeling powerful despite his superior strength. With swift movements, he pushed her hands away, then grabbed her ankles, pulling her legs wider. “I’m in charge, Molly,” he warned, watching as he positioned himself at her entrance. Then painfully slowly, he pressed into her wet heat. With hungry eyes, he watched as his shaft disappeared into her body while Molly watched him, watching her. It was one of the most erotic moments of her life, she thought, letting her hands slide downward again.
With tentative fingers, she touched herself, letting her fingers drift over that nub, once, then again. She shivered, and felt his body shudder in response, but his gaze never left her fingers as he thrust deeply into her. The faster he moved, the faster her fingers caressed that sensitive nub. She lifted her knees, watching him watch her fingers, his hands braced on her knees, holding her in place.
“Do it,” he ordered in a harsh whisper. “Do it now!”
At his command, Molly let go. Her body arched as that beautiful climax exploded through her. She closed her eyes as she writhed against her fingers, feeling him thrust into her harder and harder. His thrusts took her to another climax and Molly screamed his name to the heavens.
A moment later, she felt his body tighten within hers, felt him shudder and heard the primal roar as his own orgasm claimed him, then he collapsed over her, breathing heavily against her neck.
For a long time, neither moved. Molly was too sated to even care that he was so heavy. She loved him. And if this was the last time that she’d be with him…wow! What a way to go!
Even as the thought filtered through her lusty haze, tears came and she closed her eyes, wrapping her arms around his neck to hold on more tightly to him.
“Molly?” he asked, trying to pull away enough to see her face. “What’s wrong, love?” he demanded, rolling to the side so that he wasn’t smothering her, and so he could wipe the tears from her face. “Tell me what’s wrong.”
She smiled, trying to hide her face against his chest. “Nothing,” she lied.
He cradled her against his chest, still intimately connected. “Tell me what was bothering you earlier.”
She whispered, “Nothing” to him.
His hands dove into her hair, instantly relaxing her. She loved it when he played with her hair, his strong fingers massaging her scalp. He was such a sensual person, both during the sexual act as well as afterwards. She loved him so much. He was good and kind and sexy and all around amazing!
James knew she was lying. But he wasn’t sure why. She was normally such an inherently honest person, demanding the same from all who worked or entered the community center. As he considered the issue, he came to the conclusion that the only reason she would lie about anything was to protect someone. And, as he stroked her hair, he realized who she must be protecting. Him!
In that same moment, she pulled away, cringing when their bodies separated. He grabbed a tissue to dispose of the condom, then eyed Molly, trying to gauge her mood. James was tempted to pull her back so she was lying on him, but he knew he needed to get to the truth before they had sex again.
“What’s going on, Molly?” he asked, shoving a pillow behind his head as he watched her pull on a robe.
When she tossed him his pants, James caught them in mid-air, but then let them drop onto the bed, not in any hurry to get dressed, especially when he’d been without Molly for so long. He fully intended to keep her in this bed for the next several hours and make her scream until she was hoarse.
“Aren’t you going to get dressed?” she asked, licking her lips as she looked down at his groin. The glance made his body twitch, her eyes widening as his body reacted as any normal, red-blooded man’s body would when a beautiful, sexy woman stared at him.
“What’s the point?”
“You’re naked!” she exclaimed.
“Yes,” he replied evenly. “And you will be too in a moment.”
Molly tightened the belt on her robe, causing his grin to widen. “Do you really think that’s going to protect you?”
She huffed a bit, but when she looked so obviously tousled, the effect wasn’t nearly as stern as she might have hoped.
“We can’t keep doing this,” she announced, crossing her arms under her breasts, causing them to press against the thin material of her robe.
“Doing what?” he asked, thinking about her breasts. He hadn’t had enough of them this afternoon. Even as he stared, those delicious nipples hardened, pressing like buttons under the robe.
“Having sex.”
He chuckled. “Oh, we’re going to be having sex. And lots of it.” In about two more minutes, he thought, but didn’t say that part out loud. “But first, you’re going to tell me what’s bothering you.”
“Nothing,” she lied again. Her arms tightened around her waist.
“Did someone get hurt at the center?”
“No.”
“Did someone back out of their donation commitment?”
“No!” she sighed with impatience. “James, I just–”
“Something is wrong, Molly. That much is obvious. So, why you won’t tell me?”
She shifted her weight from foot to foot, clearly impatient with his questions. “Because nothing is wrong.”
He curled his finger towards her. “Come here and say that to my face.”
She looked back down at his fully erect body, her lips twitching with amusement. “Not a chance.”
He chuckled and, with a swift, graceful movement, rose to his feet, and came towards her. “Okay, if you won’t tell me what’s wrong, I’ll just have to discover the truth on my own.”
He could see the wariness in her eyes. He bent down and picked up his pants, pulling his cell phone out of the pocket. As he dialed, he kept his gaze locked on hers, then waited for the other person to answer. “John, what happened over the past few days?”
There was silence as James listened…and watched as Molly tensed up. Her shoulders were so tight he worried she might snap. He gritted his teeth in fury as he nodded, then hung up. “So…what did my darling mother have to say when she visited this morning?” he asked, moving closer.
Molly backed up and hit the wall, stunned that he’d figured it out so easily. She really should learn to lie better, she thought helplessly.
“Your mother just paid me a little visit, that’s all.”
He shook his head and Molly noticed the sexy stubble along his jawline. “My mother doesn’t do friendly visits.”
“I didn’t say friendly,” she pointed out.
“You implied it. So, tell me what she said. What havoc did she attempt to release onto the world?”
“Your mother is a beautiful woman,” Molly replied, pressing her back against the comfortingly firm wall. But thoughts of the last time he had her pinned against a wall popped into her head and she straightened up quickly.
“She’s an evil witch with a selfish attitude. If she can find a way to use someone, she will, happily.”
Molly was so shocked, she couldn’t stop the burst of laughter. Quickly, she slapped a hand over her mouth. “How can you say that about your own mother?”
James sighed as he leaned closer, burying his nose in her hair and breathing deeply. It tickled and she tried very hard not to shiver, but failed miserably.
“My mother got pregnant with me at twenty-two in order to trap my father into marrying her.” His lips teased the tender skin under her ear. “He was the wealthiest man in that small town and my mother wanted to rub everyone’s nose in the fact that she’d captured the biggest fish.”
“How do you know this?”
“She told me,” he said, then reached up and brushed her hair out of the way. Molly loved the feeling of his teeth nibbling along her skin. She tilted her head back, giving him better access. “Look in the dictionary and you’ll see her picture under ‘mercenary’. Even if I explained for a full week, I couldn’t tell you all the ways that she’s manipulated people over the years. When she grew tired of being married to a man twenty years her senior, she divorced him, took me and more than half of his money and moved to New York City. There, she met a wealthier man. Eventually, she divorced him, dumped me in a boarding school and married another, still wealthier man. With each marriage, she grew wealthier, and more forgetful of her trailer park beginnings.”
Molly leaned back so she could look up at him. “Your mother grew up in a trailer?”
“Yes. Although, I believe she prefers the term mobile home.” He wrapped an arm around Molly’s waist and drew her in against him.
“That’s not very nice.”
He shrugged. “I have some good buddies who live in a mobile home. In fact, I go fishing with them about once a year, twice if I can manage it. They’re good people. I’ll introduce you someday soon. But my mother? She’s not a good person. She’s a social climber in the worst sense of the word.” He kissed her, slow and deep. “So, tell me what she said. Obviously, it was pretty horrible, or you wouldn’t be trying so hard to get away from me.”
Molly moaned, suddenly realizing that she was naked again. Not that the thin robe was much protection against James’ roaming hands. But still!
“She told me that I wasn’t worthy of you. That I wouldn’t make a good wife.” Molly froze, realizing how that sounded. She pulled back and looked up at him. “Not that we’re getting married,” she gasped. “I didn’t mean to imply that. Not at all!”
He laughed softly and shook his head. “Of course you’re going to marry me. We’re perfect for each other.”
“No, we’re not,” she contradicted, letting the air out of her lungs in a whoosh. “We’re horrible for each other.”
“Nonsense. You are sexy and beautiful, with a good heart and a great brain. Plus, I drive you wild in bed.” He shrugged, then bent down to pick her up and toss her back onto her rumpled bed. “Match made in heaven,” he declared as if that were enough. He followed her down, his body shifting so that he could feel more of her nakedness against his skin.
Molly laughed, even as her hands moved higher, sliding over his bare shoulders. “We’re a mess, James. Your mother might be a social climber with the morals of a trash can, but she’s right about one thing.”
“What’s that?” he asked, inching his way down to press a kiss between her breasts while his hands came up to cup the globes, his thumbs teasing the taut peaks.
Molly closed her eyes, trying desperately to concentrate. It was difficult to do when he touched her like that. Her nipples shot sparks of desire through her. Good grief, the man knew how to touch her!
“So, what did she say?”
“That I wouldn’t be an adequate political wife,” Molly replied, too distracted to think about her words. “She said you need someone who will help your career.”
“Molly,” he groaned, moving lower still. “You’re perfect for me. I don’t give a damn about my career!”
She laughed, or tried to. “James, you’re going to be a brilliant senator. I can’t…!” She stopped when his mouth latched onto that sensitive nub. No more thinking. She grabbed his head, keeping his mouth right where she wanted it. Rolling her hips, she lifted herself against his mouth, showing him what she needed.
But just as before, he stopped just before she was about to climax. “What?!” she gasped, lifting her head and looking at him. “Why did you stop?” she yelled.
“Tell me you’ll marry me, and I’ll give you what you want.”
She pulled away from him, horrified and unable to respond. For a long moment, she simply stared at him. Finally, she was able to respond with a resounding, “No!”
But James wasn’t deterred and his hands were faster. Reaching out, his hands grabbed her hips and pulled Molly right where he wanted her. “Tell me yes, and I’ll give you everything.” He moved lower, kissing his way down over her stomach.
“No! James, I’m not…” She gasped when his mouth latched onto that overly sensitive nub, sucking hard. For a long moment, she couldn’t breathe, desperate for that release. But he stopped again, lifting his head with a smirk and she almost kicked him.
“That’s not fair!” she protested, trying to crawl away from him.
His laugh was deep and sexy and merciless. “You’re right. So give me what I want and I’ll give you what you want.”
“No! I can’t…!”
He didn’t wait this time. His mouth latched on, but he added his fingers to the mix, teasing her from the inside and outside. Molly screamed, her body writhing with desperate need. But he pulled away just before she could crash over, his hand smoothing over her stomach gently, soothing her.
“Tell me what I want to hear, Molly,” he whispered, moving his mouth back, flicking his tongue over that nub. Molly could barely whimper now, so enthralled and out of control, she could only nod helplessly.
“Is that a yes?”
She sobbed again, her hands sliding down her body to give herself some relief. But he grabbed her wrists. “Yes!” she cried out. “Yes, fine! Just…finish this!”
He laughed, but this time his mouth moved over her nub and his fingers slid inside. And he didn’t stop. This time, James used his magic tongue and fingers until she screamed her release, her nails clawing at him as he held her still against his tongue until the shivers died away. Only then did he don a condom and slide into her heat, bringing her to another climax as he thrust into her slowly, powerfully.
After he found his own release, he pulled her into his arms and laughed with relief. “You’re going to marry me soon, right?” he asked, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.
Molly might have nodded. He walked to the bathroom and she heard the water running, but Molly didn’t move. She stayed on the bed exactly as he’d left her until he came back, and draped her over his chest. And that’s where she slept until, a few hours later, he kissed her awake and started the whole thing over again.
