by Lucy Clark
‘You…you weren’t?’ The words hitched in her throat, as though she was completely out of breath. ‘But you were going to get married!’
‘Neither of us wanted to be lonely for the rest of our lives. Our relationship was formed out of a deep fondness for each other but…very recently,’ he murmured, brushing another small kiss to her hand, ‘I’ve come to realise that I want more than just a deep fondness.’
‘Really?’
‘Oh, yes.’ He stared at her again, his words pointed as his gaze flicked to encompass her lips before he met her eyes again.
She swallowed, her lips parting slightly, enticing him to taste them. Didn’t she have any idea just how crazy he was for her? She closed her eyes for a brief second, as though she was having trouble thinking. ‘You were…uh…lonely?’ Her fingers tightened on his, letting him know that she cared about his feelings.
He smiled sadly and nodded. ‘I don’t have a plethora of siblings to share my life with. I don’t even have parents who are interested in me. They live in Spain and I live…’ He paused, not even sure where he did live. ‘I live wherever I find myself. For years, I threw myself into my work. First I did it to try and forget.’
‘Forget?’
‘About you. About Katie. About that whole part of my life.’
‘You wanted to forget me?’
He nodded. ‘I was hurt. I was angry, not with you but with myself for being such a jerk.’
‘And now?’
‘Now, I’ve had a lot of time to put things into some sort of perspective. Travelling and helping people really was a balm for my soul and I learned so much. For a long time, that was enough, it was all I needed. Then, when I was offered the fellowship, it seemed to be the right thing to do. Not only did it give me the opportunity to publicise my device and to teach other surgeons the correct way of using it, but it gave me the chance to spend a good portion of my time back home. I love Australia. I’ve missed it far more than I realised.’
‘It’s a good place to live. So you’re not planning to travel any more? Is that what you’re saying?’
Was that hope he’d heard in her tone? He watched her expression closely as he continued. ‘I guess what I’m trying to say is that travelling the world, not having a definitive place to call home, no…family…to come back to, isn’t what I’m after any more.’
‘Family?’ Molly edged back a little at his words, loosening her grip on his hand. ‘You want to have children?’ She stared at him for a bit longer, clearly trying to read his expression. He knew he couldn’t hide the truth, not with the way he’d been staring at her, kissing her hand, talking about a future and a family. ‘You want to have children with me?’ She squeaked the last two words.
‘Molly…’ He stopped, looking into her eyes, and when she slowly shook her head from side to side he wished she weren’t so adept at reading his expressions.
‘You think that you and I can just pick up where we left off and become a family again?’ Her tone was filled with incredulity and in another moment she disengaged her hand from his and pushed back her chair, standing to stare at him as though he’d just grown an extra head. ‘Fletch—I—’
She stopped, opening and closing her mouth a few times.
‘You look like a goldfish.’
‘I’m…I’m stunned.’ She shook her head and walked into the kitchen, switching on the coffee machine. Thankfully, the house was quiet, Pierce and Stacey having taken the kids out to church and the others were sleeping, but soon everyone would be home and awake and the noise would start again. She closed her eyes for a second, wishing Fletcher hadn’t said anything.
Memories from the past blended with memories of the present, blurring the lines. She liked being with Fletcher and she had to admit that he’d fitted seamlessly back into her family. Her sisters had welcomed him as though he really was a long-lost family member. He seemed to get along very well with Archer and Pierce and he had endless patience with Lydia and George. Even Jasmine, who was highly protective of the family, had been laughing with him last night, bonding over a movie they’d both seen.
How did she feel about him? Really feel about him? She’d done her best to keep that door firmly closed, especially as he’d been engaged to another woman, but now…now that was over. He was essentially a free man. Well, apart from still being legally married to her.
She was legally married to him!
Her heart started pounding faster and her mouth went dry as she realised the truth of their situation. With the way Fletcher was talking, it was as though he didn’t really want to sign the divorce papers. How did she feel about that? About remaining married to—
She stopped her thoughts and tried to concentrate on making the coffee. Grinding the coffee. Tamping it down. Hooking it into position. All the while her thoughts were jumbling over each other. All the while she was conscious of the fact that she could feel Fletcher’s gaze watching her every move. How did she feel about Fletcher? How did she feel about Fletcher? Well, of course she loved him. She would always love him but was that love the love of a brother? A close friend? A husband? A passionate lover?
She tried to ignore the fervent pounding of her heart as her mind realised that the thrilling dreams she’d had about him, the ones where he kissed every inch of her body and made her wild with aching desire, could actually come true.
Molly closed her eyes, breathing out slowly, her imagination taking flight.
‘Molly?’ His sexy deep voice cut across her thoughts and she immediately opened her eyes, reaching out towards the coffee machine and turning on the steam wand by accident, the hot air hissing out over her other hand.
‘Ouch!’ She shut it off and quickly turned and stalked to the sink, put her hand under running cold water. ‘Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.’ Her words were a harsh whisper as she chided herself.
‘Let me see.’
She jumped, not realising he’d come to stand beside her.
‘It’s fine.’ She tried to jerk her hand away but he wasn’t having any of it.
‘Let. Me. See.’ His tone brooked no argument and he took her hand in his. ‘You’re so stubborn sometimes.’
‘Yes. Yes, I am. You should know that.’
He scrutinised her hand before bringing it to his lips to kiss it before putting it back beneath the cold running water. ‘You’ll be fine.’
‘I know. I am a doctor, too.’
Fletcher only chuckled at her outburst and calmly finished making them both a coffee.
‘It isn’t funny, Fletcher. Any of this.’ Molly turned off the tap and carefully dried her hand before finding the moisturiser and rubbing some in.
‘Understood,’ he remarked, handing her a cup of coffee. ‘Why don’t we sit outside and talk about things?’
‘I don’t want to talk, Fletcher.’
‘Oh?’ He raised his eyebrows teasingly. ‘You want to…cuddle instead?’
‘Cuddle?’ Molly glared at him for a long moment before taking the cup from him and walking outside into the cool September morning. She knew Fletcher would follow her, that they would talk even though she didn’t really want to. It was all too confusing, too heart-wrenching. She knew she was opening the door to her heart wider and wider the more time they spent together.
She’d brought him home to her family! Why had she done that? Seeing him blend in so seamlessly with them all, laughing with him, relaxing with him…it had been like old times. Sipping her coffee, she walked over the slightly dewy grass towards the rabbit cages. The animals were huddling together, their little noses twitching, both of them quite content. ‘What’s your secret?’ She crouched down and made kissing noises to them. ‘Am I making a fool of myself?’
‘You’re asking rabbits for advice.’ The deep answer came from behind her and she quickly stood and turned to face Fletcher, almost spilling her coffee.
‘I didn’t hear you.’
‘What’s wrong, Molly?’
‘What makes you think there’s
—’
‘I know you,’ he interrupted, taking her cup from her and setting it down next to his on a nearby stone flower box. ‘Come on. What is it?’
Molly threw her arms in the air and exhaled loudly with exasperation. ‘Everything!’ She stalked away from the cage. ‘I hate not knowing what’s going on and now with you…I’m so confused, Fletcher.’
‘What is there to be confused about?’
‘How can you be so calm? I saw that look on your face, the one that said you and I should give it another try.’
He glanced down at his shoes before meeting her gaze once more. ‘True.’
‘Did you break things off with Eliza because of me?’
‘Yes.’
‘And what did she say to that?’
‘She said that when true love comes along, you should grab it with both hands and not let go.’ Fletcher shook his head slowly. ‘I was a fool, Molly, because I let you go all those years ago. I made so many terrible mistakes back then and I’ve spent a long time regretting them.’
‘Then why didn’t you contact me sooner?’ She paced around the garden. ‘Why wait until you meet another woman, accept her proposal because you were lonely, then when you have to do legal paperwork only then discover that you’re still married to someone else? If you really wanted me, why not come and get me?’
‘I wanted to. So many times, Molly, but—’
‘But? But, what?’
‘But I didn’t think you’d ever forgive me.’
She opened her eyes wider at that. ‘Forgive you?’
‘Katie.’ The one word was soft, barely audible but Molly heard it loud and clear and it pierced her heart. She winced and nodded.
‘Katie.’
‘I was a beast, Molly. I was—’
‘We’ve already gone over this, haven’t we?’ She held up her hands. ‘It was a long time ago. We’ve both changed.’
‘But her memory, that whole situation, it’s still between us.’
‘It’ll always be between us, Fletcher. We were her parents.’ Molly sighed and sat on the bench near the flower garden her brother-in-law had planted, her coffee forgotten. Thankfully, Fletcher didn’t come and sit next to her. Instead he stood nearby, looking at the rabbits as they nibbled the grass, their noses twitching.
‘They’re so content.’
‘Yes.’
‘And when I saw them jumping over their barrier things that Lydia and George set up, they seemed happy.’ He chuckled. ‘I don’t know how I know that. Perhaps I’m just projecting my own thoughts onto the situation. I was happy watching them so I’m presuming the rabbits were happy being harnessed and led over a series of jumps.’
‘Perhaps you actually saw one of them smile,’ she remarked, a touch of humour in her tone. Fletcher looked over at her and smiled.
‘Why do we complicate everything so much? Why can’t everything be straightforward?’ He walked towards her and sat down but made no effort to touch her.
‘Because then life would be boring.’
‘True.’ He nodded in agreement, then shifted to face her. ‘Life was never boring with you.’
‘We did have a lot of ups and downs.’
‘The ups were good, though. Weren’t they?’
Molly nodded. ‘They definitely were.’ Her gaze dropped to his mouth, memories of exactly how good things had been between them springing instantly to mind.
‘Molly, don’t look at me like that.’ His words were quiet, deep and filled with repressed desire.
‘We’ve been here before. Several times in fact,’ she whispered. ‘Staring at each other. The atmosphere around us forming a bubble where only the two of us exist.’
He edged a little closer, his body angling more towards hers. He raised his hand and brushed her hair behind her ear. She hadn’t moved, hadn’t tried to shift away. Not this time. He swallowed, knowing a lot was riding on this moment. He didn’t want to spook her, didn’t want to pressure her but he wasn’t sure he could resist her any longer.
‘You’re not spooking me,’ she whispered and it was only then that Fletch realised he’d spoken the last part out loud. ‘And I’m not sure I want you to resist,’ she continued, her words music to his ears.
‘Molly? Are you sure?’
‘That I want to kiss you?’ She closed her eyes, her body leaning slightly towards him. ‘That I want you to kiss me back?’ She looked at him, desperation, need and longing in her tone. ‘Oh, yes, Fletcher. I want that. I need that—right now.’
Her last two words were soft and accompanied by an irresistible, sensual tremor. No man in his right mind could fight the temptation any longer and, with one swift move, he slipped his arms about her, drawing her close, before lowering his head to capture her lips in a kiss so intensely powerful, he felt as though the earth had literally shifted beneath them.
She tasted exactly as he’d remembered except more so. All he wanted was to have her as close to him as possible, to ravage her, to put his mark upon her skin. She was his. She’d always been his and he couldn’t believe how animalistic, how primal she was making him feel. He’d never counted himself as a possessive man, in fact, he’d always thought he was quite the opposite, but not around Molly. She was his Molly. She always had been and always would be.
He forced himself to slow down, to take the time to reacquaint himself with every contour of her lips, the curve of her cheek, the dip of her chin. He brought one hand up to her face, to feel that silky smoothness of her skin. He eased his mouth from hers for the briefest of seconds, both of them sucking in a breath as he tenderly trailed the pad of his thumb across her parted lips, and was delighted when a sensual tremor passed through her body.
She was with him. She was right there in the moment. He wasn’t alone with all these overpowering and conflicting emotions. He wanted her. She wanted him. They had a history, a past, but it had always been this way between them, so perfect, so necessary, so right.
This time, when he retouched his lips to hers, he had himself better under control. He wanted to show Molly just how much he cherished her, how beautiful she was, how he appreciated her for who she was, the physical, the mental and the emotional. He didn’t just want one part of her, he wanted them all. She’d been able to give herself to him before—would she be able to do that now?
Soft and smooth and slow. He wanted to savour everything, to blend the memories of the past with the memories of the present. She’d changed, matured, her mouth a little more plump than all those years ago, but that only made it that much more exciting to kiss.
When he opened his mouth, she did the same, granting him whatever access he wanted, and once more he had to ignore the surge of desire, of excitement, of possession that pulsed through him. She ran her tongue across his lower lip and he moaned with delight. How could he have forgotten just how quickly she could tie him in knots with the simplest of intimate touches?
She then surprised him by taking the initiative and slowing the kiss down even more, heightening the sensuality surrounding them. It was as though they were the only two people on earth. No one else mattered. Nothing else mattered, except for here and now. Him and her. She plunged her fingers into his hair, holding his head in place as she nibbled and teased and sighed with longing.
He slid his arm more firmly around her, wanting her as close as possible. Now that he’d tasted her, touched her, breathed her in, he wasn’t sure he was able to stop, wasn’t able to keep things at this slow and sensual pace as his longing for her intensified with every passing second. The animal began to return and she allowed it. When he broke his mouth from hers to place hot and desperate kisses along her cheek, travelling down her neck, she tilted her head back, granting him whatever access he desired.
Then, as though she was as impatient as him, she urged his head back up, back towards her mouth, and this time the heat and fire were unleashed, both of them surrendering to the moment. Would he ever be able to get enough of her? He’d thought he’d managed t
o get over her all those years ago. He’d been wrong. So very wrong.
‘Why did we ever get divorced?’ He growled against her lips, his breathing erratic, before he captured them once more.
We didn’t, she answered him silently.
‘You’re so addictive,’ he murmured between kisses.
Molly was unable to respond because all she could concentrate on was the way she felt in Fletcher’s arms. He tasted exactly the same, his scent was the one that excited her the most, his tender, caring touch was just as she’d remembered. How could he be so different and yet so familiar?
‘Fletch.’ Even his name fitted perfectly on her lips as she kissed him once, twice, three times again, her breath coming in short bursts. ‘Oxygen,’ she managed to get out. ‘Necessary.’
His answer was a soft, sexy chuckle, one that did nothing to stop the mounting desire flooding throughout her entire body. ‘It’s OK. I’m a doctor. I know how to revive someone.’ He kissed her again, his lips possessive on hers before he nuzzled her neck, planting more kisses there as Molly gasped for air.
‘How is it possible?’ she whispered between breaths, her hands coming to rest at the back of his neck.
‘What?’ He continued to spread small kisses down her neck, stopping momentarily to nibble on her ear.
‘Us.’
‘I know.’ Fletch lifted his head and gazed longingly into her eyes. ‘You are still so incredibly stunning, Molly.’
She smiled shyly at his words but couldn’t believe how lovely it was to hear him say such wonderful things to her. It made her feel free. Fighting the attraction to him had clearly been causing her far more stress than she’d realised and now that that pressure had been released, she was going to ride the wave of euphoria for as long as possible.
‘I’m serious. That’s not just a line I’m feeding you.’ He brushed a few more kisses across her lips and she responded with longing. ‘You’ll always be this beautiful to me.’ He tucked her hair behind her ear once more. ‘Even when we’re old and grey.’
‘What?’ The world around them shattered back into reality and she eased back from his arms. ‘What do you mean?’
