by Susanna Carr
Kyle clenched his teeth as he banished the memory. Those words of love hadn’t stopped him from pounding into her. From coming hard until he sank to his knees and took Molly with him.
Afterward he had helped her get dressed and took her to bed. He acted as if he hadn’t heard her declaration, but it was all he could think about. It crowded his head.
Why had she said it?
The doorbell rang, interrupting Kyle’s thoughts. He was thankful for the distraction and strode to the front door. By the time he got to the hallway, he found Molly there, unlatching the lock.
Wearing threadbare jeans and a faded gray hooded sweatshirt, Molly shouldn’t look so irresistible. But all Kyle wanted to do was drag her into his bed and make her pant with need, moan with pleasure, say those four little words again…
Molly swung the door open and paused. “Sara?”
“Hi, Molly,” Sara said as she stepped into the entry hall. Her curly bright red hair was an unexpected splash of color in the gray day. “Kyle.”
The last person he expected to see was his executive assistant. “What are you doing here?”
“Say what?” Sara asked as she took off her dark green parka. “You guys asked me to come over.”
“No, I didn’t.”
“Glenn said—” Sara closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “I’m going to kill him.”
“You had to end your ski trip?” Molly asked as she took Sara’s coat.
Kyle winced. He didn’t know Sara had been on vacation. He tilted his head back and yelled. “Glenn!”
“I think he’s taking a nap,” Molly said in a hushed tone.
“A nap?” Kyle repeated, incredulous. “What is he, a toddler?”
“Well, he had better damn well wake up,” Sara said, putting her hands on her hips. “I left my vacation early, found out on the ferry that I get seasick, and now I’m stuck on this island all because of him.”
It was rare to see his executive assistant in a bad mood, but he figured she had good reason to be pissed off. “Molly, why don’t you prepare a room for Sara?”
It was Molly’s turn to grimace. “We have no more rooms.”
“What?” Sara’s jaw dropped. “Uh, no. There is no way I’m sleeping on the floor. No way. Uh-uh. Think again.”
Kyle ignored her and kept his attention on Molly. “Then have her use Laurie’s.”
“You’re putting me in the maid’s room?” Sara’s voice echoed in the entry hall.
“Laurie is the caretaker,” Molly corrected Sara, “and her room is the only one left. I’m sure she would understand, considering the circumstances.”
“Well, you can take her room,” Sara decided. “And I’ll take yours.”
“Molly is sharing my room,” Kyle said. The moment he saw Sara’s sharp look, a wave of fierce protection for Molly overtook him. He raised his eyebrow as a silent warning. “She’s pretending to be my fiancée for the week.”
“Oh, that’s right.” She snapped her fingers and she remembered. “I’m curious as to how that came about.”
“That’s all you need to know.” Kyle knew that the fewer details he shared, the better. “We already have had a few close calls and I’m not going to have anyone mess it up this late in the game.”
Sara rolled her eyes. “Fine, fine. You guys are the perfect couple.”
Kyle didn’t look at Molly, but he knew she tensed under those words. When did he become aware of every feeling, every move Molly made?
“Since I’m here, and will be until the ferry returns tomorrow,” Sara said, “I might as well make myself useful. You have anything you want me to work on, Kyle?”
“Sure, follow me.” He admired Sara’s ability to stay on task. He wished he had the same focus. It had been on the fritz since he met Molly.
Maybe if he kept Sara around for the remainder of the weekend, he could reclaim his focus. Dig into the work and not get distracted by his loving fiancée. It just might work.
“Here you go, Sara,” Molly said an hour later as she escorted her former boss to the caretaker’s room. “I changed the linens and towels. You’re all set.”
“Thanks. Hey, stay with me while I unpack,” Sara invited as she hefted her suitcase onto the bed.
Molly cast an uncertain look over her shoulder toward the kitchen. “Well, I need to make dinner.” No easy task as the food was dwindling and the number of guests were increasing.
“That can wait,” Sara assured her.
“O…kay.” Molly reluctantly gave in. Going out of her way for her fiancé’s executive assistant was probably included in the best damn fiancée job description.
“So,” Sara said as she unzipped her suitcase. “How did you manage to wind up as Kyle’s fiancée?”
Not that again. Molly leaned against the doorframe. “It’s a long story. And like Kyle said—”
Sara waved the concern to the side with the flick of her wrist. “He didn’t have the time. And I really want to know.”
But Molly really didn’t want to incriminate herself. “All that matters is that the engagement is fake and it’s temporary.”
“You won’t tell me? Suit yourself.” She grabbed one of her shirts and walked over to the closet. “You know, I really miss you at work.”
“I’m sure the new receptionist is doing well.” Although Molly wouldn’t mind hearing that she was indispensable and that no one could ever surpass her work performance.
“She is,” Sara informed her, “but I’m not considering her as potential assistant material.”
That tidbit perked Molly up. “Why not?”
Sara shrugged as she hung up the shirt. “You and I would have made a better team.”
Molly felt the pleasure radiate from inside her. “Thanks.” She paused, undecided if it was the right time to bring up the subject. “I was wondering…”
“Yeah?”
“Well, I never got to see my review score and I would love to know what I would have received.”
“Your score?” Sara’s eyes narrowed with incomprehension.
“You know, maybe you shouldn’t tell me if I got a pay raise or bonus.” She didn’t think she could handle the might-have-beens regarding money. “Just tell me what you would have recommended for me.”
Sara frowned. “I don’t remember.”
“You don’t remember?” Was she serious? Okay, it might not have been the most important moment of the woman’s professional life, but still!
“That review process is a bitch,” Sara complained with a wry smile. “All those forms to fill out.”
“Tell me about it.”
“Now I remember. I had agreed with you on your performance.”
“You did?” Molly smiled. Well, how about that? Her hard work had been recognized.
“Yeah, I gave you a perfect score,” Sara said as she walked toward her suitcase. “And let me tell you, those are hard to come by at Ashton Image Works.”
Molly’s smile stiffened. “I can imagine.”
“I mean, everyone gives themselves the best score, but you earned it.”
“Uh-huh. Well…thanks.” Molly took a step back into the hallway. “Thanks for letting me know.”
“No problem.”
“I better start fixing dinner.” She jabbed her thumb in the direction of the kitchen.
Sara looked up from her unpacking. “Okay.”
Molly closed the door behind her as questions crowded her mind. Sara had lied about the performance review. Why?
It could be because she really gave a low score. Molly stood still in the hallway as she considered the possibility. She could understand why Sara wouldn’t tell her that to her face. Although she would have had to explain it during the review meeting.
But why would she say she agreed with Molly and gave a perfect score? Molly purposely gave herself a lower score. Hadn’t Sara read the review? Well, of course she did. She had to in order to fill out the paperwork.
But what if she hadn’t? No,
that was ridiculous, Molly decided as she walked into the kitchen. Sara had to because she was ready to give the review.
Molly stopped in her tracks. The review no one saw.
No, now she was getting paranoid. She was wrong. She had to be. There was probably a very good reason why Sara couldn’t remember her score. It wasn’t important to her. It was too long ago. She never looked at it.
Okay, the fact of the matter was Sara made her go look for the file when it was now obvious she hadn’t prepared it for the review. Sure, Sara was disorganized and forgetful, but she would never have told her to go look on Kyle’s desk for the completed review.
Which meant only one thing. The woman lied.
Lied on the same day the blueprint showed up on Molly’s desk.
She glanced in the direction of Sara’s room and glared. Highly suspicious.
Okay. The chances were good that her boss set her up and got her fired. What had she done to make an enemy out of her boss?
And what was she going to do about it now? Sara was beyond reproach in Ashton Image Works and was the most trusted employee in Kyle’s company.
She couldn’t just waltz into Kyle’s study and tell him her suspicions. Against his trusted assistant? He wouldn’t believe her.
Anyway, she had no proof, Molly acknowledged as she tapped her fingers on the kitchen counter. Tap, tap, tap.
No one else could back up her suspicions. It might be no big deal firing a receptionist without proof, but the executive assistant? Ha.
It was none of her business, and it was not going to change her work situation. She was going to keep her mouth shut. Molly pressed her lips together for good measure.
Come on! Tell the truth! Remember your promise.
Molly closed her eyes, willing away the reprimand. But it was no good. She had to admit the truth.
She didn’t want to say anything because she knew Kyle wouldn’t believe her. He would think she was lying. He would take sides, and she’d wind up losing everything again.
She exhaled slowly and thought it over. Yeah, that was pretty much it.
What was she thinking? She didn’t have Kyle in the first place. Did she really think she could hold on to him—hold on to this dream life—for a few more days if she kept her mouth shut?
Not even. Because she messed that up the moment she told him how she had felt. She saw how he almost flinched when she said those words. How he made a point not to mention it.
Molly’s fingers tapped faster. Taptap, taptap. Yeah, she should have kept her mouth shut.
And she was going to do that now.
Taptaptaptaptaptaptap.
None of her business.
Oh, crud. Molly smacked her hand against the hard surface and set off to look for Kyle.
He heard the knock on the office door and didn’t have a chance to turn before he heard Molly’s voice.
“Kyle?” she said softly. “I need to talk to you.”
Kyle closed his eyes and breathed in deeply. He knew what this was about. The L word. She wanted to talk about it. Either she wanted to hear it from him, or she wanted to take it back.
He wasn’t ready for that conversation. She probably wanted to hear him reciprocate. He could truthfully say that he cared for her. Worried about her. Felt like his heart had been ripped out when she disappeared. But was that love? He didn’t know.
“I don’t know how to tell you this.” Molly stepped into his office and approached his desk.
She was going to take back those words. He should have known. It was too good to be true, and he really didn’t need the complication. So why didn’t he feel relief?
“So, I’m going to come right out and say it.” She gripped the edge of his desk. He noticed how her knuckles whitened.
“Go ahead.” Should he accept her retraction or find a way to make her say those words again?
“I figured out who is behind the blueprint theft,” she said in one big rush of words. “It’s Sara.”
Kyle went rigid. It suddenly hurt to breathe. “What?”
“Sara,” Molly repeated. “I have reason to believe she’s behind all this.”
“Molly, I already told you that I don’t think you did it.” She had no right to question his most trusted employee. Stone cold anger formed inside him.
“I know that.”
“So there’s no reason to start pointing fingers.”
Molly took a step back from his desk. “I wouldn’t be saying anything if I really didn’t feel this way.”
“Sara has been with Ashton ImageWorks forever.” The cold anger radiated throughout his body.
“I know.”
“She’s privy to most of the top-secret information.”
“To the business deals,” Molly pointed out. “Not the actual product.”
“There has never been any question of her loyalty,” he said through clenched teeth.
“I’m sure,” she muttered. “Otherwise you would have booted her out long ago.”
“Why would she do this? Now?” The coldness rolled through him like a storm and he barely kept it in check. “For this blueprint, after all the products we’ve made.”
“I don’t know,” Molly said carefully. “People change.”
“Why are you doing this?” He glared at her. “Sara has always been the one person I trusted more than anyone else.”
Molly pressed her lips together and didn’t reply. She glanced at the door as if she regretted starting this.
“What’s your proof?” he demanded. Whatever it was, he would rip it to shreds.
She shifted from one foot to the other. “I don’t really have what you would call proof.”
“Uh-huh.”
She rotated her hands in the air. “It’s more like a hunch.”
“It’s more like slander.”
Molly flinched. “Listen, Kyle. I’m trying to warn you so you can watch out.”
“What’s this hunch of yours?”
“Well, it’s about my job performance review.”
“Oh, God.” When he got back to the office, he was going to abolish the system altogether.
“I was talking to Sara about it just now”—she gestured in the direction of the door—“and it became clear to me that she didn’t work on it.”
Kyle stared at her, waiting for more, but apparently that was it. “This is your hunch?”
“Why did she send me on a wild goose chase looking for something that she knew wasn’t done?”
“You’re assuming it wasn’t completed.”
Molly’s jaw shifted to the side. “Yeah, I’m assuming, but it’s an educated guess.”
His eyebrow rose. “A missing file means she stole a blueprint?”
“Okay!” She held up her palm to stop him. “I know that sounds like such a leap, but it’s too much of a coincidence that once I’m looking for this file—that no one ever saw—the blueprint shows up on my desk.”
“You’re wrong,” he said with a mix of certainty and relief. “Human resources found the file.”
She jerked her head back. “They did? Did you see it?”
“I didn’t have to.”
Molly frowned. “Then how do you know?”
“Sara told—” Kyle gritted his teeth. He abruptly stood up. “Enough. I will not have you questioning Sara’s integrity.”
“I’m trying—”
“Sara has been in my confidence for years,” Kyle informed her as he pressed his hands on his desk. “She doesn’t lie to me, and she doesn’t steal.”
A blush crept up Molly’s neck and flooded her face. “I…”
“If it comes down between choosing her word over yours”—Kyle leaned forward, pinning Molly with a cold glare—“I will choose her side. Every time.”
Molly looked away. He saw the way her eyelashes fluttered and the tremor that swept through her body as she fought for her composure. He realized he wanted to take her in his arms and comfort her. Make her feel better.
B
ut he couldn’t. Not this time. Because he couldn’t let her poison his mind about the one person who had proven her loyalty to him over and over again.
“Do I make myself clear?” he said in a low voice.
“Yes.” Molly didn’t look at him and walked to the door, her movements awkward in her haste. “I understand perfectly. I won’t disturb you anymore,” she promised and closed the door behind her with a sharp click.
Chapter 17
On Saturday morning, Molly decided to put her plan into effect. She was going to protect Kyle whether he liked it or not.
She saw Sara walking along the beach and decided to confront her there. Braving the biting wind, Molly marched toward her former boss.
“Sara? What are you doing out here?” Molly asked, hunching deeper into the coat she borrowed from Kyle. “It’s freezing.”
“I love this kind of weather.” The woman raised her face to the sky. “Don’t you?”
“Can’t say that I do.”
Sara cast an odd look in her direction. “Why are you out here, then?”
Molly bit the inside of her lip as she struggled against the wave of uncertainty. “Because I want to talk to you. I want to know why you lied to me about my review.”
“Say what?” The woman huffed. “I didn’t lie.”
“Yes, you did. You said you gave me a perfect score because you agreed with me.”
Sara shrugged. “So?”
“I didn’t give myself a perfect score.”
“What are you talking about?” She turned to give Molly her full attention.
“I was giving myself room for improvement for the next review,” Molly admitted.
Sara scoffed at the idea. “Everyone gives themselves a perfect score.”
“Not me.”
“Okay, so I don’t remember it correctly.” The woman made a face. “Whatever you gave yourself, I matched it. What’s the big deal?”
“The big deal is that I don’t think you looked at my review.” Molly felt jittery inside. She wasn’t sure where this was going to lead, but she knew it had to be said. “In fact, I think you said let’s do the review that Friday because you needed time to get me away from my desk. That excuse was a surefire way of doing it.”
