“Looks like everything is working,” Adam said, a pleased smile on his face. “I’ll start unloading the truck and then we can make some lunch. I’m already starving.”
“I’ll come help you,” Molly offered.
“That’s okay; you stay here and put things away when I bring them in,” he said.
She looked around the kitchen. “But I don’t know where anything goes,” she said, that feeling of panic beginning to grow again.
But before it could, Adam closed the space between them and pulled her into his arms. Almost immediately, the feeling faded, replaced by a feeling of comfort that quickly turned into a throbbing deep inside her that made her cheeks flush with embarrassment. Looking anywhere but up at Adam, she waited, hoping the pink would fade and her body would calm.
But when he tipped her chin up and looked into her eyes, a new wave of desire washed over her, and she gasped. “Don’t start thinking about it again,” he said. “Just put everything away where you want it.”
She nodded, but it took her a second to find her voice. “Okay, I think I can do that,” she said, her voice slightly husky.
A grin spread across Adam’s face. “Good,” he said, then leaned down and kissed her.
It was just a quick peck on the lips, but her entire body flared to life, and she gasped as a bolt of pleasure shot through her when he gave her one more before striding for the door. She watched him disappear, a silly grin on her face, her body humming with pleasure, the embers of passion he’d ignited only the day before suddenly flaring to life.
Finally, still smiling, she began opening all the cabinet doors, all thoughts of her missing memories buried beneath the throbbing heat inside her. The feeling stayed with her as she unpacked the overabundance of food and started making lunch while Adam brought in firewood and checked on other things around the cabin.
When she set their lunch down on the table, it felt as natural as if she’d done it a thousand times, and she wondered if her memory was coming back. But she pushed the thought aside, focusing on the present so the past didn’t creep in and ruin it.
“How about a walk down to the lake after I clean up?” Adam suggested, taking her empty plate. “It looks like rain, but we might just have enough time before the storm gets here.”
“That sounds great,” Molly said, getting up to help.
“I’ll get this; you made lunch,” he said. “Why don’t you pick a bedroom? Your bag is still by the front door.”
Molly felt her cheeks begin to pinken and fled the room as quickly as she could, the sound of Adam’s laughter following her. “I’ll take whichever one you don’t want,” he called, making her face even hotter.
She grabbed her bag and stomped down the hallway, wondering why she was putting off the inevitable. Adam was her husband, she clearly wanted him, he clearly wanted her, but something was stopping her, and she wasn’t sure what. Taking a deep breath, she let her anger and frustration go; when the time was right, she’d know it, and until then she had to trust her instincts, no matter how much she didn’t want to.
The first bedroom she came to was small and cozy, the bed covered with a thick comforter and pillows. It felt homey and welcoming to her, but she went further down the hallway, curious about the rest of the cabin, wishing she hadn’t when she saw the huge bed in the other bedroom. As old as the cabin, the old iron bed took up most of the space and she couldn’t tear her eyes away from it as she imagined them together in it.
When the images began to make her body throb with a deep need, she tried to shut them off, but they came tumbling at her, some shocking enough to make her gasp. She closed her eyes and tried to think of something else, but images continued, graphic and thrilling at the same time. Her breath was coming in short gasps, her body humming with need, when the images finally faded away and she could open her eyes.
Turning, she hurried back down the hallway and put her bag in the other bedroom, shivering as the strong emotions faded away. Not sure what had happened to her in the bedroom, she promised herself that she’d stay as far away from it as possible, afraid of what she might do if she was ever in the room with Adam. The knowledge of what she’d seen and felt still reverberating through her, and sending shivers down her spine.
Chapter Eight
***Adam***
When Molly came back into the kitchen, she had a strange look on her face, and for a minute, he was afraid that her memory had come back. “Everything okay?” he asked casually, although his heart was pounding in his chest.
“Oh, sure,” Molly said, finally looking over at him. “I, umm...took the small bedroom. I hope that’s okay.”
“Sure, that’s fine,” he said. “You just looked a little funny.”
“I think I just need some fresh air,” she said. “Let’s go for that walk.”
Adam knew that was all she was going to say, so he let it go, hoping that she wasn’t starting to remember, but slightly relieved that she might be. The waring emotions made him pause for just a second, but he pushed away the confusion and concentrated on his plan. It would work out in the end; he was still sure of that. He just had to keep going, and hope that Molly would understand in the end.
“Okay, then, we’re off to the lake,” he said. “But we’d better hurry; that storm is coming over the mountains.”
The sun was still shining brightly when they got to the dock that stuck out into the middle of the lake, so he got out the fishing poles he’d carried with them. “Are you up for a little fishing?” he asked.
Molly’s brow wrinkled, but then she shook it off. “Okay, but you’ll have to show me what to do,” she said.
He handed her a pole. “Just watch me and do what I do,” he said.
A few minutes later, she was standing next to him on the dock, a worm twirling on the hook, the look of distaste still on her face. “You could have at least put the worm on for me,” she said.
“If you think that was bad, you’d better hope you don’t catch a fish,” Adam teased. “You clean what you catch.”
Molly’s eyes got big, and she made a face. “Then I’m not fishing,” she said.
“I suppose I could make an exception this one time,” he said. “I’ll clean anything you catch, but you have to watch.”
“Uhhh,” Molly stuck her tongue out. “Okay, fine. Now how do I throw this thing out there?”
Adam couldn’t help but laugh this time. “You don’t throw it; you cast it,” he said, lifting his pole in the air and expertly sending the bait flying out into the lake.
It landed with a small plop, then disappeared under the water. “Okay, your turn,” he said, grinning at Molly.
Molly lifted her arm and tried to imitate his motions, but the tip of the pole hit the dock, and the worm went flying into the lake. “That is not as easy as you made it look,” she accused, scowling when he burst into laughter.
“I guess you’re going to need a lesson,” he said.
“You think?” she asked, clearly frustrated. “You must have known that I don’t know how to fish.”
“Okay, calm down,” he said, coming up behind her and wrapping his arms around her. “Let’s try this a few times without the bait.”
She was stiff in his arms for a second, her breath coming out in short gasps, but then she relaxed. His face was buried in her neck and she smelled sweet and spicy all at the same time, and his body began to respond to her. Careful not to let her feel just how aroused he was, he pulled her arm back and held it there for a second.
“It’s all in the wrist,” he whispered in her ear, and he felt her shiver. “When you bring your arm forward, you have to flick your wrist.”
He brought her arm forward, then pulled it back again. “Did you feel it?” he whispered, his mouth only inches from her ear. “Let’s do it again.”
She gasped but let him help her cast the fishing pole again, so pliant in his arms, he knew he could do anything he wanted. But he took a deep breath and straightened up, “Okay, try
it by yourself,” he said, reluctantly stepping back.
Molly looked back at him, her chest rising and falling, her eyes full of desire, and his fragile restraint shattered. The fishing pole clattered to the dock when he pulled her into his arms and covered her mouth with his in a kiss that ignited the passion between them instantly. She melted in his arms, a sigh of pleasure escaping through her parted lips, and he couldn’t resist sliding his tongue inside to taste her sweetness.
Her arms slid around his neck and he pulled her closer, relishing the feeling of her breasts pressed up against his chest. Above them, the skies darkened, but neither noticed as the passion that had been brewing between them for days finally broke free. As the kiss deepened, Molly’s tongue teasing his, he let his hands roam over her back and around to her plump breasts. Beyond realizing what he was doing, he cupped one and ran his thumb over her taut nipple, making her gasp and tremble in his arms.
Emboldened by her response, he slid his hand up under her shirt and cupped her breast again, teasing the nipple with his thumb and finger through the lacy fabric of her bra. Molly’s breath was coming in short gasps, and he broke the kiss, nibbling on her neck, making her shiver with pleasure. Around them, the storm was building, the wind creating white peaks on the water of the lake, but they were oblivious to anything but the passion between them.
But mother nature had other plans, and with a giant crack of lightning, she reminded them of where they were. Molly pulled back with a small scream, then stood staring at him, her chest rising and falling, her lips swollen with his kisses. All he could think of for a second was sweeping her up in his arms and carrying her to his bed, but the splatter of cold rain brought him back to reality.
***Molly***
Molly was frozen in place, the lightning long forgotten, when she looked into Adam’s eyes and saw the raw desire in them. Her already pounding heart began to beat even harder, and the throbbing deep inside turned into thrill of anticipation, but the splatter of cold rain around them cooled her thoughts. In only a few seconds, the storm was on them, the rain and wind making it nearly impossible to hear Adam.
“Run for the cabin; I’ll get the poles,” he screamed at her over the storm.
She headed for the cabin, the pounding rain soaking her almost instantly, and made it to the porch only a few seconds before Adam. Frozen and shivering, she stood dripping onto the porch, afraid to go inside and make a mess. “We’re dripping wet,” she said through chattering teeth. “We’ll get everything wet if we go inside now.”
“I think the floors can handle it,” he said, shoving her inside. “But if it will make you feel better, you can take your wet clothes off here at the front door.”
Even as cold as she was, a stab of warmth shot through her, but she shook her head. “Nice try,” she said, looking around at the mess she was making on the floor. “I’d better go change.”
“Fine, do things the hard way,” he said, grinning at her.
But the grin disappeared when she didn’t smile back. “Adam,” she said, her teeth chattering, “at the lake...that...I mean...”
“Go take a hot shower and get changed, and then we’ll talk,” he said. “I’ll start a fire in the living room.”
Molly felt bad, she knew he was only teasing, but that kiss at the lake had scared her, had felt too much like she was jumping into something she wasn’t ready for. Something was holding her back; it might be just as simple as the fact that while her body remembered him, her mind didn’t. Or it could be something worse, a little voice in the back of her head reminded her, all the little inconsistencies she’d noticed popping into her head.
But what she was thinking was crazy, so she pushed it from her mind. “I won’t be gone long,” she said. “You still owe me a question.”
When she came into the living room a little later, freshly showered and warmed up, she found a roaring fire and the rain still falling outside the window. She could hear Adam banging around in the kitchen and thought about going to find him, but sank onto the couch in front of the fireplace instead. It was warm in front of the fire, and she closed her eyes, enjoying the musical sound of the flames consuming the wood, but it wasn’t long before she drifted off to sleep.
She woke later to the sound of the rain still pattering on the roof, and Adam stirring the fire, a new log in his hand. “Mmm, how long have I been asleep?” she asked, sitting up and noticing she was covered with a soft afghan.
“About an hour,” he said, looking over his shoulder at her. “You were out when I came back in from the kitchen.”
She watched him throw the new log on the fire and adjust it just right so that it burst into flames, lighting up the room. “It was so warm laying here, I guess I just drifted off.”
“It’s been a long day. I shouldn’t have taken you fishing, not when I knew that the storm was coming,” Adam said, settling down at the end of the couch. “I guess that wasn’t the only thing I shouldn’t have done either.”
Molly was silent for a long time; she couldn’t be upset with him for kissing her, not when she’d wanted him to, but she couldn’t keep driving herself crazy wondering. “You still owe me a question,” she said, sitting up a little more on the couch and pulling the afghan around her.
Adam looked a bit shocked, but nodded his head. “Yeah, that’s true, I do.”
“Then I want to know how we met and fell in love,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Adam studied her, the light of the fire dancing in his eyes, and for a second she thought she saw a look of panic appear in them, but it was gone so fast, she couldn’t be sure. “I knew you would ask me that eventually,” he finally said. “But I’ve decided not to answer that question, at least not now.”
Molly was instantly suspicious. “Why not?” she demanded, the little doubts that had been nagging her springing to life.
Adam held up his hand. “I have a good reason,” he said, but she felt like he was stalling. “Just give me a minute to put my thoughts together.”
She waited impatiently for his excuse, wondering if she had made a mistake coming up there with a man she didn’t know. Finally, he took a deep breath and turned to face her. “The truth is I don’t want you falling in love with the memory of what we were,” he said. “I want you to fall in love with me again, and I want to fall in love with you again.”
“You don’t love me?” she asked. “Did you ever love me?”
He shook his head. “That’s not what I meant,” he said. “Molly, don’t you see, we need to start over, learn to love each other now, not try to rekindle a love of the past.”
Molly thought about the pictures on the bedroom walls at the farm and how uncomfortable they made her feel and nodded. “I guess I can understand that,” she said, her suspicions melting away, replaced by a warm feeling deep inside her that she recognized as hope.
Chapter Nine
***Adam***
Adam hadn’t meant to tell Molly the truth, had been ready with a long story about how they met and fell in love, but when he opened his mouth, the words wouldn’t come out. Now, he was glad he’d been honest, well, mostly honest with her, and from the look in her eyes, it had been the right choice. But he also knew that he had to stop pushing her, no matter how difficult it was going to be.
“How about this,” he said. “I’ll stop kissing you until you tell me you're ready.”
He was pleased to see the disappointment that flashed across Molly’s face, but she recovered quickly. “That sounds fair,” she said, but he could tell that he’d hurt her.
“Just so you know,” he said, waiting to finish until she looked over at him, “it’s not because I don’t want to; if I had my way, I’d be carrying you back to the bedroom right now.”
Molly gasped, and her cheeks turned pink, but she didn’t look away from him. “I’ll...remember that,” she said, licking her lips, killing him just a little.
“For example, I want to kiss you right now, but instead, I’ll
answer a different question,” he said, getting up from the couch and going to fire.
He heard her sigh as he poked the fire, then finally ask, “Do I have any family, parents or brothers and sisters?”
After putting another log on the fire, he went back over to the couch and sat down. “Your parents were killed in an accident when you were just a baby,” he said, pausing to let that sink in. “Your grandmother raised you until you were twelve, when she passed away. After that, you jumped from foster home to foster home.”
“Where was I born?” she asked, a thoughtful look on her face that scared him. “I feel like it was the city.”
He nodded. “New York,” he said. “As far as I know, you never left the city until you met me.”
Relieved that it was going so well, he silently thanked Michael and Vincent for the information they’d dug up. “Did I go to college? I must have if I was working as an accountant,” she said, still thoughtful. “I feel like I did.”
“You did, but it took you a while to get your degree. You worked full time to help support your first husband, who was in medical school,” he said, watching her face carefully.
“I was married before?” she asked, her eyes wide with shock.
“You married Toby right out of high school,” he said. “I think you wanted someone who belonged to you, and he was there.”
“What happened?” she asked, her voice small.
“You found out he was cheating on you, that he had been from the very beginning,” Adam said. “He was only using you to pay the bills; he’d been planning on leaving you as soon as he finished his residency.”
Molly held up her hand. “I don’t want to hear any more,” she said. “That’s enough to tell me that I’m all alone in the world.”
“But you’re not, Molly; you have me. The story doesn’t end there, remember?” he asked. “And we still have an entire lifetime ahead of us.”
Dragon Savior (Guardian Dragons 0f Prospect Falls Book 1) Page 5
