of Molly moving behind him, of her silence, Dare petted the dogs and waited.
She touched his shoulder. “Dare?” She sounded horribly uncertain and more than a little embarrassed.
Dare faced her, bent to kiss the bridge of her nose and asked, “Ready to go?”
She held the quilt in her arms. “Yes, but … what about you?”
He put an arm around her. No reason to tell her that he’d intended to suffer in silence. Not now. “I’m fine. Tired, actually.” He urged her along the dock toward the house. “Time to call it a night.”
“But I wouldn’t mind—”
He had to interrupt her. If she offered herself again, no way in hell would he be able to resist. “My girls aren’t used to overnight guests.” Circling them with every third step, the dogs showed their excitement. Dare laughed. “Definitely not used to women sharing my bed. And they have no respect for privacy.”
Molly went silent, and it bothered Dare. What did she think? Was she feeling rejected?
Bending to her ear, he said, “The lake amplifies everything, even a whisper, remember? Whatever we say, Chris will hear.”
“Oh, my God.” She stopped dead in her tracks. “That’s what he meant …”
“Don’t worry about it.” Dare’s arm around her back propelled her along the path. “But we might want to hold all conversation until we’re inside, okay?”
She looked toward Chris’s cabin. He’d turned the lights back out, but Dare was willing to bet that Chris was inside laughing his ass off.
Molly put her palms to her cheeks. “Was I … loud?”
She spoke so low that Dare barely heard the question. He hugged her into his side. “You were, are, beautiful, and Chris is just a dumbass. Don’t give him another thought.”
He opened the back door to the house, and they both stepped inside. Dark except for a low light over the sink, it was even more difficult to see in here. Dare drew her up against his body and put his chin to the top of her head. “Are you hungry?”
She shook her head.
“Still cold?”
“I’m fine.”
Of course. She was always fine. “Then let’s turn in, okay? Together.”
She perked up, until Dare shook his head. “To sleep, Molly. I like having you next to me, but we’re not going to have sex tonight.” He used the side of his fist under her chin to lift her face. “Not because I don’t want you. You know I do.” He nudged his erection against her and saw her lips part.
So damned sweet and honest.
Dare opened his hand on her face and cradled her cheek. He couldn’t resist kissing her one more time. She leaned into him, languid and warm and ready.
When he lifted his head, her eyes slowly opened, and as she refocused she looked down at Tai and Sargie sitting beside him. The dogs started thumping their tails.
“No,” Dare said, reading her thoughts. “Not because of the dogs, either.” He loved his girls, but if they were the only thing keeping him from her, he’d put them on the other side of his bedroom door for an hour or so and not feel even a smidge of guilt about it.
Her exasperation sounded in a small huff. “Okay, then why?”
Might as well be honest with her—to a degree. “Because I think we need to go slow. I think you need to go slow.”
She licked her lips, bit them and cleared her throat. “You told me to tell you when I was ready.”
Yeah, he had, but he hadn’t expected her to be ready so quickly.
“Soon,” he promised her. He led her out of the kitchen and toward his room. “There are a few more things we need to clear up first.”
He could feel her consternation—and maybe a little annoyance.
“Like what?”
Like whether or not her father was enough of a monster to arrange for her kidnapping, and the abuse she’d suffered. But he knew from experience that bedtime was no time to dwell on upsetting possibilities. Whether Molly felt “fine” right now or not, she still had a lot of adjustment ahead of her.
“Let’s save that big discussion for tomorrow, all right?” Relieving her of the quilt, Dare eyed her clothes and asked, “Are you sleeping in all that?”
“No.” She stripped down to the T-shirt and panties and crawled into his bed.
Just like she belonged there. And maybe … maybe she did.
The dogs jumped up onto the bed after her, circled, found a spot and dropped. They, too, acted as though she’d always been a part of their lives.
As Dare went into the bathroom to wash up and brush his teeth, he thought of what he’d learned about her father. He saw again those incriminating photos and felt the animosity Bishop Alexander had revealed toward his oldest daughter.
After he’d finished up and returned to the bedroom, he found Molly resting on her side, her hands beneath her cheek, her eyes watchful as she took in his every step.
Tomorrow, on the way back to her apartment, Dare would tell her what he’d uncovered so far. He hoped like hell she was as strong as she seemed, because she’d need that strength to come to grips with reality.
“I’m cold,” Molly said. “Are you ready to come to bed?”
“Yeah.” Dare undressed down to his boxers and got in beside her. After he turned out the light, he automatically reached for her, and she automatically curled into his side.
If someone hadn’t tried to harm her, and if that someone wasn’t still a vital threat, life would be pretty damned sweet.
AFTER A REFRESHING sleep, Molly woke before dawn. Dare had one big arm around her waist, one leg trapping both of hers. His chest hair tickled her nose, and she loved it. He was always so warm, so secure.
But she’d awakened with a fabulous idea in her mind, and she needed to write. It amazed her that, with very little time for recovery, her muse was back in full force. But then, it had always been that way for her. Writing was her escape, her entertainment, her catharsis for whatever bothered her. Through storytelling, she could set aside worries and instead immerse herself in someone else’s problems—problems that she could and did fix.
Trying not to awaken Dare, Molly scooted out from under his hold. Right before she left the bed, his hand snagged her wrist.
“What’s wrong?”
Oh, crud. She hadn’t meant to disturb him. “Nothing,” she whispered. “Go back to sleep.”
Instead he sat up and looked at the clock, then ran a hand through his hair. “It’s
