Cursed by Love (20 page)

And he knew he couldn’t use her to get
the money from the Sleeping Lotus. After all the big talk about wooing her into
letting him do as he pleased with it, his conscience wouldn’t let him. His
heart
wouldn’t let him.

If she chose to sell her piece with his
at some point, he sure wouldn’t refuse, but he wouldn’t persuade her into it
before she was ready. She thought it had the power to help her parents, and
maybe, it did. Maybe just believing something was enough to make it happen.

She sat up beside him, pressing against
his side and wrapping her arms around him. Plastered firmly against him, she
nibbled his ear. He slid his hands down her sides to her hips and back up.
Pushing the thin straps off her shoulders, one of them broke.

“It’s all right,” she whispered,
laughing. “Don’t stop.”

He tugged the top of her dress down. The
moonlight caressed and highlighted her plump, delicious breasts, creating an
enticing show of light and shadow. As he drank in the sight of her, she looked
at him expectantly, impatiently, then pulled his head forward.

“This?” he said, licking first one and
then the other dusky nipple ripe for attention.

“God, yes.” Her breath became ragged as
he pulled one of them into his mouth and sucked. They fell back again with
Molly undoing his shirt. She thrust her hands inside, letting her fingernails
skim the muscles that tensed beneath her touch.

The full skirt of her dress had eased up
her thighs and floated around them. The slick wetness of her panties teased the
erection pressing hard against his zipper. He pushed his hips up against her,
and she angled back, increasing the pressure. Smiling wickedly, she slid
herself back and forth across him.

Tongue, tongue!
He had to have her tongue in his mouth
again, or his tongue in her mouth again, it didn’t matter. When he swooped down
for more mouth-and-tongue contact, his thumbs moved up to circle and rub
against nipples that beaded as hard as diamonds.

His hand slipped under her skirt and up
her thighs. When his fingers dipped inside her moist heat, her muscles tensed
around him. Molly moaned into his mouth. She rubbed her hand against the length
of his erection. She was close, but not close enough to give him what he
wanted. She fumbled to undo his belt and pants then pushed her hand inside. Her
fingers encircled him, and he came close to losing it right then. Sucking his
tongue harder, she strained against him, determined and desperate to get what
she wanted. His fingers against her slick folds matched the rhythm of their
mouths.

A door slammed nearby. A dog barked.

Damn it to freaking hell!
Gabe went perfectly still, but Molly
continued to squirm and pump him with her hand. Which pushed him to the limit
of his control.

Footsteps sounded on the path that
surrounded the playground. Dog tags jingled, and a dog growled. “Quiet down,
Bongo,” a male voice ordered in the darkness. “It’s just kids playing.”

 “
Don’t
stop. If you stop,”
Molly said into his ear, “I may have to kill you.”

“But—the dog—” He gasped. “The man.”

“You heard him. We’re just kids playing
in the park.” She bit his earlobe. She hooked her leg over his hip, and leaned
her head back, grinding her heat against him. “Hurry, before he sees us.”

The hair on Gabe’s neck stood up, his
spine tingled, and heat spread through him at the idea of someone seeing them.
Watching them. God, just the thought of it made him harder.

“Don’t stop,” Molly urged. “Don’t stop.
Oh, God, don’t stop.”

He couldn’t if he wanted to. Moving his
fingers again, he pushed into her, pulling back out to rub against her swollen
flesh.

Her low moan increased in volume to
something higher and louder and unmistakably carnal. Her grip and rhythm on his
cock increased. He grit his teeth, hanging on just a little longer, letting the
powerful need build until he felt her inner muscles tensing around him. “Now?”
he said into her ear. “Now!”

He took her mouth with his, swallowing
her chant of “Yes! Yes, yes!”

With his fingers on her, in her, he felt
her orgasm ripple through every incredible inch of her from fingertips to toes
and all the hot and enchanting places in between. He exploded when she did, his
climax pulsing hot and hard into her hand.

She followed five beats of stunned
silence with equally stunned laughter, a sound of sheer joy and satisfaction
that made Gabe swell with pride for having caused that reaction.

As her laughter ebbed away, all the
tension drained out of her and she relaxed, collapsing against him.

Gabe held Molly and rubbed her back,
smiling while she floated back to earth.

Steps crunched against gravel in the
shadows. A pudgy guy in a robe and slippers came into view, slowing as he took
in the scene. Sniffing, the schnauzer strained against the leash.

“See, Bongo? Just kids playing.” His
eyes met Gabe’s over Molly’s head. “I forgot how much fun the playground can
be.”

“Me, too,” Gabe admitted, moving to make
sure all of her private parts were covered from prying eyes.

She hid her face in Gabe’s neck until
the man and dog moved on. “Way better than a frisky rabbit,” he thought he
heard her mumble.

“A frisky what?” he asked, as she lifted
her head.

“Never mind.” She maneuvered out from
under him with a nip on his ear. “You’re a good kisser.”

Before she got too far away, he pulled
her back down for a swift possessive kiss. “You, too.”

She showed him where to snap her strap
back into place, and his hands lingered on the spot, reluctant to stop touching
her. He dropped another kiss on her shoulder.

He located his jacket, and they headed
toward her house. She attempted idle conversation at first, but he was lost in
thoughts that turned in a vicious circle. He wanted her. He couldn’t have her.
He wanted her. He couldn’t have her.

After several silent moments, she tapped
him on the shoulder. “Tag.” She danced a few steps away from him, “You’re it.”

“Come on, Molly.” He reached for her,
but she remained an arm’s length away. He checked his watch as she ducked
behind a tree. “I don’t have time to play. I need to get back to the office and
put in a couple more hours on the Quigley program.”

Circling around, she sneaked up behind
him, put her arms around his waist and rested her forehead between his shoulder
blades. She sighed. “I participate in so many games of tag,
hide‘n‘seek
and Red Rover that I forget that most adults don't.” She stood on tiptoe to
whisper into his ear, “You need to take more time to play. It’s fun.”

Tempted, but not convinced, he shook his
head. “I will, later. After the Quigley project.” After he had everyone secure.
After he had his life back. He couldn’t begin to compute how long that would
take. And to think just yesterday, he hadn’t minded the uncertainty so much.
Well, okay, he’d minded it then, too, but now it weighed him down like an
anchor.

Her breath tickled his neck as she
sighed. “Okay, but you’re still ‘it’.”

“Agreed.”

When they reached the corner, she
stepped off the curb to cross the street, but Gabe pulled her back in the nick
of time. A familiar-looking gray car careened by them, going too fast for a
quiet residential neighborhood, even if it was after midnight.

“Idiot!” He glared at the car and
driver, gripping her elbow before letting her start off again. “You all right?”

“Fine, but that car looked familiar.”

He lifted an eyebrow. “One of your
neighbors?”

“I don’t think so.”

He tried to focus and bring the car into
his memory. “That might be the car that was sitting outside my house this
morning when I went out for my run.”

“It reminds me of a car that was
following me the day I went to your office.” She wrinkled her nose in distaste.
“But that doesn’t make sense, does it?”

“There must be thousands of cars like
that.” Gabe wasn’t buying it, but no better theory sprang to mind.

They continued on in silence while Gabe
considered the car incident. He assumed Molly was doing the same, until she looked
up at him with a shy smile.

“I can’t believe we did that.” She
tipped her head toward the park. “On the merry-go-round.”

Gabe couldn’t believe how she got him to
do all kinds of things he’d never done before. “Do you have a thing about
public displays?” He had to admit that the possibility of getting caught added
an extra dimension of excitement.

“I never did before. That was fun, but
the next time things heat up, I’m willing to do it in private.”

He lost his breath for a moment and his
cock came to attention. “Next time?”

“Now?” She toyed with his fingers,
draped over her shoulder. “Tonight? My place? Oh, no, I forgot. You have to get
back to work, don’t you?”

“Maybe work can wait.” He took her hand.
“Molly, I’ve been thinking.”

She looked at him speculatively. “Ok-
aay
.”

“I don’t want to sell the Sleeping Lotus
after all.”

That stopped her in her tracks. Her
mouth dropped open and she gaped at him. “But you need the money.”

“I do, but we’ll manage without it.
Somehow. You make your decision and let me know what it is. Whenever you’re
ready. I don’t want it to come between you and me.” He motioned his hand back
and forth. “Whatever’s happening here.”

“Wow, are you sure?”

Was he sure? Not even close. Not about
anything. “Once Quigley pays up, we’ll be fine.” He pulled her along toward her
house. “Now what were you saying about privacy? Come on, I’ll race you.”

As they turned up her driveway, she dug
her keys from her purse and abruptly stooped down. “Would you look at that? A
new lucky penny.” She held out her palm so he could see the shiny coin. “I’ve
been looking everywhere for one, and here I find one in my own front yard.”

“Must be your lucky day.” Gabe still
didn’t believe his fortunes could be affected by random mumbo-jumbo, but if she
wanted to think so...

“And yours.” Mischief danced in her
oh-so-blue-eyes, as she pushed the door open. Then stopped.

Behind her, he could see a tornado had
hit her living room. Primary colors and disarray littered the space like the
guts of a gigantic kaleidoscope.

“Oh my God!” Molly stepped into the room
and turned in circles, trying to take in everything at once. Furniture stood
upside down. Drawers hung open. Papers and books were tossed about. The
curtains lay in a heap on the hardwood. Even the daisies were dumped in a
puddle on the floor. Shaking her head, she turned to look at Gabe in confusion.
“Who would do this?”

“Somebody who wanted something you’ve
got.” Sliding his arm around her shoulders, he barely contained the anger
building inside him that someone would invade Molly’s personal space in such a
violent and irreverent way.

Although fury pulsed through him, she
hadn’t worked through the shock to get to her feelings of violation yet. But it
would hit her before long. As he watched and waited, the look of loss and
confusion disappeared from her face and tension reverberated through her body.
She broke away from him and sped toward the kitchen.

“No, wait.” Gabe hooked his hand around
her arm and held on. “We should call the police first. Whoever did this could still
be here.”

“You call.” Molly handed him her phone,
but her eyes filled with tears. “I have to find Houdini.”

“Who?” Gabe activated the phone with one
hand, keeping a firm grip on Molly with the other.

“My kitten, Houdini. He’s shy and hid
when you came in earlier. Surely no one would hurt him, but I don’t see him.”
She cupped her mouth and hollered. “Houdini!”

“Does he usually come when he’s called?”
He punched in 911.

“No, but no one’s ever broken into my
house before either. There’s a first time for everything. Here, kitty, kitty,
kitty.”

Papers rustled in the corner, and a
curious white face peeked out of a box. The kitten
beelined
toward Molly. She scooped him up, pressing kisses between his ears and stroking
his fur. Gabe reported the break-in to the emergency operator, who urged him to
stay out of the house and remain on the line until officers arrived.

“What do you think happened?” Molly
cuddled the cat as they retreated to the front porch. “Why would someone break
into my house? I don’t see anything missing. The television’s still there. That
expensive car’s still parked in the driveway. What could they have wanted?”

The Sleeping Lotus immediately popped
into his mind, but apparently Molly hadn’t made the connection yet. “Do you have
any valuables?”

“No.” Her brow furrowed while her
fingers stoked Houdini. “I’m a school teacher. What little jewelry I have is in
the jewelry box on my dresser. Nothing would have had to be ransacked to find
it. I don’t own anything anyone could possibly want.”

“Think about it, Molly.” He wanted to
protect her from the realization, but she’d have to get to it sooner or later.
He watched the light dawn in her eyes.

Her face paled and then turned green.
Slipping an arm around her, he held on, afraid she’d take a face plant or lose
her dinner. “The Sleeping Lotus.”

“Was it here in the house?” He tried to
keep the worry out of his voice.

Although he could still feel her
shaking, she took a deep breath and pulled herself together. He enclosed her in
a big hug anyway, succumbing to the need to comfort her.

“No, I left it with Mom yesterday. She
said she’d put it in her safety deposit box.”

“Has she taken it to the bank yet?
Where’s the key?”

“I’m not sure if she took it yet or not.
She and Dad have keys to the box, and so do I. Here’s mine.” She held up her
key ring, still clutched in her hand from when she unlocked the door. “Gabe!”
She straightened her back and her eyes went wide. “That car! You don’t think…?”

“Could be.” Relief sluiced through him
to know the Lotus was safe, and so were they. He and Molly might have narrowly
missed interrupting a burglary in progress when they decided to walk to the
park instead of going into the house earlier. Just then a hopeful Disney tune
erupted in his pocket, but it filled him with dread. “Damn. I’d better get
that. I told Granddad and Sierra not to call unless there was death or
destruction, so let’s see which one it is.” He handed Molly’s phone back to
her, continuing to hold her close while he answered his.

He listened a moment and winced. “Can it
wait until tomorrow? He what? Are you sure?”

“See for yourself,” Sierra said in his
ear.

He moved farther down the porch to keep
Molly from seeing the picture of Contract Communications empty office space on
his phone. Sierra never lied, but it still took visual evidence to prove to him
that someone—probably Harold, damn him—had indeed cleaned them out of their
computers, desks, plants, chairs, and all.

Shaking his head at the news, he clamped
down on the panic clawing at his stomach. “That’s a new trick, even for Harold,
but there’s nothing we can do about it now.” He stuck his head inside the door
to Molly’s house and scanned the living room. No telling how the rest of the
house looked. “I’ll be there as soon as I can, but it won’t be for a while.
Who’s there with you?  All right then, if he leaves, you leave too.”

He looked at the mess in Molly’s living
room, and thought of the exact opposite situation that had occurred at his
offices tonight. Were the two incidents related somehow?

Well, so much for Molly’s lucky-penny
theory. The only kind of luck it had brought them tonight had been bad.

All bad.

Wearing a yellow T-shirt and
shamrock-themed flannel boxers the next morning, Molly stumbled into her mom’s
kitchen for the day’s first cup of coffee. Houdini rested in the crook of her
arm. The coffeepot, full and hot, was a sure sign Mom had gotten an early start
on the day. Penny sniffed her bowls until Molly fetched some food and refilled
her water.

She had awakened feeling antsy and
confused about the break-in. And about Gabe. It had been late by the time the
police finished dusting for prints and asking questions.

After they had left, Gabe helped with
the cleanup, but she was disappointed that the activities were so far less
exciting than those they had planned. And he kept looking at his watch, like he
couldn’t wait to get out of there. When she told him she intended to sleep at
home, he’d insisted it wouldn’t be safe for her to stay alone.