Breathless Secrets (Rose Garden Apartments Book 3) Read online

“Fair enough,” he replied with another soft chuckle. “I’ll pick you up at six. We’ll go to dinner first and I’ll get you liquored up, so that you won’t feel too self-conscious surrounded by strangers.”

  “Are you going to liquor me up to get me into bed with you?”

  “Absolutely not,” he told her flatly, as all laughter vanished from his tone. “When we make love for the first time, I want you completely sober and able to make the decisions on your own. I want all of your reactions to be completely free of any sort of alcohol-induced courage. I want complete honesty between us.” He paused and Molly felt as if she could picture him making love to her just from his words. “I’ll pick you up at six o’clock, Molly,” he promised softly, then hung up.

  Molly hugged the phone to her chest, gnawing her lower lip as she closed her eyes, trying desperately not to imagine James Morgan making love to her.

  “Stop it!” she whispered harshly and forced her feet to move. But Molly wasn’t sure where she was going anymore. Every interaction with that man made her lose focus! Hadn’t she vowed to stop seeing him? And yet, she’d gone a mere two days without talking to him. She’d only been able to avoid him for two days! Nor could she ignore the crazy, electrified way he made her feel. What was it about James Morgan that made her feel so…crazy?!

  Unexpectedly, Molly’s lips quirked slightly. “Jerk,” she muttered, and then made her way towards her bedroom, refusing to let herself think about James. Or Mr. Morgan, as she was trying to think of him.

  James ended the call and leaned all the way back in his leather chair, his feet propped up on his desk as he stared out at the Virginia skyline. The campaign was going extremely well so far, but that was mostly because he was running for Senate against a weak candidate. A year ago, no one would have ever thought that Bernard Von Deuch’s Senate seat would be vulnerable. Everyone assumed that Bernard would have to retire in order for the Senate seat to change hands.

  But the FBI investigation last year had revealed his corruption. Surprisingly, a lot of people didn’t believe that Von Duech had done anything wrong, that the investigation into his dealings was just a plot to ruin his reputation. James knew that the man should have been arrested, tried, and put in prison for the things that he’d done! Bernard Von Deuch was one of the most corrupt politicians around, with more than forty years of disparaging the law under his belt. Every time James thought about him, he became infuriated all over again. He was so sick of politicians breaking the law, flaunting their power, and ignoring the needs of their constituents.

  And then he’d met Molly. She was happiness and innocence fused with a heavy dose of worldly knowledge and an understanding of how bad things really are…as well as an unfailing hope for how good the world could become if we put a little effort into making things better.

  She was also physically beautiful, with those huge, brown eyes of hers, surrounded by the long, blond locks. He tapped a pen against his lips, wondering what she’d look like all dressed up. So far, he’d only seen her in jeans and tee shirts or that pretty sundress. Would she dress up for Friday night? Or would she defiantly wear something more casual?

  He couldn’t wait to find out!

  Chapter 5

  James could barely breathe!

  He stared at Molly in the crimson cocktail dress that hugged every delectable curve of her surprisingly lush figure. Her breasts, always hidden by a loose tee shirt, were larger than he’d realized! And her waist was teeny! And damn, where had she been hiding those legs?!

  He felt…almost betrayed. As if she’d been hiding her true self behind those baggy clothes. His gaze traveled from her breasts to her waist to her full, round hips and lower, still stunned by her long, sexy legs. He wasn’t a leg man, preferring breasts to all of the other delectable parts of a woman’s anatomy. But her legs were…hot! She should never wear jeans! Heck, she should never wear pants ever again!

  When he finally returned his gaze to hers, he was able to take in her curls piled haphazardly on her head instead of firmly restrained by a band. The way those dark curls framed her blue eyes and high cheekbones made him want to let loose a stream of curse words. He’d known Molly was beautiful, but this woman standing in front of him was…!

  “Say something, damn it!” she snapped, her hands fisted at her sides.

  He suddenly realized that she was nervous. Not about him, but about her appearance?

  “Molly, I knew you were beautiful before, but…you’re a showstopper in that dress!” he whispered. “If I wasn’t afraid of messing up your lipstick, I’d kiss you right now!”

  She laughed, and he noticed how her shoulders relaxed. As if his appreciation was the only thing that really mattered just now.

  “Thank you!” she whispered with heart-felt sincerity, leaning into him.

  He shook his head. “Molly, don’t…!” he began, but for the first time in his life, words failed him. “I can’t…!” James stepped into her doorway and Molly quickly stepped out of his way. But that wasn’t what he needed. James needed… to touch her. To hold her! He needed to know that she was real and not a mirage. So, instead of allowing her to back away, he gently pulled her into his arms.

  Startled by how intoxicating she felt, he pressed his lips to hers. It was a soft, sultry kiss, and he pulled back almost immediately. As he straightened, she stared up at him, her lips parted in stunned surprise, which made her look even more appealing.

  “Why did you do that?” she whispered, her pink tongue darting out to lick her lips.

  James shrugged, wondering if Molly realized that she was still clinging to him. Just a quick brush of his lips and Molly was clutching the collar of his tuxedo jacket. His body instantly hardened, wondering what she would do if he kissed her properly.

  Fireworks, he thought with a mental grin.

  “We’d better get out of here,” he growled. Stepping back, he took her hand in his, barely giving her time to grab her purse and keys.

  “Where did you get that dress?” he asked, waiting impatiently for her to finish locking the door. As she checked to make sure that the lock engaged, his gaze moved down to her butt, his palms itching to move closer, wanting to touch her, to feel her soft curves.

  Tonight was going to be hell!

  James grinned, thinking that hell wasn’t such a bad place if Molly was his tormentor!

  “The dress?” she asked, glancing down at herself as if she had to remind herself of what she was wearing. When she looked up, she shrugged. “I found it in the back of my closet. It was…” she grimaced as she glanced at him. “As expected, the dress needed a bit of ironing.”

  “Well, it looks fabulous on you, Molly,” he told her. “The results of your efforts are stunning!”

  Molly smiled briefly up at James before she realized he was holding open the back door to a waiting limousine. Staring at the luxurious vehicle, Molly hesitated, even stepping back, as if the vehicle might turn into a venomous serpent at any moment.

  “Was this really necessary?” she asked, peering up and down the street, worried that someone might see them.

  “Absolutely!” he told her, stepping closer and taking her hand. Very gently, he lifted it to his lips, pressing a gentle kiss to the back of her hand. “If I’m going to get you drunk enough to talk about yourself, then we need someone to drive us.” He moved slightly closer, whispering conspiratorially as he said, “Wouldn’t do for the next Senator from Virginia to be arrested for driving under the influence, now would it?”

  She laughed, shaking her head. “As if you’d ever do something so stupid.” With that, she stepped into the back and scooted over as he settled himself beside her. She was overwhelmed by his size all over again. His hard thigh pressed against hers and she shifted, giving him more room.

  He sighed and unbuttoned his jacket. “No, I definitely don’t approve of anyone drinking and driving. In fact, I’d propose to stiffen the penalties for drunk driving. It’s such a stupid thing to do, and easily preventable. Of al
l the things in this country that we can fix, I’m guessing that drunk driving would be right up there at the top of the list. Of course, I’d also propose more addiction resources, to help people recover.”

  She blinked at him, surprised by his vehemence. “What are other issues you’d fight for in office?”

  James shrugged, as if his political platform wasn’t a huge deal. But Molly saw the heat in his eyes and she suspected that James Morgan was incredibly passionate about his stands on many issues.

  “Oh, I think that teenage pregnancy is another issue. Actually, I think we should figure out a way to avoid all unplanned pregnancies, don’t you think?”

  Molly tilted her head, suddenly tense and alert. “Are you against abortion?”

  He shrugged. “Oh no, not at all, but I am against unplanned pregnancies,” he explained. “I mean, pregnancy is one of those issues that science should have figured out pretty well, isn’t it?”

  She couldn’t hide her surprise. “Well, I suppose, but…”

  He shook his head. “Think about it,” he interrupted. “There isn’t a person in the world who really wants to get pregnant without support, is there?”

  “Well, maybe if…”

  He fidgeted in the soft leather seat, his idealism shining through his eyes. “What if we made contraception easily accessible to everyone?” he offered. “Including men?”

  For a moment, she stared, then chuckled. “There really isn’t any viable contraception for men, beyond condoms.”

  He cringed. “Actually, there are several male contraception options that are becoming available. They don’t have the funding for trials though. And men have this weird aversion to anything that might chemically hinder their ability to procreate. So, any kind of male contraception would require a lot of mental, social, and societal changes within the male population. But that’s another side of this issue. Shouldn’t we, somehow, make men just as responsible for the children they’ve brought into this world as women?”

  Molly blinked. “Yes, but…”

  “But men don’t have absolute control over their procreation,” he continued. “Women and men should both have the right to control their futures. And a viable, affordable, easily accessible means of contraception would help everyone.”

  She smiled, charmed by James’ passion. “You’re an idealist!” she blurted, both surprised and delighted by this side of him.

  Did he actually blush? The oh-so-confident James Morgan, Lawyer for the Underdog…blushed? The red tinge behind his crisp, white collar spoke volumes and Molly beamed, mesmerized by his embarrassment over his idealistic nature.

  “I wouldn’t have thought such a hard core guy would be an idealist.”

  He recovered quickly, lifting a dark eyebrow. “Don’t even try it, Molly,” he reprimanded. “You’re one of the most liberal of the liberals. Your entire job, your life, and your world revolve around the same idealistic hope that you can fix the world.”

  She laughed, her fascination increasing. “James, you’re deflecting.”

  James shifted subtly. “You are challenging me to show you my cave-man persona again. Don’t tangle with me. You’ll regret it.”

  Molly leaned forward, her eyes sparkling with challenge. “I’m starting to doubt that you’re the mean dude that you try to portray to the world.”

  He leaned forward again, their breath mingling warmly. He lived life on “Full Gusto” mode. “Oh, I’m the tough guy, all right,” he murmured. “You’re just too soft to realize it.”

  Molly laughed again, but this time, she wasn’t as intimidated by him as she might have been during their last two dates. Nor was she as nervous about this wild attraction she felt. Somehow, that blush, combined with his idealism, melted her resistance.

  Sort of. He was still a scary guy.

  “I’m not so sure anymore,” she whispered.

  He kissed her. Molly wasn’t sure if she eliminated that last centimeter of space between them, or if he did. But the result was an explosion of sensation as his mouth moved over hers, his tongue teasing her lips until she opened for him. Did she just moan? Or was that him?

  Molly reached up, cupping his neck as he pulled her closer. She was startled to discover she was on his lap, staring into each other’s eyes in stunned silence.

  “You have lipstick on your…” she stopped when he pulled a pristine handkerchief out of his breast pocket, blotting the scarlet away. “Better,” she whispered, then wished she could kiss him again.

  He handed her the hankie and Molly scooted off of his lap to grab her purse so that she could repair her makeup. “We can’t keep doing that,” she sighed, as she pulled her lipstick out of her purse.

  “I agree,” he said, shifting slightly. “At least until the end of the evening.”

  Molly didn’t respond. Because in the depths of her soul, where issues really counted, she wanted to throw caution to the wind and kiss him again. She wanted to ignore tonight’s fundraising event so that she could just keep kissing him until she didn’t need oxygen any longer.

  Instead, Molly shifted over to the other side of the limousine, ignoring his chuckle at her evasion as she repaired her lipstick.

  “Where are we going?” she asked, tucking her lipstick back into her clutch purse.

  “Well, first we’re going to dinner at a small restaurant in Alexandria. It’s one of my favorites,” he explained. “The head chef is a Culinary Institute of America alumni and has the most extraordinary way of mixing flavors and scents.” He shook his head. “He’s the type of guy I never would have thought would go into the restaurant industry, but he loves it. He loves cooking and creating, and his biggest thrill comes from watching others enjoy his creations.”

  “He sounds like an amazing guy. What’s the name of the restaurant?”

  “Madeira’s,” he told her, then blinked when Molly gasped.

  “We can’t eat there!” she protested, pushing back against the soft leather seat.

  “We can’t?” he asked, eyeing her curiously.

  “No!”

  He waited, but when he understood that she wasn’t going to continue, he prompted, “Why not?”

  Her mouth fell open ever so slightly, stunned that he didn’t already know. “Because it is way too expensive.”

  His eyebrows lifted at that. “Too expensive and…?”

  “I can’t let you spend that much money on one meal.”

  He stared, waiting for her to continue. “Are you thinking that a meal at Madeira’s will…impoverish me?” he asked, still struggling to understand.

  “Yes!” she whispered, glancing furtively at the driver. Thankfully, the partition between them and the driver’s area was closed, so he couldn’t eavesdrop.

  He laughed, taking her hand and placing it on his hard thigh. Molly was painfully conscious of his hard muscles underneath her hand, as well as the silky material of his slacks.

  “Molly, you have no idea how much I’m worth, do you?”

  She shrugged, feeling silly and hating it. “I know you’re a great lawyer, James, but…” she stopped when his gaze turned heated. “What?”

  “I love it when you say my name,” he growled, then lifted her onto his lap again.

  “No!” she ordered, pushing at his shoulders. Immediately, he froze, but she could feel his hands on her hips. “I just fixed my lipstick, James. Do not mess it up again.”

  His gaze dropped to her lips and his fingers tightened, digging into her hips. “No?”

  Molly was unaware of her tongue darting out, licking her lips as if she were staring at a luscious dessert. “No,” she replied, her voice husky. “You can’t.”

  “Not yet,” he agreed easily, his hand sliding up her back.

  Molly groaned, her eyes closing as heat rushed through her. “You have to stop, James,” she ordered, sliding off of his lap and scooting to the other side of the limousine, out of arm’s reach.

  “That’s definitely not going to happen,” he declared. Bu
t he didn’t pull her back to his side. Probably because the driver pulled up outside of the exclusive restaurant. Molly stepped out of the limo, James followed, sliding his arm around her waist as he led her into the legendary restaurant. She’d heard so much about this place, but hadn’t ever imagined actually eating here.

  When they were seated at one of the best tables, the waiter handed her a menu. Without prices! She’d been prepared to order the cheapest entrée on the menu, but how could she do so that when she didn’t know the prices?

  “You’re trying to find something that isn’t too pricy, aren’t you?” he teased, setting his menu down beside his plate.

  Molly rolled her eyes. “Yes! This restaurant is making me uncomfortable,” she admitted.

  “How about if I order for you?” he offered. “That way, you won’t be blamed for bankrupting me.”

  She laughed, putting her menu down as well and leaning back in her chair. “Fine.”

  “Chicken, fish or steak?” he asked.

  “Chicken,” she selected, assuming that poultry was the least expensive of those three choices.

  The waiter arrived and James ordered the “poulet” something for her and a steak something or other for himself. He also ordered a bottle of white wine and a couple other things that she didn’t understand.

  “What are we eating?” she asked, leaning forward once the waiter had disappeared.

  He lifted his water glass and took a long sip. “You’re having chicken in a white wine sauce with wild mushrooms and basil.”

  Molly’s mouth immediately started watering. “Yum! And you?”

  “Steak in a sherry cream sauce and some sort of potatoes on the side.”

  “Nice,” she nodded. “And the wine?”

  “Just a white wine. Nothing special.”

  Molly’s eyes narrowed on him. “I doubt that. But even if you told me the wine’s name, I wouldn’t know what it meant. It could be a pretentious ten dollar bottle of wine or a nine hundred dollar bottle that is overpriced and wonderfully smooth.”

  He laughed softly. “You’re right, so you’ll just have to enjoy the meal and trust me.”