Breathless Secrets (Rose Garden Apartments Book 3) Read online

  She laughed, shaking her head. “Trust you? I don’t even know you.” She leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table slightly. “I don’t even know what you stand for, politically.”

  The waiter arrived with the wine. He went through the whole tasting and approval process and, once James had approved of the vintage, he poured for both of them, then placed the bottle in a bucket of ice and drifted away.

  “You were saying?” she lifted her eyebrows pointedly.

  He chuckled at her tenacity, but nodded towards her untouched glass of wine. “Try your wine.”

  Molly sipped the wine, and her eyes widened. It was smooth and buttery, very elegant with a wisp of apples towards the end. Very carefully, she set the glass back down on the table, propping her chin up on the palm of her hand and smiled at him. “It’s extraordinary. So, tell me about your political platform. What do you stand for?”

  He shook his head. “I don’t want to discuss politics tonight. How about if you tell me more about yourself?”

  She shrugged. “I already told you the most important stuff. There isn’t a whole lot more to tell. I grew up with a mother and father, who are still alive and live in Virginia. My older sister is a teacher. My younger brother is in graduate school, studying to become an engineer of some sort. I think he’s into computers, but its boring stuff and I tease him about his boring job. He teases me about my bleeding heart liberalism, and we both torment my older sister, who wants to save every child that enters her classroom. My father is an accountant for a big firm and my mother is an emergency room nurse. We grew up with just enough. We took vacations to the beach or camping in the mountains. We had raucous Christmases and Thanksgivings. My sister has summers off, and sometimes comes to stay with me and volunteers at the Center for a few weeks, helping the kids catch up on their schoolwork. She couldn’t visit this year though, because she’s pregnant and is going to deliver my first niece or nephew in about two months.” She shrugged. “So, there really isn’t much about me that is extraordinary.”

  “Other than the fact that you’ve sacrificed your life to help others,” he countered.

  “First of all, I don’t consider my job a sacrifice. I think of it as an honor. I love my job. I love the kids I work with. I see more potential in each of their smiling faces than I do when I read the news about the politicians and the partisanship that has gripped the country lately.” She eyed him pointedly and he lifted his glass of wine to her before taking a sip. “Besides, the same could be said about you, James. I’m guessing from what you’ve said so far that you’re not one of those avaricious, my-way-or-rot-in-hell politicians. What made you decide to go into politics?”

  “Let me just say that my mother wasn’t really into raising kids, so I respect the fact that you built a program around protecting the kids at the center.”

  “Thank you. But most of the neighborhood families are really good and kind parents. They just need a bit of extra help before and after school, as well as during the summer months.”

  “It’s the same in wealthy neighborhoods,” he pointed out. “I used to attend community center programs like that, until my mother married the wealthiest man in the town.”

  “You did?” she asked, surprised and somehow charmed.

  “Absolutely. My mother worked as a school aide, unable to afford college. She used to drop me off at a neighbor’s house when she could afford it. And when she couldn’t, I’d get to go to the library where there were programs for the desperately poor kids like me.”

  “Is that why you decided to run for political office? Because you grew up in poverty?”

  He shook his head, but the look in his eyes was almost amused. “Oh, my poverty only lasted until my mother found a husband who could support her in the way in which she wanted to become accustomed. At least, that was the first man she married.”

  Molly cringed. “She divorced him? What was that like?”

  He laughed. “I was already shuffled off to boarding school by the time my mother found husband number two. That guy was wealthier than the first and far more generous. She was happier with him. At least for a while.”

  He said it all so casually, as if his mother’s mercenary approach to marriage was normal. But she suspected that it had impacted his life in very profound ways! “Sounds like you had a pretty horrible childhood.”

  James shook his head. “Not really. I was away most of the time and, because I was good at sports as well as academics, I fit in pretty well. I wasn’t bullied and my teachers liked me. So, it was relatively easy.”

  Molly tilted her head, fascinated. “So…what made you decide to go into politics?” she asked again.

  He took a long sip of his wine before answering. “I read too many articles about corrupt politicians and decided that I wanted to change it.”

  Her eyes narrowed slightly, not sure she completely believed him. No one was that good of a person, she knew. “So, you sacrificed your time and gave up a lucrative law practice, in order to challenge a senator that has held his seat for decades and never lost an election?”

  James chuckled softly at her disbelieving tone. “Well, Bernard Von Deuch is a jackass. A pompous one! I’m not overly fond of politicians normally, but after that FBI investigation last year into Von Deuch’s political manipulations, I decided that something had to be done to stop him. He’s one of the worst. And for the record, I didn’t give up my law practice. I still own the practice and I have about fifty employees.” He winked at her. “Never fear, my law practice is thriving.”

  She stopped with her wine glass midway to her mouth. “You still own the practice?”

  “Yes. And I still have to cope with issues that can’t be handled by my management team. Plus, I’ve invested in several properties and a couple other investment deals over the years. A financial manager handles those. When I win the election, then they will be handled in a blind trust until I’m out of office.”

  Molly blinked, stunned by his business acumen as well as his integrity. “That’s…very different.”

  “Not really. Most politicians step away from their financial obligations, just to ensure that there’s no conflict of interest. It wouldn’t be right if, for example, a senator on the Finance Committee heard about a drug trial or a new SEC proposal. They could turn around and adjust their investments ahead of any sort of decision. Those kinds of moves could be extraordinarily profitable, but they aren’t legal or fair.”

  “Do most politicians put their investments into a blind trust then?”

  “Most do. Not all.”

  “And yours are?”

  “They will be when I win the senate seat,” he told her.

  She grinned, not missing the “when” in that statement. “That’s good of you.”

  “I want to be better than just ‘good’, though,” he explained, leaning forward as his passion sparkled in his eyes. They went on to debate abortion issues, religion in government, immigration policy, financial tax reform, and other hot-button issues. Having grown up in a family that regularly debated politics, Molly was well informed on many issues. But James had in depth, complex suggestions for many of those problems that were beyond what she’d considered. It was wonderful to debate with him. She didn’t agree with him on every issue. But she definitely respected his perspectives and admired his desire to change things.

  By the time the waiter arrived with the dessert menu, Molly felt as if she’d gone through an entire civics course. And while she knew that her meal had been delicious, she honestly couldn’t remember what she’d eaten. She’d been too consumed by the conversation.

  “You’re interesting to debate, James,” she said as he led her out of the restaurant and back into the waiting limousine. “I suspect that we’re on opposite political parties, but I thank you for not beating me down and telling me that I’m wrong.”

  He held the door open for her. “I think that most people are pretty close on most issues. If they’d bother to talk with each other
in a logical way, actually discuss the issues instead of just stubbornly asserting they are right and the other side was wrong, they’d find that they might agree more than disagree.” As they moved outside, the sultry night air enveloped them. “Thank you for a wonderful dinner.”

  He knew she was trying to get out of the networking plans for the night. “Ah, but we’re not done yet, are we?” Before she could object, he continued. “It won’t be nearly as bad as you think. Tonight is more laid back than you probably expect, mostly friends or close acquaintances. In fact, a friend of mine is playing in the band tonight. I’ll introduce you if he gets a break.”

  She let her eyes move over his body, taking in his beautiful tuxedo that had to have been custom made. “You know a guy who plays in a band?” she teased.

  He growled, wrapping a playful arm around her waist. “Yes, I know a guy who plays in a band. I know a lot of people, brat.”

  Molly laughed, feeling relaxed in his presence despite the intense, almost throbbing sense of awareness. It was even more profound when he held her like this as he led her back to the limo.

  She beamed up at him, thinking he was even more attractive than ever. “I’d love to see this band and meet your friends, James,” she said, then spontaneously lifted up onto her toes to kiss him. It was just a brief touch of their lips, and before he could respond, she ducked into the back of the limousine. But he followed after her quickly, his glare clear that the kiss wasn’t nearly satisfying enough.

  Fortunately, they were less than a mile from the Willard Hotel, and at this time in the evening, traffic was light enough that the driver could work his way through the normally congested streets with relative ease.

  Molly suspected that James might have done a bit more as retribution for her kiss if he’d had more time.

  As it was, there were several other couples walking towards the entrance to the hotel and James was greeted with enthusiastic calls as soon as the crowd recognized him.

  For the next two hours, while the excellent jazz band played in the background, James introduced her to several people that she’d only known from the television or the society pages of the news. Some of them were more down to earth than she would have expected. Just normal people that were out to enjoy an evening of good music and dancing. Some of the others were obviously out to network with a vengeance. Those were the people that rushed over to James, needing “just a word” with him on a variety of issues. Molly watched, impressed at how adeptly James handled the people who spoke to him, even pulling her into the conversation.

  What’s more, he never asked anyone to donate anything to the Community Center. But her presence there allowed him to talk about the activities that she’d organized when those activities related to something they mentioned. Which allowed those people interested to ask more questions. Many of the questioners added that they wanted to contribute to her efforts.

  By the time midnight rolled around, Molly’s eyes felt as if they were permanently in an “I Can’t Believe This” expression. She estimated that she’d more than doubled her annual budget. She wasn’t naive enough to believe that everyone would follow through on their offers of donations. But if even half of the people sent the sums they’d committed, she could fund several new programs, and expand several others!

  “You must be proud of yourself,” James commented as he pulled her onto the dance floor.

  “I’m not…” she shook her head, pressing her lips tightly together as she contemplated tonight. Finally, she looked up into his eyes. “Thank you for bringing me here tonight, James,” she whispered. She opened her mouth to say more, but the words just wouldn’t form.

  He pulled her closer. “You’re welcome,” he murmured in her ear. “You’re a natural, Molly. The way you worked the conversation was perfect. You never asked for donations. You simply talked about the activities. You let the listener offer their support. It’s exactly what I would have suggested, if I’d thought that you needed advice.”

  Molly laughed, leaning her head against his shoulder. “Oh, I’ve never done anything like this before!” she told him. “Louise and Nora, the two ladies you met in the kitchen the last time you visited, also write most of our grant proposals. Every once in a while, one of the parents has an idea and is able to write the proposal as well for something they’d like to start at the center. But besides those grants and our limited state funding, our donations are from local business owners. Unfortunately, most of them don’t have much to spare. The remainder of our budget comes from local governments, who are hoping that we’ll just keep the neighborhood kids from joining the local gangs or forming a new one.”

  “That sounds a bit cynical.”

  She nodded. “Yes, I guess I’ve become a bit skeptical of most people’s motives.” She grinned up at him. “But tonight was nice. It was nice watching you talk to people, as well as hearing from others who believe in what I’m doing.”

  He pulled her closer. “Most people believe in good causes, Molly. They just don’t know how to help.”

  She tilted her head quizzically. “Is that what you believe?” she asked.

  He appeared startled by her question. “Yes. You don’t?”

  She smiled, but the expression was a bit melancholy. “I think that a lot of people are too protective of their own families to see how a community can pull together to make a neighborhood better. It’s difficult though. Especially in this area, where people regularly work fifty or sixty hours a week.”

  “Yes, exhaustion tends to happen when there is intense competition for jobs and recognition.” He let his hands drift along her waist. “But I don’t want to talk about other people right now,” he told her. “I want to discuss that too-brief kiss you gave me after dinner.”

  Molly’s heart began to pound. “The kiss?”

  “Yes,” he nodded. “The kiss. What did you think would happen after we left tonight?” he asked, his hands moving higher on her back.

  Molly abruptly noticed that they were dancing in the shadows. Shivering, she thought about putting a bit of space between their bodies. But the hard planes of his chest against her felt…wonderful. James was…addictive.

  She grinned saucily up at him. “I guess I thought that you would take me to my apartment, shake my hand in a gentlemanly fashion, and we’d go our separate ways.”

  He chuckled as he nuzzled her throat. “Is that really what you want to happen?” he asked.

  Molly opened her mouth to tell him yes, but the word stuck. Especially when he discovered a sensitive spot right against the edge of her neck and collarbone, sending sparks of awareness through her!

  “Molly?” he whispered, his breath hot against her neck. “What do you want to happen tonight?”

  Oh, how she wished she could tell him that she had an early morning appointment tomorrow. But she didn’t. And for some reason, she couldn’t even offer a polite lie. Not to him. Not tonight.

  “I…don’t know.”

  “Invite me to stay the night, Molly.”

  “The whole night?” she gasped, shocked by his suggestion as well as his hands that had smoothed down along her back, hovering just above her bottom. All night, she’d wanted to feel his hands on her. But now that they were there, she wasn’t sure she could handle this level of intimacy. Not from James. He was too…everything!

  “The whole night,” he whispered back, nipping at her earlobe, then kissing it.

  “Yes!” she whispered, pressing herself more intimately against his hips.

  He shifted, moving to the music a bit longer, but he lifted his head, staring down at her. The heat in his eyes, the expression that whispered that his need was just as intense, was there in his gaze. But also in his body. How had a simple dinner together turned into such a sensuous journey?

  “Let’s get out of here,” he growled. He pulled back slowly, almost as if he didn’t want to stop the physical contact any more than she did.

  Taking her hand, he moved along the side of the room
, trying to avoid anybody who might recognize him and stop him for yet another conversation.

  The driver was waiting outside of the hotel, so it was easy to duck into the back, the darkness intensifying the sense of intimacy. And as soon as the door closed and the driver pulled away from the curb, Molly was in his arms. This time, there was no hesitation!

  She wasn’t aware that she was straddling his hips, but James was. He pulled her hips closer, grinding the heat of her core against his rock hard erection. He wanted nothing between them. Nothing but air. And even that wasn’t necessary. Only Molly and her beautiful skin and her gorgeous legs wrapped around his waist as she whispered his name. He wanted to taste every inch of her, feel her heart against his, pounding as they explored each other.

  “Come with me,” he groaned. He didn’t wait for the driver to get out of the limousine and open the door. He needed Molly now. He grabbed her purse before he picked her up and set her carefully on the parking lot ground. He grabbed her hand and practically dragged her up the sidewalk. He should have told his driver that he was finished for the night, but James didn’t have the mental capacity for words. He needed to get Molly alone and naked! Now!

  He pulled her into an elevator, barely taking the time to press a button before he pulled her back into his arms.

  “This is crazy,” she whispered as her hands moved higher, her delicate fingers sliding up his neck before diving into his hair.

  “If you don’t want this, Molly, tell me now.” He cupped her face and held still.

  He watched the heat in her eyes and felt her body press against his. But James didn’t move. Not until she was sure. The slow curl of her lips gave him the answer he wanted.

  “Damn, you’re beautiful!” he murmured against her lips, ending in a kiss that made her tingle right down to her toes. This wasn’t a slow, passionate kiss. No, the time for those kisses was long gone. Right now, he was fighting the need to press her back against the wall of the elevator, rip off her panties and thrust into her heat. The only thing stopping him was the fact that they were in an elevator and he wanted a bed. A bed where he could make love to her and watch her expressions as he entered her slowly, inch by inch.