Never Too Late (19 page)

Running a quick hand through his damp hair, he turned away from the wardrobe. Molly knew the rules. She’d agreed to a no-strings-attached relationship. But she wanted more. He’d sensed it last night. They always wanted more. In time though she’d see it was better this way. The infatuation always fizzled out. Perhaps it was just as well she’d left this morning. Now he just had to keep a cool lid on his relentless need for her.

* * *

Molly came off the phone with the last of Martin’s clients who needed juggling and sat back in her office chair with a sigh of relief.

She switched off the computer. Clearing Martin’s calendar had taken a little over two hours, and she wasn’t planning on staying at the office if he wasn’t coming back today. Better to get back to Barrowdene and see if Nan needed help with anything before the builders arrived. 

There was also the undeniable thrill of seeing Jake again. She shook her head as the mere thought of him had her body reacting, her nipples pebbling as desire snaked through her. He’d looked so peaceful in his sleep this morning, and she’d had to fight the urge to reach out and stroke the light beard covering his jaw and run her fingers over his sculpted lips. Instead, she’d torn herself from his side and escaped back to the cottage.

But had it really been an escape? Doubt twisted her stomach into knots. She’d given herself to him completely last night, and he’d made it clear her love was unwanted. She had nothing more to give. But what if now that he’d had his fill, he was bored with her, and the end came for them sooner than she was ready for?

The front door opened and slammed, jarring her from her thoughts. And jumping to her feet, she raced out into the hallway.

“Where’s Martin?” Belinda Littleton had the look of someone about to explode with terrific violence.

Molly frowned. “In London?” Hadn’t Martin told his wife? Her last run-in with the woman had been unbearable. She’d have to keep her cool this time.

“Then why isn’t he answering his phone? He didn’t come home last night, and I have been calling and calling. I know he’s not in London.” Belinda approached her, looking like an Armani-clad harpy, a murderous scowl on her face. “He’s hiding in Appleby somewhere and you know where.”

Molly stopped herself from taking a step back, and stared at Belinda as if the woman had grown two heads. But then she remembered. Martin had said home was the last place he’d go, but surely Belinda must know more than Molly about what trouble Martin was in. Maybe if they worked together, they could figure out a solution for him. “I don’t think he’s hiding, Belinda. He said he’d do the right thing. I think he just needs time. Perhaps if you told me what—”

“The right thing? You little slut! I suppose the right thing is him shacking up with you. Well, let me tell you. I’ll not make it easy. If he dares leave me, I’ll take him for every penny he’s got, and then we’ll see how much he’s worth to a dirty money-grubber like you.”

Molly gaped. The woman was certifiable. “What on earth are you talking about?”

A snarl twisted Belinda’s features and she leaned forward, almost in Molly’s face. “Don’t play innocent with me. I called your grandmother last night and she said you weren’t home. You were with him, weren’t you?”

“That’s none of your business!” Molly’s cheeks flamed hot. “I could have been anywhere last night, with anyone.”

“Oh yes, you’ve a whole orbit of men trapped in your little game, haven’t you? You’ve still not taken your claws out of poor Brian, and don’t think people don’t see your pathetic attempts to flaunt everything in front of Jake Hennessy. But Martin, being the idiot he is, has jumped all in, hasn’t he? What did he promise you? A house? A car? Marriage?” She smirked. “But unfortunately for the two of you, I hold all the cards.”

“Out!” Molly shouted. She stalked past Belinda and yanked open the door. “Get out! I want you out. Now!” Her narrowed stare was pure disgust as fury burned through her. Enough rage filled her that she was sure she could pick the taller woman up and bodily throw her through the door.

Belinda laughed. “Oh, don’t worry, dear. You’re talking to someone who’s played this game much better than you could ever hope to. Martin may not be as street smart as men like Jake Hennessy, but even he’ll eventually see you for the whore you are. Just used goods to be thrown away after a few rolls in the hay.”

“I don’t know where Martin is,” Molly said through gritted teeth. “But if I did, I would do everything in my power to make sure he doesn’t return to an old hag like you.”

Just then Sophie bounced up the steps outside and came to a sudden halt at the threshold, the smile on her face disappearing as she looked from Molly to Belinda and back again. “I’m sorry. Should I return later?”

“No, Sophie, it’s fine. Belinda was just leaving.” Molly gave the older woman a pointed look.

Belinda strutted to the door. “Tell Martin, I’ll be waiting for him when he chooses to return to his senses.”

Stepping aside, Sophie let Belinda pass, and then waited until she was out of earshot before turning wide-eyes on Molly. “What was that all about?”

Molly groaned. Her legs had turned to jelly, and stumbling back into her office, she collapsed in her chair. “God, that woman is toxic.” She buried her face in her hands. “Give me a moment. I’ll be all right.”

She heard Sophie sit down. And a soothing hand came to rest on her back. She glanced up with a wry look. “Don’t be shocked, but apparently, I’m having a raging affair with Martin.”

Sophie goggled. “Are you?”

They stared at each other and burst out laughing.

“No. No. And no!” Molly yelped, wiping tears from her eyes. “Oh, I don’t even know why this is so funny.”

“It’s the shock, I expect,” Sophie said with a grin. “Don’t worry. It’ll wear off.”

Bit by bit, the laughter died down and Molly sat back, drained and eerily calm. “Thanks, Sophie. You’re my knight in shining armour. You got here just in time to save me from booting out that horrendous dragon.”

“Wow, I’d have been tardier if I’d known. It would have been funny watching Belinda tumble down the steps.”

They dissolved into laughter again.

“I’d have probably lost my job,” Molly said in between chuckles. “But it would have been so worth it.” She sighed and rubbed a hand across her brow. “Come to think of it, I probably will lose my job now.”

Sophie cupped Molly’s hand in hers. “Does Martin know about this?”

“He’s not even here! I don’t know where he is or when he’ll be back. Belinda doesn’t either, but she thinks I’ve got him stashed away under my bed.”

“What you need is an outing. Something to take your mind off all this rubbish. Remember, we were planning on going to Halstead today?”

Molly groaned. “No, anything but that. Abby will be there, and I really can’t face another of the three musketeers today.”

“Who’s the third?”

“Brian.”

“Ooh, they do all go well together, don’t they?”

“Yes, and anyway, I was planning on going home since Martin’s not here.” Molly stood and stretched. “I think a whole lot of peace and quiet is just what the doctor ordered.”

“Come on then, d’Artagnan. I’ll walk you home. That way I can protect all the big bad dragons out there from you.”

* * *

Molly folded a bed sheet and placed it on top of the tall pile in the airing cupboard in Barrowdene’s basement utility room. Beside her, the washing machine swooshed and whooshed like a mini jet engine, blocking out all other sounds in the little square room.

She’d spent the past hour changing bed linen. Jake’s bedroom had had her blushing furiously at the memories of last night, and she’d quickly moved on to strip the unused bed sheets from the other bedrooms marked for redecoration. Francine had always preferred every bed in Barrowdene to be fully made, even though no one actually slept in them. It gave the illusion of a comfortable home, hiding the reality of the empty shell it really was.

Rubbing stray lint from her blue-flowered blouse and comfy jeans, she picked up the last clean sheet in the basket and folded it. There would be a new family in Barrowdene soon. The thought stung, but logic insisted it was better that way. The house deserved love. Deserved to have its soul restored, even if for her it meant a life without Barrowdene and a life without Jake.

She hugged the folded sheet to her chest, remembering Belinda’s vitriol. She wasn’t going to kid herself that she meant more to Jake, just used goods to be thrown away after a few rolls in the hay. Truth hurt and she’d avoided searching him out when she’d returned early from the office. 

But she ached to be with him even now. Her heart and body craved him. When would the ache go? When would she stop needing him?

Stretching up on her toes, she placed the sheet on top of the teetering pile in the cupboard. Strong male hands clasped the exposed skin at her waist where her blouse had ridden up.

“Careful,” Jake murmured in her ear. “You’ll bring the whole thing down on you.”

With a gasp, she spun around in his hands. He snaked one arm around her and crushed her to him, at the same time reaching up with his other hand to straighten the precarious pile of sheets. Then he swooped down and captured her mouth in a hard kiss. 

She kissed him back like she would never get enough of him, her tongue dancing against his as she strained closer and dug her fingers into his hair, clasping him to her. 

Bunching the cotton of her blouse in both hands, he tugged impatiently and with a dull rip the thin material parted and the buttons scattered. He pushed it off her shoulders, letting it fall to the floor before moving to kiss a trail across her cheek and down her neck. Then with a quick flick, he had her bra unclasped and off. 

She reached for the hem of his t-shirt, but stopped on a moan as his lips found one hard pebbled nipple and closed around it. He swirled his tongue around the tip, kneading her other breast with his hand, and she arched towards him as molten desire curled down her spine and wetness gathered between her thighs.

“Jake…” she murmured.

Releasing her, he stepped back and pulled his t-shirt over his head revealing his hard, muscular chest. He let the t-shirt fall and gathered her in his arms again. “I haven’t been able to keep my mind off you all morning, Molly.” 

His mouth captured hers again and she spread her fingers over the hard, sculpted contours of his chest, loving the way his muscles bunched beneath her touch. Then his hands slipped down to her waist, and lower still to the waistband of her jeans and he unbuttoned them. She squirmed against him, helping him as he quickly pushed her jeans down along with her lace panties.

Breaking the kiss, he caught hold of her hips and raised her slightly so she could step out of her jeans and panties. The washing machine whirred on beside them, and lifting her up, he placed her on the motionless dryer. 

Jake stared at her sitting there naked, a self-conscious flush to her cheeks, a beautiful angel, ready for him. With a groan, he pressed his lips to hers once more and then parting her legs, bent down and buried his face in her sweet sex. She was soaking wet for him. God, he’d missed the taste of her. Holding her thighs apart with both hands, he flicked his tongue across her entrance, licking all the way up to her clit. She writhed and moaned against him, curling her fingers into his hair, almost painfully tight as he circled the sensitive bud with the tip of his tongue. He licked back to her entrance and plunged his tongue deep inside her, at the same time moving a hand so he could thumb her clit with ever increasing pressure. 

Releasing his hair, she leaned back, her breathing ragged as she braced herself with both hands on the dryer. Her tight channel clenched and unclenched against his thrusting tongue. She was close, and he wanted her over the edge. He replaced his thumb on her clit with his lips, and thrust two thick fingers into her, pumping them in and out as he sucked down hard on her sensitized bud.

“Oh god, Jake!”

She tensed against him and he softly nipped her clit, and with a scream that was drowned out by the washing machine, she tumbled into a shuddering climax, and he grasped her thighs and held her locked against his mouth. 

He gently licked up the last drops of her orgasm as her breathing evened, then he straightened. 

She gazed up at him with such absolute amazement in her beautiful blue-white eyes that he grinned at her. With a laugh, she reached up and throwing her arms around his neck pulled him down for her kiss. He went willingly, plunging his tongue into her mouth and playing with her before pulling back.

“Like how you taste?” he murmured against her soft lips. “It drives me crazy, you know that?”

She pressed a kiss to his lips. “You don’t taste so bad yourself.” She slid off the dryer and reached for the button of his jeans.

He let her unbutton him and free his heavy erection from the prison of its clothing. And with a quick glance up at him, she got down on her knees and stroked his thick shaft with a gentle hand. He grunted, wrapping a hand around the base of his erection as it strained against her touch. She wet her lips and wrapped them around the head of his shaft, her tongue swirling over the tip, licking up the precum dripping there, and with a groan he pushed further into her willing mouth, the fingers of one hand tangling in her curls. She caressed his rigid flesh with her tongue, igniting fireworks in him.

“Fuck… Molly!”

And closing his eyes, he thrust into her mouth as he held her head steady. A few more thrusts and he was ready to lose it. Gritting his teeth, he pulled back, ringing the base of his straining shaft with his hand, trying to bring the clamour of need under control.

“Jake?” She glanced up at him with questioning eyes.

“I won’t be able to stop it,” he growled.

She smiled and reached for him again. “I don’t want you to.”

He sucked in a breath as she circled the crown of his erection with a fingertip and then opening her mouth, she wrapped her lips around him once more. This time he didn’t try to stop her. He rocked his hips slowly as she sucked and licked him to a frenzy.

“That’s it,” he murmured, pushing himself into her mouth. “That’s it, sweetheart, take it deeper.”