Resisting Molly (6 page)

After that I kept my own room but slept in Jonathan’s bed. He snored a little on the nights when he was overly tired, but I didn’t mind. I’d wake up in the night snugly wrapped in the heat of his body and stare into the darkness while listening to that soft noise and a sense of deep peace would settle into my soul. There was no doubt in my mind that I was right where I belonged, and other than not having Brynn around I figured my life was pretty close to perfect. I tried not to think too much—I didn’t want to dwell on the future and where this thing between us was headed. Eventually we’d have to deal with all of the complicated parts, but just then it was all new and shiny and I wanted to enjoy every second of it as much as possible.

A group of doctors at the hospital traded off hosting a Halloween party every year for the staff, and this year it was Jonathan’s turn. Naturally. I offered to disappear for the night so he wouldn’t have to make any awkward explanations, but he wouldn’t hear of it. Instead he took us costume shopping and decked me out as a vampire girl. Vamp was absolutely right, at least—the costume hugged my body as though it had been sewn on and showed more leg and cleavage than anything in my closet, and from the look in Jonathan’s eyes when I tried it on I had a strong suspicion that I’d end up wearing it lots more nights than just Halloween. He made a pretty sexy mad doctor in an old-style button down lab coat, black rubber gloves, and a wild, white-haired wig that looked like Albert Einstein having a very bad hair day. I was certainly more than willing to let him do some experimenting on me after he peeled me out of my vampire outfit.

Halloween night I was so nervous I thought I was going to hurl. I had never spent any time around Jonathan’s friends and co-workers and I had no real idea what to expect, but I knew better than to believe that many of them were going to be thrilled with him sleeping with a girl his daughter’s age. Unless my back was against the wall I just wouldn’t explain our relationship; throwing it in their faces would only make problems for him at work and possibly even harm his medical reputation. At least that was what I told myself. In the back of my mind I was secretly afraid that they would all think the poor little girl who couldn’t even go away to college and whose mother was a gold-digging slut wasn’t good enough for Dr. Jonathan Sanders.
Just like her mother
.

Plastering on a bright smile I made the rounds through the packed house playing hostess, first with hors d’oeuvres trays and then topping off everyone’s drinks. As I moved around I tried to keep an unobtrusive eye on Jonathan. I was curious to see how he acted around these people since this was a facet of his life that I hadn’t had any part of yet. The fact that a number of them were hot, sexy nurses wearing costumes every bit as revealing as my own had nothing to do with it.
Not. One. Thing
.

It didn’t take me long to figure out that I had nothing to worry about, though. Every time I looked at him I found him looking back at me—he really didn’t seem to have eyes for anyone else—and I could feel the hunger in his gaze burning from across the room. That naked desire left me tingling from head to toe and inside I trembled with an achy wanting of my own. I was
so
going to pounce on him when the party ended.

Gradually I relaxed and even began to enjoy myself. The people I chatted with seemed nice enough, and I got in a little friendly small talk as I roamed around making sure everyone else was having a good time. I had just handed a glass of wine to a man dressed in solid black—leather boots, black silk cape, and wide-brimmed hat—when I noticed two older men approach Jonathan. He stiffened up just a little and I figured they were probably higher-ups from the hospital. Distracted, I missed the first words that the man I had given the drink said to me.

“I’m sorry?”

“I said that’s a really nice costume.”

“Oh.” I turned to face him and myself looking at a man with sandy blond hair and bright green eyes. He was cute—very cute—and much closer to my age than to Jonathan’s, and from the gleam in his eyes he was interested in a lot more than my costume. I decided to shoot him down fast and get it over with.

“And what are you supposed to be?” I asked coolly, taking in his black on black on black attire. “An emo pirate?”

A playful grin crept across his face. “I’m a vampire hunter. And I think I’ve found just what I was hunting for.”

I cocked my head. “Seriously? How many times have you used that line tonight?”

“Not more than five or six,” he replied, his grin never wavering. “I figure it’s bound to work eventually.”

Cute as he was, he was probably right. But he was barking up the wrong tree with me. “Well, good luck with that.”

Before I could turn away he stuck out a gloved hand. “Daniel Phillips.”

I should have known he wouldn’t give up that easily. I sighed and took his hand. “Molly Patterson.”

“Nice to meet you, Molly. How come I’ve never run into you before?”

“I guess I’m just not that lucky.”

Daniel snorted a laugh. “Not going to give me an inch, are you?”

“Nope. Sorry.”

“Somehow I don’t believe you are.”

I shook my head. “Not even a little bit.”

“I’m really surprised I haven’t met you before, though. Are you new here?”

“You could say that.”

“Hm. And what department do you work in? Maybe I can come by and take you for coffee sometime.”

“I don’t think that would be a very good idea.”

“Why not?” He grinned again. “Don’t think I can sweet-talk your supervisor into giving you a few minutes off for a cup of coffee?”

I caught Jonathan watching us from across the room and my heart gave a twinge. I needed to end this now. Daniel was cute, close to my own age, and seemed like a nice enough guy if a bit overconfident—and I didn’t feel even the tiniest spark of interest towards him. I certainly didn’t want Jonathan thinking he had any reason to be jealous.

“I don’t work at the hospital, and I need to go.”

“You don’t…” He trailed off in confusion. “But then why are you helping out Dr. Sanders with the party?”

The conversation had gone right where I’d hoped it wouldn’t. “Daniel, you really need to go find another vampire to hunt before you get yourself in over your head.”

Light dawned in his eyes. “You’re his daughter?” He laughed. “Is that what you’re worried about? No problem. I’m an expert at charming over-protective fathers.”

Oh, heck. I knew it had been too good to last. I sighed and met his eyes head on. “How are you at charming over-protective boyfriends?”

That took him back. “Boyfriend?”

“Yes.”

He stared at me, eyes round in disbelief, then gave a chuckle tinged with awe. “Wow. Way to go, Dr. Sanders.” A second later Daniel’s grin was replaced by a stricken look and he actually blushed. “Oh, crap. I’m sorry, Molly. I didn’t mean it that way.”

“Oh, yes you did.”

“Don’t be mad. I just meant he’s a really lucky guy.”

He did look genuinely sorry, so I took pity on him and patted his hand. “It’s okay. Don’t worry about it. But now would be a great time to go hit on the pretty brunette over there in the cape, if you get my drift.”

Green eyes flickered over towards Jonathan, who was watching us both with the measuring gaze of a tiger about to leap, and Daniel wilted so badly I thought he was going to shrink right down into his boots. “Gotcha. I’m just going to mosey that way, now. It really was nice to meet you, though, Molly.”

“You, too.”

I let out the breath I had been holding as he walked away and took a cautious look around. No one else had been close enough to overhear, and I hoped that Daniel wouldn’t spread my words around. To my surprise admitting that I was Jonathan’s girlfriend had been a lot easier than I had imagined, but I still wasn’t mentally prepared for it to be public knowledge. I just wasn’t ready for all the whispered gossip that I knew would inevitably follow. I gave one last look at Daniel’s retreating back and sighed again. Life would have been so much simpler if only Jonathan was his age.

I felt guilty the moment I thought it. Jonathan was perfect the way he was, and I didn’t want to change a thing about him. I’d deal with him being older, with people talking about us—about
me
—for the rest of my life if it meant that I got to spend it with him. As that thought sank in I froze and the party faded out around me.

The rest of my life? Oh, heck. That cinched it. I really had gone and fallen in love with the guy. Suddenly I felt an overwhelming urge to be near him, to feel his presence nearby even if I couldn’t have his arms around me, so despite my wariness of his two older companions I walked over and stood beside him with my drink tray.

“Can I get anyone a refill?”

Jonathan smiled and put a hand on my shoulder. “Guys, I’d like you to meet Molly. Molly, this is Dr. Rivera, our chief surgeon, and this is Dr. Vaughn, one of our anesthesiologists. As you can imagine he’s one of the most popular people in our hospital.”

Dr. Rivera, a grandfatherly-looking man with silvery gray hair, beamed at me. “So this is your daughter, Jonathan? I haven’t seen her since she was waist high. She’s certainly grown up into a beautiful young lady.”

A slow flush crept up my neck until I could feel my face glowing beet red.

Jonathan cleared his throat. “Molly’s not my daughter. She’s my—”

Daughter’s best friend? Roommate? Boarder?

“—girlfriend, Dr. Rivera.”

His hand moved from my shoulder to curl around my waist and I thought my heart was going to explode. I don’t know why but I didn’t expect him to admit it. I guess I thought somehow that he might be ashamed of me. I was just a smidge insecure about him being older, hotter, smarter, more sophisticated, more experienced at
everything
, and so on down a fairly lengthy list of my personal little self-doubts. Maybe it was silly, but that’s how I felt. When he claimed me as his girlfriend that way, though, it went a long way towards dispelling my doubts and replaced the heat of my blush with a warm, tingly glow.

Dr. Rivera blinked slowly, his gaze shifting from Jonathan to me and back to Jonathan again. “Really, Jonathan,” he sputtered, “this is just—“

“Wonderful,” Dr. Vaughn interjected smoothly. He smiled and winked at me out of view of Dr. Rivera. “We’ve been hoping for years that Jonathan would find someone who suited him, and it’s obvious from the way he looks at you that he finally has.”

Jonathan’s arm tightened around me in a comforting squeeze. “He most certainly has,” he agreed.

Before the conversation could go any further we were interrupted by Daniel the vampire hunter. “They’re ready for you to start judging the costume contest,” he announced, trying hard not to look at me.

Jonathan gave me another possessive squeeze then followed after Daniel and Dr. Rivera towards the den. Dr. Vaughn held back a moment, though, his pale blue eyes scrutinizing me closely. After a moment a faint smile touched his lips and he gave me a curt nod of approval.

“Take good care of him for us, Molly,” he said quietly. “He’s been very lonely for a very long time, but we noticed the difference in him the last couple of months at the hospital. You’re good for him; he’ll be good for you, too, if you let him.”