LITMIR.BIZ

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cold?”

      “I’m fine.”

      Of course. She was always fine. “Then let’s turn in, okay? Together.”

      She perked up, until Dare shook his head. “To sleep, Molly. I like having you next to me, but we’re not going to have sex tonight.” He used the side of his fist under her chin to lift her face. “Not because I don’t want you. You know I do.” He nudged his erection against her and saw her lips part.

      So damned sweet and honest.

      Dare opened his hand on her face and cradled her cheek. He couldn’t resist kissing her one more time. She leaned into him, languid and warm and ready.

      When he lifted his head, her eyes slowly opened, and as she refocused she looked down at Tai and Sargie sitting beside him. The dogs started thumping their tails.

      “No,” Dare said, reading her thoughts. “Not because of the dogs, either.” He loved his girls, but if they were the only thing keeping him from her, he’d put them on the other side of his bedroom door for an hour or so and not feel even a smidge of guilt about it.

      Her exasperation sounded in a small huff. “Okay, then why?”

      Might as well be honest with her—to a degree. “Because I think we need to go slow. I think you need to go slow.”

      She licked her lips, bit them and cleared her throat. “You told me to tell you when I was ready.”

      Yeah, he had, but he hadn’t expected her to be ready so quickly.

      “Soon,” he promised her. He led her out of the kitchen and toward his room. “There are a few more things we need to clear up first.”

      He could feel her consternation—and maybe a little annoyance.

      “Like what?”

      Like whether or not her father was enough of a monster to arrange for her kidnapping, and the abuse she’d suffered. But he knew from experience that bedtime was no time to dwell on upsetting possibilities. Whether Molly felt “fine” right now or not, she still had a lot of adjustment ahead of her.

      “Let’s save that big discussion for tomorrow, all right?” Relieving her of the quilt, Dare eyed her clothes and asked, “Are you sleeping in all that?”

      “No.” She stripped down to the T-shirt and panties and crawled into his bed.

      Just like she belonged there. And maybe … maybe she did.

      The dogs jumped up onto the bed after her, circled, found a spot and dropped. They, too, acted as though she’d always been a part of their lives.

      As Dare went into the bathroom to wash up and brush his teeth, he thought of what he’d learned about her father. He saw again those incriminating photos and felt the animosity Bishop Alexander had revealed toward his oldest daughter.

      After he’d finished up and returned to the bedroom, he found Molly resting on her side, her hands beneath her cheek, her eyes watchful as she took in his every step.

      Tomorrow, on the way back to her apartment, Dare would tell her what he’d uncovered so far. He hoped like hell she was as strong as she seemed, because she’d need that strength to come to grips with reality.

      “I’m cold,” Molly said. “Are you ready to come to bed?”

      “Yeah.” Dare undressed down to his boxers and got in beside her. After he turned out the light, he automatically reached for her, and she automatically curled into his side.

      If someone hadn’t tried to harm her, and if that someone wasn’t still a vital threat, life would be pretty damned sweet.

      AFTER A REFRESHING sleep, Molly woke before dawn. Dare had one big arm around her waist, one leg trapping both of hers. His chest hair tickled her nose, and she loved it. He was always so warm, so secure.

      But she’d awakened with a fabulous idea in her mind, and she needed to write. It amazed her that, with very little time for recovery, her muse was back in full force. But then, it had always been that way for her. Writing was her escape, her entertainment, her catharsis for whatever bothered her. Through storytelling, she could set aside worries and instead immerse herself in someone else’s problems—problems that she could and did fix.

      Trying not to awaken Dare, Molly scooted out from under his hold. Right before she left the bed, his hand snagged her wrist.

      “What’s wrong?”

      Oh, crud. She hadn’t meant to disturb him. “Nothing,” she whispered. “Go back to sleep.”

      Instead he sat up and looked at the clock, then ran a hand through his hair. “It’s only five-thirty.”

      “I know.” Now feeling foolish and very conspicuous, Molly tried to explain. “I wrote a few pages yesterday. I sort of stopped at a good spot, and I wanted to get back to it.”

      “Where?”

      “Where … am I in my book?” No way was she going to start trying to synopsize for him.

      “No.” He scratched his chest. “Where did you write?”

      Why did that matter? Molly shrugged. “In the room you let me use. Upstairs.” Since she’d yet to sleep there, she couldn’t very well call it her room.

      In the dim, gray light, Molly watched him stretching. The bed shifted as he rolled to his feet. Then he walked off, and a second later the bathroom light came on. He pulled the door shut, but he wasn’t gone long.

      Molly heard the toilet flush, then heard water splash in the sink. When he returned, he left the door open so that the light spilled into the bedroom.

      God help her, but Dare looked delicious in the morning with his whiskers and his rumpled hair.

      And his body mostly bare.

      So much strength showed in his physique, without him being muscle-bound. Tall, strong, gorgeous … How was she supposed to resist that?

      He went to a drawer and pulled out sweats.

      Molly stopped staring and jumped out of the bed. That made the dogs attentive, too. “Dare, what are you doing?”

      “I’m usually up by six anyway.” He sat to pull on white socks and running shoes. “It’s a good time to jog with the dogs.”

      When they heard that, both dogs stood, ears perked, in preparation to following him.

      Glancing out the window, Molly saw the darkness. The whistling of wind sounded cold. And he’d still be sleeping if she hadn’t awakened him. “You’re going jogging now?”

      “Yeah.” He stood and pulled on a hooded sweatshirt. “I’ll wait for my coffee until I get back, but help yourself if you want it now. Otherwise, Chris will be over soon, and he’ll get it ready.”

      The dogs looked from Molly to Dare—and excitedly went to Dare.

      She trotted after all three of them as they started out of the room. “How long will you be gone?”

      “An hour or so. Maybe longer.” He turned, and she almost ran into him. Dare caught her shoulders. “After that, I’ll be downstairs working out for a little while.”

      Who crawled out of bed before dawn, ran and then worked out—without coffee? “You’re kidding.”

      He bent and kissed her hard and fast. Sargie barked, reminding them both that she had need of a grassy spot outside.

      “Take your time writing today. I don’t have any plans until the afternoon.” And with that, he turned and started down the hall.

      Molly stared after him. Plans? What plans did he have? And what did that have to do with her?

      Unless … he planned to take her home.

      The

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