Page 22 of Rufus

Molly’s cheeks were flushed. “I’ve been keeping a wary eye on them for weeks! I thought they were drug buyers or sellers, at the very least! Maybe even Mafia, as they all wear dark suits!”

Ah.

“You dick! You absolute dick!” Her voice broke emotionally as she slapped his abs for a second time. “Some nights, I’ve been in fear for my life.” Tears began to fall down her cheeks.

Rufus easily caught hold of her wrists to stop her from hitting him again. “You’ve never told Mia about that. If you had, she would have told me or Darius.” He felt a chill down his spine imagining if those men actually had been drug dealers and had discovered Molly watching them.

“I didn’t want to worry her in her condition,” Molly choked.

“In future know that those men you’ve seen outside are here for your protection as much as the shelter’s.”

Molly continued to tremble against him, despite those assurances.

“I’m so sorry.” Rufus held both her slender wrists in one of his hands so that he could cup a hand beneath her chin as he bent to kiss her. “I’m sorry, Molly. So sorry. Forgive me. Please,” he murmured in between kissing her salty-tasting lips.

* * *

How could Molly resist such a heartfelt plea?

She couldn’t, obviously, as she began to return his kisses. Once Rufus had released her wrists, her arms moved up about his shoulders to hold him closer.

Kisses that very quickly became deeply passionate, arousing a hunger inside Molly that she was absolutely sure only Rufus could assuage.

“They were your men. Unbelievable,” she murmured self-disgustedly long minutes later, her neck arched as Rufus continued to kiss along its length, occasionally pausing to explore the sensitive hollows in her throat. “I seriously thought of calling the police on a couple of occasions. Despite the fact that the police and I do not have a good history.”

Rufus raised his head to look at her with dark eyes. “Because they were the ones to remove you from the only home you had ever known all those years ago?”

She nodded. “They and social services. It’s made me wary of asking any of them for help since then.”

“That’s understandable,” he acknowledged. “But know in future that it’s my men outside, and they will deal with any suspicious behavior on or near the shelter.”

Molly smiled ruefully. “It would have been nice if you or Mia had told me that before I moved in… Mia doesn’t know about them,” she realized from the guilt she discerned in Rufus’s expression. “Does Darius?”

“Darius, yes.” His thumb caressed lightly along her jawline as he stared down at her intently. “He understood and accepted my need to protect Mia once I’d explained I would never risk losing her again. For any reason. What is it?” he prompted sharply when Molly’s gaze lowered to his chest. “Do you think I’m being too obsessive about her safety?”

No, that wasn’t it at all.

But there was no way Molly could explain exactly why she related to his pain as deeply as she did. Not without losing him completely.

“Let’s go upstairs,” she encouraged softly. “I’ll come down for Angus later.” After Rufus had left.

One more day. That’s all she would allow herself. Then she would have to leave here and never see Rufus, Mia, or the rest of their family ever again.

One more day, and tonight, when she could be with Rufus.

It would have to be enough.

Even though it never could be.

Because she was in love with this man. Hot, soul-deep, achingly in love with him.

“Having second thoughts?” he prompted huskily when she hesitated after entering her bathroom. “You can, you know.”

“No second thoughts.” Because she had passed second thoughts and gone quickly on to third and fourth ones. None of them good. She turned on the water in the shower cubicle. “I just realized this shower isn’t big enough for two.” Especially when one of them was six foot four inches in height with a chest and shoulders an American footballer would envy.

“We’ll make room.”

“But—”

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