Page 36 of Moonlit Kisses

He nods, then guides his wife through to the workshop, leaving me and Molly alone. It takes a few more moments, but eventually Molly gets herself under control. I can feel the change in her, so as she tries to pull away, I let her go, but I miss her instantly. Her hands still rest lightly on my sides, and I love having them on me.

I need to remind myself that I’m her boss and she’s ten years my junior. It’s getting harder and harder to keep myself in check the more I get to know her. I’ve spent most of this week working my ass off to keep her at a distance after what I did on Monday night in my shower to images of her.

“Are you gonna be okay?” I whisper as I tuck a loose lock of silky hair behind her ear. Her hairisas silky as I imagined it to be. Her face is red and blotchy, her eyes puffy, and her nose is red, but she still looks gorgeous.

Her eyes skate past me, and as she bites her bottom lip, she nods her head once. Glancing back up at me, she finally whispers, “Yeah. I’m sorry about that.”

Confusion colors my tone. “What are you sorry about?” I thumb over my shoulder toward the door. “That asshole?” She nods. “You have nothing to apologize for. He was the one in the wrong. He shouldn’t have been speaking to you like that, and he certainly shouldn’t have had you trapped against the counter with nowhere to go.”

“Yeah, but now you’ve lost a client because of me and he probably won’t pay the invoice for today’s work. I feel like that was my fault.”

“Have you seen how fucking busy I am? I won’t miss that asshole one bit. Don’t give it another thought. Clients come and go all the time.” I smile at Molly, hopefully portraying that I’m not bothered. “How about you clean up and meet us in the workshop? You can join us when we take the Sprint out for a test drive. Help us convince Martin’s missus that she should let him buy the car.” I finish with a wink.

Molly returns my smile and nods. “Thanks, Max.”

“No problem.”

* * *

Martin’s gaze switches to something behind me. His eyes turn soft as he takes a step away from me. “Are you okay, Molly?”

Molly forces a smile as an embarrassed flush stains her cheeks. “Yes, thank you. I’m sorry about the drama.”

“It was no drama at all. That guy was an asshole who needs to be taught some manners.” He guides her toward Beth. “I’d like you to meet my wife, Beth.”

Beth sucks in a sharp breath as she gets her first good look at Molly. Molly glances at me, her frown creating a crease between her eyebrows as she holds out her hand to greet Martin’s wife. “Oh, Molly. It’s lovely to finally meet you.”

Okay, this behavior is fucking weird. Both Martin and his wife have their eyes locked on Molly; it’s making me uncomfortable at this point. I can only imagine how it’s making Molly feel, especially after what happened in the office with Glen. Molly glances over her shoulder at me with raised brows and I can only shrug. I have no idea what the fuck is going on.

“Alright, shall we take the Sprint out for a spin?” Pulling the keys out of my pocket, I open the front door and release the catch to move the front seat so the ladies can climb into the back. Once we’re situated and the workshop is secure, we take off. “Where shall we go?”

“Where would you like to go, Molly?” Beth asks.

“Oh, um. I don’t mind.”

“Martin said you’re new to the city,” she says to Molly, then turns toward the front. “Perhaps we should show her the Pier?”

“Please don’t go out of your way on my account. I’ll slowly find my way around. You guys go wherever you need to get a good feel for the car.”

“The Pier’s a great idea. That okay with you, Max?” Martin asks.

I catch Molly’s eyes in the rear-view mirror. Hers widen in confusion, and I mirror her, but turn toward the Pier. It’s as good a drive as any to give the Sprint a run and show Beth what the car can do. “Sounds like a plan. Maybe we can stop for a drink or something,” I suggest.

Martin and I are quiet in the front, enjoying the drive.

“The interior of the car is like new,” Beth comments from the back and I catch her gliding her hand over the interior panels in the rear-view mirror. “And the leather is so soft. It’s gorgeous, Martin.”

Martin turns to me with a smug smile on his face. “I told you how perfect it was.”

A few moments pass before I hear Beth ask Molly, “Martin said you haven’t lived here all that long. Where are you from?”

“I moved here from Portland, Maine.”

“She drove all the way here by herself,” I add from the front seat.

“Oh my gosh. What did your parents think of that?” Beth asks, clearly shocked.

Molly’s quiet for long moments and I assume she’s not going to answer. I glance up into the mirror, because I’d also like to know the answer to that question. She’s turned her head toward her window, and I see her throat move. She turns back toward Beth.

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