from Daniel’s body managed to fog her brain. He was hard against her, ready for that sex she’d insisted she was going to deny him. And the truth of it was that she was every bit as ready as he was.
She’d missed this—the feel of his mouth on hers, the way her body molded to his, his woodsy, masculine scent, the sandpaper texture of his cheeks within hours of shaving. She’d been a tomboy as a kid, and she’d missed feeling surprisingly small and feminine next to his more powerful build.
It felt so damned good to lose herself on a sea of sensations, to be swept away to a place beyond thought.
This time, though, the sound of the elevator doors opening and closing was accompanied by a shocked gasp. Molly’s eyes flew open to encounter the startled look of an elderly woman whose pursed lips suggested she was not amused by their behavior. Molly nudged Daniel and tried to extricate herself from his embrace.
“Sorry,” she murmured, totally chagrined.
Daniel finally caught on. He recovered quickly. By the time he turned, he was wearing his most charming smile, the one that could win the heart of his sternest detractor.
As Molly watched, the woman’s lips softened and a twinkle lit her eyes. Another conquest was clearly in the making.
“Honeymoon?” she inquired dreamily.
Daniel grinned. “Don’t tell anyone, okay?”
“Not a word, but, young man, I do think you should take your bride into a room. Public displays of affection are so gauche, don’t you think?”
Daniel looked suitably chastened. “You are absolutely right.” He grabbed Molly’s hand and hauled her from the elevator. “Have a lovely afternoon, ma’am.”
“You do the same, young man,” she said, the twinkle back in her eyes. She winked at Molly. “Much happiness, my dear.”
“Thank you,” Molly said, all but tripping over Daniel in her haste to get away before she burst into laughter.
She held her breath until the elevator doors closed and the woman was safely descending to the lobby before whirling on Daniel. “Is there any chance at all that the universe won’t know about this little rendezvous of ours by nightfall? The story will be all over Widow’s Cove, if not the entire state of Maine.”
He grinned unrepentantly. “So what? Everybody loves a romance. Besides, no one here knows our real names.”
“We may be anonymous in the gossip, but Retta knows we’re here,” she reminded him. “She can withdraw that blessing of hers, just like that if she knew we were making a public spectacle of ourselves.” She snapped her fingers.
“But she won’t,” Daniel said confidently.
“Why not?”
“Retta’s the biggest sucker of all for romance.” He leveled a look at her that made her tremble. “You can always back out.”
Molly glanced at the key in his hand, then at the numbers on the doors. “Doesn’t seem much point to that, since our room is right here and it’s paid for.”
When she would have taken the key and opened the door, Daniel held it just out of reach.
“Before we go inside, there’s something you should know,” he said, his expression suddenly serious. “I love you, Molly. I know you said you didn’t want me to say that, but you need to hear it. You need to believe it.” He gestured toward the room. “That’s what this is about. It’s not just sex, not for me. I’m making a commitment to you, here and now, this afternoon. I’m not asking you to do the same, but I won’t deny my own feelings.”
Molly’s heart pounded at the conviction in his voice. She wanted to believe him. She wanted to say the words back to him, but she’d done that once. She’d offered him everything, and it hadn’t been enough.
She reached up and touched his cheek. “I believe you,” she said. “It’s about more than sex for me, too.”
She stumbled over the idea of commitment, but Daniel seemed to understand that she wasn’t ready to commit beyond this moment. She was a little surprised that he was so eager to talk about the future, but given the sad expression on his face, she couldn’t deny that he seemed genuinely disappointed that they weren’t on the same page.
He managed to put aside whatever dismay he was feeling, though. He grinned at her as he put the key into the lock, opened the door, then swept her up and carried her inside, kicking the door shut behind him.
“Here and now,” he murmured. “That’s all that matters.”
Molly gazed into the troubled depths of his eyes. “It really