"That"s her," Cora shouted, pointing at Molly. She couldn"t resist a giggle. This was too good to be true.
The customers were surprised, but obviously enjoying the stunt at Molly"s expense.
The messenger set the basket of apples at Molly"s feet and began hissing his recital.
"I"ve been sssent to the Garden of Eden, to tempt a pretty misss. If thisss ba.s.ssket of applesss doesssn"t do the trick, then clossse your eyesss and turn around. Temptation behind you doesss abound."
Molly turned, her face a study in shocked delight. Joseph was standing behind her with an invitation in his eyes she couldn"t turn down.
"Hi, honey. I miss you like crazy."
Between those dimples and his smile, he was irresistible. Seconds later, she was in his arms.
The hug he gave her was desperate as he closed his eyes and inhaled the essence of Molly, oblivious to the crowd of giggling customers around them.
"Are you still mad at me?" he whispered, and feathered kisses across her forehead and down the curve of her cheek.
"I wasn"t ever mad."
"Do you forgive me anyway?" he persisted.
"Oh, yesssss," she whispered.
Joseph grinned. The snake had definitely done the trick. He watched over her shoulder as the man picked up his tail and slithered away as best he could.
Harry wasn"t surprised by the turn of events. He"d known it all along.
The doorbell rang again, and Molly jerked, then spun, afraid to turn her back on that door again today. She smiled in delight at the sight of the pair who entered.
"Momma!" Joey pulled away from Marjorie Weeks"s firm grasp and ran across the room. Customers were grinning broadly. Whatever was going on kept getting better and better.
Molly leaned down and caught him on the run, lifting him in her arms and savoring the kiss he planted on her cheek.
"Saw a snake," Joey shouted, pointing over his shoulder toward the door.
"Me, too," Molly said, and snuggled her nose against his ear, inhaling the sweet smell of child and cold air all at once.
"Get down, child, Molly"s busy."
Marjorie"s words were sharp, but her touch was gentle as she took the child from Molly and set him on the floor.
"Nanny...want an apple," he begged, pointing down to the basket of bright red fruit.
Molly grinned at the sheepish look on Joseph"s face.
"Nanny?"
Marjorie flushed lightly as she handed Joey an apple.
"Well...the poor thing," she said, looking down at the child. "No mother, no grandmother...at least one of the Rossi men has some sense." She stared pointedly at her boss. "Unlike some I know."
Joseph rolled his eyes. "I"m doing my best in crowded surroundings."
"We"ll see you later," Marjorie said. "At the house," she explained, extending the explanation to include Molly. "For the celebration dinner," she continued.
Joseph groaned, grabbed Molly"s hand and headed toward the back of the building with her. Marjorie seemed determined to give away all his surprises. Before anyone could comment, they"d disappeared behind closed door. He took the phone off the hook and locked the door.
"I love you, Molly Eden."
Tears came without warning, blurring her vision and hovering at the edge of her eyes as she waited for him to continue.
"I know we"ve taken abominable advantage of you, darling, but we didn"t mean to. I should have realized how exhausted you were."
Molly slid her arms around his waist.
"I"m not tired now," she whispered. "I think I"m ready, Joseph."
The smile slid off his face. The implications of what she was saying hit him full force.
"Ready for what?" he asked, unable to believe that she meant what he thought she meant.
"To be tempted," she whispered.
He groaned, lifted her off her feet and into his arms. "Molly, this is hardly the place, but I have this sudden, desperate urge to make love to you."
She had great satisfaction in knowing she"d struck a nerve when she saw his eyes turn black and his nostrils flare.
"The feeling is mutual," she whispered, and settled for the kiss he raked across her mouth.
Just before emotions got out of hand, Joseph remembered why he"d come.
"I don"t have any more apples, sweetheart, and I"m fresh out of temptation-but I"ve got a lifetime of promises I swear that I"ll keep, and it"s all yours if you want it. All it takes is one promise from you."
Molly threaded her fingers through his hair and felt his body responding to her nearness.
"I"ll promise you anything, Joseph Rossi," she whispered.
"Even promise to marry me?" he asked. He held his breath, waiting for the words that would make his life perfect.
Her tears spilled swiftly, but they didn"t beat the smile on her face.
"I promise," she said softly. "It would be my pleasure-and I thought you"d never ask."
Joseph sighed and wrapped her in his arms. "I was afraid to," he muttered.
"Why on earth would you be afraid? You know that I love you. I"ve said it often enough to make a total fool of myself."
Joseph groaned, then cupped her face with his hands as he gently kissed her lips over and over between breaths.
"But I come with a h.e.l.l of a lot of baggage, Molly. I have a past that I hope, but can"t promise, will stay buried." He was referring to Carly, and they both knew it. "I have a child-and I think, as of last week, a ready-made grandmother-who"ll demand their s.p.a.ce in our lives."
Molly smiled through tears. She"d heard Joey call Marjorie Nanny. It was fine with her. As far as she was concerned, there was no such thing as not enough love to go around.
"It sounds almost perfect," Molly said. "How could a girl resist such an offer?"
Joseph frowned. "Almost perfect?"
Molly turned away. The pain in her heart was almost too sharp to share. And yet if she and Joseph had a chance, there could be no secrets between them.
"I can"t give you any more children, Joseph. Are you willing to settle for me...and less?"
"Oh, h.e.l.l." The shadows in her eyes made him sick. He hugged her close. "How can you think that would make a difference to me? We already have Joey. And I do mean we. Remember, Joey"s already staked his claim on you. It was left up to me to finish the job."
Molly shivered, then smiled through a fresh set of tears. She would have given a year of her life to be able to have Joseph Rossi"s child.
"d.a.m.n it, Molly, don"t cry," Joseph said. "I swear to G.o.d, somewhere there"s a child being born, maybe today, maybe next year, but it has our name on it. We"ll adopt a dozen if it"ll make you happy. Remember, I know only too well how desperate a lad can be, just waiting to be picked. All I need is to see that smile on your face each morning, and know that when I go to bed at night, I"ll be able to hold you in my arms. That"s what"ll make me happy."
"Then it"s a deal," Molly said, and savored the sweep of his hands across her tears. And then she remembered the audience they"d left out front. She would bet a week"s profit that not a one of them had left. "Oh Lord, what will those people out front think?"
"That we"ve been making out?"
She grinned and poked him in the rib. "Joseph! You don"t understand!"
"Understand what, honey? You"re making a big deal out of nothing. Everyone knows that it"s impossible to resist temptation in the Garden of Eden."
"I think I"ve just been had," Molly said.
Joseph"s eyes sparkled. The dimple she so loved deepened perceptibly. "You sure were," he whispered, and kissed the spot below her left ear. "And if we can lose Nanny" by midnight tonight, I promise that you"ll be had" again...and again...and again."
Molly grinned. It was a promise she"d make him keep.
About the Author.
With forty-two books in print, award-winning author SHARON SALA, who also writes as Dinah McCall, still has to remind herself from time to time that this isn"t a dream.
She learned to read at the age of four and has had her nose in a book ever since. Her introduction into romance came at an early age through the stories of Zane Gray, Grace Livingston Hill, and Emily Loring. Her pride in contributing to the genre is echoed by the letters of her fans.
She"s a four-time RITA finalist, winner of the Janet Dailey Award, three-time Career Achievement winner from Romantic Times magazine, four-time winner of the National Reader"s Choice Award, and five-time winner of the Colorado Romance Writer"s Award of Excellence, as well as numerous other industry awards.
Her books are regularly on bestseller lists, such as the New York Times extended list, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, Waldenbooks ma.s.s market, and many others.
She claims that, for her, learning to read was a matter of evolution, but learning to write and then being published was a revolution. It changed her life, her world, and her fate.
Visit www.AuthorTracker.com for exclusive information on your favorite HarperCollins author.
Other Books by Sharon Sala.
CHANCE MCCALL.
DEEP IN THE HEART.
DIAMOND.
LUCKY.
SECOND CHANCES.
QUEEN.
end.