Molinari stood there, his suit jacket thrown over his shoulder. A bouquet of daffodils. Eyes wide open.
“You promised.” I took a step back, blushing.
“Don’t blush.” Molinari stood there, smiling. “You’re gorgeous.”
“This is Martha,” I said. “You behave, Martha, or Joe’ll have you tossed into a doghouse in Guantánamo. I’ve seen him work.”
“Hey, Martha.” Molinari squatted down. He massaged her head behind the ears until she closed her eyes. “You’re gorgeous, too, Martha.”
Molinari stood up, and I grabbed my towel tighter. He grinned a little.
“You think Martha would get upset if I said I was dying to see what’s under that towel?”
I shook my head, and the towel covering my hair fell away to the floor. “How’s that?”
“Not exactly what I had in mind,” Molinari said.
“While you two are talking,” I said, backing away, “I’ll get dressed. There’s wine in the fridge, vodka and scotch on the counter. And there’s a bird in the oven if you have an urge to baste.”
“Lindsay,” Molinari said.
I stopped. “Yes…”
He took a step toward me. My heart stopped—except for the part that was beating violently out of control.
He put his hands on my shoulders. I felt myself shudder, then seem to sway very slightly in his hands. He put his face close. “How long did you say before that bird is ready?”
“Forty minutes.” Every little hair on my arms stood on edge. “Or so.”
“Too bad…” Molinari smiled. “But it’ll have to do.”
And just like that, he kissed me. His mouth was strong, and as soon as he touched my lips heat shot through me. I liked his kiss and I kissed him back. He ran his hands down the length of my back, pressed me close. I liked his touch, too. Hell, I liked him.
My bath towel fell to the floor.
“I have to warn you,” I said. “Martha’s a terror if someone gets the wrong idea.”
He glanced over at Martha. She was curled up in a ball. “I don’t think I have the wrong idea.”
Chapter 61
JOE MOLINARI was facing me, and the bedsheets were rumpled in a mess around us. I was noticing that he was even better looking up close. His eyes were deep blue and had a nice sparkle to them.
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nbsp; It was hard to describe how good I felt, how natural this seemed, how right. The little tremors rippling down my spine were unexpected, but definitely pleasant. It had been two years since I had felt anything like this, and that was, well… different. I didn’t know everything about Molinari. Who was he away from the office? What did he have going on back home? Truth was, I didn’t care right now. I just felt good. It was enough.
“This may seem like a strange time to ask this question,” I said, “but just what is your personal situation back East?”
Molinari took a breath. “Not complicated… Usually I just mess around with interns and subordinates I meet on the case.” He smiled.
“C’mon.” I sat up. “It’s a legitimate after-sex question.”
“I’m divorced, Lindsay. I date now and then. Time permitting.” He stroked my hair. “If you’re thinking, does this happen very often…?”
“What do you mean, this?”
“You know. This. Where we are. On assignment.”