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Ryan was too busy trying to ignore ‘the subject at hand’. The burning sensation on his thigh where her hand rested. Hadn’t anyone told her what happened to twenty-one-year old males whenever good-looking females touched them that close to…?
He carefully removed the hand, placing it into the safety of her own lap. ‘Why would I avoid it? Of course you’re pretty, Moll. That brace thing being off really helps.’
‘Is it just the brace?’ She leaned in close to him, her voice low. ‘Is it just the brace, or have I changed at all—you know, anywhere else?’
If that rabbit didn’t move soon it was going to get squooshed. A blink, then another, and then Ryan’s brain started to work. ‘Uh, what exactly are you fishing for?’
‘Have you noticed anything different about me?’ Her face was dangerously close to his. ‘I mean, since you last saw me?’
Ryan swallowed hard to moisten his dry throat. Wow, but she smelled good—all soapy and slightly perfumey. Like flowers. Hello, Ryan! Get a grip here. Hormone alert.
‘In what way, exactly?’
‘You tell me.’
Molly stood up in front of him and turned full circle before holding her arms out at her sides. ‘How do I look to you?’
Ryan did as he was bid and looked at her. He took a real good, long look at her. She was sensational. Really. He’d never thought of himself as a sexist kind of guy who ogled women’s legs, but—wow. In a split second he decided he was a legs man. Not that he hadn’t known that Molly had legs. Hell, he’d seen them in shorts or swimsuits every summer for the past four years. But not like this. Not encased in the sheerest of black stockings with her feet in the silliest strappy high heels he had ever seen. Not displayed to the world from beneath the teeniest of miniskirts. Had she actually paid money for that scrap of material?
‘Well?’
‘Huh?’
‘Well? What do you see?’
He waved away her protests with one arm. ‘I’m still looking.’
She had the smallest waist he thought he’d ever seen. Was she too skinny? Was that it? Did she have some kind of dumb obsession with her weight? No. His eyes travelled upwards. No, her weight was just fine. She had breasts now—small, full breasts that peeked out at him from the deep vee of her tight top. Maybe he was a breasts man after all. Then he looked back down at her legs. Nope. Still a legs man.
Then he looked up at her face. The freckles had faded down over the years. From somewhere she had got this creamy complexion. Full moist lips that drew into a wide smile over perfectly straight white teeth. Thank you, Mr Orthodontist. Wide green eyes above an elegantly upturned nose…
A hand waved in front of his face. ‘Well—can you see it?’
His voice was sharp. ‘Damn it, O’Brien, see what?’ He’d seen plenty, and it irritated him that he’d noticed as much as he had. ‘You look just fine to me.’
‘Fine? I look just fine?’ She looked annoyed. ‘Well, thanks a bunch, big man.’
‘Oh, hell.’ Ryan ran long fingers through his short hair. ‘What am I supposed to notice?’
With a sigh he could hear above the newly started music, she moved forwards. Placing one slender hand on either side of his face, her eyes smiled into his. ‘Don’t you see it, Ryan? I’m in love. For the first time in my life I’m in love. And it’s with your friend. Thanks to you, I’m going to find out exactly what it’s like to be with that someone who really matters.’
Ryan’s gut twisted. How could he have known? How could he have seen that his two friends would end up this wrapped in each other? He’d met Kieran his first term at university in Dublin and had instantly liked the guy. With his golden good looks and extrovert nature he was popular on campus. And so much more outgoing than Ryan himself. He had an ease about him that people instantly took to.
Captain of the rugby team, top of his class in business studies, rich family in Galway. The guy had everything. All the criteria that overly protective brother figures would look for in a boyfriend for someone they really cared about. So why did he suddenly wish they’d never met?
Much as she hated to admit it, Ryan had been right. Yet again. This time about the evening being perfect for swimming at Doon Shore. Situated on the side of the lough furthest from the main tourist amenities, it tended to be a place that only the locals and a few cruise boat tourists ever knew about. Which also meant that on a sunny summer evening it was normally filled with townsfolk. Most of whom seemed to be smiling more than usual when they greeted them.
Lying on their stomachs, side by side on a large rug, they watched as people watched them. Molly pushed her sunglasses onto her head and turned to look at Ryan, beside her. His eyes had closed, long lashes dark against his tanned skin. ‘I had never realised we were so all-fired interesting, had you?’
He didn’t open his eyes, but with his head turned towards her as it was he didn’t have to raise his voice above a conspirator’s whisper. ‘We’ve always been interesting. We just didn’t notice it so much before.’
‘Doesn’t it bother you now that you know?’
‘You’ve been away. I’ve had this kind of attention and speculation aimed at me ever since I came back here. That’s what comes of being single in a small town. You can’t so much as say hello to a pretty female without the gossips starting. They’ve got nothing else to do.’
The wheels turned slowly in her head.
Ryan smiled a slow, sleepy smile, still with his eyes closed. ‘Okay, I can hear those wheels a-turnin’. What?’
She hated the way he could do that. What was he? Psychic?
‘Haven’t you dated anyone since I’ve been away?’
‘Why?’ The smile transformed to a grin. ‘Jealous?’
‘Ha, ha.’ She nudged him with her elbow. ‘No, I mean, well, you can’t not have dated anyone since you moved up here. So I guess what I mean is—I’m not cramping your style, am I? Living with you, I mean?’
He opened his eyes and squinted up at her, curious as to what her face might tell him. But she turned away before he could see anything, studying the crowd who lined the shore.
‘Moll, if you’re asking me whether or not your living in my house is affecting my sex-life, then I think we’re about to hit uncharted territory here.’
‘Well, we’ve always been up-front with each other, and half the population already seems to believe I am your sex-life. So I was just curious.’ She shrugged her shoulders. ‘I wondered, that’s all.’
Ryan turned onto his side, propping himself up on an elbow to study her closer. He was rewarded for his moment’s patience when she turned to look at him. There was concern in her eyes, and he realised she was genuinely worried about ‘cramping his style’. Without thinking about it he reached out to her, brushing a long lock of damp auburn hair away from her cheek. ‘Even if I was seeing someone, which we both know I’m not—unless, of course, you count you—I wouldn’t be able to make love to them in the house while you were there.’
Molly noted the quiet affection in his voice and smiled down at him. He really was just such a nice guy. Still, she couldn’t resist teasing him. ‘What’s wrong? You make too much noise?’
His eyes widened in surprise at the jibe. Recognising the teasing light in her eyes, he knew he had no choice but to reply in kind. ‘Baby…’ he blew onto his fingernails before polishing them on his T-shirt ‘…it wouldn’t be me making the noise.’
Molly erupted into convulsive laughter. ‘You complete great arrogant lump!’
They laughed together for a moment before watching the crowd again in companionable silence. Ryan thought about the conversation. ‘So if you met someone, and the situation was reversed, would I cramp your style?’
‘Make love with someone while you were in the same house?’ She blushed a fiery red and laughed again. ‘No way, José.’
‘You make too much noise, right?’ The question did things to his imagination that it had absolutely no right doing.
She hid her face in the blanket while he watched her shoulders shake with laughter. Her voice was muffled when she eventually spoke, forcing him to lean towards her to hear her words. ‘I don’t think I could concentrate on what I was doing if I thought you could hear anything.’
Jealousy, like a bad cramp, gripped his chest hard, shocking him with its intensity. Thinking of Molly in that way had always been off limits. Now their conversation had opened a doorway he hadn’t intended looking through, and he didn’t much care for his reaction.
Clearing his throat, he sprang to his feet and peeled off his T-shirt. ‘Just as well Molly, ’cos whoever he was I think I’d probably be forced to deck him.’ He frowned as he looked towards the water. ‘I’m going for another swim. See you in a while.’
Molly’s head shot upwards at his sharp announcement. But she only focused her vision in time to see him walk briskly to the end of the nearest pier before diving smoothly into the cool water. Where had that outburst come from? She knew he could be protective, but even so…
Their relationship was changing. She sighed as she realised the simple fact of it. It hadn’t been the same since she’d come home. She’d begun to realise that when she had noticed Ryan staring at her so often of late. It was as if he’d never really looked at her before, or as if he’d noticed something that he hadn’t seen before. She wondered what it was?
And these last few days they had walked onto very new ground; she supposed it was only natural they’d need time to adjust. Time to find and test the new boundaries. But they cared about each other in ways in which she, certainly, had never cared about anyone else. Ryan was her most special of friends, and no matter what adjustments they made she knew they wouldn’t—couldn’t—affect that attachment. They just couldn’t.
‘Someone as lovely as you shouldn’t frown like that.’
Turning onto her back, she looked up into Nick Scallon’s smiling face. Dressed in a pristine white T-shirt and khaki shorts, he resembled a model from the pages of a summer catalogue.
‘I’ll keep that in mind.’ She smiled. ‘It’s nice to see you again. How are you?’
‘I’m just grand.’ His blue eyes moved down over her body and her long legs before returning to her face. ‘You should wear a swimsuit all the time, Molly. Wow.’
She sat upright, unconsciously drawing her knees up as she glanced towards the lough.
‘He’s still in the water.’
‘Who is?’ She blinked at him.
Nick smiled. ‘Your friend the Park Ranger.’
She glanced back towards the water. ‘Oh, you mean Ryan. Yeah, he likes the water. We had swim races here every summer as kids.’
He crouched beside her, taking a deep breath. ‘There’s a lot of history between you two.’
She looked at his face, surprised to find him so close. ‘We’ve known each other a long time. Yeah, we’re close.’
A quick glance over his head caused her to smile at the look of disapproval on Mrs Collins’ face. ‘In fact I think you’ll find your sitting here is setting quite a few tongues wagging.’
He didn’t look too worried. ‘Your Ryan is well liked in this community. How can I possibly compete with that?’
‘From what I hear, a guy like you doesn’t let a little matter of competition get in his way.’ The words were out before she could stop them. But the minute she spoke Nick’s chin dropped, and Molly regretted the innuendo.
‘I’m sorry. That was uncalled for. I’ve always considered a person innocent until proven guilty. I guess I shouldn’t treat you any differently.’
‘Molly—’ He reached out, touching her arm with one long finger, then running the palm of his hand towards her shoulder as he held her gaze with his. ‘I—’
‘I believe you’re occupying my space!’
CHAPTER THREE
THEIR heads snapped upwards in unison as Ryan’s shadow fell over them. For a moment Molly didn’t recognise him any more quickly than she had recognised the tone of his voice. His face was dark—threatening, almost—and for a split second she was shocked. It was a side to him she didn’t see very often. Her conscious mind had never identified him as an alpha male.
‘Ryan—sorry. I didn’t see you there.’ Nick quickly removed his hand from Molly’s arm and stood up. ‘I was just saying how great Molly looks in a swimsuit.’
Ryan stepped closer to Nick, water running off his body in long silvery rivulets. He ran his hand across his face to remove some of the water and then lowered his voice. ‘So I saw, Scallon. The next time you decide to compliment her with your hands you’ll have me to deal with—do you understand?’
Molly jumped to her feet and stood between them, facing Ryan. ‘Have you gone nuts? Apologise to Nick this minute.’
Nick smiled smoothly, his eyes warming for Molly. ‘It’s okay, Molly, I understand.’ His eyes swept back towards Ryan. ‘Ryan obviously feels the need to stake his claim. I get the message.’
Ryan nodded tersely. ‘Just make sure you do.’
Molly gaped at the two men. ‘Oh, you two can’t be for real.’
Ignoring Nick for a moment, Ryan frowned at Molly. ‘This guy was touching you. Are you telling me that’s okay with you? Because it sure as hell isn’t okay with me!’
Without hesitating she grabbed his hand and tugged him away from Nick, towards the trees at the back of the shoreline. ‘We need to talk, now.’
By the time they reached the trees Ryan was smiling at her. ‘Wow, you can drag me into the trees any time, Moll. Did you see the looks we got?’
‘What the hell were you doing out there?’
She was mad—really, really mad. He could tell. Her green eyes sparked angrily and her face was flushed. He thought she looked amazing.
‘We’re supposed to be a couple, right? Well, I’m not going to stand by while some other man runs his hands all over my girlfriend, now, am I?’
Molly shook her head. ‘Even as my boyfriend, or for that matter as my lover, you wouldn’t go around acting like Neanderthal man without my going crazy about it. Don’t you know that?’ She glared at him. ‘What the heck kind of woman have you been dating over the years?’
He actually had the grace to look apologetic. ‘I’m sorry. I just—well, I guess I didn’t like it much. As a friend or as a boyfriend.’
Realising she still held his hand, he squeezed her fingers. ‘I guess we’ve both got some learning to do if we’re going to pull this off.’
Calmer, she looked up into his eyes and smiled wryly. ‘They’re all standing out there watching these trees, aren’t they?’
‘Yup.’
‘So what’ll we do? Wait for a minute?’
Ryan took a deep breath. ‘They’ll probably expect us to kiss and make up first.’
‘Oh.’
He stepped towards her. ‘And we should probably practise that kissing thing again before we try it out in public, right? After all, they’ll expect you to come out of here looking like you’ve just been thoroughly kissed, and the best way I know to make you look like that is…’
Molly interrupted him, suddenly terribly aware of how little clothing he was wearing. Her mouth was dry. ‘I get the gist, Callaghan. So you’d better just shut up and kiss me, then.’
‘And they say romance is dead.’
This time Molly was ready for his kiss. She even moistened her lips automatically before his head lowered. It’s only Ryan, only Ryan, only Ryan. She echoed it over and over in her head, but after a moment it was hard to concentrate.
When he felt her kiss him back it shocked him. He didn’t know what he’d expected, but he certainly wasn’t ready for how hot she felt, how easily their mouths fitted together. With a kiss there was always that initial moment of hesitation as the two parties felt for the correct ‘fit’ before they deepened the kiss. But not this time. This was right from the first touch.
Moving instinctively, she loosened her hand and wound her arms around his neck, reaching up to pull herself closer to his damp body. Ryan’s arms in turn circled her waist to hold her there. Her curved body fitted along the full length of his, curling in and touching him everywhere.
The minute his tongue touched hers she was lost, and stopped thinking at all. In her entire life she couldn’t remember being kissed so thoroughly—and by Ryan, of all people!
By Ryan. She froze. Oh, no, this couldn’t be happening. She couldn’t possibly be enjoying kissing Ryan. It wasn’t something that was supposed to happen when you kissed a friend.
The moment she went still he knew they’d gone too far. Whatever was happening it was too much. He carefully pulled away and stepped back, taking a moment before he could look at her.
Molly, in turn, was staring at him with large unblinking eyes, as if she’d never seen him before. Her lips were red and swollen, her cheeks flushed. She was beautiful. When had she got so beautiful? All of a sudden he realised that was what was different about her since she’d been home. She’d grown and matured into a very beautiful woman and he hadn’t allowed himself to realise it. Until then.
He smiled softly at her. ‘I think they’ll know what we’ve been doing when we go out there.’
