Edna raised an eyebrow. “Are you volunteering to keep an eye on her?”
Molly grinned. “Soon but not yet. We have to wait until she likes me a little more.”
“But you’ve made progress and that’s all I can ask for.” Leaning into the back of the cushioned chair, Edna picked up her book. “Now go have fun.” She waved her other hand, shooing them out the door.
“It’s business,” Molly reminded her grandmother.
“Doesn’t mean you can’t have fun.”
“Have a good night, Commander.” Hunter waved and opened the front door.
He still hadn’t addressed Molly directly. He hadn’t picked up on her grandmother’s compliment about how she looked. And as far as Molly could tell, he hadn’t noticed anything other than her being late.
Which she wasn’t. He was just early, impatient and frustrating her.
“You, too, Hunter. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” Edna said, then turned her concentration to her book.
“Now, that leaves too much open.” He laughed, a husky sound that caused Molly’s stomach to churn with a familiar rush of desire.
Molly followed him out the door and into the cooler night air to his bike, where he unstrapped two helmets, handing her one. She gamely accepted the helmet, determined not to let her headache get in the way of the bike ride.
“Thanks. Can you put this somewhere?” She held out her purse.
He secured it in a pack behind the seat and put his helmet on without further discussion. She did the same. Then she climbed on behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist, deliberately placing her hands beneath his jacket so her palms were flat against his stomach.
He tensed but said nothing, merely started up the engine.
She pressed her hands tighter. There were other ways to break through his reserve without words, and they had a good ten-minute ride for her to work with.
***
HUNTER PULLED the bike in to a parking spot and turned off the engine. He wanted to kill Molly. During the entire ride to the restaurant, she’d had her hands beneath his jacket, on his chest. Although she’d held on to him securely, she did have a wandering hand. An alternate wandering hand, first one then the other. Her forearms were locked against him but her palms and her fingers had a mind of their own, caressing, rubbing, teasing him until he was thoroughly aroused.
Somehow she’d known his weakness. Her touch, mixed with the roar and vibration of the bike between his legs, had incited his desire and need for her like nothing else. Not even his lingering anger had mattered, not while she held on to him, pressed her cheek against his back and teased him mercilessly with her hands.
She slid off the bike first and he followed, his dick hard, his body tense.
She pulled off the helmet and ran her hands through her tousled hair. Her cheeks were highlighted pink from the wind and her eyes sparkled with both mischief and delight. She’d enjoyed the freedom of the ride as much as he had. Damn her.
He snatched the helmet and hooked them both onto the bike, ignoring her long enough to get his body under control. Sort of. He figured he’d be as hard as wood for the rest of his natural life.
“That was exhilarating,” Molly said, fluffing her hair one last time.
She looked as if she’d been thoroughly ravaged in a man’s bed and those hot red boots only added to her appeal. He narrowed his gaze and scowled at her. “I see Ty’s car, so we’d better get moving.”
“Okay. I hope he has news that will give us a good solid lead.”
“He said he did. Let’s go inside.”
He started for the entrance, walking stiffly but quickly, and hoping nobody noticed he had a hard-on thanks to the witch by his side. “Molly?”
“Hmm?” She came up beside him, her boots clicking on the walk leading to the door.
“Your grandmother was right. You do look great.” The words were out before he could stop them and after he spoke, he could have bitten his tongue in two.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah,” he said gruffly, pissed at himself to no end. He stopped for a second and turned to meet her gaze.
Her pleased grin couldn’t be denied. “Well, like I told my grandmother, you’re a handsome guy and you’re looking pretty fine yourself tonight.” She reached out, her hand brushing his jaw as she fixed the collar on his leather jacket.
The electricity shot straight to his groin and he instinctively grabbed her wrist. “Just so you know, this doesn’t change anything.”
She tilted her head to one side. “Hunter?”
“Yeah?”
“Shut up and enjoy seeing your friends, okay? We have a lot of work ahead of us on this case and it’s going to go smoother if we’re not at each other’s throats. Besides, I apologized more than once, so let it go.” With a shrug, she strode around him and walked inside, leaving him with his mouth open and nothing to say in return.
***
HUNTER SUFFERED under Ty’s scrutiny as the other man leaned forward and studied him.
“You’ve obviously started shaving again, you look like you’ve been getting sleep, and I’m guessing you stopped drinking, but you’re still a miserable bastard. So what gives? Miss Molly giving you a hard time?” Ty grinned, then burst out laughing.
Molly had excused herself to go to the ladies’ room and in typical female fashion, Lacey had gone along with her. Hunter and Ty had a few minutes alone but Hunter didn’t want to use them to discuss his personal life.
“I’m fine.”
“You’re so full of shit.” Ty had always called him on a lie and he did so now.
“It’s the case that’s making me insane.”
Ty signaled the waitress for another beer. “I doubt it. You’ve never met a case you couldn’t handle. My money’s on Molly. Can I give you a piece of advice?”
“No.”
“When you meet that one woman, and you know what I mean, surrender and give in. Your life will be so much easier if you do.” He laughed at his own advice, pausing only when their second round of drinks were served.
“Your meals will be out soon,” the middle-aged waitress promised before turning to her next customers.
Hunter shook his head. “Man, who’d have thought you’d end up whipped?”
“Who’d have thought you’d be such an ass. Do you not see what a prize you have in front of you?”
Hunter rubbed his hand over his eyes, then leaned forward in his seat. “I’m only going to explain this to you once and that’s so you’ll shut the hell up and leave it alone. She dumped me once. I came back to help her father and move on, found out I wasn’t over her like I thought, gave in to temptation and she screwed me over. Again. Only a fool would go back for a third time.”