She wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his hips, kissing him with every ounce of passion inside of her at the same time that he thrust deep.
So good...
Pleasure rippled through her as they moved together, holding on so tightly to each other that she hardly knew where she ended and he began, their pleasure multiplied by the wildness of their kiss.
Lost in the beautiful sensations--Harry's strong body over hers, the gorgeous feel of him moving inside of her, losing herself to sweet abandon after so many years of self-control--for the first time, Molly held nothing back.
And she knew from his kiss, from his hands over hers--from the pure intensity that blazed from his eyes as he pulled back to look into hers and said, "I love you," just as they launched each other into total ecstasy--that he had just given her everything too.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
"I've got a surprise for you."
Early Wednesday evening, Harry met Molly when the return ferry from Boldt Castle docked. Aldwin tried to leap up on her to say hello at the same time that Harry pulled her into his arms, unable to wait another second to kiss her.
Holding Harry tight with one hand, while petting Aldwin's head with the other, she said, "This is the best surprise ever."
He loved seeing the glow on her face from his kisses. All he wanted was to keep her happy, to see her smiling.
Okay, so that wasn't all he wanted.
He wanted her to say that she loved him too.
And he wanted to know that she was not only his again, but that she'd be his forever.
"There's more to your surprise." He led her over to another boat waiting in the slip not far from the ferry terminal, with Aldwin madly sniffing every speck on the ground, obviously hoping for a tasty morsel of dropped food. "Your carriage awaits."
"We're going out on this yacht tonight?" She looked as though she'd just won the lottery. "Did Amelia tell you I've always wanted to go on one of these sunset cruises?" She didn't have to tell him why she hadn't--he knew she tucked away every spare penny for Amelia's future.
That morning, once Amelia had left for school and Molly had headed for work, Harry had planned to sit down at the kitchen table with his manuscript to read through Amelia's notes. Knowing what was wrong with his book, and what he needed to do to fix it, had sparked his excitement in the project again. But first, he'd needed to make plans for tonight...and finally figure out the perfect birthday gift.
Back in college, he hadn't made Molly his priority. Everything he'd done wrong, he wanted to make right. Though he still hadn't figured out the perfect gift, he hoped this boat ride would be a start in showing Molly how much she meant to him.
"Amelia didn't mention a boat tour to me. But once, a long time ago, I asked you to take a sunset cruise with me...and then I didn't show up. I'll never make that mistake again," he vowed. "I'll never put anything before you and Amelia."
Of course, that was right when his phone rang.
Though Molly couldn't recognize the ringtone, she guessed. "It's your father, isn't it?"
"He can wait."
"Harry, you don't have to ignore his call to prove yourself to me." She put her hand on his cheek, and it was instinct to lean into her touch. "Picking up your father's call, and making sure he's okay, doesn't make what you and I feel for each other any less."
"But what if he's calling because he needs me? What if it turns out that nothing has changed for him since college and the thought of Friday is making a wreck out of him?"
"Then you'll go and help him, with my blessing. And this time, I'll help too, however I can. So will Amelia. You're not in this alone, Harry." She gestured to the phone still buzzing in his pocket. "Go ahead and see how he is. You and I have already waited more than fifteen years for this sunset boat ride. We can wait a little longer if we have to."
Though she was speaking from the heart and wouldn't offer something she wasn't willing to give, Harry was still unsure as he pulled the phone out of his pocket and hit redial. He so badly wanted everything to be different now, with none of the hurdles in their way that had been there before, rather than right back at square one.
"Dad, it's Harry. I saw you just called."
Surprisingly, his father's reply was as cheerful and full of energy as Harry could remember hearing. After a quick conversation, Harry was off the phone.
"Is everything okay?" Molly asked.
Harry nodded. "He was just letting me know he might be a little late to Amelia's performance on Friday night, but not to worry. He says everything is great and that he wants me to give you and Amelia his love."
"I'm glad he's doing so well."
"So am I."
"But you're still worried, aren't you?"
Harry had been a fool to think he had ever needed to keep what he was thinking or feeling from Molly, when she'd always been able to see into his heart. "It's hard not to be worried when all the evidence I have after thirty-plus years is that Friday is going to be a really hard day for him."
"Are you sure coming to Amelia's show will be okay? For all of you, not just your father. She would understand if we explained the significance of the day. You could come to a different show next year."
"I made peace with my mother's death a long time ago," Harry said. "And so have my siblings. My father is the only possible live wire."
Just then, the captain came out onto the deck. "Mr. Sullivan? Ms. Connal?" The man looked down at Aldwin, clearly not that happy to have a big dog on board, though he'd already granted permission over the phone. "Are you ready to board?"
Harry shoved his phone into his pocket. "We'd better get under way before we miss the sunset."
But Molly surprised him by reaching into his pocket and taking out his phone. "How many times do I need to say it for you to believe me? One of the things I love most about you is how close you are to your family. And until you contact Alec, Suzanne, or Drake to find out if your father really is okay or not, you're going to keep worrying about him. And I will too. So call them, or text them, or whatever else you need to do to set your mind at ease."
Despite the fact that the captain was still watching them, Harry had to kiss her.
When he finally let her go, her voice was slightly husky as she said, "Why don't I take Aldwin aboard? We can wait there while you touch base with everyone."
He appreciated the sway of her hips as she walked onto the boat, the most beautiful woman he'd ever set eyes on by far, especially when she laughed at Aldwin for turning into a big scaredy-cat once he was aboard. It was nearly enough to make Harry forget why he was still standing on the dock with his phone in his hand.
But she was right--he wouldn't feel better until he knew for sure that his father wasn't on the verge of a nervous breakdown. He sent his siblings a group text:
Harry: Dad just called. Is everything okay with him?
Alec: Think so. What did he say?
Harry: He sounded excited about something, though he didn't say what. Then said he might be late to Amelia's show on Friday, but not to worry.
Suzanne: He's fine. Don't worry about anything.
Drake: Everything is going to go great on Friday.
Harry stared at his phone, his fingers hovering over its keyboard. It seemed that his brothers and sister were working together to keep his father from losing it this year.
Had they been willing to help all along?
But he already knew the answer. Of course they had. He'd just never thought to ask them.
Harry: Whatever you guys are doing to keep him happy, thank you. I want Amelia's night, and Molly's birthday, to be perfect.
Alec: They will be.
Suzanne: We've got this, Harry. You don't need to worry.
Drake: Say hello to Amelia and Molly for us. See you Friday.
Harry grinned as he slid his phone into his pocket. Over the years, he'd heard more than one person say they wished they could have been born a Sullivan to have access to money and fame
. But the true gift of being a Sullivan had nothing at all to do with fortune and spotlights.
And everything to do with family.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Molly couldn't believe Harry had chartered a yacht for the evening. She understood that he had a very successful career, but it wasn't about the money he'd spent.
No one had ever done anything so special for her. Even in college, though he might have wanted to make her feel special, their plans had always fallen through. But tonight, everything was absolutely perfect. Especially after he'd come on board grinning as he told her that his siblings had promised to make sure his father was doing okay.
Once on board, they made a video call to Amelia, who was going to spend the night at her best friend's house after final dress rehearsals at the high school theater.
Molly could tell that Harry missed Amelia already and would have wanted her to join them on their cruise if she'd been free. It warmed her heart to know that they'd been able to create such a strong bond in so short a time. She'd been so worried that the years they'd spent apart would make it difficult for them to become close. But despite the years they hadn't had together, it looked like father and daughter were going to be perfectly okay.
Molly hugged Harry tight, not wanting to let him go. Aldwin, of course, wanted to be part of the action, and when he stuck his big muzzle between them, they broke apart laughing.
Harry pulled an enormous rawhide bone from one of the bags that he must have stashed on board earlier, and once the dog was happily settled on a big pillow in the corner of the deck, Harry held out a chair for her at the dining table.
She felt as though she were living a scene from a movie, with the light breeze in her hair, the yacht moving smoothly between islands, the sun setting over the water--and the most handsome man alive sitting beside her, holding her hand. All she was missing was a fancy gown, but her jeans and the sweater he'd brought for her were keeping her perfectly warm. Not that she needed much help with that whenever Harry was around, of course...
He topped up her champagne, and she wanted to pinch herself. Was this really her life?
And could it last?
The captain had left them with a brochure that pointed out the enormous mansions on Millionaire's Row; Tom Thumb Island, which was the smallest of the Thousand Islands; and Devil's Oven, which had been the hiding place of pirate Bill Johnston. But though they were hugely interested in history, Molly knew they'd have to do another tour one day for her to take in all the details.
Tonight, she couldn't focus on anything but how good it felt to be with Harry.
"Thank you for a wonderful evening."
"Are you enjoying yourself?"
How could he doubt it for a second? "So very much."
He kissed her, then said, "Do you remember the night we practiced waltzing at my house, and Suzanne and Drake thought it would be funny to score us?"
"Your sister kept giving us nines, and your brother wouldn't go higher than a three," she said with a laugh.
But Harry wasn't laughing. "I had planned to take you dancing, but that was another date I had to miss." Before she realized his intention, he took his phone out of his pocket, scrolled across the screen until a waltz was playing through the boat's on-board speakers, then stood up.
He reached for her hand. "Will you dance with me, Molly?"
Her heart was in her throat as she put her hand in his. The next thing she knew, he was sweeping her into his arms and around the open deck beneath the stars.
Every dream, every fantasy she'd ever had, paled beside this moment. One so wondrous she felt as though she must be sparkling like the lights reflecting on the water.
"You make me happy, Harry." No matter what happened from here on out, she needed him to know exactly how she felt this very second. "Happier than I even knew was possible."
Then she kissed him, a kiss that said everything she wasn't yet able to speak aloud. But that she hoped he heard.
And when he said, "I love you, Molly," she thought maybe he had.
*
They danced, and laughed, and kissed, and drank champagne until the captain let them know they were nearly back at the dock. By the time they walked back through town to her cottage--a trip that Aldwin was intent on stretching out as long as he possibly could, either by sniffing or by lifting his leg for every rock, fence post, and tree--Molly was so full of anticipation, she was almost shaking from it.
At home, Harry put Aldwin in Amelia's empty bedroom, where the dog was perfectly content to curl up into a ball on her bed and close his eyes after all the excitement of the boat ride. Harry closed the door and came back into the kitchen.
Within seconds, Molly and Harry were kissing and tearing at each other's clothes.
In their haste to get each other naked, they knocked a lamp onto the couch and stumbled into the dining table. But all that mattered was how good it felt when Harry backed her up against the wall, then put his hands on her bare hips while she wrapped her arms and legs around his waist.
With one glorious thrust, he drove into her.
All control lost, they loved each other in a frenzy of passion that stole her breath away. She'd never felt so good--so free--so utterly, wonderfully right as Harry's mouth came down on the arch of her neck, licking, sucking, biting in time to the movements of his hips.
It was all she could do just to hold on tight...and beg for moremoremore.
Fireworks exploded inside of her as he covered her mouth with his, their kiss creating a kaleidoscope of sensation beyond anything she'd ever imagined. Release shuddered through them both, rolling waves of pleasure that went on and on and on, their fierce lovemaking the absolutely perfect way to end the perfect date.
For long moments, he held her to him, their hearts pounding against each other. Eventually, she'd need to unwrap her limbs from his body and stand on her own two feet again, but Molly didn't want to put that kind of distance between them. Not yet.
Not ever.
"Don't let go," Harry said, then walked through her kitchen and down the hall with Molly still wrapped around him.
It wasn't until they were in her bathroom that he put her down. A rush of cool air threatened to chill her skin where she'd been pressed up against him, but the kiss he gave her quickly heated her back up.
He didn't let go of her hand as he leaned over and turned on the bathtub faucet. "I've been dreaming of taking a bath with you ever since I saw this tub."
Even if he hadn't been naked and touching her, his deep, rumbly voice--along with the sexy memories of the one time they'd been able to take a very naughty bath together in college--would have made her want to jump him again.
"I've been dreaming of exactly the same thing," she said.
He climbed into the water first, then held out a hand for her. He sat back in the tub, and she sank into the water with her back to his chest. Reaching for the soap, he began a very leisurely and thorough journey over her arms, her legs, her stomach. By the time he ran soap bubbles over her breasts, she was desperately aroused and full of anticipation.
Just as every taste she had of him made her want more, every climax in his arms was better than the one that came before. Already, she couldn't wait to reach that next peak.
She turned to straddle him in the tub. "I can't wait," she said, neither a plea nor an apology. But simply the truth. "I need you."
"Then take me, Molly. I'm yours."
She came down over him on a gasp, the pleasure so intense that she could barely believe she wasn't dreaming. That he was really here. In her tub. In her house. In her life.
But most of all, in her heart.
"Harry."
She looked into his eyes, and what she saw in them had pleasure streaking through her like a lightning bolt, shocking every inch of her with the power of it.
With the joy of it.
"I love you," he said, his words feverish against her skin. With his hands on her hips and his mouth at her breasts, he showe
d her yet again just how right they were together.
The perfect match in every way.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Harry and Molly took the ferry over to Heart Island together on Thursday morning. Aldwin was pleased as could be to join his friends at doggy day care again.
"Yesterday, when it was just me with him all day," Harry said as they sped across the water, "instead of being happy he got to stay home with me, I actually think he was missing his new buddies."
"Don't feel bad," Molly said. "Every kid has to fly the coop at some point."
"Do you ever think about having more? Kids, I mean, not dogs." Harry didn't want to overwhelm her, but he also didn't want to make the mistake of keeping his thoughts from her.
"Before you came back into my life, I figured one incredible daughter was more than enough to be thankful for. But now that you're here..." She shook her head. "I'm afraid my answer is going to make it sound like I'm getting ahead of myself, even though we agreed to take things slow."
At his raised eyebrow, one clearly meant to remind her just how not slow they'd gone the night before, she laughed.
"Okay, maybe not slow on all fronts." He kissed her before letting her finish her thought. "You know I'm still a little gun-shy. I had so many dreams before, and when they didn't come true, I thought it was going to break me. It didn't, but the truth is that a part of me is still afraid to believe things can really be this good."
"They can." He didn't have a single doubt, not anymore. "They are."
"I want to believe that."
"And if you did believe it?"
She was silent for a few moments. "Then, yes." She looked into his eyes. "I would want more children."
That was what Harry had hoped she'd say. But actually hearing it made him speechless. Mostly because he could easily see them with a baby. Or two. Heck, he would happily have enough kids with Molly to make their own soccer team.
"We're here," she said, interrupting his vivid daydream.
Molly had promised him a personal tour of the archives during her lunch break. He'd brought his laptop and manuscript pages to work on at the onsite cafe while she was working. He also wanted to poke around the site a bit, to see if something that would make a perfect birthday gift would jump out at him. He hated that it had come down to the wire like this, with her birthday only one day away. He should have figured out what to give her long before now.