CHAPTER THIRTEEN

ATLAS

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I walked Molly back to the house, refusing to go back alone. We're adults, not children. There's nothing forbidden about our relationship, although like her I don't want anyone knowing.

Not yet.

She thinks I'm going to let her go when we return to Philadelphia, but clearly she is unaware just how much I crave her.

I plan to show her again tonight.

And tomorrow.

And Monday.

And Tuesday.

Where this is going, I don't know but listening to her talk as we walked along the beach filled me with such pride.

I love how driven she is.

How playful she is.

How smart she is.

Any man would be crazy to let her go. But clearly someone has hurt her along the way, and I want to string the idiot up and slap him.

I waited two months to see Molly again when she disappeared to England. My patience is over and I'm clear as day that I want to spend more time with her.

When we return to Philly, I'm going to take her on a date.

I'll convince her I'm a man she wants, not just for one night, but, hell, I don't know, weeks, months.

Who knows where it will lead.

But I am not stepping aside for Greg or any guy.

Molly is mine.

I lean against the wall on the balcony as the chopper lands, then my father climbs out and runs across the lawn.

"Hey buddy," Ward Montgomery says, slapping me on the back. "You having fun?"

"Yes. And I've been playing nicely with all the other kids, Dad," I tease.

He rolls his eyes. "Smart ass. Did you bring Harlow with you this weekend?"

For the love of god.

Sometimes I think my father is the one in love with her and that's why he thinks I should be.

I push away from the wall and lay my hand on his shoulder as we walk inside with him. "No. She's with her family. You know Harlow's dad is pretty ill."

"Shit, that's right." He says, stopping to glance down at me. "Tell her to stop by after Thanksgiving."

I nod.

She will anyway so I don't need to.

But after today's phone call I owe her. She didn't have too much to offer but said some positive comments about my designs were mentioned.

Eek.

It both excited me and had my mind whirling with questions. When I pushed she told me to chill out.

Ward turns to focus on the room. Payton's parents have arrived, so he heads over to them to say hello.

He and Judge Mills had already met prior to the happy couple getting engaged, so the blending of our families has been pretty smooth.

At least that's what Knox said last time I asked.

I spot Hunter, Addison, and Molly standing to my left chatting.

"Hey, is your dad coming to the wedding?" I ask Hunter.

Jonathan Dufort started the Dufort Hotel chain his three sons now dominate. While Daniel is the CEO, Jonathan is still a powerful man in the business world.

"No. His partner—Jackson's mom—is very sick. It's why he and Kristen aren't here this weekend either."

"Sorry to hear that." I shake my head.

"She may not last the weekend. Really fucking sad," Hunter adds. "But as for the rest of the Dufort fam, Uncle Andrew and Aunts Christine and Samantha will fly in tomorrow morning."

"I feel like everyone is related to everyone in this house," Molly says. "Except me."

"Consider yourself lucky." Addison winks.

"Hey, you begged me to propose for years." Hunter growls.

"I did not beg you. Your family hounded you." She props her hands on her hips.

I watch Molly and wonder if she is someone who wants to get married? Does she want to be a mother?

When she catches me looking, her expression cools and she excuses herself.

Fuck.

What did I do now?

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MOLLY

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WHO THE HELL is Harlow?

Is she the woman Atlas has been messaging all weekend?

If I hadn't been standing by the doorway when Ward Montgomery—who is quite the silver fox— arrived, I wouldn't have heard the conversation between him and Atlas.

Did you bring Harlow with you this weekend?

No. She's with her family. You know Harlow's dad is pretty ill.

Wow.

So this woman would be here with him if her dad wasn't ill? Now he's cheating on her with me?

Jesus.

She's clearly someone his father expected him to bring to a family wedding. Someone important.

And I never asked him if he was single. I assumed.

Yet again.

What a damn idiot I am.

You'd think I would have learned my lesson with Steve.

God I'm mad.

At Atlas and with myself.

Can I not choose one single and available man even to have a weekend fling with? What is wrong with me?

I take a deep breath.

I might be jumping to conclusions but after Steve, it's hardly surprising.

Then again, Atlas didn't exactly shrug his father off with his response. If she wasn't his partner or girlfriend, wouldn't he have said something like of course not?

He didn't.

He said she was with her family because her dad was very ill.

Which is sad.

Now her boyfriend is cheating on her.

What if I'm wrong?

I want to be wrong, but then again, I wanted to be wrong about Steve, too. And I spoke to his wife.

The heart is weird.

It's true, I stepped onto the helicopter on Thursday intending to ignore Atlas Montgomery as much as I could. Now it's Saturday night and up until a few moments ago, I was fighting butterflies in my tummy every time he looked at me.

When we returned from the beach, Atlas followed me upstairs, snuck in my room, and we made love slowly.

Okay maybe it's not love, but it was different from last night.

That had been hot and wild.

This was seductive and intimate.

The way he slowly removed my clothes, kissed me, stroked my skin, and whispered how gorgeous I was.

It still felt forbidden as he strode naked across the room to lock the door, then made his way back.

Lord, the sight of his strong solid body with a scattering of tattoos and predatory eyes had me almost coming on the spot.

"Spread your legs." He ordered and, boom, they did.

His eyes locked with mine as he slid his tongue from one length of my pussy to the next. But he didn't stay there.

Instead, he climbed over me and filled me slowly, like he was savoring every inch.

I know I did.

Those blue eyes controlled the beating of my heart as it pounded in my chest.

"I want you, Molly." He rasped.

"Yes."

"I want more of you," he clarified, sliding out and thrusting back in. "More than this."

I'd been speechless, not knowing what to say.

Scared to say more.

Scared to say yes.

But I wanted to. My feelings for him were growing so quickly and I felt at the time like I could drown in his desire.

On the beach today, I saw a different side to him. A depth I wasn't expecting. Initially I thought he was just a rich playboy, not as moody as Knox, and not as sporty as Levi.

He has that bad boy vibe without actually doing anything bad—unless he is cheating—but today he showed me a side that I liked.

He showed me a man I could fall in love with.

Now, I'm afraid I've cracked open the door to more heartbreak and I want to cry.

What did I tell you about not losing? Tsk, tsk, Molly. You aren't paying attention.

I'm confused and my truth radar is turned up to full power.

I will not be made a fool of again.