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Molly turned to Ben. “Ben, would you mind giving us a moment? I need to talk to Tristan in private.”
“Of course,” he nodded.
He gave me a parting glance that looked sympathetic and amused in equal measures. Then he left the office and closed the door behind him. I felt my nerves rise up and constrict around my throat. My palms were sweaty and I felt as though my throat was parched, even though I had barely said two words to Molly.
“You’re back,” I said at last, when the silence wore on and on.
She looked out towards my stunning view. “I missed Hawaii.”
“Is that why you’re back?”
“I’m back because I have a contract with you,” Molly said. “And I should have considered that before I quit. I acted impulsively, and I regretted the decision almost immediately, but… I was emotional at the time and I didn’t think I could continue working for you, considering what happened.”
Was that it then? I wondered. Was she just here for her job? A part of me was relieved and a part of me was disappointed. She wasn’t here for me at all—she was here because she liked Hawaii and the job and the people she worked with. I had to assume that I was excluded from that group.
“Right…” I said awkwardly. “So you’re here for your job.”
“Yes,” Molly nodded. “Only if you’re comfortable with that. I know that I voided the contract when I walked out and you have the right to turn me away if you want to.”
“I’m not going to do that,” I said, feeling supremely uncomfortable.
I tried not to look directly at Molly. She was like the sun, and her beauty was blinding me with need and desire. I had forgotten how wonderful it was to have her here, to have her in my bed, to have her wrapped around my body... There was no other feeling quite like it.
“You’re okay with me resuming my work here?” Molly asked.
“Of course,” I said. “The resort needs you—you did amazing work while you were here. Everyone misses you.”
“Apparently not everyone,” she said pointedly.
I stopped short. “What?”
“I want you to know that I will stay away, Tristan,” Molly said. “Just because I work for you that does not mean we need to have contact. You can send Ben or Alani in to speak to me, and I will do the same. We don’t need to be around each other any more than we have to.”
“Molly…”
“I got your message loud and clear, Tristan,” she said. “I just wish you had the guts to tell me the truth straight to my face.”
I could see the muted anger on her face, and I knew instinctively that she was talking about something specific. “Molly,” I said carefully. “What exactly is the truth that you’re talking about?”
Molly looked at me closely for a long moment. “Emma,” she said, in one word.
I groaned. “She spoke to you.”
“Just before I came up here to speak to you,” Molly informed me.
“She’s always liked to stir things up—”
“Really?” Molly said, cutting me off. “I kind of thought that was you?”
“Let me explain.”
“There’s nothing to explain,” she said. “Like I said, you made yourself extremely clear. You let me think that Emma was some random woman you were fucking because it was easier than admitting to me that you didn’t love me and that you were only interested in sex.”
“Whoa, hold on—”
“Let’s not get into it, Tristan, okay?” Molly said, turning towards the door. “I just came up here to tell you that you don’t need to continue with the pretense. Let’s just put this whole thing behind us and get on with our jobs.”
“No,” I said firmly, darting in front of Molly and blocking her path. “Not until you hear me out.”
