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On the day the Devaney sisters had come to live at the Gage mansion, Molly had been a mere three years old.
She’d been introduced, along with Kate, to all the family members and staff, but she’d hardly paid any attention because she had a lollipop stuck in her mouth and she was gladly sucking it. Embarrassed by this, Kate had tried to convince her to hand over the lollipop, since she’d been the one who’d given it to her in the first place, but it was all to no avail. And yet while they proceeded to do the introductions, Molly’s attention had fixated on the blond, green-eyed boy who looked at her in amusement. She toddled over to him, took her lollipop out of her mouth, and graciously offered it to him with a cheeky grin.
Julian had been six at the time, and even when his mother had beamed a silent command at him to refuse the germ-filled offering, Julian had shoved it into his mouth and smiled down at Molly. Just like that, they’d been instant friends.
Now Molly looked pointedly at Garrett and cocked a brow, wondering if he even remembered that story. They’d only told it about twenty times or so, if she recalled correctly. The family laughed about it, joking that what the other brothers accomplished with force, the younger brother accomplished with a grin.
“Molly.” Kate clasped her hands before her in a silent plea. “I just need you to assure me that you know what you’re doing. Julian’s relationships don’t last. In fact, he’s never even had one, only one-night stands and weekend flings. You’re in way over your head here, Moo!”
“I’m not his weekend fling, Kate,” she defended, suddenly fierce, determined to show them she was at no risk and meant more to Julian than that, even though what she was defending was a fake liaison intended to make Garrett jealous. “What makes you think Jules would ever hurt me? He’s the only guy I know that would give me a kidney if I needed one! In fact, he’s so good to me I’ll bet he’d even give me two!”
The worry creases on Kate’s forehead only seemed to double. “You’ve really fallen for him, haven’t you?”
It killed Molly not to be able to tell her sister the truth, so she could at least wipe that worry off her pretty face, but then how could she assure her what a lie her relationship with Julian was, when she herself couldn’t understand why she’d even kissed him yesterday?
Since she’d moved in with him, she’d been bombarded with strange feelings and emotions, hardly getting any sleep as she lay in her bed, wondering about all the what-ifs and could bes in her life.
Saying good morning to him in his sexy pajamas with his six-pack abs showing was torture. Bantering with him, wanting to be close to him…
She didn’t even know what she felt anymore.
She’d wanted to find love in her life, because she’d already found success
in her profession. Wasn’t it normal to always want something? But this time she sensed that what she wanted was nearby, but she couldn’t put a name to it, and that frustrated her out of her mind.
She’d been counting on Garrett to reignite the spark in her today, not leave her feeling cold and empty. She’d been counting on this meeting where he could help her straighten out her head, and more importantly, her emotions.
Instead, she and Julian were being attacked, and it made her want to stick her claws out for him. For them. For what they had, which nobody had ever really understood in the first place.
“Julian would never hurt me,” she said as she rose, fighting to keep from shouting. “I promise you if you ever see me cry because of him, I give you permission to shoot me.”
“I’d actually prefer to shoot him,” Garrett said drily.
Whipping around to face him, Molly stared at this large, handsome man, thinking he’d always been a great influence in her life. He’d always felt responsible for her father’s death. Even though the Devaney sisters had never blamed him for what had happened, it seemed as if Garrett would never forgive himself.
Which sometimes made his smiles seem sad. And made him try too hard to make things right for Kate and Molly, protect them. But…protect Molly from Julian? Oh, puleeze! Julian had been as crucial as sunshine to her since she was a toddler. He’d been her hero before she even heard of the word or understood its meaning.
Garrett was a good man, a great man, in fact, and Molly knew he would be a faithful and giving husband if he could only give himself a chance. But did he need to be drunk to let go the way he had at the masquerade?
Whatever the reason, she feared that the man who’d kissed her that night was an illusion. And if she’d ever, ever doubted whether she would have to choose between Garrett and Julian, it was an easy choice now that she was faced with it.
Her hero won outright.
“What is your problem with Julian anyway?” Molly asked, aghast and affronted. “Both of you—you’re always riding him about something. If I were him, I’d…never talk to you again.”
She pivoted for the door, but Garrett’s voice stopped her.
“That little toad is my brother. Of course I love him. We merely feel responsible to protect you.”
She grabbed the knob and turned. “If I need protecting from anything, I will tell you, but the last person on this earth I need protecting from is Julian.” She yanked the door open and then added, “And if you love your brother so much, then I suggest you try to make things work around here before he leaves the Daily for good—Lord knows I would! Who the hell can even work in peace with this sort of constant criticism? I’m glad he’s ready to move on!”
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me!” she shot back.
She gave Kate a look that said don’t do this to me again, and with that, she stormed outside.
“Molly!” Garrett followed her, stopping her a couple of feet from where his secretary was busily tapping her computer keypad. “Where’s my brother going? Is he leaving the Daily?”
