Otherwise Engaged Read Online Free PDF Page B

“You think I followed you in here to make another offer on the estate?”
    “Didn’t you?”
    “No. No, I was going to wait till later this afternoon to do that.”
    She closed both lids of the washing machinesand gathered up her purse. “Well, I’ll save you the return trip. My answer’s going to be no.”
    He lowered his voice. “You don’t even know what it is that I intend to offer.”
    His soft, textured voice conjured up images of a different kind of offer altogether, images of candlelight and satin sheets and … Molly forced that rather breathtaking picture from her mind and turned to smile at Zander, who was watching the exchange with wide eyes. She then smiled in the general direction of Pres, without managing to meet his gaze. “Well, we were about to save the world from alien invasion and maybe get a slice of pizza to celebrate, weren’t we, Z? We got a welcome basket from the Sunrise Key Chamber of Commerce that included a coupon for a sample slice and a free soda from Paulo’s Pizzeria.”
    “Mind if I join you?”
    Yes
. Surprised by his question, and startled at the strength of her response to it, Molly found herself staring up into Preston Seaholm’s eyes. She knew he could read her mind—he saw that
yes
written clearly across her face. There was a glintin his eyes and an edge to his smile that dared her to say it aloud.
    But that would be flatly rude. Instead, she settled for slightly rude. “Why?”
    “Because I’m hungry?” He said it as if it were a question, as if he wanted her to know that he wasn’t being quite truthful either.
    Zander tugged at her arm. “Can I go?”
    Molly nodded and he was out the door in a flash. She followed her son at a slower pace, turning back to look at Pres. “It’s not quite your style, is it? I mean, Paulo’s Pizzeria hardly serves four-star cuisine.”
    “No, but it serves four-star
pizza
. And I oughta know—I own the place. Look, would it help when we talk if I took off my Rolex watch first? Yes, I have lots of money, but that doesn’t mean I don’t like pizza.”
    Outside the Laundromat, the heat and humidity were oppressive. But Molly stopped on the sidewalk to look up at Pres. “If you want me to forget that you’re richer than God, you don’t have to take off your watch or your clothes or … or … shave your head or … anything. You just have tostop trying to buy my house out from underneath me.”
    “It’s my house. You just happen to be living there temporarily.”
    Molly laughed in disbelief. “Now,
that
was pompous.”
    “You were being honest,” he protested. “I thought I would be too.”
    “That wasn’t honesty. That was arrogance.”
    “I thought you said it was pomposity.”
    “It was both.”
    “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for it to be.” He reached out and pulled a strand of hair free from where it had caught on her eyelashes.
    Molly froze, startled both by the gentle sensation of his fingers barely touching her face and his quiet apology. For several breathtaking seconds she thought he might lean forward and kiss her. For several breathtaking seconds she found herself hoping that he would.
    She turned away quickly, afraid her thoughts were mirrored in her eyes. Dear Lord, what was wrong with her? She’d gone the Prince Charming route once already, with Chuck, and
he’d
quickly turned into a frog.
    She’d been alone for three years. Longer than that, really. The physical intimacies she’d shared with Chuck had been infrequent and less than perfect. But she’d learned to live without sex without a great deal of difficulty. She’d always figured her strongest passions were the intellectual kind.
    So why, now, was she experiencing this overwhelming rush of physical attraction every time this man looked into her eyes?
    Molly could feel heat rising in her face, and she ran for the door to the pizza parlor, throwing it open and stepping into the icy air-conditioned room.
    Zander was already thoroughly engaged