Lonely Girl. Josephine Cox

never once contacted him. Tonight he had engineered a meeting in the pub, and it proved only how much he had missed her and how lonely his life had been without her. Molly was his only true love, and always would be.

      Looking at her now, he smiled as she led him along the meandering corridor. Molly always had a good pair of legs, he thought. She was the best-looking girl he’d ever clapped eyes on, and when he was younger it had taken him a long time to find the courage to woo her. One thing he knew for sure, though: the few years when he had been with Molly were the best of his life.

      He wondered if she would ever come back to him – not just for a tumble in the hay, but to be with him for the rest of his days. That would be his heaven: he and Molly together for the remainder of their lives. If he could have just one wish it would be that maybe – just maybe – she might learn to love him again as deeply as he had loved her all these years past.

      Right now, though, he needed to concentrate on the reason she had brought him here. When he dared to imagine she would give herself to him, his heart leaped in his chest. Molly had always been his woman and he needed her now more than ever.

      Nevertheless, this adventure was making him highly nervous, even though they were nearing the far end of the great barn. ‘Molly, I don’t like being in here. What if somebody finds us?’

      ‘They won’t. Once the hay is stacked and safe, hardly anybody ever comes in here, except young Harry when he brings the hay bags from the stables to fill up.’ She paused to kiss Tom full on the mouth. ‘Besides, even if someone did come in, they would never see us back here. It’s so cosy and warm you’ll never want to leave.’ She fell into a pile of hay from a broken bale and pulled him down beside her.

      ‘Molly Tanner, I must be crazy getting mixed up with you again. You’re a bad devil; always was, always will be.’ Softly chuckling, he wrapped his arms about her. ‘Nobody else but you could have persuaded me in here at this time of night and, like a fool, I let you bully me. Why is it you’ve always been able to wrap me round your little finger?’ he groaned.

      ‘Ah, that’s because you love me … more than you could ever love any other woman. Isn’t that the truth? And you will never stop loving me … will you?’

      He realised that her every word was true. ‘You must be a witch,’ he whispered hoarsely. ‘So many times over the years I’ve tried to build a relationship with other women, but it has never worked out because when I look at them, it’s you I want. It’s like you’ve woven some kind of a spell over me.’

      Her answer was to laugh in his face. ‘You’ll never have me,’ she said quietly. ‘No man will ever have all of me … not even my husband.’

      For a fleeting moment, he was afraid. Afraid of his own feelings. Afraid that she might hurt him in so many ways. And yet he wanted her like he had never wanted anything in his entire life.

      ‘You’re a crazy woman,’ he whispered, ‘and I must be crazy too, because you’re right. I will always love you, Molly. I know I shouldn’t. I know you’re bad for me, and yet I can’t stop wanting you. All these years since you left me for John Tanner, I’ve thought about you every day. I’ve tried so hard to forget you. I’ve had many other women after you, but they were fleeting relationships. None of them could ever hold a candle to you.’

      ‘Really?’ She was deeply flattered. ‘Hmm, I never realised you still loved me that much.’

      ‘If I had any sense I would get you out of my life for good and all, and never think of you ever again,’ he mumbled, ‘because, much as I love you, I know how cruel you can be, but it seems I can’t help myself.’

      Now that he felt safe from prying eyes, he began to relax. ‘Come here, my beauty.’ Playfully wrapping his arms about her, he drew her close to him and, to his great delight, she made no protest this time.

      ‘We’ll be safe enough here,’ Molly again assured him. ‘We can misbehave and enjoy ourselves for as long as we want, and no one will ever know.’ She stroked her fingers down his face, her soft voice calming his fears. ‘Trust me, we’ll be warm and cosy here. So … do you want to have your wicked way with me … or would you rather I show you the way out now?’

      ‘Molly, stop teasing me.’ The widening smile on his face showed his expectations. ‘It had better be worth the effort,’ he laughed.

      ‘Oh, it will be.’ They snuggled into the hay.

      ‘You were right!’ Giggling like a child, Tom gathered her to him. ‘It’s warm as toast in here.’

      ‘Come on then, let’s not waste precious time!’ Having helped him to take off his jacket, she threw it aside. Then, sliding her fingers under the buckle of his trouser belt, she teasingly undid it.

      A moment or so later, she hurriedly tore off her outer clothes and was driving him to distraction with her wicked teasing.

      Greedily drawing her into his arms again, Tom was happier than he had been at any time since their last such encounter.

      Molly, too, was enjoying herself. This was fun, no strings attached – no jealous husband, no unwanted brat to see to. It took her back to a time before she had ever met John Tanner.

      ‘They should have been home by now.’ With her father gone for so long, Rosie felt the need to defy his instructions and look out the window, from where she hoped to see his familiar figure walking towards the house. So far, though, there was no sign of either of her parents.

      As always, the faithful black Labrador remained by her side, his great squashy paws planted firmly on the windowsill and his bright, watchful eyes carefully scanning the night.

      With one arm wrapped around Barney’s thick neck, and the other arm bent across the sill, Rosie focused on the only direct path to the farmhouse.

      ‘Daddy said he wouldn’t be long, so why isn’t he here?’ With no one else to confide in, she directed her reasoning to the dog. ‘He must have found Mother by now … unless she doesn’t want to be found.’ She felt a surge of rebellion. ‘I’ve a good mind to go out and look for them, but Daddy would be cross if I did. You would look after me, though, wouldn’t you, Barney?’