Nathan stepped up beside her, happy when she leaned his way so that their arms touched. ‘Looks like you’re all celebrating.’ He nodded at the array of glasses on the table.
Her smile extended into a grin. ‘We won. Against the hardest team we have to play all season.’
‘We? You played?’ Hadn’t she said she was going to watch a game?
‘Since Coach knew me she asked if I’d fill in for the last ten minutes after one of the girls broke her wrist. Re-broke it.’
‘Why did you leave in the first place?’
Molly’s look told him to shut up, so he did, for now.
‘What Molly’s not telling you is that she scored eight points,’ one of the women said in a very loud voice.
Molly shook her head. ‘It was a team effort. Nathan, let me introduce everyone.’ She went around the table, stumbling when it came to naming the men and laughing when they teased her about her memory. ‘This is Nathan Lupton, a—a friend of mine.’ Colour filled her cheeks. ‘We work together.’
She didn’t have a definite slot to fit him into. Friend, colleague. What else? He had no answer either. ‘Can I get you a drink?’ He needed a beer, fast, before he came up with some whack-a-doo ideas and put them out there.
Molly shook her head. ‘No, thanks. I’m good.’
‘Be right back.’ Don’t go anywhere. Luck was on his side. The bar was momentarily quiet, no doubt a hiatus in a busy night. ‘Thanks, mate.’ He took his beer and handed over some cash before returning to his reason for being there.
She was toying with her glass. ‘I was struggling with fitting into the group. On court, fine. Off court, not so good.’
Nathan nodded. ‘Same as you’ve been with your workmates. I’m picking same reasons too.’
‘Yes. At least I’m doing something about it now.’ Her eyes met his. ‘Were you headed somewhere in particular when you saw my car? How did you recognise it, by the way? It’s so ordinary even I have trouble finding it in a parking garage.’
‘I wasn’t a hundred percent certain. That’s why I gave you a buzz instead of checking out the bars first. How long have you been here?’ Molly looked tired, and her eyes were a little glassy. Too many of those bubbly wines that she seemed to be enjoying? That on top of last night’s shift, and only a few hours’ sleep today, would knock anyone off their perch.
She glanced at her watch, and gasped. ‘It’s after ten? I think we got here around five thirty. No wonder I’m zonked.’ Then she glanced at him, and guilt filled those eyes. ‘Sorry. That’s rude when you’ve just arrived. We had a celebratory drink, then a meal and some more drinks. Everyone’s stoked to have won. I’m going to the training session tomorrow morning since I can’t make Wednesday night practice. I’ll probably ache in places I don’t know I’ve got afterwards.’ She drained her glass and dropped it back on the table with a thud. ‘Damn, I’m talking too much.’
‘Yes, but it beats the cold shoulder routine.’ He smiled to show he wasn’t looking for trouble. ‘I like the Molly I’m getting to know.’
She stared at him.
‘What? Have I grown a wart on my nose?’
‘Not quite.’ Finally she dropped her eyes to focus on her hands clasped together in front of her.
‘Molly?’
She blinked, sighed, looked at him again, this time with remorse clouding her expression. ‘Thank you for not running a mile when I told you everything this morning.’
Oh, Mol. ‘As if I’d do that.’ Nathan lifted one of her hands and wrapped his fingers around it.
‘I knew you wouldn’t before I told you or I wouldn’t have said a word. It was blatantly clear you’d have my back right from the moment I tossed that creep onto the floor. Actually, I think I’d already reached that conclusion before then.’
‘So what’s the problem?’
‘I probably haven’t got one that a good night’s sleep won’t fix.’
‘Then let’s go.’
Her curls flicked. ‘You just got here.’
‘I can leave just as quickly. Come on.’
A tight smile flitted across her mouth. ‘Okay. Sorry, everyone, but I’m heading home. I’m knackered.’
‘Yeah, yeah.’ Someone laughed. ‘Your man turns up and suddenly you’re tired. We get it.’
Heat spilled into Molly’s cheeks, but she didn’t give one of her sharp retorts. Instead she managed a quiet, ‘Whatever,’ and slung her bag over her shoulder to walk out of the bar, her hand still firmly in Nathan’s.
On the footpath Molly turned right.
Nathan tugged her gently to the left. ‘My car’s this way.’
Pulling her hand free, she nodded. ‘Mine’s the opposite way, as you must know if you saw it parked.’
‘I’ll give you a lift.’
Those curls moved sharply. ‘I’m fine. I need my car in the morning.’
Okay, now he had to be brutal. ‘Molly, you’ve been drinking. You cannot drive.’
Her mouth fell open. Her eyes widened. Then she found her voice. ‘You think I’m drunk?’ she screeched.
‘Yes, I do. You said you’ve been in the bar for hours. Drinking was mentioned.’ No way was she getting behind the wheel of her car. ‘Your eyes are glassy and you were talking the hind leg off a rabbit in there.’ He jerked a thumb over his shoulder in the direction of the bar. ‘Which is unlike you.’ Unless she was nervous, but he didn’t believe her nerves had anything to do with this.
‘You’re wrong.’ She spun away to storm down the road.
‘Molly.’ He caught up with her. ‘Please be sensible and let me take you home. It would be safer for everyone.’
She stopped so abruptly he had to duck sideways to avoid knocking into her. ‘I had one alcoholic drink when we first arrived. Since then I have been downing sparkling water by the litre. I am not a danger to anyone.’
‘Right.’ Even to him his sarcasm was a bit heavy as he stepped in front of her.
Stabbing his chest with her forefinger, she glared at him, the anger ramping up fast in those wide eyes. ‘I am tired. Not drunk. Please get out of my way. Now.’
‘Even exhaustion is a good reason not to drive.’ Lame, but true. And desperate. He didn’t want her driving. Giving her a lift would make him happy. Apparently not her. He should let this go, but deep inside was a clawing itch that made him try harder to win her over. Reaching for her hand, he tried to pull her in the opposite direction.
She jerked free, stretched up on her toes and said in the coldest voice he’d ever heard, ‘Out of my way, Lupton. Damn, but you’re so cocky and infuriating.’
When he didn’t move she stomped around him and continued down to her car, head high, boots pounding the tarmac. ‘I’ll follow you,’ he called, and headed for his vehicle so as not to lose her. He was going to make sure she got home safely, one way or another.
Cocky and infuriating. What the hell was that about? Putting him in his place? He’d laugh if it didn’t sting. Here he’d been thinking they were getti
ng somewhere. Into a deep, murky hole at the moment.
Slamming the stick into drive, he pulled out and caught up to her at the lights. So he’d infuriated her. No surprises there.
He’d insisted she get into his car.
He hadn’t listened to her when she’d said she hadn’t been drinking.
He had tried to force his opinion on her.
Starting to sound like her ex.
One very big difference. He would never, ever, use his fists. Molly knew that, or she wouldn’t have gone to his house with him that morning. Wouldn’t have fallen asleep on his couch, leaving herself vulnerable.
She might not have kissed him either. Keeping a respectable distance, he followed Molly’s car to her apartment.
He owed her an apology for being such a prat.
Even if he still thought she should’ve come with him, he had to say sorry. This argument was bigger than what he’d wanted her to do. It was about not believing her, not letting her make her own decisions—in other words, control. He didn’t do control, unless it was about himself. People were allowed to make their own mistakes, unless they endangered someone else in the process. Unfortunately he didn’t want Molly making a hideous mistake and so he’d overreacted. She’d had her share of bad deals. She didn’t need any more.
Now he had to find a way back into her favour.
* * *
Molly closed her door with a firm click, leaned back against it and stared up at the ceiling. ‘Damn you, Nathan. Your bossy manner had me reacting faster than a bullet train.’
Her bag slid off her shoulder and hit the tiles with a bang, making her jump. She was wired. And cold. Driving home with her window down to blast the tiredness and keep her alert had chilled her while her temper had combated some of the cold. Now both were backing off. She’d let Nathan get to her—again. Back to how it’d always been between them before birthday breakfasts and judo throws and spilling the beans about her past. It might be for the best. If she hadn’t kissed him and been kissed back. Because now she wanted more. Lots more. If she could forgive him for believing she was drunk—and telling her what to do.