Absolutely, Positively

reason so many charities wind up with such high administrative and management costs and so little cash for their projects.”

    Molly gripped the strap of her purse. “Please leave, Gordon. Now.”

    “Hell.” Gordon's eyes slitted in sudden comprehension. “He's screwing you, isn't he? I should have guessed.” He gathered up his papers and crammed them into the folder. “He'll bleed your precious foundation dry, Molly. And then he'll dump you. Don't say you weren't warned.”

    Gordon stormed toward the door. Harry stepped politely out of his path.

10

    It had been a very near thing, Harry thought later as he waited in line at the sidewalk window of a waterfront café. A chill went through him whenever he thought about the events of the night. He felt as if he'd been standing in the path of an onrushing train and had somehow, inexplicably, managed to escape certain disaster.

    He still did not comprehend his good fortune, but he was profoundly relieved to know that he had not scared the living daylights out of Molly. In fact, she seemed virtually unruffled by his behavior during the night.

    Perhaps a little too unruffled. Harry frowned. She acted as if she hadn't noticed anything strange or even slightly out of the ordinary during last night's lovemaking.

    Memories of her passionate, exquisitely feminine response to him returned in a heated rush. She had come to him, made love to him, taken him deep inside her warm, tight, fiercely welcoming body. He had actuallyfelt the joyous delight in her, frothy as fine champagne. It was as though she had been waiting for him all of her life.

    And for the first time in his life, he had known true sexual satisfaction. Last night the relentless hunger, the craving for an incomprehensible consummation that had been growing so strong during the past few years had been assuaged, temporarily, at least. He would never forget the experience. It was far more profound than any physical release he had ever known.

    But as glorious as it had been, there was no getting around the fact that Molly's reaction still baffled him. He was sure that she had been exposed to a full onslaught of that part of him he had fought to conceal even from himself. Yet she hadn't seemed fazed by it. Olivia had caught only the merest glimpse and had been convinced that he was more than a little crazy.

    He had been lucky, Harry told himself. Very, very lucky. Molly had attributed his behavior to a fever. Or perhaps she had simply been too shaken by the malicious prank that had been played on her earlier in the evening to be aware of the weirdness in him. Whatever the reason, he had not terrified her the way he had Olivia. But he had certainly scared the hell out of himself.

    The whole thing had been too damn close. He would make certain that he did not take such risks a second time. From now on he would be careful.

    From now on he would be in control whenever he made love to Molly.

    Harry paid for two cups of chowder. He picked up the cardboard tray and walked across the pier to where Molly was sitting at an umbrella-shaded table.

    He was braced for the sight of her, but the euphoric thrill that he had experienced this morning, when he had discovered that she had not left him, struck again. He realized with some chagrin that he was getting hard just looking at her. He could only hope that his pants concealed his uncontrollable physical reaction. He wondered if he would be forced to take deep breaths every time he saw her, or if he would gradually grow accustomed to the sudden clench of excitement in his gut.

    Molly's attention was on the gulls that soared and swooped like miniature fighter planes in pursuit of stray french fries and bits of fried fish. The soft breeze played with her hair the way an electric beater played with egg whites.

    Wistfully, Harry studied the graceful line of the nape of Molly's neck. The deep hunger throbbed within him. He could almost feel her warm, silken skin. More hot images of the night drifted through his head. It was only about the thousandth time that day that they had interfered with his concentration. His hands tightened on the tray. Fortunately he had a lot of concentration.

    Harry put the tray of chowder down on the table. “Lunch is served. Red for you and white for me. Did I get it right?”

    Molly held a tendril of tawny hair out of her eyes and surveyed the two cups of chowder. “Right. How can you stand that thick, white, pasty stuff,