The Very Thought of You by Carolann Camillo

buckled in spots, which made navigation somewhat tricky. Nick took hold of Molly’s arm. Her skin was as smooth as stone washed by endless sprays of sea spume. After a shower, she probably poured on body lotion. Right away he pictured her naked, which, of all images, was the wrong one to invoke. He refocused his attention on the hallway and dropped his hand.
    â€œWatch your step.” The landlord held the elevator door open.
    Nick entered the confining cage behind Molly. Weak light seeped through a crack in the glass inset above his head. Some literary aspirant left his mark in crayon on the wall, singing the praises of Sonja with the big knockers and other body parts that shocked even him. He turned Molly a few degrees toward the opposite wall. He hoped she hadn’t noticed it. He’d come in for a lecture that anything less than a jackpot-sized payoff would doom his tenants to an obscenity-laced cave.
    â€œI wasn’t sure what you folks had in mind.” The landlord punched a button and the elevator began a shaky ascent. “Like I told you, I have a couple of vacancies, both one bedrooms. The apartment in the rear is quieter, but there’s not much to look at, just the back of another building. It’s more private, though. Since you’re newlyweds, you two might appreciate some privacy.”
    â€œIt sounds exactly like what we hoped to find, isn’t that right, sweetheart?”
    Molly rolled her eyes and gave her head a shake. The curls danced like a burnished halo. He thought back to the kiss. Damn if that halo hadn’t crash landed. He held the key right in his hand to easing his tenants out and his condos built. Yeah, the kiss was the right move. He hadn’t even planned it, which said a lot for spontaneity. She was a sun-ripened peach, ready for plucking.
    â€œThe front unit has a nice view of the street, but it’s noisy.”
    Nick gave Molly a self-satisfied nod. “A little noise shouldn’t cause a problem for us. What do you think, darling?”
    â€œI’m sure it’s a regular Eden.” The face Molly made at him brought her eyes to within a hair’s-breadth of crossing.
    The elevator jolted to a stop. Molly lost her footing and made a grab for Nick’s T-shirt. He clamped his palms onto her hips — for the sake of balance — and felt bone under a feminine swell of flesh. Since she didn’t let go right away, neither did he. Her eyes stayed focused on his chest. He preferred to think she enjoyed his touch, rather than she worried the elevator might take an unscheduled dive into the cellar. He had no complaints either way. Just as long as he remembered the hands that clutched his shirt were the same ones that declared open season on his wallet.
    The elevator door slid open with a groan. Nick stood back to let Molly exit first. As she stepped into the hallway, the sway of her hips earned her another leer from the landlord. Nick considered decking the guy. Except a fist to the jaw would lead to a lawsuit, and he didn’t need another hand in his pocket. He’d pull the man aside and give him a verbal one-two punch if he tried it again. At six feet two, weighing in at one ninety, he knew he could appear intimidating.
    Low wattage bulbs burned in sconces along the hallway, making it as dimly lit as the ground floor. When they arrived at apartment 3D, the owner pushed a key into the lock and opened the door. A rancid odor immediately escaped. Holy hell. Nick shot a glance at Molly who crinkled her nose. He’d have to deal with the smell later, too.
    â€œCome on in, folks.”
    Once inside, Nick glanced around but couldn’t find much “in” in the cramped space. The whole apartment couldn’t measure more than five hundred square feet.
    â€œSomeone must have left raw meat on the counter for at least a week.” Molly’s voice wafted from behind him.
    â€œNo, no. The unit’s been empty for over