Free Daniel's Desire by Sherryl Woods Page A

pages of Vogue or some other high fashion magazine.
    The suit, which was dramatic enough with a blouse underneath, was a knock-out with a hint of cleavage showing. The skirt was just short enough to make her legs look very long and slender. Kendra had adamantly tossed aside her flats and picked out her one pair of strappy summer heels.
    “Too bad there’s not time for a pedicure,” Kendra said, eyeing her critically. “You could use some red polish on your toes.”
    “I think we’ve gone far enough,” Molly said dryly, still overwhelmed by the swept-up hairdo with blond tendrils curling against her cheeks. She’d insisted that Kendra use a light hand with the makeup, but it was still more than she usually wore and her pale-gray eyes stood out dramatically. Her lips looked soft, pouty and kissable.
    “Now, remember, the lipstick is the kind that won’tcome off, so you can kiss him all you want,” Kendra told her.
    Molly scowled. “I am not going over to his office to make out with him. I’m going to poke around for information.”
    “Whatever,” Kendra said. “But you might as well use what you’ve got.” She grinned. “Let’s go show Retta.”
    They went downstairs and walked into the kitchen where the cook was already working on lunch. She took one glance at Molly and dropped the spoon she was using to stir the chowder.
    “Oh, my sweet girl, what have you done to yourself?” Retta asked, her eyes wide.
    Molly faltered. “Too much?”
    “Depends on what you’re after,” Retta said. “You want Daniel on his knees and weeping, I think you’ve got it just right.”
    “I want him talkative,” Molly insisted.
    Retta shook her head at that. “Doubt he’ll get a word out. Poor man. I’d like to be there when you walk through the door. He deserves to get hit with all you’ve got. Past time for him to realize what he lost the day he hurt you.”
    Molly’s enthusiasm for the makeover was slowly climbing. She wasn’t entirely sure the approach was right, but she felt good. She felt like a woman for the first time in a couple of years now. And who better to use to get her confidence back than Daniel? Not that this meeting had anything to do with her. It was all about Kendra, she reminded herself piously.
    Retta regarded her with concern. “You gonna be able to keep your head about you when that man starts drooling over you?”
    “Believe me, Daniel can’t get to me,” Molly replied firmly.
    “See to it that doesn’t change,” Retta said. “I’m not interested in picking up the pieces if that man hurts you again. This time I’ll just whip his sorry butt. I imagine Patrick will help me.”
    “Yes, the two of you are quite formidable,” Molly agreed wryly. “I’ll remind Daniel of that if he gets any crazy ideas.”
    “Oh, he’s gonna get ’em,” Retta said. “There’s not much question of that.”
    Molly sighed. “I guess I’d better go. I hope he’s in his office after we’ve gone to all this trouble.”
    “Maybe you should call,” Kendra said worriedly.
    “Nope. I want the element of surprise on my side,” Molly insisted.
    “Honey, we’re not talking surprise,” Retta said. “We’re talking shock. Once you’ve got him right where you want him and wheedled all that information out of him, you get right on back here and tell us every detail.”
    “That’s right,” Kendra added. “We want details.”
    Molly laughed at their enthusiasm. “I could always take pictures of his tongue hanging out.”
    Kendra looked around eagerly. “Where’s the camera?”
    “I was joking,” Molly said.
    “I’m not. I think I deserve a picture,” Kendra insisted. “I could put a before and after shot in a portfolio and be a great movie makeup artist someday.”
    Now there was a career for a girl with a self-proclaimed IQ that was off the charts, Molly thought. “Well, you can forget the pictures. Let’s try to remember why I’m going to see Daniel in the first place.”
    “To