she pretty?” Maddie snuck a piece of bacon off her dad’s plate, and he pretended to be scandalized.
“She’s really pretty.”
“She likes books, and she’s pretty, too. Is she smart?”
He nodded. “She has a master’s degree. You know what that is?”
Maddie shook her head.
“You go to grade school and then high school. She went to college after that. That’s four years. And then she went to school for more years after that to get a special degree in being a librarian.”
“That’s lots of school! Smart and pretty. My momma says pretty fades but smarts last forever.”
“That’s what she says when Maddie doesn’t want to finish her homework,” Kensey added.
“Well, your mom is right.” Vaughan laughed, winking at his brother.
* * *
WHEN SHE WALKED into Common Grounds Monday morning, he sat there at his regular table.
“There you are. Morning, Natalie. I took the liberty of ordering for you.” He pointed at a very large mug and a plate with two spice doughnuts.
“You’re the devil.”
He laughed. “How so?”
She sat and looked at the pretty design Bobbi had made on the top of her cappuccino and then back to the masculine glory of his face. “Doughnuts? Two of them, even.”
“It’s Monday. If an extra doughnut is what it takes to get through unscathed and without violence to another human, I say eat two.”
Because he had what was probably 2 or 3 percent body fat, it was clearly easy to say. Which did not stop her from eating that first doughnut in what felt like three bites. Maybe it was four.
She hoped so.
He just grinned at her.
“What?”
“I like watching you. Did you have a good weekend?”
“Went to a craft fair with Tuesday. Bought stuff for my house. Ate too much. We planted stuff in our front yard, and yesterday she made me go on a hike. I just pray for winter when I don’t have to hike up hills for a few months.”
“Aw, come on now. You wouldn’t do it if you really didn’t like it.”
She nearly choked on the second doughnut. “I hate to break it to you, but I do it because my best friend likes it. I don’t like being really sweaty.” She sipped her cappuccino. “Well, outside of a few examples. Some kinds of sweat are worth the exertion.”
He leaned closer. “Please tell me you’re talking about sex.”
She blinked, keeping her expression serious. “No, I’m talking about raking leaves. Of course I’m talking about sex.”
He wiped his brow theatrically. “I’m going to change the subject, or I’ll be useless for hours. Bobbi says you never drink iced stuff. Now that September is here, that’s one thing, but in full summer, too?”
“Are you a coffee spy, Paddy?” She raised a brow.
“If I am, can I capture you and do whatever I have to to get you to cooperate?”
The words fell over her, heated, dirty innuendo. “Maybe.” They watched each other as they sipped their coffee.
“Tuesday says my dislike of iced coffee means I’m broken and tragically weird. I’ll eat coffee ice cream, because I’m not that tragic. But I’ll happily guzzle hot coffee all year around. I’m a traditionalist that way.”
“Did you know you have a dimple?” He reached out to brush a fingertip over the space to the right of her mouth. Of course she wasn’t smiling then; she was probably looking like a deer caught in the headlights because he set her aflame.
She ducked her head. “Did you have a good weekend?”
“My nieces were visiting, so we rode horses and went on picnics, and I endured three DVDs worth of animation. So yes, I had a good weekend. You should go out with me again.”
Her head spun at that quick change of topic. “I should?”
“Oh, yeah. Do you like movies?”
“Yes, again, not that tragic.”
“Our manager is dating a producer so we just got a bunch of stuff that’s just released. I have a home theater. Why don’t you come to my house? We’ll have dinner and watch movies.”
“I can’t tonight. Monday night is my book club.”
“Book club? What are you reading?”
“We have themes. This month is graphic novels, so we’ve been doing all the Walking Dead issues.”
“Really? Amazing. Is this open to new members?”
She laughed. Nearly choking on her drink. “We’d never get anything done if you joined my book club.”
“What? Why do you say that? I like to read!”
Natalie waved a hand at him. “You’re far too charming, flirty and sexy. I’m the most steadfast member of the group, and I can’t even concentrate around you. The rest of them would dissolve into goo. No book club for you, Patrick.”
He laughed. “I’d say you were mean, but you did compliment me and say I messed with your concentration, so I’ll let it pass. How about Wednesday?”
“Okay.” She looked at her watch. “I need to get moving.”
He stood with her. “I’ll walk you.”
She could have refused but she didn’t want to.
“All right.”
He walked on the outside, her barrier from the street. His gentlemanly ways surprised her at times.
“I admit it’s way nicer now that you don’t reject me over and over. Would I be pushing my luck if I tried to hold your hand right now?”
“Yes. I’m on my way to work. I like to keep my work and my private life separate.”
“Hmm. We’re going to need to talk about all this.”
“Hmm.” She mimicked him. “It’s going to have to wait until Wednesday.”
“Fine.” He chitchatted about silly stuff until they got to the library.
“I take it a kiss would not be okay according to your rules?”
“You’re learning. Oh, I need directions to your house for Wednesday night.”
He took her phone and put the information in. “I’ll see you Wednesday, then. I can’t be at the café tomorrow morning. We’re doing an interview, so I’ll be busy doing that for a while.”
She didn’t want to be disappointed, but there it was, anyway. So reckless of her to go getting attached to him like that, but her brain didn’t seem to care. The other parts of her had lost that battle weeks before. “Okay. I’ll see you Wednesday, then. Have a good interview.”
She turned with a wave and headed into work.
HE SPENT MOST of Wednesday preparing for his date. He went in and got a haircut and a beard trim. He picked up snacks and supplies for dinner. He also picked up extra condoms. It was like a talisman. For luck.
They’d end up in bed. He hoped it’d be that night, but even if it wasn’t for another month, it would happen. They had so much sexual energy between them, it sizzled.
He