“I know. Go on. I’ll see you later. Thanks for today.” She paused. “And thank you. For defending me. And for listening.”

Tuesday had gone home already, so Natalie had a few stolen alone moments with Paddy.

“Oh, wait, you left your coat.”

She’d put it in his front closet earlier.

He walked her in but kicked the door closed and gave her the look.

“Patrick, you’re giving me the look.”

“Am I?”

He backed her against the closet door, hands at her hips. “I guess I am. I’m afraid that doesn’t bode well for you.”

“Or maybe it bodes really well.”

He leaned down to kiss her and she gave over to it. He had to go and they both knew it, but he made no move to break away.

“Can you be very quiet? And quick? Hmm?” He spun her and her palms slapped the door, the sound so loud in the quiet of the entry. “You never know who might come to the door looking for me.”

She should not be turned on by any of this.

But holy cow, she totally was.

He licked up the back of her neck, leaving her skin extrasensitive as gooseflesh broke out. His hands skimmed around her belly, unbuttoning and unzipping her jeans. The cool air made her shiver, but not as much as the moment did. He shoved her pants and panties down, pressing her body against the wood.

The edge of his teeth grazed her ear as his fingers teased her clit, readying her body. She tried to be quiet, but he was driving her crazy, and when she heard the jingle of his belt and his zipper going down, she may have whimpered. She knew she did when the crinkle and tear of a condom wrapper sounded.

He pulled back a moment, her body cool suddenly where the heat of him had been scorching.

Her ankles hobbled by her pants, she couldn’t do much more than rise to her tiptoes, thrusting her ass out when the tip of his c**k brushed her butt cheeks.

“Yes,” she moaned.

“Shh.”

His hand clamped over her mouth right as he positioned himself and thrust into her body.

She was so wet, it went easy, even as the friction was delicious because her thighs were together.

Something about it was so taboo it sent a dark, delicious thrill through her as she groaned.

In and out, he thrust hard and fast as her fingers scrabbled against the wood. Looking for purchase and finding none.

“You’re going to need to come. It’s been a hard day. I want you to come all over my cock.”

She cursed against his fingers, and he laughed softly, knowing exactly what he was doing to her.

With his free hand, he danced his fingertips around her nipple, through her shirt and bra. But it was enough. Enough to send waves of pleasure through her body, centering between her legs.

She whimpered when he moved his hand away, but he walked his fingers down her belly to her clit.

Three brushes of his middle finger and she was coming with so much sudden intensity, she had to close her eyes against it. He bit her neck where it met her shoulder as he joined her in climax.

Moments later, he pulled out and ducked into the powder room across from the closet, and when he returned, she’d managed to get her muscles working enough to pull her underpants and jeans back into place.

He looked carefully at her. So sweetly clear, he wanted to be sure she was all right with what had happened.

If it had been another man, she wasn’t sure it would have been. But it wasn’t any other man, it was Paddy. And what it was, was hot. Dirty and filthy and really delicious.

“You should go make music. Try not to punch anyone.” She tiptoed up and kissed him. “I feel much more relaxed now.”

He slid his arms around her waist. “Yeah? Everything okay?”

“Yes. Perfect. Now go on. I have to get home. I’ll talk to you later.”

He walked her to her car and watched her drive away.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

“I VOTE WE walk right over there. I could use some soup and a cup of coffee.” Sharon Hurley had shown up at the library the week following dinner at Damien and Mary’s to invite Natalie to lunch.

“Sounds good.” The little café was a place she ate lunch at all the time, so she knew the food was excellent.

“You look pretty. You’re not afraid to wear color. I like that.”

Natalie blushed. Sharon always said the nicest things. Oh, sure, she could be sort of scary sometimes, but usually to other people, which was always fun to watch.

They grabbed a table and settled in and once they’d ordered, Sharon leaned closer. “So I work with this group that does drives for different shelters and low-income programs for kids. Sometimes it’s through the schools, too. I’d really like to get the community as a whole more involved, and I thought maybe you could help me with it.”

“Really? Me? I’d love to help, but what makes you think I’d be so good at it?”

“I look at you when you’re with kids, and I see someone who wants them to have a relationship with reading. I sense—and please don’t take this the wrong way—but I sense that maybe you didn’t have the greatest home life growing up.”

Natalie swallowed, hard. Trust.

“No, I didn’t. Reading was a way for me to travel. To be in places where people wanted to hear what you thought, wanted to know how you felt. Reading took me away from my reality, which wasn’t safe, wasn’t warm, wasn’t filled with people who wanted to protect me.”

Sharon took her hand. “I think you can relate to these kids, and they can relate to you. That’s why I think you’d be good at it and I think they’d be good for you, too.”