snapped her gaze from his cock and tried not to blush.
“Have a seat.” He pushed the chair across from him away from the table with one booted foot. Not cowboy boots, worn work boots she figured cost more than she made in a month.
She wanted to go over and sit. Wanted to flirt and chat and let it lead right back to her place. Something about the man had gotten under her skin right from go. He was dangerous. Wanting too much was dangerous.
“I have to go to work.” With sheer force of will, Natalie turned her attention back to the bakery case.
Bobbi gave her a single raised brow but then got started on the Americano. The sounds and scent of the coffee-laden steam settled Natalie a little. “Ooh, I want one of those banana chocolate chip muffin things.”
“Here’s the thing, Natalie.” Suddenly, Paddy was standing very close. How had he done that? “That muffin is on hold. I’m a nice guy, though, so I’ll happily let you have it if you’ll sit and have coffee with me while we catch up.”
In her head, her sigh was wistful, but on the outside, she added a little annoyance to keep him back. Natalie had a weak spot for charming men, and boy, did Paddy have that in spades.
She was careful not to turn to look at him. He was so close, she probably couldn’t have kept her little resolution and stay on her Paddy Hurley–free diet. “I’ll have the blueberry one instead, then.”
Bobbi, clearly confused about the entire situation, shrugged and handed over the Americano and the muffin. Natalie thanked her and paid before heading toward the door.
Paddy caught up to her before she’d gotten more than a few steps. “Natalie? I was under the impression that when we parted ways before, things were okay between us. I guess I got it wrong. I’m sorry for whatever I did.”
Natalie paused. She might know it was best to keep him at a distance, but she didn’t want him feeling guilty or to come off looking disgruntled. “It was fine. There’s no need to apologize.”
His expression was smug for a moment, and then he caught himself with an easy smile. “So you do remember me.”
There was no way she could stop her smile in response. “Yes. You’re pretty memorable.”
“So what’s the deal?” He leaned a little closer. “You like being chased?”
With an annoyed hiss, Natalie stepped away. “No. I’m not interested in this...whatever it is. I don’t want to play games. I’m not being coy. I have a nice, quiet life. I like it that way.”
“There’s no whatever it is. Not yet. We already had that. I just think we could get to know one another again. I promise not to trash your living room or put a guitar through your television or anything.”
The charisma flowed off him in waves. It wasn’t something he put on. It wasn’t an affectation. It was impossible not to be attracted to him. They’d clicked all those years before, and it was still there, that chemical pull that made her a little sweaty and dizzy.
She stood a little straighter. “I have to go to work. I’m glad things are going well for you and your career. Have a good life, Paddy.”
He grabbed her hand, twining his fingers with hers, and a shock of connection rang through her. She could not want this.
The heat of him sort of caressed her skin, and it wasn’t even gross and sweaty because it was a thousand degrees outside. Was he some sort of sorcerer or something?
His attention shifted from where their hands were together to her face. “Wait. Let me walk you over. You’re at the library, right?”
Using all her will, she slowly pulled her hand free, their fingers still connected until the very last.
“No. Really. I can’t. I don’t have room in my life for you and all that comes with you.”
He flinched a little, but she had to give him credit for doggedness. “You don’t even know me now. How can you know what comes with me?”
“I’m truly happy to see your success. You worked for it. But come on, I’m no dummy. I know what comes with a life like yours.” She took a step away and then another until she was far enough to get a breath that wasn’t laden with him. “Enjoy your Friday.”
She left him there on the sidewalk as she kept going until finally, after she’d turned the corner, the squeezing pressure in her belly eased and she could breathe again.
She’d made the right choice.
She liked him. It wasn’t like she could lie about that. But she’d spent years of struggle to make herself a life she wanted, too many to let her ladybits take over. Truth was, she let that fear remain. The fear that his wild life would be one cringeworthy experience after the next; the fear of all that chaos and insanity kept her steadfast.
The library beckoned, and she kept moving toward it. She had a direction, and it was forward, not back. There was room for pleasure; she certainly hadn’t left sex behind, after all. But fleeting pleasure wasn’t stable or strong. That’s what he offered, and so she needed to pass on it.
* * *
BUT WHEN SHE walked into the coffee shop on Tuesday, he was there. Natalie ignored him and once she got out to the street—and man, was she glad she’d driven that day so she could put a closed door and a bunch of steel between them—she saw he waited just on the other side of her car.
“What? God, I told you, I’m not interested.”
His smile was slow, easy and effortlessly sexy. “You’re not interested in Paddy the rock star.”
Natalie frowned. “Is that so hard to believe? Not everyone wants to latch on to you for your fame, you know. I’m happy for you and your brothers. I like your music. But I don’t party like that anymore.” Hell, she didn’t live like that anymore. “I’m not that girl.”
He leaned against her car like a cat. “Darlin’, none of us are those people anymore. If I drank like that now, I’d be seriously fucked up the next day. When I’m not on tour, I’m here in Hood River. Not exactly known as a place to do blow off a hooker’s ass now, is it?”
She groaned. “I have no idea. It could be, and there could be a huge hooker-cocaine thing going on, and I wouldn’t know it. This is my point. Why are you so set on me, anyway?”
“You’re so suspicious. It’s sort of sexy. I’m set on you because I like you. Let me take you to dinner. Somewhere low-key. Hell, I’ll make you dinner at my house. No photographers. No keg stands. Just Paddy and Natalie.”
“Patrick, just leave it be. There are a million women who would be happy to have dinner with you. I’m a librarian living in a small town. I don’t have dinner with rock stars.”
“I won’t be a rock star at dinner. I’ll be Paddy. Anyway, I love books. Come on. Give me a chance. While I’m impressed you’d think a million women would be interested in me, I’m only interested in one woman. You.”
She got in and closed the door. After she’d started the car, she opened her passenger window a little. “Look,
