Scratching him absently, she thought about the lovely –normal– evening she’d shared with the Langs.
She didn’t have a lot of experience with men. Her only boyfriend hadn’t worked out and she was nervous around the opposite sex.
It was hard not to wonder why a man like Nate seemed interested in her. Surely, there were other women in town he could date. He was good-looking, had his own business, and was one of the nicest men she’d ever met.
Why her?
Every cell in her body seemed to be waking up and she wasn’t sure if she liked the effect he had on her after just a few weeks of casual acquaintance. It was foolish to get attached to the kilt-wearing man. He made her feel like one of the heroines in the period romances she used to read.
Her lips tingled and she knew it was because she wanted him to kiss her. Her breasts ached and she wondered what it would be like if he touched them. Her lower body clenched with the need to feel him inside her.
Something told her sex with Nate would be more tactile, moreprimalthan the minimal experiences she had before her move to Colorado.
Zoe tried to sleep but it was useless when his face appeared every time she closed her eyes. Instead, she slid her palm beneath her cotton sleep pants and into her panties. The need to masturbate was a rarity for her but hours spent in his company seemed to have driven her to the point only an orgasm would ease.
She let her mind wander as she touched her folds, circled over her clit, and realized she was more into her own touch than usual. The moment she imagined Nate over her, touching her the way she touched herself, she came sighing his name in the quiet room.
Knowing she spoke his name aloud – but was unable to hear it – brought her back to the silence she lived in.
It took her a long time to fall asleep.
Chapter Five
For the rest of the week, Mandy spent time at the library after school and band practice. The moment she walked through the door, Zoe’s eyes lit up and they started signing rapidly.
Nate adored his daughter from the moment of her birth but his gratitude for the way she helped Zoe relax around him was immense.
Mandy followed Zoe around, helped her shelve books, learned about how things worked throughout the library, and offered to assist patrons find what they needed.
After two such afternoons, Zoe approached him as he was descending from the third-floor work area.
“Nate.” He smiled. “You raised a lovely young woman.”
“Thank you, Zoe. That means a lot to me.” Leaning against the bannister of the landing, he asked, “Will you join us for dinner tonight? We don’t have to go to the diner if you’d like something else. Whatever you’re in the mood for. We could drive to Boulder.”
“I,” she swallowed, “I’ve had dinner with you and Mandy two nights in a row. I’m used to eating alone…”
“Do you think we ask you out of pity? Because that’s not the case. At all.” He held her gaze. “Come to dinner with us, Zoe.”
She mouthed, “Um.” When she was quiet for several seconds, he raised his brow. “Alright.”
“Anexcellentchoice, Miss Green.” He pointed behind him to the floor above. “Don’t peek. We’ll be done in three days and I want you to see the full project come to life.”
With a light blush, she nodded. “I’m excited to see it finished.”
“I’m excited to show it to you so I see your gorgeous smile.” Her blush deepened. “Figuring out ways to make you smile is pretty high on my to-do list.”
Blinking rapidly, she adjusted her glasses. She looked relieved when Mandy bounded up the steps to stand beside her. Exhaling roughly, she smiled.
“I’m ready for my next project, Zoe!”
“You’re done already?” the librarian asked.
“I love helping with the little kids. I put all the new books in their section and even took time to color with that little girl who’s always here with her older brother.”
“I think their mother is worried about them being home alone after school and child care is so expensive.” Zoe looked off in the distance. “I wonder if I could establish something…” Pulling a small notebook from her pocket, she made several notes.
Ignoring them for almost a minute, she returned to the present with a little jump. Putting her notebook away, she signed, “How rude of me. I apologize.”