Page 28 of Paddy

Going to what looked the most familiar, the pie prepared gave me a feeling it'd be similar to shepherd's pie. Even though it wasn’t, it was surprisingly tasty. Once everything was stored and ready for transport, I contracted Elijah to help with putting it in the car.

“Change of plans, kid. You and your mom are coming with me.”

“How come?” Elijah asked with skepticism.

“What do you meanhowcome? You're hungry, ain't you? It beats sitting around the house, don't it? Plus, you'll get to meet my brothers and sister, and their kids too.”

“Do you think your family will like me?” He asked with a warranted sense of pessimism.

“Elijah, ain't a thing about you not to like. Plus, I got a nephew about your age. More if you don't mind a few that are younger than you. I just need a little help moving what your mum made to the car. Think you can handle that while I check on your mum?”

“Okay.”

Taking the keys out of my pocket, I dangled them in front of him. “I'm trusting you with my baby. Think you can handle moving the food in one piece?”

Elijah's toothy grin spread into a smile accompanied with a nod, as I faked him out by keeping the keys. “You do a good job and I'll let you drive home.”

“Really?”

“Onlyif you do a good job,” I said, catching the keys that I threw at him this time and hightailing towards the kitchen. “Hopefully you're a better driver than your mother,” I yelled out before heading to the primary bedroom to check up on Pretty.

She was mostly ready, side for a pair of shoes. I couldn't get it out my head how attractive this woman was. I'm sure she'd be gorgeous at any size, but I fancy meeting her curvier. Made me realize I was missing out all these years going after only what felt familiar.

Knocking on the threshold, she turned to me. “Is this too much?” she asked with a smooth down of her dress.

I wasn't good at cuts or types, but it was one of them dresses where the shoulders were out and was often complimented with a small belt at the waist to accentuate the figure. A man could really lose his words watching a woman like Pretty walk away.

Meanwhile, I just had to take all of her in while fighting the beast she woke inside me. “Mrs. Washington, you are never too much.”

She played with her fingers, all of a sudden insecure and unsure herself. “So, we're back to Mrs. Washington now.”

“I was just trying to get through to you earlier. Hard to do that when I'm formally calling you Mrs. Washington.”

“With you, I just prefer Pretty.”

“Then it would do me the honor if you called me Paddy. Especially around my family. They'll think it's strange you're calling me Mr. Sullivan when I'm inviting you to dinner.”

“Paddy, then.” Her smile delicate but warm. “Paddy, would you mind zipping me up?” she said with a point to her back. Eating the distance between us, I prayed I could keep my hormones at bay, given how good she looked tonight, in addition to seeing her cry. Her sepia-hued shoulders appeared as smoothas they did soft, and I couldn't imagine what it’d do to me given I ever got the opportunity to run my hands along her skin.

Placing a hand on her hip, I used the other hand to zip the dress up slowly so I could savor being this close to her when I should have stayed far away.

“While you're there, mind helping me with this too?” She brought a necklace to her throat, torturing me with having to run my calloused hands over her skin. It didn't disappoint. She wasexactlyas soft as she looked. Stretching the necklace out, her skin goosebumped, and I couldn't help letting it go to my ego that I was putting them there.

“Thank you.” She finally turned to me and sauntered past me to reach in her closet.

“Anytime,” I said, excusing myself to follow up with Elijah. Pretty—she gave me a bad case of it.

I couldn't get her out of my fantasies. Most of all, I couldn't get her out of my head when it came to benign things, either. What was wrong with me? She was married. She was too out of reach to me. So why couldn't I convince my cock that? Why couldn’t I convince my brain that? Most of all, why couldn't I convince my heart?

Thirteen

Pretty

It was a long drive from Back Bay to Cillian’s neighborhood, as Paddy had given me a small rundown of his family. He had three brothers, one younger, two older, and a sister that was only older by a year or two. Apparently, outside of him and Cillian, most of his siblings were what you’d consider Irish twins. Back to back.

His youngest had four children, something that stung a little bit, because after having Elijah, I'd always wanted more kids, but Vernon seemed content after having his prized, precious son.

I loved Elijah too, but I’d always pictured myself having a girl, someone I’d naturally have things in common with and teach things to. But in order to have children, you’d have to be intimate first. Thinking about it just made me mourn my sex life, whenever I’d actually had one. At least with Paddy’s sister, she’d only had one child, so that made me feel a little better.

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