In deference to their privacy, Sam waited until Patrick opened the door and then offered Mary a hand out of the car.

“Thank you, Sam,” Mary said.

“A pleasure, ma’am. Enjoy your stay.”

“This is Mary’s first time in the city,” Patrick said as he followed her out of the car with her bag looped over his shoulder.

“Ahh, you’re in for a treat, then. Enjoy.”

“Have a nice weekend,” Patrick said.

“You do the same, sir.”

“He’s so nice,” Mary said.

“He’s worked for me for fifteen years and still calls me sir. I’ve been trying to get him to call me Patrick for almost as long as I’ve known him.”

“Evening, Mr. Murphy,” the uniformed doorman said as he held the door for them.

“Hi, Gerald. This is Mary Larkin. If you could add her to my VIP guest list, I’d appreciate it.”

“Will do, sir.”

Patrick guided Mary through the lobby to a bank of elevators, where he produced yet another card and pressed it against a scanner. The doors opened immediately, and he ushered her in ahead of him. As if he couldn’t bear to be close to her and not touch her, he slid an arm around her waist.

“What floor are you on?”

“The top two.”

“Of course.”

“Nothing but the best,” he said with a big grin.

The elevator opened into a foyer, and the first thing Mary saw was a circular table that held a huge arrangement of colorful flowers. Marble floors, a gilded mirror, high ceilings and elaborate molding… “You have your own elevator?”

“I do. That’s not a deal breaker, is it?”

“Don't be silly.” She gestured to the big windows on the far side of the living room. “May I?”

“Please, make yourself completely at home. Look at anything, snoop to your heart’s content, eat what you want, drink what you want. Anything and everything is all yours.”

“Thank you,” she said, warmed by the way he looked at her as much as the welcome. Mary wandered to the windows that looked out over the vast wilderness of Central Park. “I never expected the park to be as big as it is.” In the distance, the sun dipped toward the horizon, promising a colorful sunset.

“It’s about fifty city blocks in length. We’ll take a walk through the park at some point.”

“That would be nice. Your view is incredible.”

“I’m glad you like it. What do you think of my city so far?”

“It’s big and busy and hectic.”

“It’s all those things. It’s like it has a heartbeat all its own.”

“And you love it.”

“Every filthy, overcrowded inch of it.”

Hearing him say that reminded her of the miles that separated them in more ways than simple geography.

His hands landed on her shoulders in a gentle massage that had her leaning back against him. “I didn’t make any plans for tonight so you’d have some time to settle in. What do you feel like doing?”

“What’re my options?”

“We could take a walk and find some dinner, or order in and relax at home.”

“Could I see the rest of your home?”

“Absolutely.” He showed her the enormous kitchen, the dining room with a table that sat twelve and the cozy office where he said he spent most of his time when he was home. Then he led her to a staircase.

“I can’t believe there’s a second floor.”

“Yep.” At the top of the stairs, he said, “That’s Cam’s room, the guest room, and my home gym is in there.” He took her hand and led her to the end of the hallway. “And this is my room.”

He had the biggest bed she’d ever seen and more huge windows that overlooked the park.

“It’s beautiful,” Mary said, blown away.

“My daughter likes to tell me it’s much too big for just me, but I like it. After growing up jammed into a small, overcrowded house, I do like my space.”

Mary sat on the bed, testing its firmness. “Comfy.”

He sat next to her.

“You could sleep a family of four in this bed.”

He nudged her shoulder. “Tell me the truth.”

“About?”

“Are you horrified by my excess?”

“No, Patrick. Your home is lovely, and it suits you.”

“You really think so?”

“I do. It’s larger than life, just like you.”

“I want you to feel comfortable here, like you belong here, because you do. What’s mine is yours, Mary.”

She raised her hand to his face and caressed his smooth cheek before leaning in to kiss him. “I’m really happy to see where you live and work.”

“Most of the time when I call you, I’m in bed, so now you can picture where I am when we’re talking.”

Mary noticed the photos of Cameron on his dresser, from the time she was first born until her recent wedding. There was one of her with Patrick and another with Cameron and Will. “She was such a cute little girl.”

“Yes, she was and still is.”

“She’s the sweetest person. You can be so proud of her.”

“Thank you. I am. Somehow, despite me, she turned out pretty great.”

“One time I admired a dress she wore to the office, and the next time she came to the city, she got one for me. I couldn’t believe it.”

“That sounds like her,” he said, smiling. “She’s a lot like her mom in so many ways. I’m always happy to see Ali in her, even if she never knew her.”

“She knew her mother through you.”

“I didn’t talk about her as much as I should have when she was growing up. I’ve gotten better about that in recent years and have tried to fill in some of the blanks for her.” He nuzzled her neck. “So, what do you feel like doing? Take a walk or order in?”

“Is taking a nap an option?”

He raised his head to meet her gaze. “Like a sleeping nap, or did you have something else in mind?”

“What if I wanted to snuggle with you?”

“I’d be so down for that, but only if it’s naked snuggling.”

“Shameless, Patrick.”

“Only with you.” He helped her out of her sweater and then pulled off his own. “I told myself I wasn’t going to talk you into bed the first chance I got.”

“Why would you make such a foolish promise that you have no intention of keeping?”

He laughed. “How do you already know me so well?”

“I pay attention.” She slid her arms around his waist. “And in case you were wondering, I was hoping you’d talk me into bed the first chance you got, because I’ve been missing you so much since you left my bed the other day.”

“Mary…” His lips came down on hers, devouring and persuading, not that she needed much in the way of persuasion.

She was so, so easy when it came to him. All he had to do was look at her in that almost predatory way, and she was all in. Whether that would prove to be her biggest mistake remained to be seen. But for now, she couldn’t be bothered thinking about the future when the very pleasant present required her full attention.

Patrick held her close to him as their bodies cooled and twitched in the aftermath of the kind of passion he’d experienced only one other time in his life. Losing that, losing her had nearly ruined him. It had ruined him in all the ways that mattered, until he met Mary and found his way again. If she had any idea how much he’d already given her, she’d probably run for her life as far from him as she could get.

As he dragged his hand over the smooth, soft skin on her back, he acknowledged that he was well and truly screwed in more ways than one. If she asked him to, he’d give up everything for her. Everything but Cameron, that is, but she’d never ask him for that, which was one more reason to adore her. More than one woman he’d dated when Cam was still young had suggested boarding school for his daughter. Sometimes he thought she might’ve been better off away at school than stuck with him and the nannies he hired to care for her when he couldn’t.

Regardless, he’d been too selfish to send her away, so he’d dispatched the women who made the suggestions and kept his daughter at home with him. He’d been like a zombie in those years, fumbling through his life like a dead man walking, his heart broken beyond all repair, or so he’d thought.

Mary had shown him otherwise. He had so many things he wanted to tell her, to show her, to ask her… Patience had never been his strong suit, but he knew that rushing her to commit to things she wasn’t ready for would only drive her away from him—and that was the last thing he wanted. So he continued to bide his time.

“Are you hungry?” he asked after a long silence filled with the sort of contentment he’d lived without for far too long.

“I could eat something.”

“You want to go out or order in?”

“If we order in tonight, will you take me somewhere fabulous tomorrow night?”

“I already have reservations at one of my favorite places for tomorrow—and I even made them myself.”

“I’m very impressed,” she said, smiling as she caressed his face. “So what’re our options for takeout?”

“You can literally have anything you want.”

“Hmmm, what’re you in the mood for?”

Patrick nuzzled her neck, leaving a fiery trail of kisses from her ear to her throat.

Mary laughed, and the husky, sexy sound of it went straight to his cock, which was already hard again for her. “Food, Patrick. Focus.”

“I’m incredibly focused.” His tongue encircled her nipple, making her gasp and arch into him. “I’m known for my intense focus.”

“Chinese,” she said.

He raised his head to meet her gaze.

Sifting his hair through her fingers, she said, “I want Chinese.”

“We can do that.” Rolling onto his back, he reached for his cell phone on the bedside table. “What’s your pleasure?”

“Can I see a menu? I haven’t had Chinese in ages.”

He clicked around on his phone before handing it to her.

“Um, how do I do this?”

Chuckling, he showed her how to move the screen with her fingertip.

“Don’t make fun of me. I can’t help it that my town is a cell phone dead zone.”

“I would never make fun of you.”

She rolled her eyes at him. “Right…” After considering the extensive menu, Mary said, “Chicken and broccoli with pork fried rice, please. Oh, and an eggroll.”

Patrick took the phone from her, did some more poking around and then returned the phone to the bedside table, reaching for her to pick up where he’d left off.

“Are you going to order?” she asked.

“Already done,” he said as he kissed another fiery trail between her breasts to her belly.

“When?”

“I did it online,” he said with another low rumble of laughter.

Mary tugged on a handful of his hair. “You’re definitely making fun of me now.”

“Maybe just a little, but don’t worry. You’ll catch up when you spend more time here.”

“I’m mad at you.” She tried to move away from him, but he held her in place with his arm banded across her waist.

“Let me make it up to you.” After he’d coaxed two orgasms from her with his lips, tongue and fingers, he entered her as the second one peaked and rode the waves of her release straight into his own. This was utter madness, and he loved it. He loved her, so damned much.

The house phone rang a few minutes later. He took the call from the doorman, who let him know he had a delivery. “Send it up,” he said. “Thank you.”

Patrick got up and pulled on his jeans, zipping them but not bothering with the top button. “Stay put,” he said, leaning over to kiss Mary. “I’ll be right back.”

When the elevator chimed, he was ready with a twenty for the delivery guy.

“Thanks, Mr. Murphy.”

“Good to see you, Eduardo.” The young man brought dinner to Patrick at least once a week.

“You have a nice night now.”

“You do the same.”

Patrick went to the kitchen to get cutlery and returned to the bedroom to serve up a picnic in bed. He opened a bottle of Chardonnay and poured them each a glass.

Mary sat up, the sheet tucked over her breasts, her hair wild and her lips swollen from their kisses. “What?” she asked when she caught him staring at her.

“You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.” His heart contracted, reminding him of the other beautiful woman he’d loved, making him feel disloyal to her memory. He had to believe Ali would approve of Mary, because the alternative didn’t bear consideration.

Mary reached up, attempting to bring order to her unruly hair. “I’m sure I look quite frightening.”

He shook his head. “No, you don’t.”

They ate right from the cartons, sharing her chicken and broccoli and his shrimp pad Thai. He ate with chopsticks, while she used a fork.

“I never have been able to master chopsticks,” she said, watching him.

“Lots of practice.”

“It’s so good,” Mary said with a sigh of pleasure that traveled straight to his cock. “And such a treat. We can’t get Chinese in Butler.”

“I’m not sure I could live without Chinese food.”

“You don’t miss what you don’t have.”

“Yes, you do,” he said meaningfully. “I do, anyway. I miss you every second I’m away from you.”

“I miss you, too. I’m not sure how you’ve managed to make yourself so essential to me so quickly.”

“Quickly? It’s taken months to get you in my bed.”

Once again, he’d given her reason to roll her eyes at him. “This has happened very quickly from my perspective.”

“Oh, um, okay. If you say so.” He collected the empty cartons and dumped them into the brown paper bag their order had arrived in. “Six weeks has never felt so long.”

“No fortune cookies?” she asked, taking a sip of her wine.

He glanced into the bag, found them at the bottom and handed one to her.

Mary opened hers and snorted with laughter.

“What does it say?”

“‘All good things in good time.’ How about yours?”

“‘Patience is a virtue,” he said, sporting a good-natured grin.

“The universe is trying to tell us something.”

“I don’t like the universe’s sense of humor.”

Mary took his hand and brought it to her lips. “You want everything right now, but I’m not ready for that.”

“I know,” he said, looking away from her. “I’m trying to be patient.”

“I need some time before I can have this conversation, Patrick.”

“How much time?”

“I don’t know, but more than six weeks.”

It took everything he had not to groan out loud and to hide the positively impatient response that wouldn’t help his cause.

“We’re going into the holiday season at the store and the Christmas tree farm. It’s a hectic time of year for me and everyone who works for the company. After that, after I have a chance to catch my breath, we can talk again about what happens next.”

He could wait until after the holidays, or so he told himself. “If that’s what you want, sweetheart, then that’s what we’ll do. But I want you to promise me something in the meantime.”

“What’s that?”

“I want you to promise me that you’ll think about the possibility of moving here to live with me and travel with me and be with me every day. Can you do that?”

“I’m not sure how I’ll think of anything else.”

It wasn’t the commitment he wanted, but it was a step in the right direction.