“But you think it will be worth it?”
“To have my own kids? Absolutely!” She exchanged glasses again. “Don’t you want kids?”
Janus contemplated the innocent beauty standing before him. A kindergarten teacher! And kids? Oh hell no! But he wasn’t going to say that. She looked too hopeful.
“Kids are a big responsibility. I don’t think I’m ready for kids just yet.”
“You’re what…thirty?”
“Thirty-one,” he corrected.
“That seems like the age when most people decide they either do or don’t want kids.”
He shrugged, adding a smile to soften his words. “Well, I figure I still have time to decide.”
He could see the disappointment in her eyes and wasn’t sure how to fix it. He had to be honest, but the idea of pushing her away, for any reason, made his stomach tighten with dread.
“Well, I still have some living to do before I settle down.”
Her grin was back, as was the light in her pretty, brown eyes and his stomach muscles loosened.
“I agree. I have a lot of traveling that I want to do before I settle down. So far, I’ve only been to the states right around Washington. I’d like to travel a bit further afield. And a house!” Her eyes widened, and she sighed longingly. “Good grief, I’d love to have a house.” She laughed, rolling her eyes. “Having kids in my apartment would be truly difficult.”
“Small place, eh?”
“Tiny!” she agreed. “It’s not even a one bedroom. I live in a studio apartment.”
He shook his head. “I think it’s a shame how little our country pays teachers,” he grumbled. “It’s a crime that someone with a master’s degree, who works as many hours as you do, doesn’t earn enough for even a one bedroom place.”
“I hear ya,” she agreed. “But historically, once women took over the profession, the salaries dropped significantly.” Stevie leaned forward and sarcastically whispered, “We don’t need to earn as much money because we should just get married.”
He shook his head, taking a sip of his whiskey. “I’m sorry, Stevie,” he said with heartfelt sincerity.
She shrugged again. “Eh! Teachers don’t join the profession to become millionaires. We’re in it for the job satisfaction. And life balance. At least I’ll be able to sit down with my family every night for dinner.”
“I guess there are benefits.”
Someone must have signaled to Stevie because she looked over his shoulder and nodded.
“Time to close down the bar?” he asked, understanding the reluctance in her eyes.
“Yes. It’s closing time.”
“Let me drive you home, Stevie.”
She stared at him for a long moment. They both knew what his offer meant. He wouldn’t push her for more than what she could give him, but damn, he wanted to kiss her goodnight. He couldn’t do it here in the bar, but if he could see her outside of this place, then he could…well, maybe just a small kiss. He couldn’t believe how many times he’d dreamed of kissing her!
“Okay,” she finally replied. It was just one word, but it seemed to explode around them, hanging in the air for a tense moment.
He stared, then slowly nodded his head. Standing up, he put a fifty dollar bill down on the countertop. “I’ll wait outside then,” he told her.
“Wait, let me get your change,” she said.
“Keep it,” he said over his shoulder, walking out of the bar. His body was too tight, too ready. He needed a moment to calm down, to remind himself that Stevie was a kindergarten teacher. She might have the body of a pin-up girl and the mouth of a goddess, but she was still a sweet, beautiful woman with a generous heart. And he needed to tread carefully.
Chapter 2
Fighting to rein in his lust, Janus leaned against his car, his arms crossed over his chest and one foot over his other ankle, staring intently at the bar door . He knew the employees used this door at night. So he stood there, waiting, anticipation thrumming inside of him.
Ten minutes later, the door opened and Stevie stepped out. Her black tie was off and she’d unbuttoned the top two buttons of her white shirt. She wore black slacks and the ugliest black shoes he’d ever seen, but he knew that they must be comfortable. They were also slip resistant. He required his restaurant employees to wear similar footwear.
Still, she looked surprisingly beautiful for a woman who had been working for more than fourteen hours.
She hesitated as she approached him, stopping several feet away. “Hi,” she whispered, staring at the toes of his shoes.
Shyness? He loved it! The women who normally approached him were aggressive, offering up their bodies for whatever his kinkiest desires might be. He was a man who appreciated a sexually confident woman, but some of what those women had suggested had shocked even him!
Seeing this shy side of Stevie after the interesting and lively conversations they’d had over the past several weeks was…fascinating. And it brought out the caveman in him. The protective caveman, he thought with increasing surprise.
“Hi,” he replied, then pushed away from his car and opened the passenger side door with a flourish.
She hesitated for another long moment, then stepped closer. When she was less than a foot away from him, she stopped, tilting her head back to look directly into his eyes. “You’re not a serial killer or a wife beater, are you?”
He blinked at her for a stunned moment, then threw back his head, laughing at her audacious question. “No,” he promised, wrapping an arm around her waist. “I’m definitely not a serial killer. And I’ve never hit a woman in my life. Not for any reason.”
With that assurance given, he bent his head and lightly brushed his lips against hers. Softly. Back and forth, experimenting. When her soft, tentative response came, he knew a victory unlike anything he’d ever felt before. He had three Super Bowl rings to his name, but nothing could compare to the feeling he had right at this moment.
He couldn’t believe how hard it was to pull back and release her. “Thank you for letting me drive you home tonight.”
She nodded. No smile. The look in her eyes whispered that she was just as surprised by the effect of their kiss as he was. Good! He didn’t want to be the only one!
Stevie ducked into the passenger seat and he closed the door, looking at her legs in the black, cotton pants. Not tonight, he told himself sternly. He would strip off those pants, but not tonight!
After closing the door, he moved around to the driver’s door, chanting “Not tonight” under his breath.
The drive to her apartment took less than five minutes, which was probably why she walked home most nights. It was only a mile away and the five minute drive time was only because of the red lights. Too soon, he pulled into the parking spot and shut off the engine. “I’d like to walk you to your door, Stevie. I want to kiss you goodnight, but I promise I’ll only kiss you. Nothing else. If that’s okay?”
He saw her shoulders relax and a smile finally appeared on her soft, full lips. Like Angelina Jolie, but…better. Softer.
“That would be nice,” she replied.