She looked up at him, searching for something in his eyes that would make this connection between them make sense.
“So you really stayed away from me because you didn’t think I was into jocks? That’s it?”
He breathed in deeply as if her question had unlocked a dam within him. A somber cloud dimmed his bright eyes and she instantly regretted asking the question.
“That was a big part of the reason.” He nodded. “The other part was that I knew my father would never let me have you.”
She drew her brows together in confusion. “Let you have me?”
“Anything that would pull my attention away from training was absolutely forbidden.”
She pulled her fingers through her braids, pushing them to one shoulder. It was a simple gesture, done for no other reason than to push her hair out of her face. Her graceful movements, however, kept him captivated through each motion.
“You had girls all over you all the time. Why would I be any different?”
He extended his arm, letting his fingers glide over the back of her hand. “They didn’t mean anything to me. You did.”
Her eyes widened with silent shock. She hadn’t known how open she’d had him when they were kids. Well, she’d better be prepared because she’d opened this door. There was no closing it now.
“I’ve always wanted you, Janae. I just never had the balls to do anything about it, until now.”
She laced her fingers through his, still keeping her eyes fixed to his. “I want you, Adam. Now and then.”
“I sense a ‘but’ coming.”
“James is my focus. I can’t let what I want—no matter how badly I want it—get in the way of my responsibility to him.”
The look in her eyes was a mix of need, apprehension, and determination, and he couldn’t figure out a rational way to address the different emotions he could recognize on her face.
Resolved not to let that stop him, he leaned forward, bringing his mouth so close, all it would take is the twitch of a muscle and his lips would be pressed against hers.
“You’ve got James to worry about and I’ve got my job. But I don’t see how those separate concerns should bar us from exploring this thing that’s burning between us.”
She attempted to speak, and he stopped her with a light peck on her mouth.
“I’m not denying this anymore, Janae. I’ve wanted you too badly to ignore this need in my gut.”
She held up a finger, putting a stop to anything he might say next.
“I need to know, are you agreeing to my idea simply because you want me?”
It was a valid question. Fortunately, for him, the answer wasn’t even a little bit complicated.
“I want you, Janae, make no mistake about that. But I’m just as dedicated to keeping my job as you are to protecting James. I wouldn’t do anything to endanger his well-being or my employment. As I told you, your fundraising proposal is sound.
“Now that that’s settled, as far as I’m concerned, there’s only one order of business we need to concern ourselves with.”
“Oh yeah?” Her smile broadened as she shifted closer into his space. “What exactly is that?”
One of the most alluring things about Janae Sanders was her ability to happily meet any challenge with enthusiasm and a smile. She thrived off of conquering tasks given to her. When they were given difficult assignments in high school, everyone else groaned in complaint. Janae was usually giddy with excitement. That same eagerness was radiating off her tonight, letting him know she was undoubtedly game.
“From this moment on, we’re not wasting any more time.”
She closed her eyes, inhaling a quiet and soothing breath before speaking again.
“You, Dr. Henderson, have the best ideas. I’m okay with putting them into action if you are.”
She barely got the last word of her sentence out before his lips were plastered against hers.
