He dropped his hand and she felt bereft at the loss of his touch.
“Not until you get back to my place.”
His words scorched her like flames licking at her skin. She didn’tmind the burn, though. Not when it made her flesh tremble with need.
“Did we have plans?
“Did you forget you said you’d come see me after the show?” His question was a soft whisper just loud enough for her to hear. “If you think I’m foolish enough to not keep you to your promise while you’re in that dress, you’re not as smart as I know you are.”
She finally found the strength to turn around, loving that his voice was thick with desire for her.
“Well, what do these plans entail?”
“Me peeling this dress off you and letting my tongue taste every inch of skin it covered.”
She closed her eyes, unable to contain the slow, deep moan at the imagery his words created. The sensation was almost palpable seeing as she already knew how it felt to have his flesh against hers.
She was about to say as much when she heard the sound of the door creaking, giving her just enough time to step back from Adam, putting an acceptable distance between them.
“Mom! Look who I found.”
James’ voice was like cold water being sloshed over the raging fire Adam’s words had ignited. But more than his voice, Janae knew he only held that level of excitement for one person, causing Janae to stiffen.
Adam must’ve recognized something was off, because he tilted his head, giving her a questioning glance as he turned around, positioning himself at her side. Right there, closing the gap between them was her son, followed by her ex-husband, Marques Sanders.
Janae tried her best to calm her nerves. It wasn’t like seeing Marq should make her anxious. They’d been co-parenting for the last three years and once their bitter divorce was finalized two years ago, they’d found common ground in their son, always putting his needs before their own.
She felt Adam shift beside her. Risking a glance up at hisconcerned eyes, she understood instantly why this encounter with Marq felt so different than any others. Before now, she’d never had a lover thrown into the mix and she wasn’t quite sure how Marq would react.
Not that she was looking for permission. She was a grown woman. But navigating an ex when you share a child could be a delicate situation. She didn’t need any unnecessary drama if she could help it.
“Mom, Dad made it to my show.”
“I see that.” She smiled at her son before meeting Marq’s gaze. “Did you enjoy yourself?”
Marq was a tall and broad man. Built like a solid tank with smooth, deep brown skin. Usually, whenever he entered a room, people noticed him because of those features. It was that commanding officer thing he’d learned in the army. When they’d first met, it had been sexy as hell. But sometimes, especially in their recent past, it became a bit overbearing.
“Yes, I did. My boy has so much talent.”
Janae couldn’t argue with that, and she especially couldn’t be upset at the way her son preened under his father’s praise. It had taken a long time for them to get to this place, but the end result was more than worth the battle.
She pulled her attention away from her son and looked over at Adam, who was standing ramrod straight next to her.
“Marq, this is Dr. Adam Henderson. He’s the new superintendent for the district.
“Adam, this is James’ father, Lieutenant Colonel Marques Sanders of the US Army.”
Adam didn’t hesitate a second, he held out his hand, comfortably shaking it with slight enthusiasm.
“Lt. Col. Sanders, it’s a pleasure to meet you. Thank you for your service.”
Marq shared a polite smile. “Thank you for yours, Dr.Henderson. My son tells me you’ve not only signed up to set this district to right, but you’ve also taken to giving him a few pointers with the rock.”
“It’s been my pleasure. Granted, I haven’t played ball in any competitive level since I left the NBA, but I’m happy to share anything I can with James. He’s a great kid.”
“That he is,” Marq replied before he turned his attention to Janae. “Janae, can I speak to you for a moment?”
Janae’s radar instantly went up. Marq wasn’t a talker by nature, so him asking to speak to her, with the silent “privately” lingering in the air, made her a bit antsy.
