“I can do that,” Jane tells me.
“I know. Go get the kids in bed. I’ll handle this.”
She huffs but does as I ask. I have the entire kitchen cleaned, with the leftovers put away, by the time she comes back.
“You didn’t have to do that,” she tells me.
“I know, but I wanted to. Did they go down okay?” I ask.
“Tanner had a few questions about being a man. Thanks for that, by the way. Other than that, yeah.”
“Good.”
I reach out, pulling her into my arms. She comes willingly, hugging me.
“What’s this for?” she asks.
“You looked like you wanted a hug.”
She lets out a light laugh.
“You do give the best hugs,” she whispers.
I hold her for several minutes before I pull back and cup her cheek.
“I’m going to kiss you now.”
“Okay.” She nods, not pulling away.
I lean down slowly, kissing her softly. When she doesn’t pull away, I deepen the kiss.
She surprises me, though. She presses her tongue against my lips. I don’t deny her, opening for her. We kiss for several minutes, her tongue dueling with mine before I finally pull back, pressing a kiss to her forehead.
“I should leave before this goes further than either of us is ready for.”
She looks up at me, confusion in her eyes.
“Why wouldn’t you be ready?” she asks.
“I want our first time to be special. To mean something. Right now, that can’t be it.”
“Oh.”
I smile at how adorable she is.
“I’m going to go home now, but I want you to come over for dinner at my place tomorrow with the kids.”
“Oh, you don’t have to—”
I put my finger on her lips to silence her.
“No, but I want to. Tell me you will come.”
She nods slowly. “Okay. I will come.”
“Good.” I press one more chaste kiss to her lips.
“Lock the door behind me.”
