He brushed a quick kiss to her lips before murmuring, “Yes, I’ll come.”
“Ready?”Noah murmured at the edge of Jane’s ear. He’d already slipped his fingers through hers, and his sultry voice was enough to make goosebumps materialize on her arms.
Jane’s breath hitched slightly before she nodded, her hand tightening around his.
“What are you so nervous about? I’ve already made a killing with your family. They love me.”
She gave him a sideways glance. “That was when we weren’t actually dating.”
“So?”
“I didn’t really care if they disapproved of you.”
He stilled, swinging around so he blocked her view of the house. His eyes narrowed slightly as he tried to make sense of what she was getting at.
Jane blushed as she lifted her eyes to meet his. Then she cleared her throat and dropped her focus to their interlaced hands. “Now I do.” She said it so quietly, he wasn’t sure he heard her right. She cared if her parents didn’t approve of him. She was worried.
“Hey,” he murmured, hooking a finger beneath her chin. She met his gaze with a sort of trepidation he wasn’t quite prepared for, and he blew out a breath he hoped would ease his own tension. “There’s nothing to be worried about. If they decided they didn’t like me, would that change the way you feel about me?”
She didn’t react right away, and as much as he hated to admit it, her lack of answer sent his heart into overdrive. But then she shook her head. “Of course not.”
He dragged the edge of his thumb along her jawline until he opened his palm and pressed it against the space where her jaw met her neck. “Then take a deep breath and don’t forget the most important thing about today.”
“And what’s that?” she hedged.
He brought the hand he held to his lips and kissed her knuckles. “I’m here. And I’m not goinganywhere.”
Emotion brimmed in her eyes, making them look larger than they already were. Shoot! He didn’t want to be the reason for her tears. He needed her to relax.
Without warning, she pulled her hand free and threw her arms around his neck. “Thank you,” she mumbled into his neck. “You don’t know how much I needed to hear that.”
He held her tight, letting her choose how long this hug would last. When she finally pulled back, she brushed her fingertips beneath her lower lashes with a strangled laugh. “Come on. If I had to guess, I’d say they might even be watching us from the windows right now.”
Noah stiffened, then a sly smile crossed his lips as he cocked his head to the side. “Then maybe we should put on a show.”
She scoffed, whacking him with the back of her fingertips as she pushed past him. “Keep dreaming, buddy.” Her hips swayed as she made her way toward the house. He couldn’t seem to drag his focus from her as she departed.
Releasing a low, appreciative whistle, he followed after her.
The evening went perfectly. Noah was the perfect gentleman he always was. He made sure to compliment Jane’s mother on the meal she’d prepared and join in the conversation with the others around the table. He joked with Jane’s brothers-in-law and connected with Jane’s father on sports.
The whole time, he was either holding Jane’s hand or brushing his touch to her skin. He couldn’t get enough of her. Every spare moment he had, he took advantage of the opportunity. This dinner was definitely different than the last—at least it was for him. There was less tension, and even Jane was smiling more. By the end of it, he knew he couldn’t have made a better first impression—or rather a second one.
They were preparing to leave when Jane’s mother requested their attention. “Jane, dear, I packed up some cake for you and Noah to take with you. Come to the kitchen and get it.”
Jane tossed Noah a smile. “I’ll be right back.”
He shoved his hands in his pocket and nodded, watching her leave. The second he was alone, her father materialized. He was a tall man; quiet, too. He was a lot like the men Noah had to deal with when it came to his charities. When donors wanted to meet someone ‘higher up,’ they met with him, not realizing he was the brains of the operation.
Jane’s father could be described as formidable, with a thin layer of scruff at his jaw that matched the graying color of his neatly trimmed hair. He had dark eyes that seemed to be able to see right through a person.
Noah lifted his chin in greeting. “I hope the rest of your birthday is a good one.”
Her father nodded his thanks. Then, without warning, he murmured, “Jane is special.”
It took a lot to keep his expression schooled. Jane had said she didn’t feel as though her parents approved of her—or that they might not care for her as much as her sisters.
Without prompting, Jane’s father continued. “I won’t tolerate her being used then discarded.”
