Chapter 25
Janae could feel eyes on her, and without turning around or looking in his direction, she could tell who they belonged to.
Adam. She’d stayed behind to help clean up the dressing room, the last of the student models leaving a few moments before.
She was just about to step behind the privacy screen in front of her to take off her son’s creation when she felt his presence fill the room.
“If Cree and Vanessa sent you in here to rush me, tell them they can wait.”
His steps were almost soundless, and her flesh jumped slightly at the caress of his fingers on the bare flesh of her shoulder.
“The crew just left. I’m afraid save for a few people in the gym, we’re all alone.”
She wanted to lean into his light touch, wanted to fall against his warmth the way she always seemed to whenever he touched her. But this was a public place, and neither of them could afford the fallout.
“I guess that means I’d better get this dress off.”
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’t mind 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 his concerned 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.
Nonetheless, he was the father of her child. And she would always extend that courtesy to him because it was what was best for their son.
She gestured to the bleachers, patting Adam’s arm to signal she’d be right back. When she sat down on the bleachers next to Marq, she turned to him with an expectant eyebrow raised.
“What do you need, Marq?”
“I see someone’s in a rush.”
She didn’t take the bait. She’d learned a long time ago that allowing Marq to lead her into an argument was a recipe for disaster. Instead, she sat quietly, letting him know she wasn’t here for the nonsense. Soon, he got the message, a reluctant sigh leaving his lips as he sat next to her.
“Would you mind if I dropped James off a little earlier than we originally planned? I might have to report for duty tomorrow afternoon. It’s not a given, but I just want to make sure you’re aware.”
“Marq, he’s fifteen, not five. He can come home early if need be, even if I’m not there.”
“I know.” He glanced up at Adam for a minute then turned to Janae. “I just didn’t want to intrude on any plans you might have.”
The slick retort was on the tip of her tongue, but she held it back because their son and Adam were present.
“It’s no problem at all, Marq. As usual, call when you’re on your way.”
Marq nodded then glanced at James before he spoke again. “He really is talented, Janae. When I saw his work, I was amazed that our little boy was capable of this. I almost let my stupidity make me miss this opportunity.”
He glanced toward James with a sad yet proud look in his eyes and it made Janae’s heart swell.
Yes, he had nearly missed watching their son turn into the wonderfully talented human being he was evolving into.
But he’d found a way to course correct, learning how to support their son the way James needed and not the way Marq wanted to.
“Thank you for the knock upside the head. I don’t think I would’ve survived not being part of this.”
She placed a gentle hand on his bicep, giving it a supportive squeeze.
“You’re his dad, Marq. He needs you. But you need him too. I’m just glad things worked out and you could be here for this. It was really important to him. So, maybe cheer a bit and gush over his work to him on your ride home. He really does need that kind of praise.”
She glanced over to the opposite side of the gym, watching James and Adam talk.
James was smiling, his face lit up like a cake full of candles.
Adam was harder to get a beat on. He was smiling, but it looked practiced, as if the emotion he was attempting to convey was too difficult to display naturally.
She tucked that away in her brain, making a mental note to ask him about it later. When she looked at Marq again, she could see the muscles in his throat tighten as he swallowed, working hard to control the wave of emotion that was breaking through his tough exterior.
“Copy that.”
He stood, giving her a silent nod as she did the same and then they both returned to where Adam and James were standing on the other side of the room.
“Let’s hit the road, boy. Kiss your ma bye.”
James did as instructed, granting her a quick peck on the cheek and sending a hardy wave to Adam before following his father out of the room.
“Is everything all right?”
She looked up at him, smoothing out the concern rattling at the back of her brain.
“Nothing you need to worry about,” she replied.
“Then what do I need to worry about?” His question tickled her senses into a broad grin.
“Peeling me out of this dress and licking every part of my body that it covers. That’s what you said before we were interrupted, right?”
“I do seem to recall saying something like that. Perhaps we should get on our way so I can get started.”
“Perhaps we should,” she agreed. “Now, we only need to decide one more thing.”
His eyes dropped to her mouth for a second before finding their way back to hers. “What’s that?”
“Your place or mine.”
Adam opened the door, letting Janae into his house. The home was still, quietly welcoming them when they’d both crossed the threshold to its awaiting sanctuary.
He’d loved this place from the moment he’d started real estate searches in the area when he realized he’d be returning home for good.
He could’ve taken Janae anywhere, even back to the sleepy cabin where they’d spent their first night together.
However, considering how good it would feel to wake up to her in his bed on her first visit here and the possessive way his insides twisted while watching her on that stage, he wanted her here, in his space, with him.
Was it slightly cavemanish? Absolutely. Did he give a good goddamn? Not in the least.
Once he closed the door behind him, he felt the light touch of her fingers sliding against his, trying to pull his mind back to her.
She didn’t have to worry, he didn’t think there would ever come a time he could willingly erase her from his mind.
“Everything okay? You’ve seemed a bit off since we left the fashion show.”
Adam looked into her deep brown eyes, trying hard to control his building need to possess her. It was clawing at his insides since she’d stepped away to talk to her ex privately, and if he were being honest, he was having a hard time letting that imagery go.
He wasn’t a possessive man by nature, but something basal climbed up from his gut once he saw Marq and Janae huddled together talking about God knew what.
If he were honest, the sight of the two of them talking privately wasn’t really the issue. It was the conversation witnessing such a sight sparked. His mind traveled back to an hour ago when he was standing next to James, the pair watching his parents seated on the bleachers across the gym.
“They look like they’re getting along well, right?”
They didn’t look like they were fighting, but Adam understood that wasn’t exactly what James was asking.
“They look like parents talking, James.”
“If you’d ever seen my parents a few years back, you wouldn’t have believed this kind of thing could happen.”
“Oh, yeah?” Janae had shared some details of her divorce, but he’d never openly share those details unless she gave him expressed permission.
“Yeah,” James had replied. “The fact that they’ve been getting along so well for the last couple of years gives me hope.”
“For what, exactly?” Adam tried his best to keep his voice neutral. James wasn’t just another student Adam was listening to. He had a vested interest in this scenario, and holding James’ counsel didn’t necessarily feel as simple as lending an ear to the boy.
“For my parents to get back together. That’s really what I want. For them to be happy again. My mom’s been real lonely, and I want her to have someone to take care of her the way my dad used to.”
Adam’s stomach sank, but he couldn’t let on to James. Instead, he held a neutral expression on his face and nodded.
“It’s obvious you love your mother very much, James. But I think maybe you should discuss your desires with her. Let her know how you’re feeling.”
“You’re right, Dr. Henderson. Maybe if I talk to her, it’ll give her a little push to bring our family back together.”
Unsure of what to say next, Adam glanced up to find Janae and Marq walking away from the bleachers. And for the first time since he’d started pursuing her, Adam wondered if this was where he was supposed to be.
Sure, James was a minor, but that didn’t mean he shouldn’t be listened to. That didn’t mean his hopes and dreams didn’t matter and that they shouldn’t be taken into consideration.
Adam knew what it felt like to be ignored, to have his thoughts swept aside and devalued because he was technically still a kid.
If his father had listened to what Adam wanted, he would’ve quit basketball following his sophomore year. But Grady Henderson didn’t listen to anyone but himself, and so Adam had not only continued in basketball throughout high school, but college too, right on into being drafted by the NBA.
Yeah, there were perks he’d acquired along the way. Ultimately, however, his father constantly shoving basketball and the life that came with it down his throat had only managed to push Adam away for twenty years.
He didn’t want to be the cause of that sort of tension and pain for James. He didn’t want to be the cause of discord between mother and son either.
Could Adam deal with the alternative, though? Could he give up the thing, the person, who owned him heart and soul?
He hadn’t spoken those words to Janae yet, but the feelings were there. He wanted to speak them, but now he couldn’t. Not with James’ words echoing in his head.
“Adam.” Her soft voice was filled with concern, breaking through the haze of his selfishness mixed with his desire. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” His voice was a quiet whisper, but even he was surprised at the depth of need flowing through it. “The only thing wrong with me is that I’m not touching your bare flesh yet.”