Chapter 22 #2
He shrugged. “I notice everything about you. Figuring out what size fluffy pj’s you wore wasn’t that hard.”
Impressed, she nodded and turned to walk toward the bathroom when she felt his large hand tug on hers.
When Janae turned around, Adam pressed his lips to hers.
Soft, yet strong, his movements were intentional.
This wasn’t one of the chaste kisses he’d given her while they were in public.
This was delayed passion he’d apparently been holding on to since he’d left her earlier in the day.
When he released her, he walked backward toward the bedroom door, taking in her luscious form once again. “Dinner will be waiting for you when you’re done. See you soon.”
She stood there for a few moments processing what was happening. The truth was, she couldn’t really say one way or another exactly what was going on. Her heart was pounding, her mind was spinning, and her body was vibrating with pent-up energy she didn’t exactly know what to do with.
Having sex with Adam had been easy. He was gorgeous, and he knew how to please her.
But this wasn’t sex. Oh, she was sure it would lead to great sex.
She was almost counting on it. Yet somehow, this was something deeper than just the physical.
This was care. And like he’d said in the car, she knew how to give it, but receiving it was a foreign matter altogether.
She shook her head, trying to get control of her thoughts when she stepped into the bathroom. The room was dim, lit only by several candles strategically placed throughout the open-spaced room.
The clawfoot tub was filled with rose petals, and she could smell lavender wafting up from its depths. This wasn’t just care, this was thoughtful care, and the idea that someone cared enough about her to do something so simple, yet meaningful, made Janae’s heart beat harder in her chest.
Adam was right, she wasn’t used to this kind of treatment.
For the first time in her life she could admit that even though the idea of letting someone else run the show for a bit scared her, she desperately wanted to become used to this type of care by a person who claimed she was important to them.
“I hope I didn’t stay in the tub so long that dinner got cold.”
Adam stood at the counter, stirring the contents of his slow cooker.
He could easily blame the inviting warmth floating up from the appliance on the heat that was slowly traveling through him.
That would be a cop-out. Owning his reaction to Janae, when his eyes met hers, Adam admitted the only thing causing his temperature to rise was the beautiful woman standing in the flannel robe he’d left for her upstairs.
Yes, Janae in flannel was doing it for him. That shouldn’t surprise him since Janae in anything he’d seen her in since his return seemed to tick all the boxes he hadn’t realized he even had.
“Since fall is finally acting like it wants to stick around, I decided to slow cook some beef stew. It’s ready to serve if you’re ready to eat.”
“I’m ready. Do you need any help?”
He shook his head as he ladled the first scoop of stew into a bowl placing it on the waiting server on the island.
“The only thing I need you to do is go sit down so I can bring you your food.”
When he finished filling the second bowl, he brought the serving tray around to where she sat and joined her at the table.
He waited a few moments, watching her dig in to the food, humming her enjoyment softly as she ate.
“This is some good stew, Adam. I’m gonna need this recipe.”
“Sorry, can’t do that.”
He could tell by the slight frown she wore that she hadn’t been expecting his response.
“Why, is it a family recipe or something?”
He took a spoonful, making her wait for him to finish chewing his food before he raised his eyes to hers.
“It is a family recipe, but that’s not why you can’t have it.”
“Then why not?”
He put down his spoon, reaching a hand over to touch her forearm. “Because if you can make it for yourself, I won’t be able to tempt you with it to get you to spend time with me.”
She chuckled, cutting her eyes at him in a seductive way.
“I’m not that bad, Adam, am I?”
“Considering it took me more than twenty years to get you to see me as something more than a jock in high school, I’d say you’re the most difficult woman I’ve ever had interest in.
But that’s not a bad thing. It also means you’re the most interesting because all these years later, I’m still just as captivated as I was when I was a boy too afraid of life and the expectations being heaped on his shoulders to pursue you. ”
Although her smile remained, he could see its brilliance dull ever so slightly as she prepared to speak.
“I’m so sorry I let my judgment of you stop me from giving you, us, a real chance.
I … I don’t put much stock in the idea of teenage relationships going the distance.
It would’ve been nice, though, to understand how kind and thoughtful you are.
Anyone who can put together a bath with candles just for someone else to enjoy it is definitely someone I would’ve enjoyed being around. ”
He watched her carefully, studying the soft lines and angles that marked both her external and internal beauty.
This was a woman who was thoughtful and intentional in everything she did.
It was evident in the way she took care of and fought for her son.
It was present in her sharing the small snippets of her history with her ex-husband.
Everything about her said that she meant what she said and said what she meant.
She wouldn’t have given Adam those words if they weren’t true.
“We can’t fix our past mistakes, Janae. We can, however, forge a new path forward and make the best of this new opportunity to really connect.”
He pushed his bowl away from him, leaning closer to her, cupping his hand against her cheek. Electricity moved through him, something he was realizing was a reoccurring thing whenever he touched her, and that it excited him each time it happened.
“Adam, if you’re looking for promises, I can’t really offer you that at this stage in my life.”
He contemplated her words and he understood what she was saying. Her life wasn’t as flexible as his. She was a mother, and she would always have someone else to consider. What he’d incorrectly assumed were her walls was her trying to keep her priorities ordered.
“Is that what’s required for things to work out between us? Do you need some sort of declaration for the future in order for this to continue?”
He took her hand in his, bringing it to his lips, and placed a gentle kiss on her knuckles.
“The only thing I need for any of this to work is you. We’ll figure out the rest as we go along. Is that acceptable?”
Was that acceptable? The question permeated her mind, knocking through its recesses as it searched for an answer.
Could she do with more moments like this where Adam pampered her? Absolutely. Who wouldn’t want to have relaxing baths drawn for them by the kind and seductive man they were dating?
“Janae?”
Her name on his lips pulled her out of her rumination as she focused her eyes on his.
“Is that acceptable?” He repeated the question again and it scared her that she still didn’t have an answer.
“The way you spoil me, talk to me, laugh with me, you’re making it pretty impossible for me to say no.”
His mouth turned up into a sly grin that was only augmented by the spark of mischief in his eyes.
“That’s sort of the plan, Janae.”
“We’ve talked about my reservations ad nauseum at this point.
I don’t want to keep rehashing them.” She reached out her hand, taking a soft loc between her fingers.
Hair was sacred in Black culture. Having someone take the liberty to touch your hair without asking permission was either a sign of intimacy or disrespect.
The fact that he allowed her this privilege coupled with the fact that she would even attempt it was proof to her that something deeper was happening between them.
Her past told her to stay vigilant, to keep her guard up because like every other time she’d allowed someone close to her, she’d be let down.
She probably would’ve continued down that dismal train of thought until he leaned his head closer, burrowing into her touch, giving her permission to cross this boundary.
It was her undoing.
It silenced her constant fear.
It made her want more.
Just like that, there was only one decision she could make, only one answer she could give.
“Yes, Adam. It’s acceptable to me.”