“Yes. It’s closing time.”
“Let me drive you home, Stevie.”
She stared at him for a long moment. They both knew what his offer meant. He wouldn’t push her for more than what she could give him, but damn, he wanted to kiss her goodnight. He couldn’t do it here in the bar, but if he could see her outside of this place, then he could…well, maybe just a small kiss. He couldn’t believe how many times he’d dreamed of kissing her!
“Okay,” she finally replied. It was just one word, but it seemed to explode around them, hanging in the air for a tense moment.
He stared, then slowly nodded his head. Standing up, he put a fifty dollar bill down on the countertop. “I’ll wait outside then,” he told her.
“Wait, let me get your change,” she said.
“Keep it,” he said over his shoulder, walking out of the bar. His body was too tight, too ready. He needed a moment to calm down, to remind himself that Stevie was a kindergarten teacher. She might have the body of a pin-up girl and the mouth of a goddess, but she was still a sweet, beautiful woman with a generous heart. And he needed to tread carefully.
Chapter 2
Fighting to rein in his lust, Janus leaned against his car, his arms crossed over his chest and one foot over his other ankle, staring intently at the bar door . He knew the employees used this door at night. So he stood there, waiting, anticipation thrumming inside of him.
Ten minutes later, the door opened and Stevie stepped out. Her black tie was off and she’d unbuttoned the top two buttons of her white shirt. She wore black slacks and the ugliest black shoes he’d ever seen, but he knew that they must be comfortable. They were also slip resistant. He required his restaurant employees to wear similar footwear.
Still, she looked surprisingly beautiful for a woman who had been working for more than fourteen hours.
She hesitated as she approached him, stopping several feet away. “Hi,” she whispered, staring at the toes of his shoes.
Shyness? He loved it! The women who normally approached him were aggressive, offering up their bodies for whatever his kinkiest desires might be. He was a man who appreciated a sexually confident woman, but some of what those women had suggested had shocked even him!
Seeing this shy side of Stevie after the interesting and lively conversations they’d had over the past several weeks was…fascinating. And it brought out the caveman in him. The protective caveman, he thought with increasing surprise.
“Hi,” he replied, then pushed away from his car and opened the passenger side door with a flourish.
She hesitated for another long moment, then stepped closer. When she was less than a foot away from him, she stopped, tilting her head back to look directly into his eyes. “You’re not a serial killer or a wife beater, are you?”
He blinked at her for a stunned moment, then threw back his head, laughing at her audacious question. “No,” he promised, wrapping an arm around her waist. “I’m definitely not a serial killer. And I’ve never hit a woman in my life. Not for any reason.”
With that assurance given, he bent his head and lightly brushed his lips against hers. Softly. Back and forth, experimenting. When her soft, tentative response came, he knew a victory unlike anything he’d ever felt before. He had three Super Bowl rings to his name, but nothing could compare to the feeling he had right at this moment.
He couldn’t believe how hard it was to pull back and release her. “Thank you for letting me drive you home tonight.”
She nodded. No smile. The look in her eyes whispered that she was just as surprised by the effect of their kiss as he was. Good! He didn’t want to be the only one!
Stevie ducked into the passenger seat and he closed the door, looking at her legs in the black, cotton pants. Not tonight, he told himself sternly. He would strip off those pants, but not tonight!
After closing the door, he moved around to the driver’s door, chanting “Not tonight” under his breath.
The drive to her apartment took less than five minutes, which was probably why she walked home most nights. It was only a mile away and the five minute drive time was only because of the red lights. Too soon, he pulled into the parking spot and shut off the engine. “I’d like to walk you to your door, Stevie. I want to kiss you goodnight, but I promise I’ll only kiss you. Nothing else. If that’s okay?”
He saw her shoulders relax and a smile finally appeared on her soft, full lips. Like Angelina Jolie, but…better. Softer.
“That would be nice,” she replied.
He stared at her for a long moment, wondering if he could…!
“I’d better walk you to your door or that kiss is going to happen right here.”
She laughed and, before he could walk around to open her car door, she was standing on the pavement. She pulled her bag over her shoulder so that it went across her body, between her breasts. Now that the black tie was gone and the buttons released, Janus could see that she had lush, full breasts. Bigger than he’d thought.
“Oh!” she gasped and pulled open the ugly bag. “Here,” she said, pulling out a wad of cash. “This is your change.”
“The rest was a tip for you.”
She shook her head. “No. I can’t accept that large of a tip,” she told him firmly, waving the bills at him with emphasis. With surprise, he took the money and stuffed it into his pocket, shocked that she’d give it back. In his world, most people were trying to steal his money. It was rare…actually,
