Janey eyed her cautiously. “Are you pregnant? You’re like, really hormonal or something.”
A burst of laughter greeted her from across the table “Of course I’m not.” Katy sobered up a bit and looked thoughtful. “I don’t think so. Oh, God, I can’t be…”
It was Janey’s turn to laugh. “Better you than me. You have the rug-rats. I’m happy to be Auntie Janey to them all.”
Katy made a face. “You’re mean. And I’m not pregnant.”
They talked more, but Janey held back from saying anything about the possible job change.
Talk about a switch in situation. When she was done her renovations she was supposed to be off to Calgary. That’s what her parents thought, and her brother and sister. All her plans were aimed in that direction.
Yet, was it what she should do?
She paused in her work later that day, standing in the dining room at the house. Staring out the back window into the yard as Katy’s words echoed through her brain.
A year from that moment, where would she be? Would she be somewhere brand new? No longer seeing all of the familiar things, the familiar faces. Not being there as Katy’s kids grew up.
It was a wide-open question mark that lay before her, and now suddenly with Brad’s offer, there might be two roads she could choose to walk.
Len pushed open the door of Traders Pub, standing aside to let Janey enter ahead of him. A rush of music and heat wrapped around them with a sensual tease as he followed her into the crowded room. The dance-floor side of the pub was filled to capacity, and he wondered if they should try the other side, where there were pool tables and places to sit quietly.
Janey? Had no problem with how busy it was. She waded forward, keeping a tight grip on his hand as she smiled and nodded at everyone they passed.
“You want to sit with your family?” Janey asked, leaning back against his chest as she spoke. “Oh. Forget that. It looks like we’ve got a Thompson-Coleman free-for-all happening.”
He slipped an arm around her, happy as hell he had the privilege to touch her whenever he wanted. “Right. Mitch mentioned something. Birthday for one of the Colemans. Anna figured things might get rowdy.”
She laughed, squeezing his fingers briefly before tugging him with her as she threaded her way through the crowd. “Always nice when the cop in the family is on top of these things.”
The far corner of the pub had been taken over, familiar faces all around them.
She threw herself into the arms of a dark-haired woman who hugged her tightly. Over Janey’s shoulder, Tamara Coleman offered Len a wink then pulled him and Janey into the party.
Around one of the standing-room-only tables, the surface littered with shot glasses and beer bottles, a pack of the Coleman family was gathered. The youngest, Raphael, wore a tolerant smile as one of his cousins propped a tiara on his cowboy hat.
Len reached through the mob to offer his hand. “Another year older.”
“But not any wiser,” some joker shouted in the background.
Rafe shouted back. “I don’t have to get any wiser to be smarter than the lot of you.”
A collective oooooh echoed from his family.
In the midst of the laughter, Janey slipped in and gave the birthday boy a hug. “You’re already cuter than the rest of them, as well,” she teased.
Rafe snuck his arm around Janey’s waist. “Thanks, darling. So, do I get a birthday dance with you?” He flicked his glance up at Len for a split second before flashing her a cheeky smile. “Something slow…”
Damn brat. “She’s taken.”
All attention turned on Len, and he didn’t give a shit.
Janey raised one brow. “Does this mean we’re going to dance? Really? Like—actual dancing?”
“Shut up,” Len muttered softly as Janey offered him a giggle, covering her mouth with her hand.
Len led her away from the chuckling crowd, found them space on the crowded dance floor and pulled her tight up against his body.
She locked her fingers together behind his neck, settling in intimately with the front of her body in complete contact with his. “Well, now, Len Thompson. It appears you aren’t allergic to the dance floor anymore.”
He slipped a hand to the center her back and pulled her even tighter against him, leaning over to brush his lips past her ear. “You know why I never danced with you before?”
“Hmmm?”
He rocked their hips together, and the way he instantly reacted to having her in his arms had to be abundantly clear. “No way I was going anywhere near you when I couldn’t take what I wanted so badly.”
Her eyes flashed. Her tongue slipped out and did a slow roll over her lips, leaving them shining with moisture. Len kissed her briefly, pulling back before he could be tempted to get any dirtier.
But there was nothing saying he couldn’t tell her some of the things he wanted to do. He put his lips back where he could speak quietly and not be overheard, even by those swaying together close around them.
“I’ve got your breasts pressed to me. I can feel how hot you are. If I grabbed your hips and lifted you, I could rub your pussy against my cock until both—”
“Len. Stop it.” In spite of the heat, Janey shivered. “God. I can picture it.”
She rubbed against him, and the touch wasn’t nearly enough to ease the aching pressure in his cock. “So can I.”
Janey caught him by the front of his shirt. “What happened to my shy, quiet man?”
Len shrugged. “I’m still quiet. Don’t say much.”
“No,” she agreed. “But what you do say is damn filthy.”
She fanned a hand in front of her face for a second, and he laughed, moving her into a less intimate position as the music changed and the tempo picked up.
As long as she was somewhere in his arms, he didn’t mind the dancing bit.
Janey finally begged off. “I need to hit the washroom.”
She wiggled away from him, her fingers trailing out of his hand as she flashed him a mischievous smile. “Grab me a drink?”
He nodded, watching her ass for as long as he possibly could until it vanished around the corner.
After picking up a couple of drinks, he found a space between a couple of the guys. Len halfheartedly listened to their discussion, but he was more interested in watching for her to come back
“You’re certainly obsessed,” Trevor teased. One of Anna’s brothers, he’d spent more time around the Thompson boys then a lot of the Coleman clan. “When are you going to give the rest of us a chance to dance with her?”
A hot flash of jealousy clicked through Len, and he shoved it away as quickly as he could. “Up to Janey.”
Trevor shook his head. “I don’t think so. I mean, maybe you know that’s a safe thing to say because she’s only got eyes for you, like always.”
Satisfaction rolled hard, and Len didn’t even try to hide it. “Good.”
The other man laughed. “Obsessed, and possessive. Yeah, you’re a Thompson.”
“You mean he’s a guy.” Janey slipped into the conversation as she wormed her way under his arm and picked up her drink. She took a long swallow before smiling at him. “Most guys have trouble moving past the ‘it’s mine’ stage of the playground. Especially when it comes to women.”
She gave him a wink and turned to Trevor to ask him about something on the ranch. They chatted for a bit while Len listened. He was more focused on Janey being pressed against him, all soft and warm. Moving into his touch as he stroked her arm.
All of it got him hotter by the minute. And every time she glanced up, it was obvious he wasn’t the only one feeling the heat.
The music volume rose, and she hauled him onto the dance floor, the front buttons of her shirt now undone to a perilous level. From the expression in her eyes, she knew she was playing with fire.
Long before closing, Len was done. He waited until she’d paused during a conversation with her friends before leaning down and whispering in her ear, “Let’s go.”
What he had in mind must have been on hers as well. She turned to Shannon and Liz. “Talk to you later.”
Feminine laughter followed as he damn near manhandled her out the door.
In front of him, Janey twirled, taunting him as she swayed her hips from side to side. “You’re a good dancer, Len Thompson. I’ve been wondering about your moves for a long time.”
“You gonna get another dose of my moves damn soon,” he offered. Sweeping her off the ground and into his embrace as he strode through the parking lot.
She locked her arms around his neck, tossing him a sultry look. “Well, that sounds mighty fine. Where are we going to do this…dancing?”
There were too many possibilities, and most of them were too far away.
Janey waggled her brows. “Ooh, I recognize that expression. Like a puppy dog whose favourite toy has been taken away.”
Len laughed. “So, I’m a dog now?”
“Only if you insist.” She tilted her head towards his truck. “Get in. Let me drive.”
He didn’t argue, even though he was curious as all get out. He found his seat gingerly, desperate to find more room for his cock.
When she pulled into the back alley, and then into the parking spot behind her house, he was ready to pick her up bodily and run inside.