Page 14 of Loving Jared

As she lifted her face, he dropped his head to hers and took her lips in a kiss. The moment was both passionate and sweet, a meeting of their souls. Amy's breath hitched against his lips and he savoured her taste. He wanted the moment to go on forever, but it was 4:55. She would have to start work in five minutes.

He set her back on her feet and helped her straighten her coat. Then he handed over her bag.

"Have dinner with me tonight –" Jared started to say, but the words weren’t even out of his mouth before she was agreeing with him.

She nodded her head eagerly. "Yes please."

Jared bit back a laugh. "Good, it's settled. Bring the girls over at seven. I'll make something for all of us. Teagan can come too, if he's around."

Some of the pleasure drained from her face and she chewed on her lip hesitantly. "You want me to bring the kids over?"

Jared reached out to grab her hand and give it a light squeeze. "We both know something is happening between us, and I'd like to keep exploring it. Those kids are a major part of your life, which means, if things continue this way, they’ll be a major part of mine too. I want to get to know them, allow them to get to know me."

A shy, sort of hopeful, expression lit her face.

Still, she hesitated. "I don't usually let guys meet my siblings, especially the girls. They've had too much upheaval in their lives. I can't have them getting attached to someone and then have that person disappear. It would be too heartbreaking for them."

Jared nodded thoughtfully. Every part of him screamed to reach out and take the woman. She belonged to him and he wanted her to figure it out. If being with her meant having her family around too, then he was all in. One hundred percent.

But Jared could also understand her point of view. Her entire family had experienced some pretty major trauma, which would leave lasting scars. Even with a normal break up where kids were involved, it could be difficult to introduce them to a potential partner. In Amy's case, it was like navigating a minefield.

"How about we introduce me as a friend? That way, if things either don't happen between us, or go bad…" Jared didn't bother telling her that neither of those things would happen, because he wouldn't let it. "Then the girls will still have a friend in me." Jared gripped her chin and tilted it until she was forced to look at his face, to see the truth written there. "I promise you, Amy, I won’t do anything to hurt you or your siblings. Not even unintentionally. I will make them my priority, if that's what you want."

She gave him a slow nod, and, even though she was no longer as enthusiastic about dinner, he was happy that she was thinking about it. Finally, she said, "Okay, we'll see you at seven."

Jared turned the ignition on the bike, savouring the roar as it came to life. "Don't be late. I’m making hot dogs, and those don't keep."

The last thing he heard as he rode away from her was the sound of her sweet laughter following. Life was pretty damn perfect.

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