“Do you want more pot roast?”
Jansen looks up at me with a smile on his face. A smile I’m beginning to love. A smile I already dream about. It’s crazy to me how I’ve only known him a little over a month and my days already revolve around him so much. It’s probably not healthy. I should try to control my feelings and rein myself in.
I’m not doing that, however, and right now I’m not sure I can.
I think it might be too late.
“Lovey,” he says, leaning back, his hands on his stomach. “I think if I tried to eat another bite, I’d explode.”
I grin at him and we share a smile.
“I’ll have more, Mom,” Blue says and I ladle a heaping serving out to my boy.
“Me too,” Black says.
“You already had three plates full,” Maggie mumbles.
“I’m a growin’ boy. Besides I think I’m going to try out for the wrestling team this week,” Black says, around a mouthful of food.
“Black, don’t talk with your mouth full,” I chastise automatically. I always do, and it never does a bit of good.
“Sorry, Mom,” he mutters—his mouth exploding with roast, potatoes and carrots, I might add. I just shake my head. With kids, you have to know when to pick your battles.
“You wouldn’t make it on the wrestling team,” Blue grumbles.
“I’ll show you little brother.”
“Stop calling me that moron, we were born at the same time,” Blue mutters.
“Blue, stop calling your brother a moron,” Maggie reprimands, sounding like a mini-me.
Damn I really have been relying on her too much lately.
“You always say that, but we weren’t born at the same time. We know I came out first and obviously got the good looks.”
“Too bad you didn’t get the brains,” Green mutters and gives Blue a high-five. Jansen pretends to cough to hide a laugh.
“Whatever,” Black mutters. “Blue’s just scared I’ll beat him,” he adds and then looks over at Blue. “It’s okay, you should be scared. I’m totally going to whip your ass,” Black brags.
“Don’t say ass,” I tell him, before Maggie can. Jansen grins and shakes his head at me.
“You will not.”
“Will too!”
“Fine, if you think you can, let’s prove it right here.”
“Fine bring it on,” Black says standing up. Blue rises up slowly too, his face somber, eyeing his brother like prey and he’s a wolf.
Shit.
“No. Absolutely not. Do you two not remember what happened last time you wrestled in my kitchen?”
“Aw, Mom. Come on.”
“I said no. You want to be dummies, go outside, but you are not ruining another table. It might be plastic and on its last legs, but at least it works.”
“Fine. Let’s go outside.”
“It’s cold out there,” Black whines.
“Either you’re tough enough to wrestle or you’re not,” Blue reasons. I swear sometimes I think that child might be a grown man inside a child’s body.
“Fine. We’ll wrestle outside,” Black mutters. “Who’s going to judge us? Jansen?”
“Uh…”
“Nope. Jansen is helping me with the dishes,” I tell them, speaking up. Jansen jerks his head over to look at me and smiles.
“Dishes? But, Mom! Jansen’s a man. You can’t make him do women’s work!” Green complains.
“Women’s work? Where do you get off calling it women’s work, you moron,” Maggie yells, offended for all of womankind. I should probably remind her that she just got onto Black for calling his brother a moron. But Green’s asinine comment did make him sound like a moron so I let it go.
“I like doing dishes,” Jansen, speaks up.
“You do?” All the kids ask this in unison, clearly not believing him.
“You give me a choice between doing dishes with a pretty girl or going outside to watch you two roll around on the ground when it’s barely forty-five outside, I’ll pick dishes any day of the week.”
“You think Mom’s pretty?” Cyan asks.
“Prettiest woman I ever saw,” Jansen says, looking at me.
“I think he’s been hooked,” Petal whispers—loudly.
“Petal—”
“Well, that’s what you said, Green,” Petal responds. “You said Mom’s the bait and we got to get Jansen on the hook and reel him in slowly.”
Green looks really uncomfortable and I might take pleasure in it, if I wasn’t currently able to glow in the damn dark. My kids are going to be the death of me.
“Petal—” Green tries to quieten her again, but he doesn’t get very far.
“And I think he’s hooked! Hey Jansen?”
“Yeah, pretty girl?” Jansen, says laughing.
“Are you going to be our new daddy?”
“And, that’s enough. The lot of you go outside or to your rooms,” I speak up, my face so hot that I could fry a damn egg on it. “Maggie you take Petal up and get her ready for bed, while I clean up.”
“Okay, Mom,” Maggie says, taking her sister’s hand. “You really need to learn how not to be a blabbermouth,” she chastises.
“I’m not a blabbermouth,” Petal denies. Then she runs to Jansen and jumps into his arms. “Night, Jansen!”
“Night, little one,” he says, hugging her tight. He kisses the top of her head and something about that makes my heart hurt… but in good ways.
“Who’s going to decide who wins the wrestling match?” Black says demanding attention again.
“Yeah,” Blue agrees. “We need a referee.”
“Yeah, come on Jansen! Come ref for us!” Green says.
I shrug at Jansen, when he looks at me—letting him decide.
“I better not. I need to spend more time with your Mom. Make sure I’m on the hook really good,” he says with an easy grin. My mouth falls open slightly. I should tell him that encouraging my kids is dangerous, but I can’t find it in me to warn him.
“What are we going to do for a ref then? Maggie’s with Petal,” Black says, clearly upset he can’t try and prove he can out wrestle Blue.
“What about Green?” Jansen asks.
“He’ll cheat,” Black says.
“I’m sure he won’t—”
“Yeah, I probably will. Blue doesn’t brag if he wins at something. Black never shuts up,” Green admits.
“Cyan can be the referee,” I tell them. “And if they don’t listen to you, spray them down with the garden hose,” I tell him.
“Heck yeah!” Cyan screams as the boys go running from the kitchen.
“You yahoos be quiet before you wake up Mary,” I warn, knowing it will be falling on deaf ears. I stand up when Jansen does and he comes over to me, putting his hands on my hips and grinning down at me.
“You realize he’s totally going to spray all of them with the water.”
“That’s what I’m counting on. Dang kids are going to be the death of me.” I mutter. “I’m sorry they are trying to hogtie you into—”
He stops me from talking by kissing my lips, his hands moving to cup my ass, and push me against him. I can feel his erection through his jeans and my body instantly softens to him. He pulls away a mere inch and our gazes lock.
“You don’t hear me complaining one damn bit, Honey Girl,” he whispers and before I can second guess myself, this time when our lips meet it’s me who’s doing the kissing.
I don’t even have to think about it.
Jansen definitely has me hooked.