The idea was so Cedar. Inventive, fun, helpful, and centered around children. She was going to be a fantastic mother one day. A vision of a little girl with his dark hair and her ocean eyes looking up at him with a teddy bear clutched in her arms appeared. The girl was so real his chest clenched with a sense of fatherly protection. “That’s cool,” hesputtered.
“I think it would be fun for the kids and make life easier for the parents.” She pulled a perfectly golden marshmallow from the fire, pressed it between two graham crackers, and held the treat out for Akoni. “Here you go, Tough Guy. Your first s’more should be a traditionalone.”
Akoni dropped the stick he’d wielded and grabbed for the treat. He’d be a mess in no time, but that’s what bathtubs were for. Teo liked that Cedar wasn’t worried about messes. “Is there anything you can’t do?” he asked herquietly.
Cedar’s cheeks took on a deeper glow than the fire created. “I can’t play the piano—or theguitar.”
“Hmmm.” Teo reached out to finger the lighter strands of hair that framed her face. “How have you made it through life without knowing how to play the piano?” heteased.
“I’m just coasting by, I guess.” She leaned into his touch and his hand found its way to cupping her cheek. At the absolute acceptance—the wanting—in Cedar’s eyes, Teo’s mouth wentdry.
Her hand went to his neck, her fingers dancing across his skin, and he pulled her closer, her sweet pineapple scent mingling with the smoke and chocolate smells twirling in the space betweenthem.
Teo moved slowly, sure that he’d never wanted something as much as he wanted to know what Cedar’s mouth felt like against his. His skin warmed with anticipation and his heart pounded like the drums from the best of his childhood memories. He lowered his lips to hers, tasting sweetness as Cedar welcomed his kiss and responded to histouch.
This was no gasping-for-breath or crazed hormonal kiss. The kiss was slow and exploratory—full of meaning. This was a kiss that changed the entireplaybook.
When they pulled apart, Teo smiled. “You’re good ateverything.”
Cedar ducked her head, suddenly shy. Teo brushed his fingers across hercheek.
Her mouth fell open. “Tough Guy,” shegasped.
Teo followed her gaze to find his shirt smeared with s’mores and his son mighty proud of his artwork. Funny, he hadn’t even noticed the kid finger painting marshmallow on him. Teo rolled his eyes. “It’s past your bedtime,Picasso.”
Cedar smiled and reached for Akoni. “I’ll give him a quick bath if you want tochange.”
The heat between them was slipping away, and they were falling back into nanny and daddy mode. He wasn’t ready for their time as a couple to be over. “I’ll meet you back out here,” heoffered.
Cedar studied her pale-pink painted bare toes in thesand.
Teo’s eyebrows pulled together. Of all the times to be shy, why now? He’d made a bold move. Wasn’t it obvious that he liked her? He paused. Maybe it wasn’t obvious. Maybe she thought a kiss was just a kiss to him. That was no ordinary kiss, though. That kiss had proven they were more than compatible, more than friends, more, more,more.
Akoni twisted, trying to plant his chocolate-covered hands on Cedar’s face. She dodged him easily enough, but if she didn’t get Akoni inside she would be just as messy asTeo.
“Cedar, I’d—can we talk? About what justhappened?”
She nodded and hurried towards the door. Teo scooted around her and opened the door, pausing to kiss her hair. “I’ll be out as soon as I can,” shesaid.
“I’ll be waiting.” He kept his hand on her back as they went through the house, not wanting a moment to go by that they weren’t together. He had to show her that he was interested in her—not as a nanny but as a smart, fun, beautiful woman with major s’moreskills.
Chapter 15
Thankfully,Akoni settled in without a fuss. Having a bedtime routine made all the difference for him. He liked to sleep on his tummy with his little bum in the air. It was the cutest darn thing. Cedar rubbed his back and hummed nonsense, her mind in the back yard where that amazing kiss had takenplace.
In the second before their lips came together, her good sense told her to back away and create distance, but her heart ruled the day, and she’d melted into Teo’s kiss like a piece of chocolate next to a warmmarshmallow.
An odd sense of accomplishment, one that had nothing to do with an A on a term paper or a word of praise from a professor, filled her as she kissed Akoni goodnight. His contentment and feeling of safety were partly because of her. She couldn’t take all the credit, but knowing that she was an influence for good for this precious little being wrapped her in love and contentment. She’d made a difference in his world, and that felt prettyremarkable.
Other amazing things had happened today. Like meeting Elijah. Not only had he valued what she’d said; he treated her like an equal, asked her advice, and had even offered her a consulting position. He wanted to pay her for her thoughts. That washuge.
But the most amazing thing that had happened, the thing that had her heating up from the inside out and wiping her damp hands down her pant legs was Teo’s kiss. Cedar could sort all the first kisses she’d experienced with boyfriends into fourcategories.
First, the nervous kiss. With this one, the guy grabbed her shoulders too quickly and clumsily and almost missed her lips. A nervous kiss could be forgiven, but if it happened again, she had to break it off. Who wanted to spend their life kissing a guy who couldn’t find thetarget?
Second, there was the I’m-going-for-it-all kiss where the man would take things as far as she would let him and then push for more. He seemed to grow three more arms and think his tongue was asword.
Third, the Cookie Monster kiss. When this happened, the guy would attack as if he were trying to devour her whole face. Yuck! A Cookie Monster kiss would mean the end of the relationship. There was no coming back fromslobber.
