Cedar did her best not to ogle Teo’s muscular back as he showed her into his home. But come on! He wore a tight workout shirt without sleeves and every line, bump, valley, hill, bulge, and curve was right there at eye level. As it was, she was proud of herself for keeping her gawking at eye level when there was so much more to take in below in a pair of loose workout shorts. The shorts may have had the team logo across the top of them. Her peripheral vision could make out a “T,” but that was all she was willing to let it identify in that region. With her luck, Teo would turn around right as her gaze dropped and catch her in the act of reading his backside.

This was her first day on the job. She needed to appear professional, because she was a professional. The way her stomach fluttered and flipped when he opened the door had nothing to do with his amazing physique paired with those adorable dimples. Nothing at all.

Her obvious attraction for her employer wasn’t doing much to calm the anxiety she had about taking this job in the first place. She should have held out for something in her field, but financial security was an addiction she wasn’t willing to break.

“This is the kitchen.” He waved his hand slightly.

“Hmm,” Cedar managed, tearing her eyes away from the real-life sculpture before her and taking in the gorgeous kitchen. The messy gorgeous kitchen. The white cabinets had silver knobs and drawer pulls. The black granite countertop was covered in crumbs and books and water bottles and fruit. The stainless steel sink was full of dishes and the far counter, accentuated with a cut glass backdrop, was covered in dirty pots and pans.

Teo rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. “The other nanny used to clean, too.”

Cedar managed a smile. “Don’t worry about it.”

He dropped his hand and his shoulders sagged in relief. “Thanks.”

His relief was early. Cedar wasn’t agreeing to scrub his dirty dishes. “I’m sure you can find a wonderful maid service. There are a half dozen in the area.”

“Oh.” His dimples disappeared. “See, the thing is—I don’t let just anyone in here, and I don’t want a service to tell me who is coming in and who is not.”

Cedar popped a hip. She was not going to spend her days cleaning up after this guy. “Who cleaned before the nanny?”

“My, um … Amy took a lot of joy in a spotless home. She …”

Cedar caught a hint of bitterness in his tone. “You don’t like a spotless home?”

He lifted a hand. “It’s not like that. I just think there are more important things in life than an empty sink or a made bed.”

“Agreed.” Cedar rubbed her hands on her pants. She’d worn linen capris and a button-up shirt with a loud print in shades of coral. The color reminded her of Teo’s blush, and she’d been drawn to the outfit this morning. She was finding herself drawn to him, and that just wouldn’t do. “And for the record, I’m not judging you. I’m just making sure both our expectations are clear.”

“I appreciate that.” His dimples were back. Cedar reached for the counter, needing some support because his smile was doing funny things to her belly and her knees.

Happy squeals and gurgles came through an intercom. “Akoni’s awake,” said Teo as his face lit up.

Cedar’s heart jumped at his obvious pleasure. She tipped her head, considering the contradiction between his imposing stature and his adoration of his child. It was such a fun combination, one she hadn’t considered before. Most of the guys she dated who had great bodies were too self-absorbed to think about another person’s long-term needs and care. Maybe Teo took his size for granted and not his kid.

“What?” Teo asked, watching her watch him.

“Under all that muscle you’re a pushover.”

He took a deep breath, expanding his chest and broadening his shoulders. “Let’s get one thing straight. I push people over—I do not get pushed over.”

“Da!” called Akoni.

“Coming.” Teo sprang down the hallway at a half-sprint.

Cedar laughed. “You think you’re so tough,” she muttered.

“Are you coming?” Teo called down the hall like a kid’s invitation to run outside and play.

Cedar giggled and broke into a sprint, following Teo’s pounding footsteps through several rooms, zigging around a coffee table and zagging past a chair as if they were playing a game of indoor tag. There was no way she could have caught him if he didn’t stop in Akoni’s room.

Akoni was delighted to see them both and bounced on his feet holding the edge of the crib for balance. He’d be climbing out of there in no time. Cedar smiled, her job anxiety melting away. At least if she was stuck being a nanny for a couple of months, the job would be fun. Just how much fun remained to be seen. She liked this version of Teo. The playful, happy father. Maybe she liked him a little too much. A warning sounded in the back of her mind. Her parents were a lot of fun, too. So much fun they preferred playing to parenting, leaving Cedar with her little brother to take care of more often than not.

If she ended up in a similar situation here, she could quit. And, at least she was getting paid. The only thing she’d have to watch out for would be those pesky butterflies in her stomach. She wouldn’t pay them any attention. They were just butterflies after all, soft and delicate. Surely she could keep her head on straight—even around Teo Parata and his dimples.