Over the next couple of weeks, Cedar, Teo, and Akoni fell into a rhythm. Cedar would arrive at seven in the morning and wake Akoni. Teo would chat with the two of them for a few minutes before disappearing into his home gym for a couple hours. After that, they would have lunch together, and then either she or Teo would go off to a meeting or take care of business. Cedar’s days weren’t cluttered, and she was getting used to seeing Teo on a daily basis. Used to seeing him? Yes. Unaffected by him? No. She hadn’t quite mastered that skill yet.

Teo managed to keep the house clean, or at the very least, the dishes washed. He must have spent hours that first night putting the kitchen in order. Things were never perfect, but they were sanitary.

Cedar did her part, washing a bathtub or dusting as she saw a need. She’d not set so much as a pinkie toe in Teo’s private suite. That was considered forbidden territory. Not because Teo had decreed it as such, but because she needed to keep some professional boundaries between them. They worked so well together, managing both of their schedules and Akoni’s needs that she could easily believe she belonged here with the two of them. Only by maintaining a physical distance from Teo could she keep from admitting her admiration and attraction for him grew on a daily basis.

This morning, Cedar was folding a basket of Akoni’s clean shirts while Akoni toddled around the huge laundry room, putting mismatched socks in the drawers. She was going to have to fish them out later, but he was happy and busy so she didn’t stop him.

Teo appeared, taking up the whole doorframe. His house had been built with twelve-foot-tall walls and vaulted ceilings. It was big, but then so was he, so it fit, right? Nevertheless, it often surprised her that he filled a doorway with his bulk. The woodsy smell of his cologne drifted her direction, and she savored the scent that was all Teo before checking her reaction and hiding the weak knees his cologne triggered.

He leaned his shoulder against the doorway and crossed one leg over the other. “How’d your exit interview go with the graduation counselor?” He took a sip of his post-workout shake. For some reason, he showered in the gym downstairs and dressed before coming back up each day. While she appreciated his attention to personal grooming, she had this fantasy of him all rough and tumble after a workout that she couldn’t seem to get out of her head. Just once, she’d like to catch him post-workout and see if the real thing measured up to her imagination.

Clearing her throat and her thoughts, she replied, “Good. I’m all set to graduate. He’s sending me a few contacts at companies that might be hiring.”

Teo slowly lowered his glass, frowning at the foamy orange liquid.

“Is it that bad?” She tapped the side of his cup with her fingernail as she walked by to put the laundry soap back in the floor-to-ceiling cabinet.

“It’s fine. I’m just not hungry.”

Cedar clutched her hands to her chest. “Are you feeling okay?”

He cocked his head, confused.

“Teo, if you’re not hungry, I’m very concerned,” she teased.

He smiled. “I’m fine.”

“Are you worried about your lunch meeting with Elijah?” Cedar asked. Teo had mentioned they were going over investment opportunities. Elijah liked to support local businesses and putting Teo’s star power behind projects in the community helped them succeed. She thought it was great that he wanted to help people start their own businesses. If it wasn’t a huge conflict of interest, she’d ask him to fund her start-ups. Asking for money was another professional boundary she didn’t want to cross—among others…

“Why don’t you come?” Teo asked.

“Me?” Cedar paused, her hand on the cabinet door.

“Sure. You’re smart, and I’d love to have an unbiased opinion at the table.”

“What about Snuggles?”

Teo lifted an eyebrow. “I know I said I was okay with nicknames, but can you at least make them sound manly?”

Cedar rolled her eyes and laughed. She’d tried several different nicknames for Akoni, but Snuggles seemed to fit best. “Men!”

“That’s better.” Teo smiled without showing his teeth. His dimples still made an appearance, and Cedar’s heart skipped a beat. “We’ll bring him with us.”

Cedar lowered her chin and leveled him with a look. “So I can spend the whole time trying to keep his fingers out of my food?”

“We’ll cancel the fancy restaurant and go some place that has high chairs.” Teo scrubbed his hands through his hair.

Cedar told herself that her heart thrummed out of excitement to be in on a meeting with the man who was not only Teo’s agent but his financial advisor. The knowledge she could gain just by listening to the two of them was huge, because one day she would pitch ideas to people exactly like them, and knowing what the other guy was thinking would give her an edge. That had to be the reason her pulse raced. Otherwise, she was much too excited to go out with her boss.

Teo bumped her with his elbow. “You want this, don’t you?”

“Does it show?” She circled her finger around her face.

Teo nodded. “I’ll make the call.”

Cedar glanced down at her turquoise leggings and lace top. “I’m not really dressed for a business meeting.”

“You look perfect to me.” Teo’s ears colored and his dimples appeared, only this time he wore a bashful look.

Cedar’s breath caught and she became acutely aware of how little space was between them. Teo’s cologne teased her senses, and his eyes took on an intimate warmth that made her insides all gooey. “Thank you,” she whispered, unable to draw a deep enough breath to speak up.

Teo leaned away, like he was trying to leave but his feet weren’t listening. She couldn’t deny the heavy level of awareness between her body and his. “I’ll meet you at the SUV,” he said.

“’Kay.” She ducked behind her hair as Teo slipped away. She didn’t breathe until the sound of his footsteps faded. Then she gulped for air, only to find his masculine scent was everywhere, teasing her with his manliness. Surely Teo didn’t feel the same way for her that she felt for him. He didn’t go all weak-kneed and doe-eyed when she walked into the room. Sure, he paid attention to her, but that was because he was a nice guy. One of the good ones.

Well crap.

She pressed her palm to her forehead as if she were checking for a fever. A fever would be one explanation for her inability to remain focused on something other than a hot man who was a great father, provider, and friend. Yes, they were friends. It wasn’t a surprise. They spent a portion of every day together. They liked the same movies—action flicks with a romance thrown in—and spandex, if possible. Okay, that last one was her requirement not Teo’s. Tight, superhero uniforms just made movies better.

They enjoyed being active—playing in the ball pit, hitting the park, going for a hike. They’d done all three with Akoni.

And now Teo was inviting her into another area of his life—an area that had nothing to do with Akoni. The idea was thrilling and… scary. There should be a term for that. She wracked her brain looking for a word to describe the sensation of sitting in the front seat of a roller coaster and staring down at the tracks just as they make a vertical drop.

Petri-citing!

Petrifying, because her heart was still bruised from Darrin. She’d thought he was one of the good guys—until he broke up with her because she wanted children. He didn’t. Ever. And didn’t see the point in falling deeper in love with her if they were only going to part ways down the road. Because the kid thing was a deal breaker—for both of them. It wasn’t like she wanted to have a baby ten months after they graduated. She tried to explain that to Darrin; that there was no rush. He argued that they’d have an easier time finding someone else if they started looking now. As if replacing Cedar was just a matter of picking up a new girlfriend at the grocery store. She hoped it wasn’t that easy for him. That would just stink.

Exciting, because here she was having feelings for Teo. Which was electrifying because Teo made her feel comfortably desirable. A feeling that also needed its own word. Combinations of those words already existed. Comfortable was sweat pants and messy ponytails. She didn’t feel like that with Teo. When Teo looked at her, she felt like a little black dress, glossy lips, and—forgive this thought—a tight butt. Because what woman doesn’t feel amazing when her backside looks perky? Desirability was another combination of comfortably and desirable that didn’t quite fit because it brought to mind women who wore little clothing to garner a man’s attention, and she didn’t have to do that with Teo. She wasn’t working to attract him. Well, besides making sure her hair and makeup were done each day, but she would do that for any job.

So what did that leave her with? A whole lot of confusion, that’s what. She couldn’t be falling for Teo. The timing was off. Darrin was too fresh in her mind to even consider another relationship. Her attraction to Teo was nothing more than the admirations of a fine man with a perfect body. She fanned her face. The. Perfect. Body.

Akoni slammed into her legs. He laughed as he watched her hands flap for balance and then tried to copy her.

She lifted him into a hug, which he snuggled right into. While she may have things she wanted to accomplish before she became a mother, she sure loved Akoni. He made it easy to fall for him. “One more thing you have in common with your dad.” She kissed his temple. “I guess you have a new nickname, Tough Guy. Let’s see if that’s manly enough for your daddy.” She set him down so he could walk. He stayed close as she headed to the nursery to find the diaper bag.

The irony of the situation—her finding a diaper bag for a business meeting—was not lost on her. But then, she was calling the snuggle bug in her life Tough Guy, so apparently it was a day for contradictions.

* * *

Cedar covered her full mouth with a napkin to hide her laughter. Elijah had dropped his fork and bent to pick it up, only to have Akoni swipe a yam-covered hand across his cheek. The look on Elijah’s face was part terror, part disgust, and park shock.

She swallowed quickly and dove for the diaper bag to retrieve the wipes. Leaving the sweet potatoes to grow cold on Teo’s agent’s cheek wasn’t good form. Elijah was going to need more than a linen napkin to feel completely clean. “Sorry, I should have warned you not to enter the splash zone.” She hoped to pass off Akoni’s attempt to start a food fight with a little bit of humor.

Elijah accepted the wet wipe and leaned to the left, as far from Akoni as he could get. He folded the wipe in exactly half before cleaning his face. “It’s good for me. I need to learn these things.”

Cedar pressed her lips together to hold in the questions that statement brought up. She exchanged a look with Teo, silently pleading with him to ask if Elijah was going to be a daddy because it wasn’t any of her business. But Teo… Teo had known him longer. They worked closely together, talking on the phone on an almost daily basis and met once a week. Though she’d just met Elijah, she could tell he had his stuff together. He was the type of person she would want on her team, and she was grateful Teo had found him—for Teo’s sake. Not that who Teo worked with was any of her business either. But, she believed some of the stereotypes in chick flicks that cast agents as little better than a desperate used car salesman.

Teo took a long sip from his water glass. Meeting her eyes over the rim, he winked. Like the traitorous organ it was, her heart flipped and flopped and then decided to do a little dance. She wasn’t sure when they had started communicating without words—it was a skill she hadn’t known she possessed. Yet they pulled it off as if they’d been doing it for years. Thank goodness she was already sitting in a chair since her knees went weak and her legs numb.

The tension of the unasked question grew while Cedar worked to calm her racing pulse. Focus on the elephant in the room. She widened her eyes, practically begging Teo to ask.

Elijah watched the two of them, a half smirk on his face. He wasn’t about to give up the information though the pride on his face, shining like the mid-day sun, pretty much answered the question.

Teo slowly set down his glass, wiped his lips, and said, “Are you trying to tell us something?” He appeared half-interested—only making Elijah seem all the more antsy.

Elijah sagged with relief and a slow grin settled on his bright face. “Deja’s pregnant.”

Cedar squeezed her hands together in delight. “How far along is she?”

“Four and a half months.”

“Ha!” Teo smacked Elijah on the back, sending him crashing into the table and making their cutlery clatter. “Congratulations,” he boomed.

Cedar steadied her water glass. “That’s wonderful.”

Elijah coughed—probably from being congratulated so heartily by Teo. “We’re pretty excited.” He glanced at Akoni and swiped at his now-clean cheek as if he could still feel the yams. “Mostly nervous.”

Cedar held back a giggle. Akoni was a prince compared to some of the kids she’d watched over at camp. If he made Elijah nervous, then the new parents could be in for quite a ride. Of course, most parents loved their children’s antics or at least tolerated them better than they did other people’s children. Something about that parental desire to love and protect put up a shield against annoying habits. For the most part. There were always exceptions, but Cedar didn’t want to think about her dad right now.

Teo shook his head. “No wonder you’ve been begging me to get things done.”

Elijah nodded. “The more I do now, the more time I’ll be able to take off when the baby comes.”

“Let’s get down to business.” Teo folded his arms and leaned on the table, making it tip slightly his direction and giving Cedar an amazing view of his muscular definition. He caught her eye and nodded, telling her she was a part of this. Her cheeks warmed with his invitation.

Elijah snapped up his briefcase like he’d been waiting for the green light. “There are three local small-business owners looking for start-up money: a car repair shop that specializes in computer and sensor problems in newer vehicles …”

Cedar tipped her head to the side. The idea was interesting. She liked that they specialized in something that was usually handled at a dealership level, allowing them to break into a new market. The drawback was that it would take six months to a year to get something like that off the ground. Word of mouth only spread so quickly in a specialized field.

“… a dry cleaner …” continued Elijah.

Not a bad idea either. This business was general, could serve a lot of customers, and had a quick turnaround so they could take in loads of work—no pun intended. But there were a great number of dry cleaners in Dallas. What made this one so special? If they didn’t have a fantastic location, then they could sink quickly.

“… and a hair salon for people with curly hair.”

Cedar’s fork froze halfway to her mouth and her brain tripped. “I’m sorry, what was that last one?”

Elijah consulted his notes. “A hair salon for people with curly hair.”

Teo lowered his eyebrows. “Is curly hair that big of a deal?” He looked around the restaurant as if counting the number of women with curly hair. Cedar did the same. There were three in a room of twenty-five or so. But she’d bet her first nanny check that there were another ten women in here who had curly or wavy hair and straightened it every morning because they had no idea what to do with their natural waves and crimps.

“Yes.” Cedar nodded slowly. “It is.” Both Teo and Elijah stared at her, and she realized they were waiting for an explanation. The research she’d done came back to her in a tidal wave of numbers, stats, and dollars. “Forty-five percent of women have some type of curl in their hair. There are four types, ranging from a wave to a tight spiral, and all four types can grow on one head of hair. Women who embrace their curl, or want to embrace it, want someone who understands that to cut and style their tresses. Preferably someone who has curly hair themselves.”

Teo and Elijah exchanged an open-mouthed look. “How do you know this?” asked Teo.

Elijah leaned over his plate dangling his tie awfully close to what was left of his steak.

“I, um,” Cedar paused, moving her knife to the center of her plate and pushing it aside. “I put together a business plan for just such a salon. My old roommate came home from getting her hair cut looking like she’d stuck her finger in a light socket. She cried for a week. I saw a need in the market that wasn’t being met and I did a lot of research, conducted a few surveys, and even made up a floor plan. I actually wanted Terri to run the salon. She’s a manager at Baby Gap, but this would be right up her alley.”

Silence fell over their small table. Even Akoni contentedly sucked on a graham cracker, his eyes big as he watched the adults. Cedar shifted in her seat. She never talked about her ideas, not since Darrin. They’d met in a class where she’d thrown a few ideas around for a group project. After a couple kisses and fewer dates, he was already talking about the two of them owning their own mom-and-pop shops. He believed those were the best kind to make millions and stay under the radar. He loved the idea of being the unknown millionaire next door. Cedar didn’t care about all that, but she had been flattered that he thought her ideas were worth millions. Somehow she’d confused that thought with the belief that Darrin thought she was worth millions. Her mistake. One she wouldn’t make again. Teo’s appreciative gaze was only because he was interested in her mind.

“So you think the salon is the one to go for?” Teo lightly touched her forearm, bringing Cedar out of her head and back to the conversation at hand. She looked into his warm brown eyes as soda bubbles tickled her skin where his fingers touched.

She managed to lift a shoulder; a move she prayed made her appear relaxed and unaffected by his nearness. As if that were possible. “I don’t want to tell you what to do with your money.” The idea that he would invest more money into this business than she would make in a year in something she suggested freaked her out. Doing class projects was one thing, but this was real life. If the business tanked, then Teo could blame her for arguing for it. He could probably sue her. He had the money and a lawyer. She wouldn’t stand a chance.

“But if it were you, you’d do it,” he pressed.

Her back was up against the wall with all three of them staring at her, waiting for an answer. Yes, even Akoni joined the men in their stare-down-Cedar-for-an-answer tactic.

Cedar’s mouth was so dry chalk would be jealous. She needed to get used to this pressure. One day, she would be the one asking for start-up funds. Except, that would be easier because she believed in her concepts—researched the crap out of them—and waterproofed as much as any new business owner possibly could. She’d have the confidence of knowing that she would do her best to make the business a success. Would whomever was asking for money from Teo do the same. Probably. No one went into business expecting to fail. Of course, most new businesses did fail in the first year.

After what must have been too long of a silence, Teo nudged her knee under the table. She jumped as a current exploded just under her skin. She rearranged her silverware. “If it were my money,” she swallowed, “and the funds were free for investing and I was willing to take a risk on a new business, then yes, I would take a chance on the salon.” Her body slumped forward, like she’d had to force the words out. When had she become such a wimp? That wasn’t her, and she shrugged inside the insecurity like a scratchy bath towel.

“I’m in,” he told Elijah. Teo’s dimples appeared, sending warmth rushing through her body. How a man who was so big and tough could be so adorable was beyond her.

Elijah made a note. “I’ll have the paperwork drawn up.” He turned to Cedar. “What do you think about a storage facility in Plano? I have another client who wants to put one out there—says there’s a lot of new growth.”

Cedar considered the idea rather than considering Teo’s dimples again. “That area is growing.” She paused, still a little uncomfortable that her confirmation could trigger major capital exchanging hands. Real life had so many consequences compared to college. “I’d like to drive by the site and check on the number of homes being built per year.” She snuck a look at Teo, who was signaling for the check. “I’m not here to make decisions for Teo. Please don’t think I assume as much.”

“I appreciate your input,” said Teo. “And I value your opinion.”

Cedar blushed under the praise and ducked under the trust. She had entered her internship thinking she had enough information and confidence to take the world by storm, but even just this small meeting among friends showed her she was one of the little guys, the new kid on the field. She had a long way to go before she conquered anything.

Elijah swiped his mouth with a napkin. “I imagine Cedar’s knowledge of business is a lot like reading the football field is for Teo. You get a sense of things over time: the other team, their strengths and weaknesses …”

“Hours of watching film,” Teo added.

Elijah dipped his head in acknowledgement. “Same idea. Except Cedar studies the local economy and market trends.”

Cedar grinned, but inside she panicked. At school, she’d had professors and other students as resources. Now that she’d graduated, all she had was herself and anything she could find online—and she hadn’t been taking the time to stay up on things because she spent so much time with Akoni. Right now, she felt like a big, fat poser.

Elijah continued, “I’m just sorry Teo got to you first. If you’re ever interested in consulting, I’d be happy to put you to work.”

Cedar relaxed into a smile. “Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind. It will depend on where I end up. Some companies frown on outside consulting.”

Elijah nodded. “Where are you interviewing?”

“This week? Club Corp.”

“You are?” Teo scowled. The effect was intimidating, implying there was danger ahead, although it wasn’t aimed at her. She had not once felt intimidated by him, despite his size. Cedar could only imagine how scary he looked on the football field when he was after a defender.

“I forgot to tell you I got an email this morning.” She had meant to tell him. They talked about everyday activities, about the small moments of their day. Though she had yet to tell him much about her parents or what happened with Darrin. Their conversations tended to focus on the here and now; like friends keeping each other apprised of their comings and goings.

There the word was again: friend.

Friend’s heads don’t get lost in the clouds when they decide to go to lunch together. That’s exactly what had happened to her when Teo invited her to meet Elijah.

Great. Now she had to come up with another new word. One that said friends with butterflies.

Teo’s brow furrowed. “How soon will they want you to start?”

Cedar cut her vocabulary science experiment short. “I-I don’t know. I’ll find out sometime around the second interview.”

“You don’t sound excited.” Teo touched her arm again sending those soda bubbles over her skin and a marvelous shiver all the way to her toes.

“I’m cautiously optimistic.” She’d been excited about the interview—as excited as she dared to get, anyway. Her hopes had been high for the Tiny Titans Camp, and therefore the fall had hurt pretty badly. Going through that again wasn’t on her to-do list, so she was keeping a healthy perspective.

Teo sank into his chair, looking like a giant balloon with a third of the air let out.

His obvious sadness tugged at her heart. She wanted the job, but she wasn’t sure she was ready to give up her time with Teo and Akoni. The idea was like a fist-sized rock in her chest. “It’s just an interview. I’m not even sure I’ll get the job.”

“You’ll get it,” Elijah assured her but oblivious to Teo’s change in mood. He took the bill from Teo and slipped his credit card in the leather folder.

“Thanks,” Cedar mumbled, glad someone was confident for her.

She busied herself getting Akoni clean enough to lift out of his high chair. Eating was an experience he liked to use all five senses to enjoy. As she cleaned Akoni off, she could feel Teo’s eyes on her. She got the feeling he was holding back a flood of words with the same determination he used to hold back the opposing team’s defensive line. He’d probably ask her to stay on as a nanny, and she’d be sorely tempted to take him up on that offer. This job was a cushion between college and the real world. Technically, it was a job, and it paid well enough to be respectable. But it wasn’t the job she’d gone back to school to earn.

And what would she tell her parents. Her dad already thought she was a scatterbrain—that she’d taken after her mother just because they were both female. She’d set out to prove him wrong, though why she cared at this point in her life was hard to determine. Habit? Tradition? Some long-buried childhood need that remained unfulfilled? Without hours of psychotherapy she may never know.

If she stayed a nanny, a part of her would always wonder what life would have been like if she’d struck out on her own. That wonder could easily turn to resentment if things weren’t in harmony with Teo. Right now they gelled—having full conversations with their eyes and whatnot. What if that went away? What if Teo started dating again and he picked someone other than her to start with? A dragon of jealousy roared to life and breathed fire through her face. No way could she stay at home with Akoni while Teo wooed another woman.

Elijah said goodbye, shaking hands all around—including Akoni’s, which she gave him huge props for doing after the yam incident. She lifted Akoni to free him from the seat, and his foot got caught in one of the straps. Cedar blew her hair off her forehead.

“Here.” Teo slid his hands under Akoni’s arms to take his weight so Cedar could free his foot. She managed to do so easily enough. While her hands were empty, she busied herself with gathering their things. For some reason, she rushed—tossing wipes and a sippy cup into the bag and repeatedly tucking her hair behind her ears. As long as she was busy, she didn’t have to look at Teo and think of him dating another woman.

His sadness at her interview status was obvious. While she knew he valued her as a nanny, there was something else in his gaze that had caught her off guard. Something that made her wonder if he would miss her, just her and not her laundry monster game skills, when she left.

Teo’s warm hand came to rest on her side, pulling all thought and movement to a complete stop. “We’re not in a hurry,” he said.

She let out a nervous laugh, acutely aware that he was touching her hip. She liked that his touch was featherlight and lingering, that his strength poured into her. His dark brown eyes traced over her cheek and jaw and lips before capturing her gaze. Caught there, hanging in a state of clouded bliss, she muttered, “More.” She leaned closer, planning to brush her fingers across his temple and into his short hair.

“More?” His hand kneaded her hip in the most delightful way.

Cedar forgot to breathe as she tipped forward on her toes. Teo’s body was warm. Being this close, she was overwhelmed with him. Her pulse pounded in her ears in a steady but quick thump, thump, thumpthumpthump. The sound blocking out all other noises. She breathed and Teo breathed, and she could hear his lungs inflate and feel the heat off his chest as it grew. He could kiss her right now. So easily. And, heaven help her, she’d let him.

Akoni unleashed a banshee scream for attention, crashing through the haze of temptation that had surrounded her and Teo and causing Cedar to jump. “What was that?” She reached for the baby, still trying to shake off the sensations that had overtaken her brain when Teo touched her.

Every head in the dining room turned their direction.

“There’s nothing wrong with him.” She lightly poked around Akoni’s collarbone, and he laughed. “Except that he’s an attention hog.”

Teo dropped a fifty on the table for a tip. Whispered conversations happened all around them, and Cedar was suddenly aware that they were the still the center of attention—more so now that people recognized Teo. Teo was too large, too famous to stand around in the middle of a room and not have people notice. Thank goodness he hadn’t kissed her. Except, she was more disappointed than relieved, and that was troubling.

A guy two tables over smiled wickedly at Cedar. He held up his phone to take a picture. She turned away quickly to shield Akoni from the camera with her body. She could only imagine what these people thought was going on at their table, especially after that long look she and Teo shared. If they were going to go out in public, she would have to be more aware of who was watching them.

Teo didn’t seem to mind the attention. He ignored the hubbub, taking his time weaving through the tables on their way out. Cedar wasn’t as calm. She clutched Akoni to her chest with shaking hands, feeling as though a pack of wolves nipped at her heals. Akoni didn’t protest and he didn’t scream again. He was happy now that he had one of them all to himself. She’d have to work on his ability to share. Not that she expected him to share her with Teo, that was presuming too much. One look did not a relationship make. And, who was she to believe Teo was interested in her the way she was interested in him. He’d touched her. But they’d spent so much time together, touching would be normal. Maybe not touching her hip. That was… personal.

They stepped into the sunshine, and she relaxed her hold on the baby, though her thoughts were wound just as tight as ever as she puzzled over Teo’s intentions.

Teo handed over her sunglasses from the diaper bag before putting on his own. “You were saying something?” he asked. It was only then that Cedar realized he was well aware of the attention he garnered and he handled it well.

She tried to remember what she’d said before Akoni’s scream, but all she could think about was the way his hand had felt on her hip. “I didn’t …” The words caught in her throat as they crossed the warm parking lot to his SUV.

“You said more.” He held the door open for her and leaned against it, a cocky glint in his eye.

Mortified, she ducked into the car. “No, I didn’t.” In that moment, though, she’d wanted so much more of Teo. She’d wanted him to kiss her. Kiss her long and good and in so many different places she couldn’t make up her mind. He could kiss her right here, he could kiss her in the laundry room with her back up against the wall, he could sit her on the kitchen counter, and she could wrap her arms around his neck and—.

Akoni screamed and arched his back, making it impossible to click the chest buckle. Cedar released the breath she’d been holding along with the thoughts she shouldn’t have had in the first place. She tickled Akoni’s tummy until he collapsed in giggles and she could do up the straps. He grunted and strained, turning his face red.

“Yes, you did,” Teo replied. Cedar didn’t have to look at him to know his brown eyes danced with amusement—she could feel it radiate from him.

“No.” She moved out of the back seat and squared her shoulders and thought quickly. “I said s’more. As in, we should make s’mores over your fire pit.” That as the dorkiest cover-up in the history of cover-ups. “Akoni will love them. Graham crackers are his favorite.”

Teo lifted one eyebrow. “S’mores?”

She’d committed to it and now she had to sell it—even if she sounded like a complete dunderhead. “It will be fun. We used to make them every night at camp.”

He opened her door. “Why not?”

Cedar smiled as she climbed into the passenger seat. Inside she scrambled to pull herself together. Wanting more of Teo was one thing—acting on that want was something else altogether. A fun night around the fire would be low-key and camp-ish. Just what she needed to keep her mind off the way Teo’s touch made her heart race and her thoughts slow down. There were other things to think about than his firm and gentle touch and wondering what his lips would feel like against hers.

So many other things to think about … she was just having a hard time coming up with one.