“And what about you?”
“I don’t cook if I can help it.”
“If I had to eat the same two meals every week, I think I would have learned.”
“I like spaghetti and steak.”
We both laugh.
“Those are ready to bake.” I point to the pans.
I set a timer while he puts them in the oven.
“Ever made homemade frosting?”
He lifts a brow. “Didn’t even know that was a thing.”
“Do you like frosting?”
“Hell, yeah.”
“Just making sure. It doesn’t fall into your spaghetti or steak diet.”
We move around the kitchen. I get out the ingredients, he gets the measuring cups, and together, we make enough buttercream frosting for twice the cookies we made.
I hold out the spoon for him to taste. He leans forward, his lips part and his tongue darts out, just before his mouth covers the end of the spoon.
He groans as he pulls away, eyes falling closed, making butterflies swarm in my lower belly.
“Good?”
He nods, eyes still closed. “So damn good.”
I’m still staring at his mouth when he finally opens his eyes. I feel a ridiculous amount of pride at his praise.
The timer goes off and I quickly move to pull the cookies from the oven.
“Now we just have to wait for them to cool.”
“And then we can decorate them?”
“If you want.”
“I want,” he says, and his gaze drops to my lips.
I step back, suddenly aware I’m covered in flour and frosting. “I’m a mess.”
“Yeah, me too.” He glances down at his T-shirt.
“I’m gonna clean up.”
“Okay. Then, if you still want to, we can go get a tree.”
I half expected him to duck out by this point. It’s been a few hours since Felix and Stella left, which means they’re home and the cleaners are working. My time alone with Teddy is running out.
“Okay.” I blow out a breath. “Yeah, let’s go get a tree.”
At the tree lot, Teddy falls into step beside me and we slowly walk through the rows of firs and spruces. It’s the perfect weather for tree shopping. The sky is overcast and there’s a light snow falling. They have holiday music playing and lights strung up around the perimeter of the lot to add to the Christmas spirit.