"Oh, my God."
He frowned. "What?"
"This is almost exactly like the pantry where I had my first kiss."
His gaze grew speculative. "Oh, yeah?"
I almost cringed. "I don't know why I just told you that."
"So, who was the guy?"
As my thoughts swirled, heat flooded my face. "Nobody."
Mason gave me a long, inscrutable look. "It must've been somebody to make you blush like that."
Was I blushing? But of course, I was. Unfortunately, it had nothing to do with Anton McCormack, the guy who'd been my impromptu partner in that high school game of Spin the Bottle.
With an awkward laugh, I said, "Oh, please. I'm not blushing because of him."
"So why are you blushing?"
"Because of you."
His gaze warmed. "Oh, yeah?"
"Yes. You make it hard to think."
"But you're thinking something."
"Yeah, well, maybe you're thinking something, too."
"Am I?"
Was he ever. And unless I was mistaken, he was thinking the same thing I was thinking. If that was true, how crazy would that be?
When I replied with a slight nod, he said, "I'll tell you if you tell me."
"You mean what we're thinking?" I gave it some thought. "Alright. But you have to go first."
"Deal." His gaze held mine. "I was thinking I want to kiss you."
Oh, boy. "Well, um, that's a funny coincidence because… " I winced. Was I really going to say it?
Yes.
I was.
Finally, I just blurted it out. "I was thinking, I wanted you to kiss me."
His eyebrows lifted. "Wanted?"
"Want," I corrected.
His lips curved into a knowing smile. "Oh, yeah?" As he said it, he moved a fraction closer. Slowly, as if giving me the chance to back away, he lowered his head until our lips were barely an inch apart.
By now, my pulse was racing, and I was having a hard time catching my breath. Unable to stop myself, I closed the gap. When our lips met, his arms locked around me, yanking me tight against him as his mouth claimed mine like he owned it.
I heard a soft thud as the box of cereal hit the floor. Funny, I hadn't even realized I was still holding it.
But I didn't care. I didn't care about anything as I lifted my arms and laced my fingers around the back of his neck. As his mouth moved against mine, I kissed him back with all the pent-up passion I'd been holding in check for weeks now.
He was a great kisser. He was so great, in fact, that I moaned into his mouth and sagged against him as my core warmed and my insides grew slick with longing.
If I were feeling remotely sane, I might've wondered what the heck I was doing. But the truth was, any capacity for thought had vanished with that very first kiss – the best one I'd ever had.
By the time he pulled back, I was practically panting with need – raw and hungry, like I'd been starving for weeks.
Maybe I had been starving. For him.
He was still holding me. And I was still holding him. Against my pelvis, I could feel the proof of his arousal pressing against my hip.
And that's when I knew. If I had my way, I was going to be a very naughty nanny.
Chapter 29
Mason
I hadn't planned to kiss her. I hadn't planned any of this. But it felt so right, I knew that if we stopped now, I'd be kicking myself in the morning.
Hell, I'd be kicking myself no matter how this ended.
But how would Cami feel?
As we pulled back, I drank in the sight of her. Her face was flushed and her lips were parted as she stared up at me like she was reeling just as much as I was.
If that was true, we were in for one hell of a ride.
Still, I'd be smart to get a grip. She wasn't just my employee. She was Willow's nanny. And I loved Willow a lot more than I loved myself.
But Cami – she was something else. Breathlessly, she asked, "What are we doing?"
At the office, I had all the answers. Hell, even at home, I never wavered in my convictions.
Until now.
And Cami, she was a decent person, so I didn't want to lie to her. "The truth?" I said. "I don't know."
"Me neither." Her gaze met mine. "But I do know one thing."
"Oh, yeah? What's that?"
"Tonight, if we go our separate ways, I know I'll regret it."
Me, too.
I studied her face. "And tomorrow?"
"What about it?"
I didn't want to say it. But I had responsibilities beyond myself. And so did Cami. "You know this is