“Oh, yeah, like little Carl isn’t all about his mother. He didn’t even bother to get up and give me a hug hello because it would have meant him leaving your side for a minute.” Carlton laughed. “But it’s good. I’m glad they both know that they have a mother and a father who love them. For the record, I’d love to spend more father-and-son time with them. I would also like for us to spend more times like this, together as a family.”
Her breath caught in her throat and she struggled to exhale. Trying to process if she could possibly spend more moments in close proximity to her very sexy, suddenly very sweet husband, she knew without a question she would be a goner if she did. Even though he exhibited all the signs of a changed man, she knew he had a way to go before she would be ready to try again with him. He had to apologize first.
Before she could think of a suitable response, he continued, “If that’s going to be a problem for you, then you can just let me know. I don’t want to cause you any stress or anything.” The sincerity of his words was unmistakable.
Having him sitting so near wreaked havoc on her senses. She didn’t know what to say or how to say it. Irritated that he still had the power to affect her in such an overwhelming way, she tried to quickly process the ramifications of that fact. Again, he left little time for her response, eerily in tune with her very conflicted dilemma.
“It’s probably too soon for you. I understand. Take your time.” Giving her a thigh a soft squeeze, he got up from the sofa.
Only after Carlton had left the room did her breathing return to normal.
Chapter 23
Knowing full well that his wooing-process and therefore his progress with Latonya was moving slowly, Carlton felt no need to rush. He’d rushed things with her before and he didn’t want their relationship to end up like it had then.
Often he found himself wishing he had taken more time to court her properly. Maybe then they both would have been a little more secure in their relationship. Back then, he’d felt they had all the time in the world for her feelings to catch up with his, and he didn’t want to let her go before that happened. Right now, he found himself in a similar situation, but this time he was determined that her feelings for him be in line with his feelings for her before he pushed the relationship further. There would be no rushing this time.
He felt that the strain was ebbing and Latonya was slowly opening herself up to at least consider the possibility of them starting over again. She hadn’t said anything else about leaving. He felt confident that they were on the right track. After the lunch incident with Jeff and their experience reading to the boys, Carlton had a feeling that he might be able to move to the next level soon and ask Latonya out on a date.
That day he’d come home to find Latonya and the children all in the kitchen, covered with flour and making more of a mess than the chocolate-chip-walnut cookies they claimed to be making.
The boys asked him to help out. After searching Latonya’s face to make sure she’d be fine with it, he agreed.
Soon covered with flour and gook himself, he stood behind her as she stirred the batter, and he could have sworn he heard her breath catch. Inhaling the smell of her shampoo and perfume made his stomach tighten into a painful knot. She smelled better than the cookies baking in the oven. He quickly moved from behind her when other parts of his body naturally responded to being so close. He’d seen her in some of the finest gowns and jewels imaginable, but she had never looked better to him than she did right then in the pale pink cotton shorts, white T-shirt and cookie dough.
He took a seat at the table with his sons. With the second batch of cookies mixed, she walked over to the table and they each took turns dropping batter on the metal baking sheet.
He made the boys laugh by placing big blobs of cookie dough on the sheet.
“Yours is going to be ugly, Daddy,” little Carl said as he placed his own little round drops on the cookie sheet.
“Yeah, Daddy. You no doing the way Miss Jillian say.” Terrence tried to mimic his older brother’s perfect balls of dough.
“Well, we’ll see what you two say when my nice big delicious cookies come out. I bet you both are going to want them. But, I’m going to say no. They’re ugly. You don’t want these.” Teasing his sons, he plopped another big drop of dough on the sheet.
Smirking, Latonya mumbled something under her breath.
He stopped teasing his sons and turned to his wife. “You have something you want to add, smarty pants?”
She laughed. “Nope. I was just thinking that you’d be lucky if those big blobs of dough even cook all the way through.”
“Oh. Now you want to insult the cook. Well, don’t you come near my cookies when they’re done, either. You’re all banned. Just stick to your little nice perfect cookies and leave the original, fantastic cookies to me.”
“Fine with us,” she said as she took the cookie sheet and placed it in the oven.
He and the boys worked on filling another cookie sheet with dough while she took the first batch out of the oven and placed them on the rack to cool down.
When she walked back over to pick up the next cookie sheet, she laughed. “Who knew you could make them properly.”
Smiling, he shrugged his shoulders. Standing and handing the next cookie sheet to his wife, he said, “Well, I figured you guys weren’t ready for my unique style. So, I decided to make cookies the boring way.”
“Well, thank goodness. These just might be edible.” Laughing, she took the cookie sheet from his hand.
Joining in her laughter, he placed a blob of dough on her cheek.
Putting the cookie sheet down and wiping her face, she gave him a menacing look. “Oh! I know you don’t want a food fight, because you won’t win. I’ll have you know I was queen of the food fight in Mrs. Miller’s fifth-grade class.”
“Woooo, I’m so scared, I’m shaking,” he said before he smeared another piece of dough on her other cheek. Backing away, he admired his artwork.
“Oh! Now it’s on!” Grabbing a handful of dough, she approached him.
“Okay. Okay. I was only playing. Can’t you take a joke? Ha, ha. Right, boys? Tell Mommy I was only playing.” He backed farther away from her slow and calculating approach.
“Oh, no! Mommy’s gonna get you, Daddy,” little Carl chanted.
“Get Daddy, Mommy, get Daddy,” Terrence screamed playfully.
“Hey, you guys are supposed to be on my side. Us Harrington men need to stick together.”
“Not today, buddy. You’re going down.” Taking a giant leap, she raised her dough-filled hand.
As soon as she raised her hand, Carlton grabbed it and the dough plopped on the ground. “Oh, no, food-fight-queen, looks like you’ve lost your weapon.” He let her arm go and pulled her close to him, holding her close by keeping his arm around her waist. Using his free hand, he wiped off the remaining cookie dough from her cheeks.
Something about holding her so close and touching her face made his head tilt, and before he knew it he kissed her.
Her lips felt so soft. Even though he’d vowed to himself to take things slow this time, he couldn’t help intensifying the kiss. When her mouth opened, he took that as a welcoming and allowed his tongue to examine her sweetness. It had been too long.
He pulled her closer and the moan that escaped her lips made his hands shake.
