“That’s very noble of you.”
“That’s me, so very noble.”
“You want to know what really scares me the most?” I repeat, trying to look serious this time.
Elodie pauses, but when I grin, she smiles softly back at me. “What is it?”
“That you might take these cookies and give them to my granny. She should not get these cookies. We can bake her a second batch. Together. I think I’d like to start by…oh, what’s this? I have to start by lifting the love of my life onto the counter?” I grasp her waist and heft her onto the granite countertop. She gasps, then giggles, waiting for me to continue. Because there’s more. There’s so much more. “Now, what does the recipe call for? A dash of kisses, a scrape of teeth, and a cup of tongue…”
“A cup of tongue? My goodness, that’s a lot of tongue.”
“You might think it sounds like a lot…” I claim Elodie’s lips with mine and kiss her most thoroughly, sweeping my tongue into her mouth until she’s panting, stroking my tongue with hers, and arching off the counter into my hand, which is nestled at the juncture of her thighs. “On second thought, a cup of tongue is just right,” she whispers thickly. “Just freaking right.”
“You’re just freaking right. Just right for me. The perfect fit. I think the one thing this recipe needs most is a healthy dose of love. And I have that. Because you’ve given it to me. You’ve taught and shown me my whole life, then it changed, and you’re still teaching and showing me. I’ll keep learning for the rest of my life, and I’ll keep loving you right back. I love you, Elodie Thompson.”
“And I love you, Taylen Cromwell. Sharts and all.”
“Mhmm, hairy granny legs and all.”
Elodie shudders before adding, “Grannies who hand out curses and all.”
Now it’s my turn to shudder. I have to think of something more benign than sharts, hairy granny legs, and curses. “Dogs who demolish cakes and all.” There, that’s one. Safe. It’s positively safe.
“Green scummy pools and all.”
God, the green scummy pool. It was indeed nasty, but at least the itch didn’t live in there. Other things, yes. Swamp monsters? Probably. But my feet ended up being fine. “Wedding dresses left at gas stations and all.”
“Cake stealing and all.”
“Life and all.”
“All of it and all,” Elodie quips.
I can’t top that, and I don’t want to top that. I just want to agree, so I kiss Elodie thoroughly again. She kisses me back, wraps her legs around my waist, and digs her fingers in my hair.
“Don’t think I’m saving those cookies for you.”
“Don’t worry.” I nibble her bottom lip and kiss her again. “I’m all for making up the recipe we were talking about instead.
And so we did, making up recipes that continue to fill our lives with love, joy, happiness, and a lot of each other.