Only One Kiss (Only One 1)

“Fine, I’ll rub it out fast, and then I’ll be ready.” I don’t wait for her to reply before I run into my room and take the fastest shower of my life. I grab my black Calvin boxers and then a pair of black shorts with a white polo shirt. I brush my hair back with my hand, and when I go in search of them, they aren’t in the living room. “Candace,” I call her name, looking around.

“In the bedroom!” she yells, and I walk back down to Ari’s bedroom and see that she is changing her outfit.

“Is everything okay?” I ask. Walking in, I stand next to her, wrapping my hand around her shoulder. Candace looks up at me.

“You smell so much better,” she says and then looks at Ari. “You smell that, baby girl? It’s called soap.” She picks her up and I see she has dressed her up in a pink rose romper that I’ve never seen before. “You are so pretty.”

“Where is that from?” I ask while she puts on a pink headband, and the only thing that Ari does is squeal and drool.

“I bought it yesterday,” she says, “but I washed it this morning.” She kisses Ari and then hands her to me. “Do you want to grab something to eat now or after the walk?”

“I’m good. I had a protein shake in the car on the way home, but I can also eat.”

“Good,” she says and smiles at me. “I had food delivered.”

“How?” I ask, and she shrugs.

“I made the order online this morning when you left.” I watch how she gets kind of shy, and I can’t help but smile. “I didn’t know how long you would be gone.”

“But you ordered for me also?” I ask, and she glares at me.

“Well, I didn’t want to be rude in case you came home and saw me eating,” she says, avoiding my eyes still.

“Look at me,” I say, and she rolls her eyes before looking up at me. “You ordered me food?”

“No.” She shakes her head in defiance. “I ordered myself food. I just ordered too much.”

I throw my head back and laugh. “Whatever,” she says.

She tries to walk past me, but I catch her around the waist. “Not so fast there.” My voice comes out soft, and she doesn’t put up a fight. “Thank you,” I say. “For watching Ari and for getting me food.”

“You’re welcome,” she says. “But this doesn’t change anything.”

I shake my head and lean down to peck her lips. “Everything changed the minute I put my lips on you.”

“It was curiosity,” she says softly. “We were both curious about things.” I walk with her to the kitchen, and only then do I notice the brown takeout bags on the counter that I missed before when I was looking for them.

“Okay,” I say, putting Ariella in her high chair and giving her a couple of toys to keep her busy. “Let’s say we were both curious. But now that I’ve kissed you and tasted you, I’m a whole lot more curious.”

I walk over to the bags and take out the two meals she got. The first one is a huge bowl of salad with chicken on top. “That’s mine,” she says, and then I grab the one at the bottom, and it feels heavier.

“I got you steak and some steamed veggies with rice.” I put my container down next to hers and walk over to her. She looks like she is going to run, but she doesn’t. She stands there, and when I get to her, my hand goes to her waist. I pick her up and place her on the counter in front of me in one swift move.

“Ralph,” she says my name as her hands go to my chest, and I hope she can feel how fast my heart is beating. She puts her head down, and her hair falls around her face.

“Candace,” I say softly. She looks up at me, and I tuck the hair behind her ears. “I’ve been in one relationship my whole life,” I say. I don’t know why I’m bringing this up, but I want her to know everything when it comes to me. And I selfishly want to know everything about her.

“It was with Cassie. We broke up quarterly because I just couldn’t get there with her. There was a step that I just couldn’t take, and she knew it. But then we would spend two weeks apart, and she would call, and it would start the routine all over again.” My heart hurts, not for Cassie, but knowing I did that to her. “She wanted an all-in sort of relationship, and even though I said I would be all in”—I shake my head and swallow the lump—“I was never all in.” I take a deep breath. “I want to be all in, and I want to do it with you.”