Series: Paige Michaels
Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 45693 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 228(@200wpm)___ 183(@250wpm)___ 152(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45693 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 228(@200wpm)___ 183(@250wpm)___ 152(@300wpm)
He hugged her back, loving the fact that she’d lost her inhibitions when it came to expressing her feelings toward him in front of her family and the employees at La Havana. The first few times he’d come in after they’d started dating, she’d been more timid. Now, she was launching herself at him with no care in the world.
He kissed the top of her head before tipping her back and meeting her gaze.
Her face fell in an instant. “What’s wrong?”
Mateo answered for him. “Deke isn’t the one who’s been sending you roses, Maya.”
Nora gasped from where she still sat with a half-eaten plate of food in front of her.
Mateo carried a large vase over and set it on the small table. It had about a dozen roses in it.
Maya glanced at the roses and back at Deke. “It wasn’t you?”
He shook his head. “I’m so sorry, but now I’m also concerned. Why didn’t you mention the roses before, Precious Girl?”
She shrugged. “It’s been so late every night, it kept slipping my mind, and then when I’d get to work and see them I’d feel bad that I still hadn’t thanked you.”
Deke kept a hand at the small of her back while he approached the giant vase. “No notes?”
She shook her head. “There’s never been a note.”
“That’s kind of freaky,” Nora murmured. “Who sends someone a few roses every day and never leaves a note?”
“Well, since I thought it was my own boyfriend, I wasn’t concerned,” Maya said.
Deke pulled her into his side and kissed her. He liked the fact that she so easily referred to him as her boyfriend. Even though as far as he was concerned, she was it for him, and even though she’d slept in his bed for the last several nights, they hadn’t had a chance to really spend enough quality time together for him to know for sure if she was on the same page as him.
He had every intention of making tomorrow a quality day together, but now he also had to worry about an anonymous secret admirer. “I don’t like it,” he stated. It wasn’t just jealousy speaking. Like Maya had said, it was a bit freaky.
Mateo stepped behind Nora and set his hands on her shoulders. “I agree. I don’t like it either, but let’s consider the fact that our meddling mother has been trying to set Maya up with everyone who dines here for months. It’s possible a regular customer is trying to woo her. It could be innocent.”
Deke drew in a deep breath. Hopefully Mateo was right. He made a mental note to make a visit to Blooms by Daisy tomorrow and see if Daisy knew who was buying the flowers. Even though he intended to spend every moment with Maya for twenty-four solid hours, he did plan to at least make a trip to Little Cakes, so they could also detour to Blooms by Daisy first.
When he glanced back at Maya where she was tucked under his arm, he found her eyes watery and her lip quivering. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about the roses. I just thought you knew because after all I assumed you bought them.”
He pulled her around to his front and held her closer. “Oh, Precious Girl, I’m not mad. Don’t you worry. I’m just sorry I didn’t think to send you flowers myself. Some anonymous stranger is upstaging me with my own girlfriend.”
She wiped her eyes and gave him a wan smile. “No one could ever upstage you, Daddy,” she whispered, though probably Mateo and Nora heard her. “You do more for me than anyone has ever done.” She rose onto her tiptoes and kissed his lips.
Deke held her tightly while he looked at her dinner plate. “You should sit down and finish your dinner before we go, Maya. You haven’t been eating enough lately.”
“I’m full. I ate enough.”
He cupped her face. “Are you sure?”
Mateo cleared the plates. “She’s telling the truth. Guille loaded both her and Nora up with more than they could have possibly eaten before he left.”
“Okay then. Are you ready to go?” He almost said home, but he wasn’t positive if she’d told her brother that she was sleeping at his house every night.
“Yes. I just need to grab my backpack.” She released him and turned toward the office, shuddering when she paused to glance at the roses. “You know, those aren’t nearly as attractive now that I don’t know who they’re from.”
“I agree,” Nora said as she rose from the table. She looked toward Mateo. “Why don’t you let your staff each take one home after work tomorrow? Everyone can enjoy them without Maya having to look at them. They have a weird vibe now.”
“That’s a great idea,” Maya said before she dashed out of the room and returned a moment later with her lion backpack.