Series: Paige Michaels
Total pages in book: 49
Estimated words: 45808 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 229(@200wpm)___ 183(@250wpm)___ 153(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45808 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 229(@200wpm)___ 183(@250wpm)___ 153(@300wpm)
Knowing that she was keeping him from work, she said her goodbyes quickly. As she set her phone on the table, she contemplated the large jar of cherries. He’d have to stay around for a long time if he wanted to outlast that jar of maraschino cherries. Nicoya picked up the jar and set it in the refrigerator to chill.
She saw his truck pass her house at twenty minutes to two. Wishing to save him some time, she gathered her stuff and stepped outside. When her door was locked, she headed over to his house and knocked on the door.
“Oh my!” burst from her lips when the door opened suddenly and a towel-wrapped naked and wet Axel answered.
“Come in, Niki,” he urged. “Let me get some clothes on and we’ll head out. I wasn’t fit to drive with you or step foot into Little Cakes.”
“Little Cakes?” she repeated, staring at his body that was chiseled from hard work. “Hmm, snack.”
“Are you calling me a snack, Little girl?” he asked, his eyes practically dancing with amusement.
“Oh! I’m so sorry!” she said, feeling her face flame with heat. She knew she was blushing more than the deep red of the maraschino cherries.
“And here I was thinking you’re a snack in your cute cherry T-shirt,” he said, drawing her into the house to close the door behind her. He stepped close, making her move backward until she was pressed against the wooden barrier.
The kiss he gave her brought Nicoya to her tiptoes as she wrapped her arms around his damp neck. One touch of his hard body and she couldn’t prevent herself from finding out if he felt as good as he looked. Just as she was really getting into it, Axel set her firmly away from him.
“Cupcakes, Niki. Keep thinking about cupcakes,” he instructed firmly as he tightened the towel at his waist and turned around to head for his bedroom. “You can come talk to me as I put on some clean clothes.”
Not willing to miss this, she trailed after him, trying not to look too eager. To her disappointment, he was already in the walk-in closet. She could hear the rustle of clothing and knew he was dressing.
“What did you do today, Little girl?”
“I went to the grocery store, paid some bills, and read a book.”
“Sounds like you’ve earned a cupcake,” he called.
“What did you do?” she asked, looking over the things arranged on his dresser—his wallet, keys, phone, and a few pictures of people she assumed were family.
“I wrangled a bunch of bushes that had taken over the front of someone’s house. You could have lost a small child in there for days,” he joked.
“I don’t like bushes around a porch. I know it gives some privacy but it also allows bad guys to attack you, take your stuff, or worse.”
Axel appeared in the doorway, dressed and holding flip-flops. “Think it will be this casual? My feet don’t want to wear shoes.”
“It’s a cupcake shop. You don’t need to dress up.”
“Perfect,” he said, dropping the sandals to the floor and stepping into them. “Time to go.”
Nicoya looked down at her watch and noted, “Only a minute late. That’s good timing.”
“One less kiss and I would have been completely on time. It was totally worth it. I’d lose another minute,” he stated firmly, as he walked forward.
“Cupcakes!” she squeaked, extending her arms to keep him at bay.
“These better be good,” he said, relenting. With a wink, he guided her to his truck and helped her inside.
Axel talked easily about the activities of his day. There weren’t any awkward moments as they crossed town. She felt like he wanted to hear about her day as much as he enjoyed sharing the fun things that had happened to him. Her mind flashed to the older couples she ran into when she went out to eat. They usually just sat there eating their food, neither saying a word to the other. She knew Axel would never become one of them. He’d always have something interesting to share.
When they pulled into the parking lot of Little Cakes, Nicoya almost bounced with excitement. She could see there were several people inside. As soon as Axel put the truck in park, she reached for the door handle and froze as his hand clamped over her thigh.
“Wait for me,” he directed firmly.
“I can open my own door, Axel.”
“You can, but when you’re with me, you won’t. That’s Daddy’s job,” he clarified for her.
“That’s silly,” she dismissed, ignoring his statement and popping the door open. His hand tightened on her leg, tethering her in place.
“What? It’s already open now. Let’s go have a cupcake.”
“Close the door, Niki.”
“This is freaking ridiculous,” she argued and met his gaze directly. He didn’t back down but continued to look at her directly as he held her in place with one hand. She knew she could scramble out easily despite his hold. The look in his eyes kept her from doing so.