Series: Paige Michaels
Total pages in book: 47
Estimated words: 44612 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 223(@200wpm)___ 178(@250wpm)___ 149(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 44612 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 223(@200wpm)___ 178(@250wpm)___ 149(@300wpm)
She nodded, accepting his assurance and believing him. Trusting him, she opened the door, discovering the laundry room. Sitting on the dryer was a Little Cakes box. “Cupcakes?”
“If you’d like to share, bring them in here.”
“There’s like a half dozen cupcakes in here. I have to share,” she said honestly, returning with the box carefully balanced between her hands to set it on the table. Without thinking, she returned to sit on her Daddy’s lap, wiggling to find a comfortable seat.
Cameron kissed the side of her face as he wrapped his arms around her and hugged Aria closer. “I love having you in my arms.”
Aria realized she could have sat in any of the five other chairs at the round table. “Do you want me to sit over there?”
“Never,” Cameron said as he pulled the box close and opened the lid. “Now. Here’s the hard question. Want to split a cupcake or eat one yourself?”
“Myself,” Aria said confidently.
“Here you go,” he said, handing her one.
Carefully, she peeled off the paper baking cup around it, trying to pull off the least amount of frosting possible before setting it aside. When her Daddy reached for it, Aria lurched forward to set it away from him. “Mine, Daddy. I may want to lick the rest of the frosting off when I finish my cupcake.”
“Oops. Sorry, Giggles. I didn’t know how much of a cupcake fanatic you were.”
“There are levels, Daddy,” she said, being silly and loving that they could have fun together. “I’m at the tip top.”
She lifted the treat way up in the air to show her level of cupcake commitment before steering it toward her mouth to take a bite as he considered her words. With other men, she might have worried about whether they judged her weight as she ate the sugary concoction. With Cameron, she knew how much he appreciated her form. Nevertheless, she watched his face to judge his reaction.
“Hmmm, I think we’re going to have to make cupcakes one of our regular treats then,” Cameron suggested, and then he laughed when she nodded so eagerly she booped her nose into the frosting of the approaching cupcake.
“Ahh!” she said and tried to see if she had frosting on the end of her nose.
Cameron reached for a napkin and carefully wiped off the frosting. “Be careful, Little girl. I don’t want to explain to the paramedics why you were snorting buttercream.”
“Yuck, Daddy,” she said, giggling as she grabbed his hand and rubbed the napkin over her nose again.
“All better, Giggles,” he promised.
Aria lifted her cupcake again and took a dainty, careful bite. “Yummmmm!” she hummed. “These are the best treats ever! Are they your favorites, Daddy?”
“I love them, too.”
She watched him take a big bite out of his own and roll his eyes in a theatrical display of bliss. He was so much fun. That’s probably why I’m falling in love with him.
That thought rocked her. She loved him? There was no denying the attraction between them, but Aria felt so much more than that.
“What is it, Aria? You got so serious all of a sudden.”
“I think I need some water, Daddy,” she said, thinking quickly. “A coffee bean is stuck at the back of my throat.”
“Here, Little girl. Drink some of my milk. Yours is all gone.”
She could feel him watching her as she swallowed. “Better! Thank you!”
“Maybe I should talk to the Little Cakes’ staff about the choking hazard of coffee beans on the cupcakes,” he said, his eyebrows drawn together in concern.
“No! I mean I think it’s a case of user error. I’ll be more careful. Promise.”
“I just found you, Little girl,” he said. “Let’s take the rest of those off there.”
She watched him pluck three remaining coffee beans off the cupcake before handing it back to her. Smiling to reassure him, she took a bite and chewed it carefully before swallowing. “All better. Thank you, Daddy.”
Chapter Twelve
“It’s time for you to go home, Little girl. I want you to get plenty of sleep,” Cameron announced an hour later.
“But it’s still early.” She’d been hoping he’d make love to her tonight.
“You have to drive home, get ready for bed, and relax enough to fall asleep. I’d like you to have enough time to pack a bag with clothes for a workday so you can spend the night tomorrow.”
“Oh. You want me to sleep here all night long?”
“Yes. I want to hold you in my arms until we have to go back and join the rest of the world.”
She blinked at him, thinking, before blurting, “You could come to my apartment and spend the night. We could pack your clothes for tomorrow and mine for the next day.”
“I’m on it.”
When Cameron stood and strode down the hall to the main bedroom, she followed him. He disappeared into the closet and reappeared with a garment bag and a suit and dress shirt. She watched him stow the clothing in the hanging bag before grabbing underwear, socks, shoes, and a few other necessities.