Series: Little Cakes Series by Pepper North
Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 45110 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 226(@200wpm)___ 180(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45110 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 226(@200wpm)___ 180(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
After meeting a handsome man in the park, Tori Reinhart flees back to the safety of Little Cakes. He couldn’t possibly be interested in anyone as shy and inexperienced as her, and she’s sure she’ll never see him again.
Evan Parker lives two lives. His public persona as a world-famous photographer keeps him busy, as does his private life as the back-up dungeon master of Blaze. When an adorable artist in the local park captures his full attention, her tender Little heart puts his Daddy side on full alert.
*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************
Chapter One
“Oh, no!” Tori jumped to her feet as the wind grabbed her sketch and yanked it up into the air. She set everything in her lap on the park bench and rushed forward, trying to snag the loose piece of paper out of the sky, but it kept floating higher.
Tori leaped up several times, unable to catch the page. Every time it fluttered back down, the wind whisked it away again. With her head tipped back to track the piece of paper and the sun blinding her, she didn’t see the man standing in her path until she slammed right into him.
“Whoa there, Curls,” a deep voice rumbled as the owner of the voice easily snagged her artwork out of the sky. He held her steady with one hand on her shoulder as he carefully lowered the paper, pinching the corner as if he knew it wasn’t something she would want wrinkled.
She sucked in a breath, too unsteady to take a step back yet. “Oh.” He was so tall that she had to keep her head tipped back to make eye contact with him. “I’m so sorry. I wasn’t watching where I was going. The wind…” She was rambling, and she slapped her lips together to stop herself.
Her next inhale drew in the nice man’s scent. The outdoors. Whatever soap he’d used to shower this morning. Spearmint.
She met his gaze. He was smiling, and his smile made her heart pitter patter. His lips were full and perfect. His teeth were white and straight. He had a dimple on both cheeks. She jerked her gaze to his brown eyes and then higher. He had a stylish haircut, his thick brown hair longer on top, the waves lying perfectly back.
“You okay?” He took a slight step back, keeping his hand on her shoulder.
She wanted to say no, afraid he would release her if she nodded. But that was silly. Since when did she swoon over a man?
Tori swallowed. “Thank you,” she whispered. “I’m fine.” She lowered her gaze, feeling unnerved, trying not to fidget.
The man slid his hand from her shoulder to her chin and tipped her head back again. He was still smiling, but his brows were furrowed. “You sure? I think you knocked the wind out of your lungs when you slammed into me.”
Her cheeks heated. “I’m so sorry.”
His brow furrowed deeper. “Not a problem at all. I’m certainly not complaining that a pretty lady fell into my arms.” He chuckled and then shifted his gaze to her drawing. “Wow. This is amazing. You drew this?”
She pursed her lips, wishing she could snatch it out of his fingers so he would stop looking at it, but that would be rude.
He glanced at her again. “You’re a fantastic artist. I’ve never seen you here before. Do you sketch here often?”
She shook her head. The English language fled from her brain.
Moving his hand to her biceps, he led her toward her bench and helped her sit. He carefully smoothed her drawing out on top of her sketchpad and sat on the other end of the bench next to her.
This was when she noticed he had an enormous camera hanging to his side. It was strapped over one shoulder. If it had been dangling over his chest, she would have broken it… or perhaps broken her clavicle. The lens was thick and long.
The man lifted his camera as she stared at it. “I was taking advantage of the afternoon light to catch some leaves this afternoon.”
“Leaves?” That seemed like an odd thing to take pictures of. Just leaves?
He chuckled. “I guess that sounds ridiculous.” He shrugged. “I often photograph foliage.”
“Oh.”
He turned the screen of his camera so she could see it and flipped through his latest pictures to show her.
Her eyes widened. “Oh,” she exclaimed yet again. “Those are amazing.” They were. Somehow this man could turn a leaf picture into a masterpiece.
He pointed at her sketch. “So are those. You sketch ’em. I take pictures of ’em.”
She managed to smile. “I guess we’re even then.” But they weren’t even. Not close. His photography was much better than her drawing.
“Indeed. Can I see some of your other work?” He pointed at her sketchpad.
She flushed deeper. Crap. She rarely let anyone see her work. She didn’t have the confidence to withstand the possible criticism. “It’s really just a hobby.”
His eyes widened this time. “A hobby? Curls, you should be making money off your art. You’re very talented.” He picked up her sketchpad and slowly flipped through several pages. “Holy cow. These are fantastic.” He took his time, staring at each sketch for a while before turning to the next.
Tori wanted the earth to swallow her whole. She didn’t like this kind of attention.
“Did you go to an art institute?” he asked, glancing at her.