Series: Little Cakes Series by Pepper North
Total pages in book: 50
Estimated words: 46837 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 234(@200wpm)___ 187(@250wpm)___ 156(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 46837 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 234(@200wpm)___ 187(@250wpm)___ 156(@300wpm)
Bear rolled his eyes, but he was grinning. “I can’t keep up with your customers like you do. They’re getting antsy.”
“I’m on it.” She skipped around him, leaving Milo to talk to the giant man the Littles secretly called Teddy. Though she was pretty sure it was no longer a secret. Not since he started dating Daisy. His Little girl had let that cat out of the bag.
Chapter Eleven
Milo kept an eye on Riley the rest of the evening. He didn’t hover at the bar because he knew he was making her nervous, so he wandered around the club a bit, always making sure to pass back by the bar frequently.
He told himself it was his Daddy instinct to make sure she was okay, but the truth was it was more than that. He liked to be near her. He was fascinated with every side of her. Her bartender persona was just as sexy as her Little girl and her cupcake baker.
She was the whole package. He’d seen her at her Littlest. He’d seen her at her most badass. He’d also seen her charm the money out of unsuspecting patrons at Little Cakes. She could talk anyone into buying a dozen cupcakes instead of one.
He couldn’t stop grinning.
“Someone is smitten.”
Milo glanced up to find Tarson chuckling. He was leaning against the wall outside the daycare where Daisy was playing with her friends.
Milo smirked. “You should talk. You hover outside the daycare almost all evening keeping an eye on Daisy.”
Tarson shook his head. “No. No. No. We’re not talking about me and Daisy right now. We’re talking about you and Riley. What’s going on?”
Milo shrugged, but he didn’t bother to wipe the grin from his face.
“She’s your one, isn’t she?”
“Yes.” He wasn’t going to deny it.
“How long have you known?”
“A while. I wasn’t sure it was reciprocated until recently.”
Tarson smiled. “I’m happy for you.”
Milo sighed as he considered some hard facts. He wiped a hand down his face. “I sure hope it’s the real deal because I’m going to get hurt if it isn’t.”
Tarson frowned. “Why wouldn’t it be? Riley’s a sweetheart. You two seem perfect together.”
“I agree, but she has secrets she hasn’t shared, and that makes me leery.”
Tarson lifted a brow. “Surely they aren’t serious secrets. She’s a rather private person. Maybe it’s just hard for her to open up.”
“I hope that’s all it is.” Milo met his gaze. “She won’t let me go to her apartment.”
“Hmm. Maybe she’s not ready to, uh…”
Milo shook his head. “It’s not about sex. She doesn’t mind coming to my place. She’s hiding something about her studio. At first I thought she was a slob, but she’s been wishy-washy about that and even told me she’s not.”
“Maybe because it’s smaller than your place? Or maybe she’s embarrassed because her things aren’t as nice?” Tarson offered.
“Perhaps…” Milo wasn’t buying it. Riley didn’t strike him as the type who worried about impressions. If she did, she wouldn’t be covered with tattoos. Those made all kinds of people ask questions. She never flinched when someone asked her about her choice to ink her body.
Milo had heard more than one person at the bar ask her about the tattoos. Most of the time they were polite innocent inquiries, but occasionally Milo didn’t like the tone of the inquisition. He could hear the unspoken words that made it clear the person didn’t think Riley could get a “real” job with all that ink.
Riley could do anything she damn well wanted if she put her mind to it. Hell, earlier today she’d called the cops without hesitating when the auto repair shop tried to cheat her.
Milo smirked inside. He had to admit he was proud of her for that brave move. He didn’t need to be jealous of her decision. It wasn’t like she’d called a single man who might be his competition. She hadn’t called a man at all. She’d called Lark who had found Wyatt and Avery and sent them to help.
As much as Milo wanted to be the one to protect Riley, he wouldn’t have had the same clout as Wyatt. He sure didn’t have a hotline to the district attorney.
Yeah, his Little girl was strong and brave and feisty when she needed to be. He loved that about her. He also loved that she could let her guard down and turn her power over to him at the end of a long day, letting him take the reins and Daddy her until she was spoiled rotten.
That was what he fully intended to do. Make her life easier. Spoil her stinkin’ rotten. Make love to her when she needed the release. Feed her when she needed nourishment. Snuggle with her when she needed comforting. Tuck her into her crib when she needed rest.
He hadn’t introduced her to the nursery that was attached to his master bedroom yet. That door had remained closed while she’d been at his home the first two times. He hadn’t wanted to scare her off or make her feel pressured.