Series: Little Cakes Series by Pepper North
Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 45066 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 225(@200wpm)___ 180(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45066 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 225(@200wpm)___ 180(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
As the officers left the trunk-or-treat location and she headed back to her car, Avery’s phone vibrated in her pocket. She pulled it out to see a text from Trace.
I’m going to follow you home.
A shiver ran down her spine. She was nervous about the prospect of spending even more time with him. He bewitched her every time he got close. She fell under his spell. Maybe it was the full moon or Halloween, but that man was more potent than the black frosted cupcakes she’d indulged in far too often this week.
Without answering, Avery got into her car and started the engine. She was shaking. Trace was going to follow her home? The town wasn’t that big. Eventually someone was going to see his car in front of her house if he kept this up. What would her coworkers think?
She took a deep breath as she realized she was still sitting in the parking lot, not moving. Part of her was scared. Part of her was excited to know she would get to spend some time alone with him again, and she secretly loved the way he’d informed her. He hadn’t asked.
The man exuded dominance. His Daddy vibe was high when she was alone with him. But this entire idea was doomed. She needed to tell him. She needed to put an end to this. She would. As soon as they got to her house.
Chapter Seven
Trace was concerned as he pulled up in front of Avery’s home. He’d kept a secretive eye on her all evening. The first thing she’d done was go talk to Ellie, presumably to offer her help. Instead, the two women talked for a while. Avery looked around a lot, making Trace wonder if she was confiding about him to her friend.
He didn’t mind if she told everyone they knew. As far as he was concerned, she was his. The sooner they told everyone the better. But he worried that task was going to be an uphill battle with Avery. She was skittish.
He knew she’d been hurt in the past, and it bothered him that she’d had a fake Daddy a few years ago. He had a lot of questions about that too, especially since she’d given him the impression she’d never been spanked.
Something had changed about Avery’s demeanor after she walked away from Ellie. She’d gone inside her head and stopped smiling and laughing. It bothered him a lot. Trace didn’t feel it was due simply to being in a work-related role. He intended to get to the bottom of it first thing. And then he would address her previous relationship.
Trace climbed out of his car and followed Avery to her front door. He didn’t like the way she refused to make eye contact with him, or the way she fumbled with her keys, finally dropping them on the porch.
Trace bent to pick them up and unlocked her door for her. He held it open to let her in, but as soon as he shut it behind him, he set her keys on the little table and reached for her hand. “Avery?”
She didn’t meet his gaze.
He gave a little tug. “Look at me, Mae Bug.”
When she lifted her eyes, she looked like a combination of scared, nervous, and sad.
“Did something happen?” His heartrate picked up. Maybe something had happened, and he’d missed it. That seemed impossible, but maybe he hadn’t been as diligent as he’d thought.
She shook her head and tugged her hand out of his grip. “No. I’m fine.” She finally met his gaze. “We can’t do this.”
“Do what?” He winced.
“You can’t be my Daddy. It’s not appropriate. You’re my boss.”
He frowned. He should have seen this coming. After slowly lifting his hand so he wouldn’t startle her, he cupped her face, loving the way she leaned into the contact, giving herself to him. If he wasn’t mistaken, she also inhaled his scent and sighed.
Her words didn’t match her actions.
He squared up with her, adding his other hand to her face to hold her gaze. “I know it’s complicated and making you uncomfortable, but we’ll figure it out, Little girl. Together. There are no rules that say two officers can’t date or marry, Avery.”
Her eyes went wide. “Marry? Trace, we met only a few days ago.”
He probably shouldn’t have tossed that word around. Even though he was already thinking long term, Avery wasn’t on that same page yet. Until then, he needed to slow down and avoid freaking her out.
Trace ran his thumb along her bottom lip. “You’ve bewitched me, Mae Bug. These black lips have captivated me in a way I’ve never experienced. I know it’s not ideal that we both work at the same place, but—”
She shook her head in his hands, cutting him off. “It’s not a fast-food restaurant, Trace. I’m a detective. You’re my boss. If any of the guys find out we’re spending time together, they will treat me differently. They already treat me differently. I don’t need it to get worse. And that’s not even adding the fact that I’m Little and you’re a Daddy.”