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)
He grinned and took a giant risk. “You didn’t tell me you were Little.”
She gasped and blinked at him. “How did you…”
He reached up to stroke her cheek and leaned in close to whisper conspiratorially, “Daddies sense these things.”
She licked her bow-shaped lips. “You’re a Daddy?” she whispered in return.
“Yep.”
She stared at him. “I don’t know what to say.”
He set his arm along the back of the bench, not touching her but wishing he was. “You ran away from me so fast the other day I didn’t have a chance to ask you out.”
Her eyes widened. “You wanted to ask me out?”
He nodded, grinning. “Very much so.”
She glanced around and then back at him. “I, uh, well, I have a confession to make.”
He frowned. Damn. Was she already taken? “What is it, Curls?”
She swallowed hard. “I have no idea who you are.”
He chuckled hard and reached for her arm, tugging her hand out from under her thigh so he could hold her dainty fingers in his. He didn’t like the space between them. Maybe he was being too forward, but he really wanted to hold her hand. He thought they both needed the personal contact.
“Why are you laughing?” she asked nervously.
“It’s relieved laughter, Curls. I was afraid you were going to tell me you already have a Daddy or you think I’m an ogre and you don’t want to go out with me. I’m downright ecstatic to hear you simply don’t know who I am.”
“Oh.” She licked her lips again. “So, uh, who are you? I assume you’re a photographer.”
“I am. It’s not really all that glamourous. I simply won a few awards and now people recognize me sometimes.” He shrugged. He didn’t want her to feel bad about not knowing his identity. Evan didn’t consider himself famous and didn’t understand others’ reactions. He had worked hard to develop his talent and he enjoyed sharing it with people.
“Oh.”
He both loved and hated how flustered she was. He didn’t like the idea of her being nervous around him, but he did like her shy side. It appealed to him. It had been a long time since he’d had a Little girl, mostly because he rarely found himself attracted to the louder, more outgoing ones. Brats did nothing for him. Shy, quiet, reserved Little girls made his heart race.
Tori was most assuredly his type.
Evan stroked her fingers, smiling at the blunt nails that had been painted pink but most of the paint was either chipped off or she picked at it. He was betting on the latter.
He noticed she also had on pink tennis shoes, and now that he thought about it, her satchel had been pink the day he met her. “Is pink your favorite color, Curls?”
She pulled her other hand from under her thigh and tried to tuck a curl behind her ear. It fell right back across her cheek. “Yes.”
“So I bet you like the strawberry cupcake or maybe one of the pretty ones with pink flowers?”
She giggled and shook her head, loosening up a bit. “No. Pink Lemonade is my favorite. It’s both tart and sweet.”
“Ah. Good choice. I bet I’d like that one too.” He scooted another inch closer. “I’ve never seen you at Blaze. Are you a member there?”
She shook her head again. “No. Ellie has invited me a few times to go as her guest, but I haven’t yet.”
“Why not?” He was genuinely curious. If she was a Little and she didn’t have a Daddy, why not go to Blaze and meet other people?
She shrugged. “I’m not very outgoing. I don’t really know how to act in a club like Blaze. I’d hate to do something wrong or be too shy to say something and people think I’m weird.”
“Ah. People are very understanding at Blaze. It caters to all sorts of people. I think you’d find them very openminded about—well, everything. And, you’re doing just fine talking to me,” he pointed out.
She lifted her gaze. “Why are you talking to me?”
He furrowed his brows but smiled at the same time. “Because I haven’t been able to get you out of my head since you ran into me the other day. I figured you worked at Little Cakes, and I thought I’d take a chance and ask you out.”
She stared at him, not blinking.
He wasn’t sure what she was thinking. “Do you already have a Daddy, Curls?”
She flinched and shook her head. “No. I’ve never had a Daddy. Or even…” Her voice trailed off.
He wondered what she’d been about to say and suspected it might have been boyfriend.
“How long have you known you were a Little, Tori?” He stroked her fingers again, grateful that she hadn’t pulled away.
She swung her legs nervously. “I don’t know. Forever. But I don’t talk about it.”
“Not even with Ellie and Riley?”