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)
Every time she fisted her little hands to grind them against her eyes, he couldn’t help but think she looked adorable. However, it also meant she hadn’t slept.
“Did you have trouble sleeping, panda bear?” he prodded.
She shook her head as she reached for another fry. “I just stayed up too late is all. These fries are so good. Did you try them in the mustard? They’re even better dipped in mustard.”
He scrunched up his face. “That’s gross,” he teased.
She giggled. “It’s delicious.”
“I thought you were a red kind of gal. Ketchup is red.”
She tugged the edge of her lime green tank top to the side to reveal a yellow bra strap, giggling harder. “Yellow day.”
He laughed. Part of him wanted to forget finishing their burgers, grab her out of her seat, toss her over his shoulder, and take her back to his place right now. She was that cute. “What if you’d been wearing a black bra?” he teased.
“Mmm.” She seemed to ponder his question seriously. “Let’s see. I guess I’d have to dip my fries in a pile of pepper!” She ended up in a fit of giggles.
All he could do was grin. She was fantastic and all his. Though he still had a lingering concern about her apartment and why she didn’t want him to see it. He thought about Tarson’s suggestion that perhaps she didn’t have nice things. It was possible, but he didn’t think it suited her personality. She wasn’t a materialistic kind of woman who would have expensive things whether she could afford them or not.
It was perplexing, but he would find out tomorrow night. No way would he let her weasel out of inviting him into her place. Tomorrow was it. If she tried to come up with a reason for him to meet her at the club, he would put his foot down.
Hell, he would be concerned and a bit offended.
“I was hoping you would come home with me tonight, panda bear. Would you like that? Maybe Daddy could put you to bed in your crib and make sure you get eight hours of sleep. Seems like you need someone to help you make good choices.”
She didn’t meet his gaze as she ate another fry. “I can’t tonight, Daddy. I have some, uh, things to do.”
He froze, his heart seeming to stop at the same time. What was up with his Little girl? She was dodging him. She wouldn’t meet his gaze. She was staying up too late for reasons she hadn’t really explained. And now she couldn’t come home with him because she had “things to do”?
“Look at me, Riley.”
She set her fry down, leaned back in her chair, and met his gaze. She was wringing her hands in her lap.
“Is there something I need to know? You’re acting strangely, Little panda.” He tried to keep his question light. He didn’t want to make her more nervous than she already was, but he was more concerned now than earlier.
She shook her head. “I just want to tidy up my apartment is all. I’ll be busy at Little Cakes tomorrow, and I don’t want you to see my studio for the first time and think I’m a slob.”
He drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. Fine. He didn’t like this. Not at all. But he wasn’t going to push it. She had her reasons for dodging his question.
Part of him wanted to take her over his knee and spank her until she told him the truth, but something told him to let this one go. He had no idea what she was up to, but he’d let her keep her secrets one more day.
This time tomorrow, all bets were off.
Milo was admittedly nervous as he knocked on Riley’s door the following night. He’d arrived two hours before they needed to be at Blaze for her shift. Mostly because he wanted to spend time with her. He had plans. He even had a bag of tricks with him.
After dropping her back off at her car last night, he’d been frustrated. His house had seemed lonely without her in it. Now that he’d claimed her and knew without a doubt she was his Little girl, he wanted her under his roof.
He wanted her in his bed or in the attached nursery. He wanted to be able to check on her in the night, make sure she ate properly and got enough sleep.
Obviously she wasn’t getting enough sleep lately, and based on how fast she’d scarfed the first half of her burger last night, he’d bet she wasn’t eating properly either.
Was her stress related to him?
He was relieved enough to blow out a deep breath when Riley opened the door. He’d half expected her to not even be home. He’d envisioned her calling him from some other location and making up a story about having car trouble.