Total pages in book: 34
Estimated words: 33048 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 165(@200wpm)___ 132(@250wpm)___ 110(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 33048 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 165(@200wpm)___ 132(@250wpm)___ 110(@300wpm)
I inhale deeply. “I felt like I needed a break.”
“From what exactly?”
I drop my head and drag my toe along the concrete. I’m wearing black skinny pants and black tennis shoes. I have to do a lot of walking, so I always wear comfortable shoes. “From…” I’m not sure what to say. I’m not even sure what the answer is myself. “I guess I was tired,” I mutter.
“Tired of what, Amelia?” His voice is kind but demanding. Somehow he’s making me tremble. If he had any idea how much I long to submit to him…
I lift my gaze, look him in the eyes, and say the first thing that comes to mind. “Bratting?”
He smiles and cocks his head to one side. “Isn’t that your signature move?”
I shrug. “I don’t think so. I think it’s just something I did for no apparent reason, and then people expected it of me.”
“I see. If you could start over and change that, do you know what your persona would look like?”
My breath hitches.
“Look at me, Amelia.”
I lift my gaze. It’s impossible not to obey him, and he makes my heart race. “It doesn’t matter,” I whisper. My fantasies are too farfetched. They’re from books. Fiction. Not something I could ever attain or live out. I’d never meet a Daddy who could fill my dreams.
Lacey did.
“It matters to me.”
I swallow and stare at him.
He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a card. When he holds it out, I realize it’s a business card. “Call me.”
I slowly remove my hands from my back pockets and reach for the card with trembling fingers. “Call you?” Even his business card is fancy. White and glossy with embossed gold lettering. I finger the raised script. Noah Anthem. Realtor.
“Yep. I’d like to spend some time with you.”
I look at him. “Like a date?”
He smiles. “Yes, Amelia. A date. I want to know what’s in that pretty head of yours.”
He does? I’m not sure I’m capable of sharing what’s in my brain. It’s private and personal and way too embarrassing. I can’t keep from blushing.
Noah reaches out and strokes my cheek with his thumb. “I like this pink tinge. I bet there’s a side of you I have not seen before.”
I glance at the door to the restaurant. “The waitress side?” I suggest, trying to sound funny and lighten the weird tension between us.
He chuckles. “That, too.”
“I better get back to work.” I’m sure my fifteen minutes are almost up.
He lowers his hand. “Okay. Will you call me?”
“I don’t know.”
He smiles. “I know where you work, Amelia. I could start eating lunch here every day until you agree to go out with me.”
“So, you’re a stalker?”
He chuckles. I like the sound. His voice lowers when he speaks again. “More like a concerned Daddy who’s intrigued by a certain Little.”
I suck in a breath.
He points at the card. “Call me.” And then he turns and strolls around the side of the building.
Chapter Two
I wait two days before I let myself contemplate reaching out to Noah. The problem is that I like him. The less I know about him, the longer I can continue to like him. Once he gets to know me, things will go downhill like they do with every man I date, and then I’ll end up disappointed.
With Noah it will be worse because he’s a Daddy, and relationships with Daddies are more intense. I could end up with a broken heart from a few dates with Noah.
I’m sitting in the spare room of my apartment, flipping the card around in my hand. This room is my haven. It’s where I can be myself. I keep it locked when I’m not in it so that no one can ever find out about this side of me.
When I date—which isn’t often, and it’s been a long time since my last date—I never open the door to this room for a man. Not ever. The few times I’ve had someone in my apartment, I told them this was my junk room and that I keep it locked because it’s embarrassing.
It’s certainly embarrassing. It’s also not a junk room. Not even close.
I sigh as I stare at the business card. Today is my day off. I should reach out to Noah. Granted, that doesn’t mean he would be able to see me today. Heck, I don’t even know if he’s on the mainland right now. I know he lives part time on the island. He could have gone back since I saw him.
I have my cell phone in my other hand, and I swipe the screen, stare at it, and close it again. It shouldn’t be so difficult to call him. He’s just a guy like any other guy.
Except he’s not. He’s Noah. I have a crush on him. Or at least I have a crush on the imaginary him that’s grown to ginormous proportions in my head, especially in the last two days.