Series: Paige Michaels
Total pages in book: 47
Estimated words: 44612 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 223(@200wpm)___ 178(@250wpm)___ 149(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 44612 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 223(@200wpm)___ 178(@250wpm)___ 149(@300wpm)
“I could be a horrible person.”
“You could be, but I don’t believe that’s true. I think you’re exactly what you appear to be. An interesting person who’s been looking for someone like me.”
She stared at him in wonder. Could it be that easy? Could she just happen to visit Blaze and find the one guy who’d been hiding under her nose at work?
“I guess we’re lucky we ran into each other,” she said after a long pause.
“I think we’re incredibly lucky,” Cameron agreed.
“Meow!” Tangerine echoed his words with a long feline sound of approval.
“Wow. Tangerine never talks so much. You better listen. He’s pretty smart,” CC commented as she wandered around picking up the customer area and moving sleeping cats from the center of the floor so they wouldn’t get stepped on by mistake.
“I like her. CC, I mean,” Aria clarified before taking the last drink from her cup.
“I do, too. Ready to get out of here?”
“Sure,” she said, inwardly shrinking. “Are you ready to get rid of me?” That date hadn’t lasted very long. And she’d thought it was going so well. Her hopes deflated.
“Of course not,” he said with a smile. “In fact, I’m enjoying hanging out with you just as much as I’d hoped. I thought we might stop by the park on the way back to your apartment. That is if you don’t have anything pressing to do at home.”
“The park?” she repeated, trying to decide what he was up to.
“How do you feel about swinging? I’d like to spend some more time with you,” Cameron said, taking her hand.
“I like to swing,” she assured him, feeling her emotions swerve on a dime from dejected to excited.
“Me, too. Say goodbye to Tangerine.”
With one last fond pet to the large tabby cat’s tummy, Aria let Cameron pull her to stand next to him. Happy, she swung their interlaced hands together between them as he led her out to his SUV. Aria looked up at him when he squeezed her fingers firmly as he helped her into the vehicle.
“Thank you for being brave, Little girl.”
“Thank you for not going away,” she whispered as he clicked her seatbelt in place across her lap.
“Never,” Cameron promised, cupping her face and kissing her softly.
Just as he leaned in to deepen the kiss, the sound of the happy family emerging from CC’s Purrfect Coffee interrupted the intimate moment. “Damn,” Cameron whispered against her lips before he stood to close the door.
Giggling, Aria pressed her fingers against her lips as he rounded the hood. She saw the smiling teenager carefully holding a cardboard cat carrier with one lucky kitty inside. “You go, Fireball. Have a good life,” she cheered as she watched the small creature disappear.
“I don’t think Fireball is the luckiest cat at the coffee shop today,” Cameron commented after catching some of her words as he slid into the SUV.
“Tangerine?” Aria suggested.
“Me. I’m one lucky cat.”
Picturing him with whiskers and furry ears, Aria giggled. When Cameron arched one eyebrow in a silent question, she rushed to assure him, “I wasn’t laughing at you. Well, I was. But you as a cat. You know with ears and fur.”
“I’d be a funny-looking cat,” he suggested.
“Oh, definitely. But handsome,” she added quickly before feeling her face heat with embarrassment. She should just stop talking.
He winked and wrapped a hand around her thigh to give her a squeeze before pulling out into traffic. “Let’s go have some more fun.”
“Swinging!” she agreed enthusiastically. Aria had never had a day where she let herself do those things that made her smile. Already in one morning with this dreamy man she’d enjoyed herself more than she could remember in a long time.
Her mind flashed back to the Littles at Blaze and at Little Cakes. They’d seemed to enjoy life with a gusto that she hadn’t seen in most adults. Was it because they balanced their responsibilities and jobs with fun activities and getting together with friends? She’d always enjoyed the age-play books that she’d encountered online. Her analytical mind just couldn’t put the pieces together to see how one person could enjoy both being a Little and handling their adult responsibilities.
Glancing over at Cameron, she wondered if one key might be having a Daddy. He seemed ready to step in and support her. Like this morning, an average guy might have seen her still in PJs and simply decided to take off. Cameron had guided her into getting ready and put her mind at ease.
“You’re thinking awfully hard over there, Aria,” Cameron said, interrupting her thoughts.
“I’m really enjoying today,” she answered.
“I am, too, Little girl,” he said, placing a hand over hers and squeezing.
Chapter Four
Swinging led to lunch together and then to exploring a new exhibit of dolls at the museum. Aria didn’t think she’d ever laughed so much. Spending time with the charismatic, handsome man was such a treat. By the time Cameron headed back to her place, it was almost dinner time.