Series: Paige Michaels
Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 45455 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 227(@200wpm)___ 182(@250wpm)___ 152(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45455 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 227(@200wpm)___ 182(@250wpm)___ 152(@300wpm)
“A brat, hmmm?” he commented and sat back in his chair.
“Hi, Terry! I don’t think I’ve met this sweetheart before,” a handsome man with almost as many tattoos as Riley commented with a smile. “I’m Cameron. When Riley needs swing therapy, I man the bar.”
Kiki batted her eyes at Cameron and answered, “I know we haven’t met. I would have remembered you.”
Cameron immediately held his hands up as if warding off her attention. Looking at Terry, he apologized. “Sorry, man. I just came to see if I could get you anything to drink.”
“Someone is a bit precocious,” Terry replied. “We’re getting to know each other. Would you like anything to drink, Kiki?”
“I’ll have a beer,” Kiki blurted.
“We’ll both have root beer, Cameron. Thank you,” Terry smoothly corrected.
Cameron escaped with a nod.
“Wait,” Kiki called after him.
With a sound of annoyance, she turned to Terry and wrinkled her nose. “I don’t want root beer. If I had, I would have ordered it.”
“I know. I also know that I’d like to talk to you with both our heads clear of alcoholic fog. If that isn’t what you’d like too, I’ll cancel our order.”
“Don’t get all Daddy on me. I’m not your Little girl,” Kiki retorted, feeling her face heat with the steam building inside her.
“I appreciate your time tonight, Kiki. I’d love to talk to you whenever you’re ready. Tonight obviously isn’t the right night,” Terry said quietly before standing and walking over to the bartender.
Kiki watched them talking and tried not to notice that the rear view of Terry’s body was as good as the handsome front view when he leaned over the bar to talk to Cameron privately. In a few seconds, he turned and looked at her for what felt like forever before heading back to the entrance.
Pressing her lips together to prevent herself from calling his name, Kiki watched him disappear. She debated whether to follow him or not for several long seconds before giving in to the desire to apologize. Kiki jumped up from the chair and darted to the secluded entrance.
“Oh!” she blurted, startled by the large dungeon master’s appearance.
“He’s gone, Kiki. You’ll have to talk to Terry next time,” Tarson told her with a knowing look.
“Oh, I wasn’t coming here to talk to him. I just needed something from my purse. Some…” she struggled to come up with something to use as an excuse before seizing on the first thing she could think of, “some lip balm.”
“Stop chewing on your lip and it won’t get chapped,” Tarson suggested, making Kiki aware that she nibbled on her lower lip.
Immediately, she stopped and snapped, “Thanks, Mr. Not-My-Daddy.”
“You’re welcome,” he answered without reacting to her words. His gaze seemed to see right inside her.
Kiki abandoned her lip balm excuse and escaped his knowing look by slinking back to the bar. Damn Daddies. They don’t let you get away with anything! Returning to her previous table, Kiki slid into the chair Terry had sat in and slumped with her elbows on the table.
“Here’s your beer,” Cameron announced, setting the foaming beverage in front of her.
“Thanks,” Kiki answered without looking up.
“You’re welcome.”
She saw his body turn before he stopped to add, “Terry’s one of the good ones. Talk to him next time.”
“Thanks. I’ll try to remember that,” Kiki answered as she lifted her beer and took a big sip. Bleh. Gross. He was gone when she lowered the mug to the table to glower at the frosted glass. Why did she have to be so surly and ruin things? Suddenly, she had a craving for root beer.
Chapter Two
“Hey, Kiki! I haven’t seen you in a while,” a friendly voice called from the daycare as she approached.
Looking up, Kiki spotted Ellie peeking over the half wall separating the Little area from the rest of the club. “Hi, Ellie. I’ve been really busy,” she said to excuse her absence.
“I’m sorry. Come join me. There’s no one else here. I was getting lonely,” Ellie admitted.
“Where is everyone?”
Ellie shrugged. “I don’t know. I hope they’ll come soon. But you’re here now. We can chat. Do you like to color?”
“Got any colored pencils?”
“Of course. They stock the room for everyone. There’s even some of those tough adult coloring books.”
“I might need a challenge today,” Kiki confessed as she entered the sheltered area.
“Want to talk about it?”
“Oh, I was just stupid the last time I was here. I screwed something up royally.”
“With a Daddy?” Ellie guessed.
“Tarson told you?” Kiki asked, flouncing down in a chair at the table.
“No. He’d never tell me anything about someone else. That’s your job.” Ellie stared expectantly at Kiki.
“Let me choose a coloring book first,” Kiki said after several seconds.
“The box is on the shelf. The next container has the crayons and colored pencils,” Ellie said with a wave toward a set of shelves.