Series: Paige Michaels
Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 45693 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 228(@200wpm)___ 183(@250wpm)___ 152(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45693 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 228(@200wpm)___ 183(@250wpm)___ 152(@300wpm)
Heart racing, she slowly made her way toward him, stopping a few feet away. “Hi. You’re not tired of Cuban food yet?”
His grin widened. “Nope. I’ll never tire of your family’s restaurant. I love Cuban food. There’s plenty to choose from. I can eat something different every day if I want. If I stick with the special, eventually I’ll find out how many different dishes your chef, Guille, has up his sleeve.”
Yikes. This burly man knew her chef by name, his nickname even. Not just Guillermo, but Guille.
Deke held out a hand. “Come sit with me for a bit, Precious Girl.”
She licked her lips. “I can’t. I have to work.”
He pulled out a chair. “I bet no one minds if you take a break.”
“I should take your order,” she hedged, lifting up the pad and pen.
“You don’t need to write down my order, Maya. I’m going to have the special, but I’m sure Mateo already let Guille know I’m here. Sit, Little one.” His tone was caring and soft, but the command was still there.
She glanced around. Shoot. Her mother was watching her from the back of the restaurant, Mateo was grinning at her from the hostess stand, and her cousin, Enrique, was spying on her from the register. Great.
Maya felt like everyone was ganging up on her as Deke rose to pull out the chair next to him. He took her elbow to help her sit, pushed her seat in, and then returned to his. His knee rubbed against hers as soon as they were seated.
“My family is meddling,” she murmured.
“Yeah, but they mean well. At least you know I’m well-vetted,” he joked. “Do you know how many conversations I’ve had with your mom, your brother, and your cousin this week? I’ve shared darn near everything but my social security number with them. Mateo even has me programmed into his phone for emergencies, and I haven’t even convinced you to go out with me yet.”
Her eyes widened. She hadn’t realized how much her family had bothered this man. All of them needed to back off. They were sticking their noses in her life.
She could feel her face heating as she grew angry. It wasn’t an emotion she usually felt. Most of the time Maya was pretty easygoing. She was never short tempered.
Deke set his hand over hers. “Hey…”
She met his gaze.
His brows were furrowed with concern. “I’m sorry, Precious Girl. I hate to see you upset. Tell me the truth. If you are truly not attracted to me and have no interest in going on a date with me, I’ll stop coming in.”
She swallowed hard. Panic seized her. She liked Deke. She didn’t want him to go away. She wished she was the sort of woman who could throw caution to the wind and accept what he was offering easily.
He picked up her hand, gently turned it over, and threaded his fingers with hers. His voice was soft when he leaned closer and spoke again. “You don’t date much, do you?”
She shook her head.
“Are you attracted to me, Little one?”
She nodded, her face flushing.
“So, you’re being cautious.”
She nodded again.
“How about this. I’m certain the waitress is going to bring me way more food than I could possibly eat. How about if I ask for a second plate and you dine with me. It would be like a date in a safe place where you know everyone around.”
She scrunched up her face. “That sounds awful. My family is all watching me. I can feel their eyes on me.”
He chuckled. “So maybe the first part of this date will be a bit stressful, but you can tell me more about yourself, and I’ll tell you about me, and then we can go across to Little Cakes and get a cupcake. How does that sound?”
She sat taller. Now he was talking. “I love cupcakes.”
He smiled broadly and blew out a breath. “Perfect. What’s your favorite flavor?”
“The special this month is Malted Milk. It tastes just like a chocolate malt. My father used to make them for me when I was a kid.”
“That sounds delicious. If you share my dinner with me, neither of us will be too full for cupcakes.”
She bit her lower lip, considering his proposal. She was scared out of her mind for reasons he didn’t understand. It wasn’t that she didn’t like him. It was the opposite. She really, really liked him. Everything about him.
Deke was sexy and big and gave off the strongest Daddy vibes she’d ever seen in a man. She wanted to climb onto his lap, curl up, and let him rock her. Her sex clenched and her panties grew damp just sitting next to him. Her body was humming from the simple fact that he was holding her hand and stroking her skin.
“Be brave for me, Precious Girl,” he encouraged.