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)
She kissed his cheek. “I’m sorry, Daddy. I didn’t mean to scare you. I was just so tired. It’s like I was drugged or something.”
Deke suddenly winced as he remembered the melatonin he’d given her. Could it have affected her so much that she couldn’t wake up? “Have you ever taken melatonin before, Little one?”
She shook her head. “What is it?”
“It’s what Daddy gave you after your nightmare to help you sleep.”
“Oh, right. I remember you said that. What’s it for?”
“Sleeping.” He chuckled. “I bet you’re super sensitive to it.”
She giggled. “Well, I certainly slept.”
He blew out a long breath. “I’m so sorry, Little one. I’ve never heard of anyone sleeping so long after taking it. That must be rare.”
“Don’t feel too bad. I’m sorry I worried you, but I definitely needed the sleep, and I also didn’t have a single bad dream.”
He lowered her to her feet. “Are you stable enough to stand while Daddy gets you some clothes?”
“I think so.” She held on to his hand while she assessed her balance.
It was adorable watching her, but he still felt bad about giving her the melatonin. He’d never do that again.
When she took a tentative step without wobbling, she finally released him.
Deke hurried to grab her some panties, leggings, a bra, and a T-shirt. As soon as he had her dressed he shot off a text to Hunter to ask him what he thought about the melatonin. It was worrying him.
While he was putting Maya’s shoes on, his phone rang. It was Hunter.
“Hi, thanks for calling. Sorry to bother you again.”
“No problem. I’m glad you texted. I was wondering how Maya was doing. As for your question, yes, it’s possible she reacted stronger to melatonin than most people. It’s rare, but it can happen.”
“I feel so bad about giving it to her.” He pulled her against him as he spoke.
“Don’t beat yourself up. Melatonin is safe and effective. She’ll be fine. Is she up and awake now?”
“Yes. She’s almost back to normal.”
“I’m sure that was it then. Don’t worry. Just don’t give it to her again.”
“Okay.” Deke still felt bad.
“You’re a wonderful Daddy, Deke. You did nothing wrong,” Hunter said. “You couldn’t have known. Think of it this way, she got some much-needed sleep.”
Deke tried to smile. “Thank you.” As soon as he ended the call, he lifted Maya off the floor and hugged her close. “I love you.”
“I love you, too, Daddy.”
Chapter Nineteen
Walking into La Havana with Deke at her side, Maya hoped there was an easy explanation for this influx of calls to her phone. It was humming frequently with incoming messages that she didn’t even want to glance at. How many dick pics could she see without freaking out? And each message made Deke more tense. He wanted to believe her, but the sheer number of texts was overwhelming.
“Are you okay, Maya?” Mateo asked when he spotted them.
“Yes. I’m fine. Thank you for giving me yesterday off. I hope it didn’t cause any problems,” she said, stepping forward to hug her brother.
He squeezed her tightly and released her, saying, “I’m glad. We were fine but missed all that you do of course.”
“I’ll work an extra shift or two if you need me to this week.”
“You will not. You needed some time off,” Maya’s mother said behind her in a tone that no one would argue with.
“Mamá, I need to talk to you,” Maya said quickly.
“You do?” her mother answered, sounding surprised. She looked at Maya’s buzzing phone and added, “Turn off that music. I can’t think with that hum.”
“It’s not music, Señora Rodriguez. Those are all messages coming to Maya’s phone,” Deke told her.
Maya watched her mother’s face and saw a slight change in her expression. “Mamá, did you sign me up for a dating app?”
“She’d never do that,” Mateo said, laughing. “Especially that one called Hot Dates! It’s just a hook-up site.”
“A hook-up site?” her mother repeated.
“You know, for people looking for sex,” Mateo explained.
“Oh… I didn’t know that. It just looked like a lot of healthy people who were active in a lot of sports and outdoor fun,” his mother protested.
“Mamá, you have to close down that account now,” Maya demanded.
“I don’t like your tone, mija. Besides, I already closed it down,” her mother said sternly.
“Could you pull up the account on your phone, Señora Rodriguez—so we can double check?” Deke requested.
“I think I’d know if I’ve turned off the account,” Maria Eugenia said defensively.
They waited as her mother retrieved her phone from the office. Opening the large handbag, she sorted through a bunch of essential clutter to find her phone. Looking up at Maya, she asked, “Was it Hot Dates or Find Your Man?”
“You signed me up for two dating apps? Mamá, this is awful.” Maya couldn’t believe this was happening. “What were you thinking?”