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“I’m back.” He took her hands in his and stared into her eyes. “Did you mean it, Clarissa? Really mean it, or did you just say it to give me the will to bake those damn cookies?”
Clarissa cupped his cheeks and pulled his face closer to place a loving kiss on his lips. Her eyes were earnest and filled with the emotions she had denied herself for so long.
“I love you, Rick Butler, or King Ricardo III. No matter where you come from or what you have done, I love you for the man I met and fell in love with. The man you are today.”
“God, I never thought hearing those words would fill my heart with such joy,” he said against her lips. “I love you, Clarissa Stone, and even if I lived for eternity, I would love you.”
“Well, those cookies look absolutely atrocious.”
The voice sounded muffled as, within a mist of red smoke, the lady from the shop appeared.
“You?” Clarissa stared at her in confusion. “But…”
“Yes, I was getting tired of waiting for King Ricardo all these centuries. I had begun to despair he would ever find love until you arrived. Of course, since you needed a nudge as well, I took matters into my own hands.” With a wave of her hand, she changed into the old witch with long white hair, dressed in a red medieval gown.
“You have paid the penalty, King Ricardo. I free you from the curse. Now we can both find peace, and I can go back to 1485 and finally live my life.” Within a swirl of red mist, she disappeared as quickly as she had arrived.
“Finally,” Rick sighed as he hugged Clarissa so tight, she struggled to breathe. Releasing her, he took a step back. “Before we make another mistake in our relationship, we need to talk about your work.”
She placed a finger over his lips. “No, it’s done. I’m going to step back from professional photography.”
“That’s not what I want, my love,” Rick protested. “You said you received an amazing offer. I want you to take it. I can open a new restaurant wherever you go. We don’t need to settle here.”
“I made up my mind, Rick. I’m done. When I watched you sitting on the floor, so weak and turning into a… a—”
“Gingerbread cookie.” He smiled wryly.
“That’s when I realized I needed you. Just you. I can do without the stress and demands of the fashion industry, but I can’t live another day without you in my life. I had an amazing career, honey, and I’ll always have the accolades and memories of that as a reminder. Now… I only want you and the happily ever after that comes with you.”
“Me? All of me, as I am… as your husband and your Daddy?”
“Yes, my love. All of you. As my Gingerbread Daddy.”
The End
Want more Daddy stories from me?: Covert Daddy, the prequel to Louisiana Daddies is now available for only 99c. Get yours here:
https://books2read.com/LDPEB-CovertDaddy
About Linzi Basset
Learn more about Linzi on her website, www.linzibassetauthor.com, and while you’re there, subscribe to her newsletter:
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Linzi’s Bio
“Isn’t it a universal truth that it’s our singular experiences and passion, for whatever thing or things, which molds us all into the individuals we become? Whether it's hidden in the depths of our soul or exposed for all to see?”
Linzi Basset is a South African born animal rights supporter with a poet’s heart, and she is also a bestselling fiction writer of suspense filled romance books; who as the latter, refuses to be bound to any one sub-genre. She prefers instead to stretch herself as a storyteller which has resulted in writing in multiple genres. Her initial offering: Club Alpha Cove, a BDSM club suspense series released back in 2015, reached Amazon’s Bestseller list, and she has been on those lists ever since. Labeling her as prolific is a gross understatement as just a few short years later she has now been published over a hundred times; a total which includes the published works of her nom de plume: Isabel James who co-authors, and penname, Kimila Taylor.
“I write from the inside out. My stories are both inside me and a part of me so it can be either pleasurable to release them or painful to carve them out. I live every moment of every story I write. So, if you're looking for spicy and suspenseful, I'm your girl... woman... writer... you know what I mean!"
Linzi believes that by telling stories in her own voice, she can better share with her readers the essence of her being: her passionate nature; her motivations; and her wildest fantasies. She feels every touch as she writes, every kiss, every harsh word uttered, and this to her is the key to a never-ending love of writing.
