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I pulled back a few inches, just looking at her. "Are you sure?"
"Yes. I’m just scared."
"Sugar..."
She swallowed hard, shrugging. "I wasn't really expecting this, and..."
"We'll explore this together," I assured her. "It's uncharted territory for me too."
Abruptly, she tried to rise onto her knees, but she swayed precariously and then fell back on her ass.
"What was that?" I asked.
"I was trying to straddle you." She closed her eyes. "Not a good idea."
"Scarlett," I admonished lightly. "This is how tonight will go: You’ll just lie on the bed, and I’ll take care of you. No argument allowed."
"You won't hear one from me," she whispered as she laid back down, looking at me with eyes full of sleep and also emotion.
Hell yes. This woman was mine, and I was going to take care of her.
And not just tonight.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Scarlett
"You’re a natural talent," I exclaimed on the morning of the baking competition.
"You hear that, Daddy? I'm a natural!" Bella beamed.
She'd come to LeBlanc & Broussard's every morning before opening, and we'd dutifully baked a pie. She was truly gifted in my... well, not-so-objective opinion. This little girl had wormed her way into my heart.
"The pie looks great, Bella," Chad said, "but we really have to get going now."
She frowned, crossing her little arms over her chest. We’d run a bit late today. Joel was already here, and the rest of the staff were probably going to show up any second now.
"But we still need to make the topping,” she protested.
I liked how she always looked for an excuse to stay longer. It had to mean she loved me, too, right?
"I promise you have the topping down perfectly, okay? We've practiced it often enough, and you don't want to be late for school."
"Okay," she said and finally stepped down from the stool. "I'm ready to go, Daddy."
Chad looked at me intently and said, "See you this evening."
Somehow, that one sentence that didn't even have a tinge of flirtiness made me feel warm all over.
After the two of them left, I put a hand on my chest, drawing in a deep breath. I was the luckiest person on this planet, I was sure of it.
As Joel and I started prepping for the day, I checked my email one last time as usual, and I was caught off guard onceagain by one from Mark. The subject line made me freeze in my steps.
I blinked.What? Holy shit.I immediately clicked it open.
Job offer: Chef at Starlight.
Hey Scarlett,
